By the end of House of the Dragon Season 3, some viewers might’ve felt confused. Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), the central force fueling the battle over Tumbleton, is suddenly nowhere to be found. What gives? And what can fans expect from the Hightower ward come season 4?
In season 3, Daeron is portrayed as a powerless player in the fight for succession. He’s at the mercy of his fastidious and controlling uncle, Ormund Hightower (James Norton), who has some highly specific ideas about the future of Westeros. Among other things, the Team Green leader is a staunch believer in the Faith of the Seven, and he hates dragons. Seeing the magical creatures as a remnant of a less civilized time, Ormund forces Daeron to chain up and hide the dragon Tessarion. Even when he’s threatened with the possibility of facing multiple enemy dragons, Ormund insists that a strong battle strategy can outwit brute force.
Throughout the events of season 3, Ormund pushes Daeron to be crowned King — but in truth, the Hightower intends to pull all the strings. Despite his grand plans, Ormund is a thin-skinned man who is prone to losing control. Ormund’s volatile nature frightens Daeron so much that he hesitates to push back against any of Ormund’s irrational decisions.
Once the battle is underway, Daeron never reappears. S3E8 leaves Daeron’s fate hanging, but we can take some educated guesses as to what happens next based on his last appearance in the show and the Fire & Blood source material.
When his uncle Gwayne Hightower confronts Daeron in an attempt to broker peace, the young Targaryen appears to be unchaining Tessarion. In the books, the loss of Tumbleton fractures the ranks of Team Green. Both Ulf the White and Hugh the Hammer demand to be rewarded for their support during the Tumbleton fight. Both men, who together are dubbed “The Betrayers” in the novels, also make a push for the throne.
The show may follow suit, but so far, this turn of events seems unlikely. Ulf has repeatedly been framed as a man who wants nothing more than to drink with his friends. Hugh primarily seems concerned with his family. A sudden interest in the throne doesn’t fit with the characters the show has built.
Still, it wouldn’t be difficult for the show to put some other kind of tension between the Betrayers and Daeron. Perhaps the two still make extraordinary demands of another nature, which pushes Daeron to seek their deaths. The books have Daeron throwing wine in Hugh’s face during an argument, which seems like something the show’s mild-mannered version of the character wouldn’t do. Someone like Daemon, who was already at odds with the two newly-minted dragonseeds, could easily recreate that moment in a fit of anger — perhaps against Ulf, a notorious alcoholic.
In the version written by series creator George R.R. Martin, Daeron is more of an aggressor. There, the prince mercilessly kills a character over the death of a relative who never appears in the show, earning him the nickname “Daeron the Daring.” In the HBO adaptation, Ormund Hightower randomly decides to call his nephew Daeron the Daring. Daeron never really earns the title.
Most people agree that Daeron died sometime during the second battle of Tumbleton, but there’s much disagreement over its cause. The show could depict one of the various theories about Daeron’s death, or it could do something unique. Whatever road season 4 of the show takes, Daeron is probably not long for this world.