With the recent mention of his name in House of the Dragon Season 2, many fans wonder why Daeron Targaryen has not been shown in Seasons 1 and 2 of the show, especially since he is the brother of important characters such as Aegon II Targaryen and Aemond Targaryen.
Daeron Targaryen is the youngest child of Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Hightower but has not been featured at all in House of the Dragon.
After not even being mentioned in Season 1, his presence was acknowledged by showrunner Ryan Condal multiple times, and then Season 2 confirmed his whereabouts multiple times, teasing that he would be shown sometime soon.
Where is Daeron in House of the Dragon?
In House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 2, Otto Hightower confirmed that Daeron Targaryen was still a ward in Oldtown for his great-uncle Lord Hobert Hightower. However, Otto also essentially promised Alicent that Daeron would join the Greens sometime soon.
Daeron was also mentioned again in Season 2, Episode 6, when Gwayne Hightower told Alicent all about Daeron, describing him as kind, stalwart, and clever. He also mentioned that Daeron is good at wielding a sword.
This lines up fairly accurately with George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood (the source material for House of the Dragon) as Daeron is also a ward in Oldtown in that book.
However, in the show, it seems as though Daeron has been in Oldtown for pretty much his entire life, whereas, in the book, he doesn't go there until he is 12.
In George R.R. Martin's Not a Blog post from October 2022, he addressed the fact that Daeron Targaryen had not been featured in House of the Dragon.
In that post, he confirmed that Daeron was a part of the show's canon while revealing that the crew "did not have the time to work him in" the script for Season 1:
"Do I wish we’d had more time to explore the relationship between Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin, the marriage of Daemon and Laena and their time in Pentos, the birth of various and sundry children (and YES, Alicent gave Viserys four children, three sons and a daughter, their youngest son Daeron is down in Oldtown, we just did not have the time to work him in this season), and everything else we had to skip? Sure."
This made some fans theorize that Daeron could then show up in Season 2, but that also likely won't happen.
In a recent Variety interview with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal, Daeron's involvement in the show was asked about again.
In the interview, which was released after Season 2 had already premiered, Condal revealed that Daeron has still "not been cast yet," meaning that he absolutely will not show up until Season 3:
"Daeron has not been cast yet. I’ve said he’s a character in the show, but at this point in the story, he’s in Oldtown where he was warded off as a young child. So we don’t have a point-of-view character in that world yet and there is no dramatic reason to go there."
Condal then talked a bit more about Daeron, and also revealed exactly why he hasn't been shown on-screen yet, saying that "[they're] just not there yet in the storytelling:"
"We know he’s not yet a dragon rider, but he’s had a dragon born to him. So he will come to the narrative and have a role to play, just as he does in the book — we’re just not there yet in the storytelling."
So, based on Martin and Condal's comments, Daeron was not included in Season 1 because they did not have enough time to bring yet another character and do him justice, and, for Season 2, it didn't make sense at that point in the story to bring the character on-screen.
What Role Will Daeron Have in House of the Dragon?
As more episodes go by, it is clear that Daeron will soon make his presence known in House of the Dragon.
In Season 2, Episode 6, Gwayne's description of Daeron proved that he is much different from his two brothers, Aemond and Aegon.
However, if the show continues to follow the book, Daeron will still fight for the Greens atop his dragon, Tessarion, and will play a key role in multiple major battles such as the Battle of the Honeywine.
If Condal and the rest of the crew decide to include the Battle of the Honeywine in House of the Dragon Season 3, it could serve as Daeron's introduction into the show since, in the book, he unexpectedly swoops in on Tessarion and saves the day.
When Daeron is eventually brought in, fans can at least expect to see him interact with his family members who are already in King's Landing such as Alicent, Aemond, Aegon, and Helaena.
It is also safe to predict that he will end up making a drastic impact on the Dance of the Dragons.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max, and new episodes are released every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
Read more about House of the Dragon:
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House of the Dragon’s Balerion Explained: Who Rode Him and What Happened To Him?
Is Rhaneyra Gay or Bisexual In House of the Dragon Books?
Daenerys Targaryen Family Tree: Which House of the Dragon Characters Is She Directly Related To?
