What is the reason behind Daeron Targaryen not being in House of the Dragon Seasons 1 and 2

In House of the Dragon Season 2, fans are starting to wonder why Daeron Targaryen hasn’t appeared on the show yet, especially since he’s the brother of some key characters like Aegon II Targaryen and Aemond Targaryen.

Daeron is the youngest child of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower, but despite his significant family connections, he hasn’t shown up in either Season 1 or Season 2 of the series.

While Season 1 didn’t mention Daeron at all, Season 2 has acknowledged him a few times, with showrunner Ryan Condal hinting at his presence. The show has teased Daeron’s story and hinted that we might see him soon, but so far, he’s remained off-screen. Fans are eagerly awaiting to see how he’ll fit into the unfolding drama of the Targaryen family.

 

Where is Daeron in House of the Dragon?

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In House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 2, Otto Hightower mentions that Daeron Targaryen is currently staying in Oldtown with his great-uncle, Lord Hobert Hightower. Otto also hints that Daeron will soon be joining the Greens, the faction supporting King Aegon II.

Daeron makes another appearance in Season 2, Episode 6, when Gwayne Hightower describes him to Alicent. Gwayne praises Daeron as kind, stalwart, and clever, and notes that he’s skilled with a sword.

This portrayal aligns well with what’s written in George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood. In the book, Daeron is indeed a ward in Oldtown, but unlike the show, he doesn’t go there until he’s 12 years old.

“Daeron has not been cast yet. I’ve said he’s a character in the show, but at this point in the story, he’s in Oldtown where he was warded off as a young child. So we don’t have a point-of-view character in that world yet and there is no dramatic reason to go there.”

In an October 2022 blog post, Martin addressed why Daeron wasn’t included in Season 1 of House of the Dragon. He mentioned that while Daeron was part of the show’s plan, there wasn’t enough time to feature him properly in the first season. Martin also hinted that Daeron might appear in Season 2, but this still hasn’t happened.

Ryan Condal, the showrunner, confirmed in a recent Variety interview that Daeron hasn’t been cast yet and won’t appear in Season 2. According to Condal, the story hasn’t reached the point where Daeron’s presence would be relevant, and there’s no dramatic reason to include him at this stage. He also noted that while Daeron has a dragon, Tessarion, he will infact play a significant role in future like the Battle of the Honeywine.