House of the Dragon fans reckon they’ve cracked a wild theory about the new series, which would also have huge implications for Game of Thrones if it were true
The climactic end to the second season House of the Dragon left fans wide-eyed with a couple of unforeseen twists, including an intriguing glimpse at a White Walker that has sparked speculation regarding the Night King’s true identity.
Throughout the Game of Thrones prequel, we’ve been teased with hints about the Night King and his frosty cohort, most notably when King Viserys recounted Aegon the Conqueror’s dream and the looming spectre of another Long Night.
This season also saw the introduction of Cregan Stark from Winterfell, who ominously mentions “death” lurking beyond the Wall. Although House of the Dragon takes some creative liberties with George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, it seems unlikely that an army of White Walkers would make a march into the current narrative.
Nonetheless, die-hard followers versed in the Game of Thrones lore and the prophecy of Aegon have made the connection, leading some to venture guesses that Daemon Targaryen may be none other than the Night King.
These speculative whispers began well before the close of House of the Dragon’s second season, due to the resemblance between Daemon and the Night King.
In general, the belief that the Night King could be a Targaryen was further fuelled by the Night King’s ability to survive dragonfire in Game of Thrones season eight. Since Daenerys also demonstrated the ability to walk away unscathed from a blaze, it was thought that this trait might be common among all Targaryens. Only Daenerys was shown to possess this power in Game of Thrones. Therefore, when you combine this misinterpretation with Daemon’s similar appearance, it’s easy to see how the theory gained traction.
However, other people have poured cold water on this theory due to the fact that the Night King’s backstory was explored in Game of Thrones – when it was revealed he was created thousands of years before that time.
Taking to Threads, a user shared an image of the Night King’s two appearances in Game of Thrones and wrote: “Can we please stop acting like we didn’t see them create the night king in GOT. Daemon is NOT the night king.”
But the debate rages on, with some fans still convinced there’s merit to the theory. One fan argued: “They didn’t even show the night king in his vision tho.. they showed one of the White Walker generals.. and THAT absolutely could have been Daemon. It looked like Daemon. They didn’t know the Night King so of course it’s not him.
“They never found Daemon’s body – the books also aren’t finished. GOT destroyed the night king plot in season eight. There was a lot about them we didn’t know. Like their symbol they were leaving everywhere. No explanation for it but looked like the Targaryen’s symbol.”
Do you think Daemon could become the Night King or another White Walker in House of the Dragon season three?