What Does Daemon Targaryen ACTUALLY Want?

Daemon Targaryen wins a crown, then hands it back. Wins his vengeance, then loses the war. What does House of the Dragon's rogue prince actually want? In Fire & Blood, George R.R. Martin describes Daemon Targaryen as "made of light and darkness in equal parts" — and the closest thing the Dance of the Dragons has to a main character. But every time Daemon gets close to what he claims he wants, he sets it on fire. The Stepstones — he conquered a kingdom with his own hand, then knelt before Viserys and gave back the crown. Rhea Royce — a marriage to one of the Vale's great houses, poisoned until even in death she was the one winning. Rhaenyra — he got her, married her, fathered her sons, and his shadow over Laenor's death gave Otto Hightower the entire Greens case for war. Blood and Cheese — he finally had his vengeance against Aemond, and turned public sympathy into a contest of atrocities Rhaenyra would lose. This video traces the pattern across Fire & Blood and HOTD Seasons 1 and 2 — from two-year-old Daemon losing his mother, through the brother he spent a lifetime trying to impress, to the Harrenhal visions in Season 2 that finally forced him to see his own pattern. Featuring writer Sara Hess, showrunner Ryan Condal, and Matt Smith on what Daemon Targaryen actually wants. Hint: it's not the Iron Throne. CHAPTERS 0:00 — The rogue prince 0:55 — The wound: Daemon loses his mother 2:45 — What Daemon claims he wants 5:00 — The pattern #1: The Stepstones crown 5:50 — The pattern #2: Rhea Royce 7:05 — The pattern #3: marrying Rhaenyra 8:10 — The pattern #4: Blood and Cheese 9:30 — Mushroom, Eustace, and the unreliable narrators 11:24 — Harrenhal: Alys Rivers and the visions 13:40 — What Daemon Targaryen actually wants 15:40 — Closing thoughts SOURCES Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin House of the Dragon Seasons 1 & 2 (HBO) Interviews with Sara Hess, Ryan Condal, and Matt Smith If this analysis landed for you, subscribe for more deep dives into House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones, and the Targaryen dynasty. #HouseOfTheDragon #DaemonTargaryen #HOTD #FireAndBlood #ASOIAF