As we moved closer to the final episode of House of the Dragon season 1, fans developed all sorts of bizarre theories. First, many suggested that Daemon Targaryen was the Night King. Then, there was a stir around King Viserys being a White Walker or the Night King. Now that those theories were shut down, a new theory regarding Aemond Targaryen as the Night King has surfaced.
An Expert Swordsman With A Powerful Dragon
Aemond Targaryen (played by Ewan Mitchell) is the second-born son of Alicent Hightower and King Viserys, who lost his eye during a brawl with his nephew over the ancient dragon Vhagar. As the last in line to succeed Viserys and with a conflict brewing between his siblings, there was no chance that Aemond would ever be able to claim the Iron Throne as his own. With nothing waiting for him in that department, he decided to train and develop his skills with a sword. As he grew older he got better and he was eventually able to defeat even Ser Criston Cole (a skilled warrior in his own right and a member of the Kingsguard who was once close to Rhaenyra).
He became the fiercest and most dangerous of all his siblings, laying waste to anyone who would dare cross swords with him. His skills and ability to command an army became a great asset to the greens during the Dance of the Dragons and even matched that of his uncle Daemon.
With Vhagar at his side, there were very few who could challenge him and come out of it alive.
Why Aemond Targaryen Could Never Be The Night King
The most prominent reason for this is that the timeline between the two characters does not line up. The Children of the Forest had created the Night King and his White Walkers almost 8000 years before Prince Aemond was even born. In fact, the Night King was around before Aegon I Targaryen conquered Westeros.
Another reason fans can be sure that Aemond Targaryen is not the Night King is that his body had been found after the Dance of the Dragons. In the book, Aemond meets his end at the hands of his uncle Daemon after Rhaenyra sends him out to take care of her brother, who has been burning the Riverlands with the help of Vhagar.
Daemon sets out on Caraxes, his fierce and quick red dragon, and soon finds Aemond, which leads to a clash between the two Targaryens and their dragons over Gods Eye Lake. During their battle, Caraxes manages to outmanoeuvre the larger dragon and grabs her around the neck (though he does sustain his own fatal injuries in the process).
Together, the four of them plummeted into the lake, Caraxes the only one who managed to survive long enough to swim to the shore before succumbing to his wounds. It was only a couple of years after the battle that Vhagar and Aemond were found.
As entertaining as the fan theories are, it is extremely unlikely for Aemond Targaryen to become the Night King (especially since it is customary for Targaryens to bury their relatives with dragon’s fire).
Tell us, do you still believe Aemond Targaryen is the Night King? Also, read our article on the 8 best House of the Dragon season 1 episodes and our full review of House of the Dragon Season 2.
House of the Dragon |
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An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. |
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| Creator: Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin |
| Cast: Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Ewan Mitchell, Paddy Considine, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama |
| Number of Seasons: 2 |
| Streaming Service: HBO Max |
