So, who the bloody hell is Daeron Targaryen?
The Targayren family, typically front and center, went dark this week—no photo ops, no balcony waves. Closed doors, tight lips, and a swirl of questions about what prompted the sudden retreat.
Right, mild spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen the new season opener of House of the Dragon—I’m not here to ruin anything, but you’ll want to know that going in. Let’s talk about how HBO’s Targaryen soap opera has finally pulled the trigger on something die-hard fans have been moaning about for ages: the mysterious missing son of Alicent Hightower is now officially on-screen.
Who the Bloody Hell is Daeron Targaryen?
I’ll be honest, unless you have a spreadsheet tracking every Targaryen in Westeros, you might need a recap. House of the Dragon is infamous for sprinkling new platinum-blonde relatives throughout the halls of King’s Landing—and, until now, one legitimate Targaryen prince has been quietly stashed in the background with almost no discussion. Meet Daeron, the one you probably forgot existed if you’re only watching the show.
Here’s the lay of the land:
- Alicent Hightower (that’s Olivia Cooke) has four children: Aegon, Aemond, Helaena, and Daeron.
- Everyone in the show acts like it’s three; Daeron’s barely had a mention, let alone a proper entrance. He’s been off in Oldtown as a ward of his mother’s family, the Hightowers—a detail the series barely bothered with, even as Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena became major players.
- We previously got a passing reference in Season 2 (from Alicent to her brother) and one very fleeting nod to Daeron’s dragon, but that’s your lot until now.
Series 3 Kicks Off—And Daeron Walks In
In the Season 3 opener, titled 'Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood'—genuinely, could they cram a few more words in there?—Daeron finally makes his physical debut. For the superfans clutching their copies of Fire & Blood, yes, this mostly lines up: in the lore, Daeron was also packed off to Oldtown (against his will, you’d imagine), conveniently keeping him on hand for the Hightowers when ‘heirs and alliances’ inevitably come into play.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth steps into the role of Daeron. If you’re squinting at the telly wondering why he’s not showing up on IMDb just yet for House of the Dragon, that info’s simply not been updated. I assure you, it’s him—there’s also a teaser for next week suggesting we’ll see more Daeron (and probably hear everyone say his name a million different ways—standard Thrones fare).
It's a bit odd, though: in the TV timeline, Daeron leaves King’s Landing much younger than his book counterpart, and there’s basically no relationship with his Targaryen lot onscreen. If you’re following the George R. R. Martin book, you’ll know he supposedly sides with the 'Greens' (that’s Team Alicent) rather than jumping on Rhaenyra’s bandwagon for the Iron Throne, but whether that plays out the same on telly is anyone’s guess right now.
If you’re still keeping count: 'Yes, Daeron is real, and he’s finally on screen. No, the show hasn’t given him anything interesting to do yet. It’s early days.'
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth—On the Way to Becoming Fantasy Royalty?
Now, if Daeron fizzles into yet another plot-footnote, don’t worry about Benjamin Evan Ainsworth—he’s not just hanging about in medieval wigs. In a twist that should make his agent very chuffed, Ainsworth is confirmed as the lead role in the 2027 live-action Legend of Zelda movie. Yes, really—he’s our new Link. Hard to picture him blending into the background in that franchise, given Link is literally front and centre of everything.
That does make for a bit of an odd vibe: House of the Dragon, with its buckets of blood and political backstabbing, sits at very much the opposite end of the spectrum from the sunny, all-ages world of Zelda. But hey, if you can swing both a Valyrian sword and a Master Sword, you’re clearly in demand for fantasy telly and blockbusters alike. So, if Ainsworth’s career keeps moving at this pace, expect to see much more of him wherever there’s a magical family tree filled with drama.
Main House of the Dragon Cast (Current Era)
- Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
- Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen
- Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
- Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
- Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Daeron Targaryen