The rise of Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen in popular culture is seemingly not favoring the plan that House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan J Condal had envisioned for the HBO prequel series. A major contributor to its success has been its parent show, Game of Thrones, and the roots of troubled world-building that the series has inculcated among the masses. The fandom that has steadily and then exponentially grown around it, has ever since been defined by ambiguous morality and favoritism toward the anti-hero rather than the Serpico.
Also read: House Of The Dragon: Here’s Why Daemon Targaryen Killed Rhea Royce
The Rise of Daemon Targaryen in the House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon has been picking up the slacking pace of its show’s former half with an extraordinary narrative in the latter. What started off with dreary four-room politics with a spattering of winged beasts rearing out from the clouds here and there has now turned into a full-scale dive into the history of the Targaryens and the rise and fall of the House of the Dragon.
However, the crucial aspect that draws the crowd to the forum is the descent of chaos and villainy in the face of impossible political manipulations and deadly betrayals. In a world that is populated by cunning Cersei Lannisters and demonic Ramsay Boltons, there is no place for righteous Neds and innocent Tommens. The rule of the game dictates that to survive, one has to color beyond the lines, and Daemon Targaryen entirely decimates the game at its core, let alone play by its rules.
The morally ambiguous anti-hero who has had a villainous rise to power is the personification of George R.R. Martin’s ideal survivor in Game of Thrones. In the grand picture, the portrait of Matt Smith‘s character is not solely defined by the cruel and calculated murder of his paralyzed spouse but as a husband who cuts down entitled lords who publicly humiliate his wife and a brother who despite years of outwardly displayed hostility helps Viserys to the throne when the latter is at his most vulnerable. Daemon Targaryen is the necessary evil in a house surrounded by monstrosities.
Ryan Condal Bashes Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen Fandom
The George R.R. Martin-created fandom’s loyalties reside on two extremes of the spectrum — it’s either with the most tragically fated and doomed protagonist (the likes of Jon Snow) or the morally ambivalent anti-hero who slashes their way through battlefields to avenge the one they love (the likes of Arya Stark and Daemon Targaryen). Also considering the fact that Matt Smith manages to rule every character he has donned in his career, it does not help the fandom’s case of falling in love with the resident bad guy of the HBO show.
However, showrunner Ryan Condal has other opinions on the matter.
“He’s not Ned Stark… [he’s] the antihero of the story… if you’re looking for Han Solo, who’s always going to do the right thing in the end, you’re in the wrong franchise, folks.”
This goes directly against what the House of the Dragon fandom believes in and isn’t afraid to voice.
We don't care. pic.twitter.com/PqLhsGVdfl
— COKE (@JordensGE) October 24, 2022
Apparently everyone working on HotD needs to hear the obvious: people love anti-heroes, complex characters who are not entirely good or entirely bad. They admit Daemon's best quality is his love for his family and that appeals to people above all other qualities.
— ahlicake☭ Sbagliato me, Emma D'Arcy ☭ (@ahlicake) October 25, 2022
It’s because he’s Matt Smith. It’s not that hard to understand.
— amir 🔪🎃 (@ActuallyAmir) October 24, 2022
It’s… it’s George’s favorite character, Ryan. He embodies all the goals in George’s writing, and all the reasons why we watch.
— ◽️ (@learning_to_die) October 25, 2022
The showrunners not getting why fans like him when GRRM literally says he's his favorite Targaryen tells me they don't understand his character at all.
— Anne Ally (@666shreklover) October 25, 2022
Nobody who likes Daemon as a character thinks he's a "good person" they like him because he's an interesting, morally grey anti-hero and Matt Smith is very charming in the role. George didn't write any episodes. He's listed on every episode because he wrote the source material.
— Anne Ally (@666shreklover) October 25, 2022
Does he know people love Loki?
What is wrong with liking the anti-hero? Sometimes they are way better written than the heroes….. pic.twitter.com/eS5RootV2N— ɱαɾιι ɱσσɳ🌙 (@moreiramarii) October 24, 2022
The author of the books favors this character because of his complexity, so I’m a little disappointed those who are writing the show can’t understand why he’s popular. Ned Stark was NOT well liked across the fandom. I also don’t know if all would consider him a hero.
— dani_tha_girl (@dani_tha_girl) October 25, 2022
It’s not news that people want to explore beyond the age-old and time-weary binaries of good and evil. The righteous versus the wrong does not allow for character development and simply sets up one party’s victory over another’s failure. The anti-heroes, on the other hand, are built with complex undertones of ideologies that keep shifting with their surroundings and that is what makes the story interesting and the plot entertaining.
House of the Dragon Season 1 is now streaming on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: Twitter
