Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy discuss Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen’s complex relationship in House of the Dragon

HBO has been putting a steady stream of teasers showcasing key characters from House of Dragons. Among them, Princess Rhaenyra and her uncle Daemon Targaryen seem to have a dynamic on-screen pairing, which is further explained by the respective actors: Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith.

Princess Rhaenyra has been named the heir to the Iron Throne instead of Daemon, which is out of the ordinary, given the patriarchal nature of the Targaryen family. While it could create some tension in the future, Rhaenyra and Daemon seem to have formed a special bond, as confirmed by D’Arcy in an interview with TVLine, who said, “Daemon and Rhaenyra are essentially the same stuff. They are two sides of the same coin. They’re both bubbling with Targaryen fire.”

Matt Smith added that both House of the Dragon characters are in similar positions because they’re in the same family and are inheriting the weight of an entire empire upon them. Furthermore, Daemon and Rhaenyra are subject to an entirely different set of rules due to their gender. Even though Daemon is highly critical of his father, he is still afforded a degree of leniency that Rhaenyra does not get.

This disparity allows Daemon to mentor Rhaenyra in a way, as D’Arcy said,

“He teaches here that there are other realities available and it’ll be a harder path, but she can carve out a different space; one that feels more comfortable“.

Daemon never had plans to become king, to begin with, and could instead use Rhaenyra as a proxy for his schemes.

Also read: ‘Targaryen Civil War’ searches increase by 400% in anticipation of House of The Dragon