If any TV show proved it, it was Game of Thrones: people love their villains. I'm definitely guilty of this; I'm just drawn to characters with more edge to them, the unpredictable ones who have a whole lot of baggage. No, we may not have related to or liked Joffrey or Ramsay in Thrones, but we certainly loved seeing Cersei on our screens. If a villain is complex, sympathetic, and all-around badass, I'm here for them. And that very much includes Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
With Daemon pretty much being wasted in season 2, it's time for another white-haired, devious Targaryen to step in as our new favorite mischief-maker. And with Vhagar at his side, Aemond is all-powerful.
Played by Ewan Mitchell, Aemond has really stepped up in the second season as a determined, cunning, and surprisingly emotional character. As we saw in the first season, Aemond was bullied by his brother Aegon and his uncles Jacaerys and Lucerys, which led to him getting his eye cut out by Luke after claiming the dragon Vhagar. And while many of his family members were angry that he took Laena's dragon soon after her passing, you can't deny that it was pretty epic. And this is when everything began to change for Aemond.
"Do not mourn me, Mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon."Aemond Targaryen
It's true that while he lost an eye in season 1, Aemond gained something truly invaluable. And by the second season, he and Vhagar — the biggest dragon alive in Westeros — are the most dangerous pairing.
Why does everyone hate Aemond?
Okay, let's get the Luke stuff out of the way. I understand most House of the Dragon fans hate Aemond because he and Vhagar killed Rhaenyra's son Lucerys, aka Luke, in the season 1 finale, but that feels like forever ago, no? I know in the actual timeline of the show, it hasn't been long at all, but Aemond has changed a lot since then. No, he's not suddenly an angel, but he's much more interesting than that character we saw in the season 1 finale.
While there was a question of whether or not Aemond meant to kill Luke — the show depicts it as an accident, even though showrunner Ryan Condal says it was nnot — there's no doubting how bloodthirsty Aemond is in season 2. But he's much more than that; as we see in the brothel scene with the prostitute Sylvi in Episode 203, Aemond is not afraid to open up to those he trusts and even admits that he regrets killing Luke. This might sound contradictory, but that's kind of the point. Aemond is a total wildcard, and while he has a short fuse, he's also very calculating and doesn't do anything off impulse alone.
Aegon's teasing in the brothel is the last straw, but it's not just the bullying that drives Aemond to nearly kill his brother multiple times during the Battle at Rook's Rest. It's also his appetite to rule. Unlike Aegon, Aemond actually wants to sit the Iron Throne, and he has the skills to do the job well. The idea of pushing Aegon to the side so he can become the king is very appealing to Aemond, even to the point of murder. Though I was sad to see Rhaenys die in the Battle at Rook's Rest, we all have to be real — the best part about the battle was seeing Aemond absolutely owning everyone on Vhagar. They're a deadly duo and I can't help but be in awe of their strength.
This is a show about dragons, is it not? How much more awesome can it get than seeing Aemond and Vhagar fight?
Aemond becoming Prince Regent will pick up the season's pace
Another reason I love Aemond this season is his sense of urgency and his leadership skills. Though Aegon definitely has urgency as well, he has no idea how to rule. Now that Aegon is out for the count on his road to recovery, Aemond has stepped in to rule in his place as regent, and he is wasting no time giving orders. At this point in the season, the pace has slowed down a lot more than I prefer, but Aemond will be our guiding light to keep the war exciting. There's no way he's going to want to sit and wait for ravens while Daemon is recruiting an army in the Riverlands, and what we really need right now is some movement.
As he says in the newest episode, Aemond is not afraid of Daemon and his army, telling Criston: "My uncle is a challenge I welcome if he dares face me." Of course, Fire & Blood fans know that Aemond and Daemon's great encounter won't come until later on in the show, but if anything, this shows Aemond is not going to remain idle in his new role. And thank goodness for that.
If I haven't convinced you to put some respect on Aemond's name, the least you can do is cut Vhagar a little bit of slack. She's an awesome dragon with years of battle experience — she even fought in Aegon's Conquest — and she's really only following her rider's orders. Don't blame her for Aemond's war crimes, please!
We'll see what's in store for Aemond and Vhagar this week on House of the Dragon season 2 when the seventh episode premieres this Sunday on HBO and Max.
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