House of the Dragon's Ewan Mitchell teases Aemond's 'Oedipus complex' as disturbing season 3 rumor surfaces

The third season of House of the Dragon is upon us, and as we get closer to the premiere on June 21, we’re learning some fun tidbits here and there on what to expect. Though they won’t be dropping any major spoilers, the cast and crew are officially on the press tour, providing teases on their characters’ headspaces and motivations.

One of those actors is Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond Targaryen. Since the first season, Aemond has been a wildcard, not fitting in with anyone and forging his own path instead. That has led to some questionable moments, like killing poor Lucerys while riding Vhagar—whether it was an accident or not—and nearly killing his own brother Aegon at the Battle of Rook’s Rest. He’s one of the most interesting characters on the show going into season 3, and his storyline is seemingly about to get more complicated.

Aemond is looking for love in all the wrong places

In a new interview with i-D Magazine, Mitchell referenced a certain early scene (which is being kept under wraps) in which viewers will likely question Aemond’s intentions. “He’s got this very skewered idea of what affection is,” Mitchell stated. “Maybe there’s a drop of an Oedipus complex in there.”

House of the Dragon fans won’t be surprised to hear this, as the topic of Aemond having mommy issues has come up throughout the seasons already. In 2024, after the season 2 episode in which Aemond is caught cuddling with an older madame in a brothel was released, Mitchell analyzed what his character was looking for.

“I don't know so much if he had mommy issues, or rather, he just wanted to be loved by his mom a little bit more,” he told Business Insider.

But why this particular new “Oedipus complex” quote has us raising our eyebrows is because of an alleged leak that also came out today. The timing on the i-D interview dropping couldn’t have been better, as fan account Woke the Dragon (@WtDasoiaf) on X shared an unexpected development for season 3.

According to the alleged leak, Aemond will kiss his mother Alicent on the lips when saying goodbye in the season 3 premiere, to which she “is shocked, her eyes filled with terror.” We know, based on the trailer, that Alicent will send Aemond away from King’s Landing in anticipation of Rhaenyra’s arrival, but the kiss part is seriously weird.

Of course, we must make clear that this alleged leak has not been confirmed, so we must take it as a grain of salt. HBO has not confirmed this, and we do not know where this information comes from. So there’s a chance it doesn’t happen at all! However, if it is true, that’s a seriously strange choice by the writers. It had been suggested already that Aemond had some sort of mommy issues, in whatever way you define that, but this would be a bit over the top.

Fans have had strong opinions on this rumor, understandably, with some laughing at the absurdity and others praying that it’s not true. “The writing room needs to be locked,” wrote user @Dina_thebolter.

At this point, even having read George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, we truly don’t know what to expect from House of the Dragon season 3. Yes, they will (hopefully) hit on the same big events, but we know the show has taken plenty of creative liberties—and we can expect that to be the case moving forward.

Don’t miss the House of the Dragon season 3 premiere on June 21, and check back with us at Winter Is Coming for our continued coverage.

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