Why 'House of the Dragon' fans love Daemon Targaryen, no matter how despicable he is

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Episode 1 sees Daemon Targaryen wear his dreaded cape again
Daemon enters King's Landing and hires Blood and Cheese to kill Prince Aemond Targaryen in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 (@hbo)
Daemon enters King's Landing and hires Blood and Cheese to kill Prince Aemond Targaryen in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 (@hbo)

Contains spoilers and speculation for 'House of the Dragon'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Episode 1 premiered on HBO on Sunday, June 16, 2024, and the highly anticipated action-adventure series delivered everything fans love about the political thriller genre in its first episode.

From a grieving mother to a gruesome murder, the episode had everything that the viewers could ask for.

It also brought back fan-favorite character Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), donning his cape once more after its early appearance in Season 1, as he ventured into the familiar territory of King's Landing's Flea Bottom.

He hired two killers Blood (Sam C Wilson) and Cheese (Mark Stobbart) to kill Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) but they ended up killing a child in Jaehaerys Targaryen.

But when it comes to Daemon Targaryen's fans, he seems to be almost bulletproof; even the most despicable actions don't seem to make them hate him.

Fans love Daemon Targaryen and his cape

A still from the series 'House of the Dragon' (@hbo)
A still from the series 'House of the Dragon' (@hbo)

Daemon shows his good side when he is trying to help Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and demonstrates his prowess as a skilled warrior, but there is also a darker side to him.

The dark side of Daemon usually comes out when he wears his hood. Fans couldn't control their excitement when they saw him wear that hood.

"Bro is a menace." said a Reddit user. Another Reddit user added "To be fair, at the start of episode he's trying to get Rhaenys to saddle up and go kill Vhaegar and she's all like "no, I need to have a hot bath." So Daemon is all, "k, then, I guess it's time to put on my crime cloak."

A Reddit user wrote, "Murder! Murder hood! Murder! Murder hood! I just wanna cry with you, inside my Murder hood!”. Another Reddit user added, "Daemon always ready to put in work - right or wrong."

One Reddit user saw the funny side of the situation and said, "It's kind of hilarious to think that when he moved back to Dragonstone, there was a decision made about whether to bring the crime hoodie." Another Reddit user added, "Can't properly crime without my lucky crime hoodie."

Fans also speculate that it was Daemon who instructed Blood and Cheese to kill Aegon Targaryen's (Tom Glynn-Carney) son if they failed to find Aemond. A Reddit user wrote. "It was no accident, Daemon told them to kill the son if they couldnt find Aemond." 

While the episode may not have centered on Daemon, he still managed to make an impact and leave his mark, which is a recurring theme for the show. 

What happens to Daemon Targaryen in Dance of the Dragons?

A still from the series 'House of the Dragon' (@hbo)
A still from the series 'House of the Dragon' (@hbo)

Daemon is a key player for the Blacks faction and serves as one of the lead strategists. As per 'Fire and Blood', he is involved in every major battle in the Dance of the Dragons ultimately leading to the Battle at Gods Eye. 

The battle unfolds between Daemon riding his dragon Caraxes and Aemond mounted on the biggest dragon, Vhagar. The battle results in the deaths of both Aemond and Daemon, as well as their dragons.

Despite this, it is considered a victory for Daemon, as he successfully eliminates Vhagar, the largest dragon, thereby significantly reducing the military strength of the Greens faction.

Furthermore, Daemon's body is never found, leading to speculation that he may not be dead.

How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?

A still from the series 'House of the Dragon' (@hbo)
A still from the series 'House of the Dragon' (@hbo)

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 started streaming on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Episodes of the series will continue to air every Sunday until August 4, 2024.

To watch the series, you will need a Max subscription. The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.

The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually.

Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually. 

'House of the Dragon' trailer



 

'House of the Dragon' is streaming on HBO Max starting on Sunday, June 16, 2024.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Kevin McKidd plays headteacher Mr McGiver in a six-part BBC drama set among teenage gangs in Airdrie
2026-10-20T10:17:17.000Z
'Phony' follows Sonny, a teenager who is extremely close to his mother, Ellen, played by Connie Britton
2026-10-20T09:59:34.000Z
Though Josh Duhamel won't play Staten Kirkland anymore, he revealed he would be interested in taking on a similar role in the future
2026-10-20T09:21:22.000Z
The CIA catches up with Reece in ‘The Terminal List’ Season 2 and forces him to stop a terrorist group’s resurgence
2026-10-20T07:52:34.000Z
‘Line of Fire’ introduces Tyler Posey as Russ’s former Marine buddy as the hunt for the real shooter intensifies
2026-10-20T05:52:23.000Z
Five guest stars are set to join the HBO college comedy starring Steve Carell
2026-10-20T05:12:23.000Z
Thomas Vinterberg will direct the upcoming thriller, while the project comes from Joe Murtagh.
2026-10-20T05:12:05.000Z
Tom Holland is set to feature in a thriller he will produce alongside Sony Pictures
2026-10-20T03:33:38.000Z
The HBO period drama returns with new faces, including Jim Gaffigan as President Grover Cleveland
2026-10-20T03:11:24.000Z
Isla Gordon faces a new business rival as Kate Hudson takes on another role behind the camera.
2026-10-19T20:02:26.000Z