House of the Dragon season 3 will have multiple major fights and battles, but the biggest was set a huge challenge by Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon season 2’s ending was mostly set up for what’s to come, including the Battle of the Gullet (with the Velaryon fleet vs the Triarchy), and Rhaenyra Targaryen taking King’s Landing.
Those alone should make House of the Dragon season 3 the biggest yet, but there’s also the matter of Daemon Targaryen’s battle with his nephew, Aemond Targaryen. In the season 2 finale, Helaena told Aemond he will die at the Gods Eye, and that could well happen at the end of season 3. It should be an epic event, but has a lot to live up to.
Aemond vs. Daemon Is House Of The Dragon’s Biggest Fight
The Two Targaryens Are On A Collision Course
There have already been some big clashes in the Game of Thrones prequel. These range from Aemond and Vhagar killing Lucerys Velaryon and Arrax in House of the Dragon season 1’s ending, to, well, Aemond again (there’s a pattern here) facing off again Rhaenys Targaryen in season 2, episode 4, “The Red Dragon and the Gold.”
…[Aemond and Daemon] battle atop their dragons: Vhagar, the biggest in the world, and Caraxes, one of the most ferocious, in a shocking, bloody showdown.
The latter was the most epic sequence the show has done yet, but Aemond vs Daemon should be able to top it. The pair’s battle in the Dance of the Dragons is dubbed the Battle Above the Gods Eye, taking place in the sky over the Gods Eye lake (for context, Harrenhal sits on the lake’s north shore). It sees them battle atop their dragons: Vhagar, the biggest in the world, and Caraxes, one of the most ferocious, in a shocking, bloody showdown.
What’s more, though, is that House of the Dragon has been setting this up for a long time. It’s been clear in showing the parallels between Aemond and Daemon; it’s had them face off in season 1, and both either talking or thinking about facing the other in season 2. They’re both great rogues, skilled warriors, and two of the show’s most fascinating characters, making this its most tantalizing tease of combat.
Game Of Thrones Season 4 Set A Huge Bar For Aemond vs. Daemon
Oberyn vs. The Mountain & Brienne vs. The Hound Are A Challenge For HOTD
House of the Dragon has arguably had better dragon scenes than Game of Thrones, but in terms of actual character fights, it’s not yet beat the best of what that show offered. Game of Thrones’ best fight scenes came in season 4 (the peak of the show itself), with a couple of different fights: Prince Oberyn Martell, aka the Red Viper, vs. Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, and then Brienne of Tarth’s scrap with Sandor “The Hound” Clegane
The Mountain vs. the Viper is perhaps the closest comparison to Aemond vs Daemon of those. Not in terms of how it plays out, but that was the most anticipated fight from the A Song of Ice and Fire books, much like Aemond against Daemon is from Fire & Blood. It’s also an intensely personal one, which adds so much heft to it on-screen.
The choreography of the fight is, of course, incredible: the balletic brilliance of Oberyn trying to match and move the sheer might of the Mountain. It’s a stunning sequence in that regard alone, but it’s elevated by the tension, the David vs. Goliath-esque standing of the two characters, and above all, the raw fury and venom of the Viper, played perfectly by Pedro Pascal, that gives it so much more emotion and weight.
Together, these two fight scenes show just how brilliantly Thrones could marry fight spectacle with emotion and strong character work…
Similar can be said for Brienne fighting the Hound. There’s no showmanship here, the fancy movements of Oberyn swapped out for pure brute (and brutal) force. This is among the most visceral scenes in Game of Thrones, where you feel every single blow. It’s ugly, dirty, messy, and real. Together, these two fight scenes show just how brilliantly Thrones could marry fight spectacle with emotion and strong character work in terms of the rivalries at play, which is what Aemond vs. Daemon needs to top.
Aemond vs. Daemon Could Beat Game Of Thrones’ Best Fights If Done Right
The House Of The Dragon Fight Could Be Truly Spectacular
In terms of scale alone, Aemond vs. Daemon can obviously beat Game of Thrones’ fight scenes. With Vhagar facing Caraxes, there should easily be a fiery, furious majesty that makes it truly epic, but it’s pairing that with character and emotion that will be required to beat the Mountain and the Viper and Brienne vs. the Hound.
Luckily, House of the Dragon has already started laying the groundwork for that with the parallels and rivalry between Aemond and Daemon, but it needs to ensure it can maintain it while on dragonback. That’s not as easy, given there’s less chance for them to be up close and personal (apart from the end of the fight), but if the show can achieve it and offer up an experience that’s both visceral and emotional, then it could be the most spectacular fight we’ve ever seen in this franchise.