Will Daemon Targaryen Become the Night King? Reddit Theory Suggests So
Reddit was awash with speculation and debate after one user suggested Daemon Targaryen might be the Night King. Naturally, there were arguments for and against – but the general consensus seems to be that it's certainly possible.
So, let's have a look at some of the major points to come out of the debate and see if we can get any closer to answering the question.
The first argument against this theory that seems to stand out is that the Night King was around 8000 years before Daemon was even born. For some, this is a compelling reason why Daemon is clearly not the Night King.
This belief comes on the back of the notion that the Night King was the first White Walker and came into being when the Children of the Forest were losing a war to the First Men. But there may be some confusion here. There is no doubt that the incident referred to in which 'Leaf plunged a dragonglass dagger into a man's chest, causing his eyes to turn blue…' saw the emergence of the first White Walker. But the assumption that this unnamed man was also the Night King is just that – an assumption.
In fact, nowhere are we explicitly told who the Night King was or when he came to be.
So, with that point out of the way – what are the most convincing arguments that Daemon is the Night Walker?
Let's agree straight away that Daemon is power-hungry, devoid of morals, and would absolutely sell his soul to be any kind of king. Basically, there is no argument to say that his temperament or ethics would get in the way of this happening.
But, of course, you could argue that about several characters in the series.
One of the biggest arguments in favour of this theory is that the Night Walker can ride a dragon. Now, it has been written that only Targaryens can ride dragons. And unless something comes to light that suggests this is not actually the case, it seems fair to assume that the Night King has some Targaryen blood.
This would also be an argument against the anonymous man who became the first White Walker also being the Night King. Surely, if there were Targaryen blood in his veins, we would know this by now?
There is also the little matter of Dani trying to destroy the Night King with fire only to discover he is immune to it. Now, I realise that opinions are also split on whether Targaryens are immune to fire, but there is certainly a strong body of evidence to suggest they fare better than most when confronted by it.
Another point to consider is that, in the same way that we don't know when or how the Night King came into being, we don't actually know what happened to Daemon after the Battle Above the God's Eye. Aemond's body was recovered. We know that both dragons perished. But Daemon was simply never seen again.
This means that whatever George R. R. Martin's original intentions for the fate of Daemon, the possibility that he will return in some form remains open.
A coincidence, or something else after all..?
We also know that the Night King in the original book series and the one in the TV show are not exactly the same. And we've already seen that the showrunners are happy to take the TV series on a different path from the storyline in the books.
Moving onto the slightly more subtle clues (or tenuous clues if you're firmly in the 'No' camp), Daemon's clothing and general demeanour are very similar to those of the Night King. This could be an indication for eagle-eyed viewers, a complete coincidence, or anything in between.
One other theory put forward on Reddit is that Daemon may not be the Night King, but that he is the 'bridge' between humans and the White Walkers. This theory suggests that Daemon becomes a sentient White Walker and acts as the 'Hand of the King' – possibly going on to be the Last White Walker King.
All the above is nothing more than speculation. But be honest, you've missed a bit of hit show speculation since the end of Game of Thrones, haven't you?
And maybe, just maybe, that's the biggest reason of all that this discussion is even taking place – the end of Game of Thrones. The issue of the Night King and the threat that winter was 'coming' were never resolved. Was that narrative just another victim of a poorly written finale? Was it deliberately left open? And does it provide the ideal scenario for House of the Dragon to claw back yet more credibility for the franchise by addressing it – regardless of what Martin or the writers of Game of Thrones had initially intended it to play out?