The series finale ofGame of Throneshad audiences divided for a lot of reasons. While some loved whereDavid Benioff and D.B. Weisstook the series and drew it to a conclusion,others were much less thrilled. Another topic that has continued to split the fandom down the middle is the answer to the generations-old question - who is Azor Ahai aka The Prince That Was Promised? Throughout the entire series, viewers argued over the identity of the one who would save the world from darkness with most raising their banners for eitherEmilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen orKit Harrington’s Jon Snow.
In the second season finale of theGame of Thronesprequel series,House of the Dragon, Daemon (Matt Smith) goes to the Godswood where he gets in touch with the past, present, and future thanks to a Weirwood tree. The character has been Scooby-Dooing it up all season, chasing ghosts around Harrenhal - not to mention coming to a place of understanding with his own inner demons.In his vision, Daemon sees a multitude of things likethe three-eyed ravenand his niece-wife Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) sitting on the iron throne. He also sees Daenerys Targaryen having just stepped out of the fire with three little cutie pie baby dragons cooing around her.
Many thought this was the final nail in the coffin of the debate between Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, as - surely - this moment proved that the latter was the Prince That Was Promised. Well, we’ve got some bummer news for you, asHouse of the Dragonshowrunner and co-creator,Ryan Condalrevealed that this simply isn’t the case. At a press event following the Season 2 finale, at which Collider’sTherese Lacsonwas in attendance, Condal touched on Daemon’s vision and explained why nothing is as clear as it may seem.
“It’s just a more complex idea. I think the connectivity for us is specifically in and around the dragons, and if we are watching as we know from the history again, even if this is not a spoiler for anybody who’s who hasn’t read the book, but we know that in this world, we have 17 dragons, whatever the exact number is at this point, and in the world where we first meet Daenerys and she’s staring across the narrow sea at her lost empire, there are zero dragons. So again, the connectiveness between this family and the family to come, and Daemon seeing something that — we know who that is watching that image — Daemon has no idea.That could be his future daughter with Rhaenyra who has three dragons born. He doesn’t know, but he is sensing that this was something that was shown to me for a specific reason.
And I think you know Daemon, in his own way, we know Rhaenyra is already kind of running with this idea of the prince that was promised, ifDaemon also believes that that is Rhaenyra, as we’ve seen him say to her in High Valyrian in Episode 8, there’s a very interesting thing that can be done with his interpretation of that reality as we move forward. So, for that reason, I think it was important that it was Daenerys, the image.”
The Root Of ‘House of the Dragon’s Decision
At the heart of it all,George R.R. Martinis to blame. Essentially, Condal said they didn’t want to run in one direction or the other because the author hasn’t finished his book series yet. But at the same time, babe - with all due respect - we’ve been waitingyearsfor the last two books to be published, and it hasn’t happened, so we aren’t holding our breath for the final answer to the identity of Azor Ahai any time soon.
“We are not trying to make any kind of specific interpretation of a prophecy thathas yet to be revealed by its author. And that is George’s world and George’s space to tell that story. I think we’re, we’re more interested in playing with the character drama that lives in and around that imagery.”
Seasons 1 and 2 ofHouse of the Dragonare now streaming in their entirety on Max.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
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