13. Aemond Targaryen
Aemond Targaryen has a reputation as a cruel, ruthless war criminal, an ambitious prince would stop at nothing to get power. And a lot of that is earned. But what if we take a step back and try to find some redeeming qualities?
Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that Aemond is a sweetheart, not by a long shot. He rides the dragon Vhagar, the biggest and oldest creature alive during the Dance of the Dragons, and he’s not afraid to use her to destroy his enemies. Aemond is a brutal man, but he has a certain allure. He’s brave, he has conviction, and he
has absolutely gorgeous hair and face
refuses to back down from a fight. He leaves a lasting impression, that’s for sure.
On the show so far, we’ve seen Aemond chase after his nephew Lucerys and chomp him and his dragon Arrax to bits. Though Aemond looks regretful after this, there’s no hint of that in the book. In Fire & Blood, it’s even rumored that Aemond finds Lucerys’ body and rips out one of his eyes to gifted it to his mother, Queen Alicent.
Aemond is a real piece of work, but he’s also exciting character who adds a lot of intrigue to the story.
12. Rhaena Targaryen
Rhaena occupies an underrated branch on the Targaryen family tree. Always very kind, she has a geniality that’s rare in the hot-tempered Targaryen family.
At present in the show, Rhaena has a dragon egg but no dragon, despite her earnest attempts to get her egg to hatch. This early disappointment is perhaps why she has a milder temperament than some other people in her family, like her father Daemon or her sister Baela.
We’ll see what’s in store for Rhaena on the show, resting assured that she’ll approach what’s to come with humility, kindness and good common sense.
11. Lucerys Velaryon
Lucerys “Luke” Velaryon may not have the Targaryen name, nor the Targaryen silver-blonde hair. But as the son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, he’s a dragon through and through, no matter what certain spoil-sports say about his Strong features (sorry).
Luke rides his own (small) dragon, Arrax. He was engaged to his cousin Rhaena at the age of 3, and serves his mother loyally. But he’s most famous for sparking the fires of war, as we saw in the finale to House of the Dragon season 1. Luke’s uncle Aemond kills him when the pair are both atop their dragons. After that, the Dance of the Dragons officially begins.
In a way, Luke’s death leads to the near extinction of his family, not a legacy a sweet-natured boy like him would like to leave. It actually makes me glad Lucerys won’t be around to witness it.