House Of The Dragon Season 3 Has To Finally Destroy A Major Daemon Targaryen Theory

House of the Dragon is expanding on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book in several ways, and that could extend to debunking a theory about Daemon Targaryen. Daemon’s actor Matt Smith has firmly established himself as one of the best parts of House of the Dragon‘s cast, and that should continue as the Game of Thrones prequel moves forward. With the Dance of the Dragons set to truly begin in House of the Dragon season 2, Daemon will have a major role to play when the new episodes come around.

Beyond that, Martin has said House of the Dragon season 3 is likely. Assuming it happens, Daemon should continue to be a big part of it. However, that is also where Daemon’s story could end, depending on how exactly HBO adapts the book. Daemon’s death in Fire & Blood comes later in the Dance, in a clash of dragons as he and Caraxes face off with Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. Dubbed the Battle Above the Gods Eye, the fiery fight takes place in the skies over Harrenhal. All four participants are supposedly killed, but there are theories that Daemon, alone, survives, which is something the show should address.

Daemon Targaryen Survives The Dance Of The Dragons – Theory Explained

Daemon’s body was never found.

Daemon and Aemond’s dragon battle is said to be epic and brutal, and unsurprisingly ends with both of them and their dragons perishing. The conclusion sees all the combatants falling into the Gods Eye lake, and the odds of them surviving are pretty much zero. That’s confirmed for Aemond, Vhagar, and Caraxes, as all of their corpses are found, but not for Daemon. His body didn’t wash-up with the others, and was never found at any point in House of the Dragon‘s timeline, nor the many years after. Because of that, there are theories he actually survived, and singers even sing of this.

There isn’t as much detail surrounding how much damage Daemon took in the fight, in contrast to Aemond (who is stabbed through the eye by Daemon with the sword Dark Sister), which further allows the theory to live. It continues that he went off to live a peaceful life with Nettles, a dragonseed who rides the dragon Sheepstealer, and with whom Daemon has a romantic relationship. Nettles and Sheepstealer are spotted after the Dance of the Dragons’ ending, seen in the mountains in the Vale, and some believe Daemon is with them, living a peaceful, secluded life after years of fighting.

There is also some possible motive for Daemon’s survival thanks to Martin himself. In an interview Martin shared on his Facebook page in 2018, Daemon is his favorite Targaryen. In A Song of Ice and Fire, it’s very likely that Martin’s favorite character – Tyrion Lannister – will survive, so the same could be true for Fire & Blood. With Nettles’ survival and whereabouts also confirmed, then Daemon being alive certainly isn’t impossible, even if it is implausible.

Why House Of The Dragon Should Confirm Daemon Targaryen Really Dies

Daemon needs a definitive ending.

There may just about be wiggle room to have Daemon be one of the few characters who survive the Dance of the Dragons, but it would be a mistake. Again, while not definitely ruled out, it is highly unlikely that Daemon could have survived the Battle Above the Gods Eye, given it claimed the lives of not only Aemond, but also two massive dragons. Daemon would have suffered a lot of damage even before he and the dragons went crashing into the lake, and having him miraculously make it out alive would stretch credulity.

House of the Dragon doesn’t necessarily need to confirm things one way or another, and could leave Daemon’s ending open just a crack. That may work for an in-universe history book like Fire & Blood, where there are already conflicting accounts of just about everything that happened, but it’s more of a problem for House of the Dragon. This should be a more definitive telling, and the story, Daemon’s arc, and audiences all deserve a proper sense of closure rather than ambiguity and constant speculation over his fate. Besides, House of the Dragon faked Laenor Velaryon’s death, so repeating the trick, or even having the possibility of it, would risk feeling a bit cheap.

Further to that, Daemon being alive raises too many questions. After his death, the war continues; his wife, Rhaenyra, is killed; and eventually his own son, Aegon, assumes the Iron Throne. Daemon just staying in hiding while all of that goes on seems unlikely, begging the question of why he never returns. Even if there were an answer, though, dying in battle is a far more fitting fate for a warrior, and doing so in a dragon fight with his nephew, Aemond, is particularly apt (and something already set up). House of the Dragon can give Daemon a true, amazing ending, and the theory that he survives could die with him.