Who is Prince Aerion Targaryen from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Aerion Targaryen, also known as Aerion Brightflame, is a well-known character the world of Game of Thrones. He is mentioned many times in the A Song of Ice and Fire book series for consuming wildfire because he believed it would turn him into a dragon. One of the inheritors of the fabled ‘Targaryen madness,’ Aerion showed early signs of cruelty in his youth.

Prince Aerion plays a significant role in the upcoming HBO series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. He is a central character in The Hedge Knight, the first novella in George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg, the basis for the show. This article explores the life, deeds, and legacy of this infamous Targaryen prince.

Read More: House Targaryen family tree: Exploring the key House of the Dragon & Game of Thrones characters

Quick Details

Who was Aerion Targaryen?

Credits: Mathia Arkoniel

Aerion Brightflame was the second son of Prince Maekar Targaryen and Lady Dyanna Dayne. He was known for his cruelty, arrogance, and violent outbursts. He was the older brother of Aemon and Aegon Targaryen, both of whom had strained relationships with him due to his harsh nature.

Aerion had a dragon egg as a child, described as gold and silver. He was a striking figure, with silver-gold curly hair, deep violet eyes, and pale skin. He often dressed in bright colors, favoring red, yellow, and orange, with a signature black cloak lined with scarlet satin.

His personal sigil, a three-headed dragon in red, represented his fiery nature. Aerion’s behavior was unpredictable and dangerous, with rumors that he practiced dark arts. He earned the hatred of his siblings, who despised his arrogance and cruelty.

Despite his physical beauty, Aerion’s violent tendencies marked him as one of the most unstable members of House Targaryen. His acts of cruelty, including harming his brother Aegon’s cat, cemented his reputation as a mad prince.

Read More: Who is Ser Duncan the Tall?

Quick Facts

Show

• Aerion is portrayed by Finn Bennett in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
• He is depicted as a volatile and dangerous Targaryen prince.
• He was alive roughly 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
• Aerion’s cruelty causes strife among the Targaryen family.
• His actions in the show will likely mirror his infamous deeds from the books.
• The portrayal stays true to Aerion’s reputation in the Targaryen lineage.

Books

• Aerion plays an important role in The Hedge Knight, the first novella in The Tales of Dunk and Egg.
• He participated in the Ashford Meadow tournament, displaying dishonorable conduct.
• In the books, he is infamous for his obsession with dragons.
• Aerion’s actions foreshadow the decline of the Targaryen dynasty.
• He meets a tragic end, dying after drinking wildfire, believing it would turn him into a dragon.
• His death symbolizes the Targaryen madness that plagues his family.

In the show

Image: GQ

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

In the upcoming series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Aerion Targaryen is played by Finn Bennett. The show will explore his character during the events of the Tales of Dunk and Egg stories. The portrayal will bring Aerion’s complex personality to life, focusing on his dangerous and unstable traits.

The series centers on the events leading up to and during the Tournament of Ashford Meadow. Aerion’s impulsive nature and desire to dominate are anticipated to drive much of the conflict.

Read More: Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau thinks he’s too old to play knights

In the books

Credits: Even Mehl Amundsen

Aerion Brightflame during the Tourney of Ashford Meadow

During the events of George R.R. Martin’s book The Hedge Knight, Aerion participated in the infamous tournament of Ashford Meadow. He was supposed to compete alongside his older brother, Daeron the Drunken, for whom Prince Aegon was supposed to squire. However, Daeron abandoned the tournament to get drunk at a tavern.

As a result, Prince Aegon enlisted in the service of a hedge knight named Ser Duncan the Tall. Aerion, mistaking Ser Duncan for a stable boy, ordered him to take his horse. He scoffed at Duncan’s claim to knighthood. During the tournament, Aerion engaged in misconduct that shocked those who witnessed it.

Though he initially seemed set to joust his cousin Valarr, he challenged a knight named Humfrey Harding. As Aerion jousted, Aegon, standing by Ser Duncan, shouted for Humfrey to kill Aerion. During the joust, Aerion attacked Ser Humfrey’s horse instead of following the rules.

Aerion’s lance fatally wounded the horse, which collapsed on Ser Humfrey and injured him. The incident was dismissed as an accident, but Prince Aegon knew better. Ser Duncan was shocked to see a knight behave so dishonorably, and the matter greatly upset Lord Ashford.

As a result of Aerion’s actions, Lord Ashford awarded the dead horse’s value to Ser Humfrey, which infuriated Aerion. He believed his behavior should have been excused because of his royal blood. Aerion’s arrogance and cruelty were a source of growing tension during the tournament.

Aerion’s Confrontation with Ser Duncan

On the first night of the tournament, a puppeteer named Tanselle performed a puppet show featuring a knight slaying a dragon. This angered Aerion, who saw himself as a dragon and took the show as a personal insult. He ordered his men-at-arms to destroy the puppet stall and broke Tanselle’s finger.

Prince Aegon sought help from Ser Duncan, who intervened by attacking Aerion. Duncan punched and kicked Aerion, infuriating the prince, who ordered his men to kill Duncan. Aegon arrived just in time to save Duncan, revealing his identity to Aerion and his guards, preventing Duncan’s execution.

Although Duncan was spared, he was arrested for striking a prince. Aerion accused Tanselle’s puppet show of being treasonous and sought Duncan’s death for the assault. His demands were halted by Aerion’s uncle, Baelor Breakspear, who insisted on a trial instead of immediate punishment.

Despite his uncle’s intervention, Aerion insisted on a trial, expecting Duncan to find no supporters. Knowing Duncan’s isolation, Aerion bribed Ser Steffon Fossoway to fight against Duncan. Aerion’s overconfidence was apparent as he assembled a team of formidable knights for the trial.

Aerion’s obsession with his honor and his willingness to manipulate events for personal gain became clear. His actions showcased his cruel nature and willingness to exploit his status for revenge, deepening the divisions among the participants in the tournament.

Aerion Brightflame and the Trial of Seven

With Prince Aegon’s help, Ser Duncan managed to gather six knights willing to fight for him. Among them was Prince Baelor Breakspear, who stood in defense of Duncan. Aerion, confident in his chances, rode against Duncan as the trial began. He aimed his lance with deadly precision at Duncan.

Despite a fierce strike that wounded him, Duncan refused to yield. He used his street fighting skills from Flea Bottom to gain the upper hand. He forced Aerion from his horse and beat him with his shield. Duncan threatened to blind Aerion, causing the prince to surrender.

Aerion, humiliated, was forced to withdraw his accusation. Ser Duncan made Aerion repeat his submission before Lord Ashford, solidifying his victory. However, the trial took a heavy toll, resulting in the deaths of three knights. This included the death of Prince Baelor Breakspear, heir to the throne.

Baelor’s death occurred when his brother, Prince Maekar, struck him accidentally during the chaos of the trial. Baelor had borrowed his son’s weaker armor, which failed to protect him from the blow. Maekar was devastated by Baelor’s death, and the event left a lasting scar.

In the aftermath, Prince Maekar punished Aerion by sending him to Lys. He hoped that life in the Free Cities would change Aerion’s behavior. The scandal of the trial and the tragic loss of Baelor cemented Aerion’s reputation as a dangerous and arrogant figure.

The Death and Legacy of Aerion Targaryen

Aerion lived in Lys for a few years, where he may have fathered several children. During this time, he served with the sellsword company, the Second Sons. After several years, he returned to Westeros and joined the fight in the Third Blackfyre Rebellion, earning a mixed reputation.

Though his actions during the rebellion were notable, it remains unclear if they were heroic or cruel. When Lord Bittersteel was captured, Aerion urged King Aerys to execute him. Bloodraven, the Hand of the King, agreed. However, King Aerys chose to send Bittersteel to the Night’s Watch instead.

Bittersteel escaped during his journey to the Wall, and Aerion’s involvement in the matter ended there. Aerion later married his cousin, Daenora Targaryen, and they had a child named Maegor. Many viewed this choice of name as a dark omen, reflecting Aerion’s troubled character.

As the years passed, tales of Aerion’s mental decline began to circulate. He believed himself to be a dragon in human form. Obsessed with this delusion, Aerion decided that drinking wildfire would transform him into a dragon, leading to his infamous and tragic death.

In the same year his son was born, Aerion drank wildfire, dying in agony. His death marked the end of a troubled life. Fearing that Aerion’s madness had passed to his son, the Great Council skipped over Maegor in the line of succession, choosing Aerion’s younger brother Aegon instead.

Read More: Everything we know about Maekar Targaryen

Quotes

“Aerion’s quite the monster. He thinks he’s a dragon in human form, you know. That’s why he was so wroth at that puppet show. A pity he wasn’t born a Fossoway, then he’d think himself an apple and we’d all be a deal safer, but there you are.” —Daeron Targaryen, to Duncan the Tall

“One night, in his cups, he drank a jar of wildfire, after telling his friends it would transform him into a dragon, but the gods were kind and it transformed him into a corpse.” —Jeor Mormont, to Jon Snow

Quick Answers

Was Aerion Targaryen in “Game of Thrones”?

No, Aerion Targaryen does not appear in “Game of Thrones.” He is a key character in the “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas by George R. R. Martin, which occur years before the events of “Game of Thrones.”

How did Aerion Targaryen die?

Aerion Targaryen died after consuming wildfire, believing it would transform him into a dragon. This event, which takes place in the books, highlights the madness that plagued his family.

Who was Aerion Targaryen’s father?

Aerion Targaryen’s father was Maekar I Targaryen, a member of House Targaryen. This information is consistent in both the books and the upcoming show, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”

What is Aerion Brightflame known for?

Aerion is notorious for his cruelty and for his reckless behavior at the Tournament of Ashford Meadow. He is also famous for his manner of death by consuming wildfire.