Season 1 of Game of Thrones, the series proved that anybody could die at any moment and that their deaths would be brutal. As each major player fell, it brought increased attention to those who still stood, including the unpredictable Daemon Targaryen.
Daemon was hard to fully understand in this first season, changing his goals and strategies at nearly every opportunity. While he might not have been as changed as other characters, since he was violent and power-hungry from beginning to end, he did have several significant moments in his character evolution where fans were left wondering what he could possibly do next.
Impatient Heir
Adults watching The Lion King realize how horrible it was for Simba to sing “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King,” as the song was wishing for his father’s death. Similarly, Daemon began the series sitting on the Iron Throne and wishing it would be his, no matter who had to die to get him there.
He was casual in hoping that Aemma didn’t have a son when he spoke with Rhaenyra, and then celebrated Baelon’s death, toasting the “Heir for a Day.” Daemon wanted to keep his place as second in line for the throne, and he seemed eager for Viserys to die as well, so he could be King.
The Rogue Prince
When Viserys discarded Daemon as Heir, Daemon decided to lash out, truly becoming the “Rogue Prince” episode two called him. He stole the dragon’s egg intended for Baelon, claimed Dragonstone as his own, and planned to make Mysaria his second wife.
Daemon knew that Viserys wanted peace and propriety, and so he actively worked against that at every turn. It wasn’t love for Mysaria that led to his actions, as he wasn’t shown to have much affection for her. He just wanted make Viserys angry, and only Rhaenyra’s actions stopped him from disgracing himself and their family.
Warrior Prince
When bringing shame to the Targaryen name failed, Daemon allied with Corlys to claim the Stepstones. While Corlys genuinely seemed to want to stop the enemy, however, Daemon just wanted to play the hero. He joyfully crushed his enemies on dragonback, but didn’t care how many of his own soldiers died with them.
More than anything, Daemon seemed to want to prove that he was strong. When Viserys sent help, Daemon took on what they thought of as a suicide mission, just so he didn’t have to be bailed out by his brother. Daemon was strong and bold, but his recklessness made him seem lost more than strategic.
Repentant Subject
After his successes in the Stepstones, Daemon returned to King’s Landing with a crown of reeds. Nobody knew what he would do next, but he removed the crown, knelt before Viserys, and seemed to genuinely respect Viserys’s rule.
Viserys was desperate to have peace with Daemon, which made it easy for Daemon to get back into a place of power after one moment of submission. It seems unlikely that he ever intended to actually act like he was a loyal subject, but it was a critical moment that showed how much Viserys wanted his brother back. In performing submissiveness, Daemon actually gained power.
Dishonoring Rhaenyra
When Daemon was welcome back at Court, he quickly began his plans to seduce Rhaenyra. Though he did seem attracted to her, this move felt distinctly political. Daemon didn’t have to actually sleep with Rhaenyra if he could destroy her reputation, and he nearly succeeded.
When Viserys confronted Daemon, he didn’t deny that he had sex with Rhaenyra, despite the fact that he didn’t. That suggests that he knew the importance of her purity and wanted it in question. This had two potential benefits for him: either he could marry Rhaenyra or he could hurt her politically. Either way, he got closer to the throne.
Wife-Slayer
In a serious departure from Fire & Blood, Daemon actively killed his wife, Rhea, in "We Light the Way." This moment told audiences that he was violent and brutal, as well as proving that he would do whatever was necessary to satisfy his ambitions.
While he didn’t kill Laena, his temper ensured that she knew not to push him too far. Fans of the book know that their marriage was meant to be loving, but it was more of a neutral affair in the show. All of that led to his marriage with Rhaenyra, where he named her Queen and then choked her for daring to defy him. Killing Rhea showed audiences who he was, and that never faded.
A Prince In Exile
When Daemon’s plans to get closer to power failed, he seemed to give up on his ambitions. He married Laena and lived in Pentos, despite Laena suggesting that he was able to return to Westeros. For the first time, Daemon seemed defeated.
While speaking with Laena, Daemon itted to being tired of “The political scheming, the endless shifting of loyalties and succession,” instead preferring a simple life. Had Laena’s pregnancy gone better, he might have stayed content with the luxuries he found in exile, despite her insistence that he was better than that.
Rhaenyra's Defender
Rhaenyra asked Daemon to marry her to protect her claim to the throne, and he took to that role happily. His name alone added strength to her position, but he also readily defended her with his actions, pressuring Viserys to Lucerys’s claim to Driftmark and killing Vaemond for his insults.
Where Criston Cole became Alicent’s loyal soldier, Daemon became Rhaenyra’s. He set aside his own ambitions to protect her, and Daemon took on a protective role. He was still violent and reckless, but it was for Rhaenyra’s sake, not his own.
Viserys's
When Daemon and Rhaenyra came to Court, he seemed disturbed by Viserys’s deteriorated condition. However, when Viserys decided to sit the Iron Throne again, Daemon showed a ive side of himself and his relationship with Viserys that audiences never saw before.
Daemon picked up Viserys’s crown and helped him walk to the throne. At that moment, viewers got to see what it might have been like if Daemon and Viserys hadn’t been at odds for most of the season. He ed Viserys as his brother and his king, honoring his dignity in a way he never did before.
Eager For War
When Daemon learned that Viserys was dead and Aemond crowned, he immediately went into war preparations, which put him at odds with Rhaenyra and Jacaerys. He crowned Rhaenyra in public, without her consent, and snapped out commands as though he was her general. At each moment, he knew his actions pushed them to war.
“The Black Queen” showed the conflict between Daemon and Rhaenyra, as he tried to keep control despite calling her Queen. The struggle for power included choking Rhaenyra while mocking her pacifism. Daemon’s only glimpse of power came from the War in the Stepstones, and he was eager to regain that glory and then have the authority of Prince Consort.
