Matt Smith on Daemon’s twisted sense of morality in House of the Dragon

George R. R. Martin loved writing Fire & Blood for its morally grey and complex characters, however, Daemon Targaryen might just be the greyest of them all. There’s a reason why he is Martin’s favorite Targaryen. Actor Matt Smith, who has been lauded for his portrayal of the character on House of the Dragon, recently got into his mind to explain how Daemon sees the world.

Daemon Targaryen has a twisted sense of Targaryen morality

In his recent interview with LA Times, Smith said, “Well, in the land of the Targaryens, it’s more commonplace to be with your immediate family. I think he’s quite a solitary creature, really. But he’s also quite a political one. There’s a sense that his brother and Rhaenyra particularly, are the two people he would go to war for. It’s like he’s got this very weird sense of loyalty. To him, sometimes he’s doing the right thing even when he’s really doing the wrong thing.”

Daemon’s complicated relationship with Viserys

Daemon shared a love/hate relationship with his brother, King Viserys. Smith explains, “There’s a lot going on with his brother that he’s coming to terms with. Viserys ostensibly brought him up, and for Daemon it’s either try to piss him off or impress him.”

“Actually, Daemon’s a hugely complicated creature. He’s way more sensitive than he lets on, and that gives you something to play against on screen. You can sort of invert it.”

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