Daemon Targaryen has had several visions at Harrenhal throughout House of the Dragon season 2, but the biggest was saved for last. Prompted to touch the weirwood tree – which has George R.R. Martin’s face on it, – by Alys Rivers, Daemon is shown a vision of House Targaryen’s future in Game of Thrones.
It includes several major characters and surprises, leading to Daemon bending the knee to Rhaenyra.
Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven, Is The Three-Eyed Raven
Daemon’s vision begins with a Targaryen-looking guy with a birthmark on his cheek, followed by a raven. This practically confirms the Three-Eyed Raven’s identity in Game of Thrones: he is Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven. Brynden is King Aegon IV Targaryen’s bastard son, born about 45 years after the House of the Dragon season 2 timeline. The nickname derives from a red wine-colored birthmark on his cheek, which is claimed to resemble a raven and reveals his identity in the vision.
Brynden is a significant aspect of Targaryen’s history. A legitimized bastard, he battles in several rebellions, serves as Hand to two different Targaryen types (Aerys I and Maekar I), and is eventually taken to the Wall, where he becomes Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. He vanishes when he reaches beyond the Wall, but when Bran Stark meets the Three-Eyed Crow (the show renamed it to Raven), various clues reveal who he truly is, including him telling Meera Reed his name is (or was) Brynden.
Game of Thrones never delves into the Three-Eyed Raven’s identity, so it’s unclear whether the version ther is Bloodraven. However, Daemon’s vision clarifies that this is the case, and the raven effectively confirms it.
It remains to be seen how Brynden becomes the Three-Eyed Raven. The character appears in the Dunk & Egg stories adapted for the planned Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms so that it may be addressed there someday.
The White Walker & Connection To Aegon’s Dream
Daemon’s vision suddenly shifts to the army of the dead, led by a White Walker who resembles what you would get if you ordered the Night King from Wish. It’s uncertain whether this is supposed to be the Night King; it doesn’t look like him, but the scene’s presentation, with him leading the army, suggests it is.
In any case, it’s a clear foreshadowing of what’s to come in Westeros and a reminder of Aegon the Conqueror’s Song of Ice and Fire prophecy.
It’s enough to persuade Daemon that the prophecy was correct and the threat from the North is genuine, and it serves as a reminder to fans of what happens following House of the Dragon in Game of Thrones. Despite the squabbles over the Iron Throne, Westeros must eventually be united. What’s fascinating is that the White Walker has Targaryen-like hair. The Night King was not a Targaryen, but white Walkers have previously been shown with hair, this appears to be a deliberate attempt to connect them with the dragon house.
What’s the rationale for that? Since this is Daemon’s vision it could indicate that if he does not support Rhaenyra, he will bring about this doom. Alternatively, it could represent a broader reflection of House Targaryen’s faults and how their deeds and infighting lead to their demise.
The Meaning Of Daenerys Targaryen In Daemon’s Vision
In the biggest surprise of the finale, Daemon’s vision reveals Daenerys Targaryen. This scenario follows the Game of Thrones season 1 conclusion, where she emerges from Khal Drogo’s burial pyre with three newly hatched dragons. Dany is only shown from behind, sitting on the ground, apparently to hide the fact that Emilia Clarke is not playing the role.
House of the Dragon previously revealed the (possible) origin of Daenerys’ dragon eggs, with Rhaenyra transporting them to the Vale alongside Rhaena. Those dragon eggs arrive in Daemon’s vision; Rhaenyra stated that they were the future of House Targaryen, and Daemon is now seeing that future.
Given that this comes after the White Walker and is preceded by a red comet (which, in the book, represents the Prince That Was Promised), it appears that Daenerys is the Prince That Was Promised.
The suggestion is that Dany will be Westeros’ ultimate savior. That’s debatable: Arya murdered the Night King, and Dany hadn’t taken the Iron Throne by then. However, she surely contributes to the realm’s unity by defeating the army of the dead, which would not have been possible without her.
Daemon’s Death & Rhaenyra On The Iron Throne
Daemon’s visions suddenly shift back to pure House of the Dragon territory, depicting his dragon’s body, Caraxes, and then himself lying dead in a body of water. This foreshadows Daemon’s future as he and his dragon perish in a battle over the lake at Harrenhal.
However, Daemon’s vision of Rhaenyra is more essential to his near destiny and plot. It ties everything together: Rhaenyra must ascend the Iron Throne to destroy the White Walkers and return dragons to the world in the future, and he must assist her. In some ways, this is correct: House Targaryen descends from Rhaenyra and Daemon’s line, which begins with their second son, Viserys.
He bends the knee, saying, “Winter is coming“ in High Valyrian.
How Did Helaena Enter Daemon’s Vision & What Did Her Story Comment Mean?
Helaena then appears to Daemon in his vision, telling him that it’s “all a story” and that he understands his role. That is intriguing because it aligns with her subsequent statement that the future cannot be changed. It implies that she is aware that these events have occurred, that the ink has dried and that both Daemon and Aemond are doomed to die.
What’s more remarkable is how Helaena appears in Daemon’s vision. She isn’t someone to whom he has a close connection; thus, her appearance in the same manner that Rhaenyra or King Viserys had does not make sense.
Meanwhile, her clothing is the same outfit she’s wearing when it shows her staring into the distance as if having a vision before she tells Aemond he’ll die at the God’s Eye (more on that shortly).
This appears to imply that either Helaena was deliberately able to enter Daemon’s vision or, more likely, she was experiencing a comparable vision simultaneously. As Alys was showing Daemon his fate, Helaena also saw the future, whether it was a godly vision, a dragon dream, or whether she possessed a more powerful ability like greensight.
Helaena’s Prophecies About Aemond & Aegon
Continuing with Helaena, she has long made vague prophecies, but they’ve become increasingly clear throughout season 2. In the premiere, her comments on being afraid of the rats foreshadowed Blood and Cheese killing Prince Jaehaerys, but now she’s being much more literal and direct (not dissimilar to Bran Stark in seasons 7 and 8, though, again, it’s not clear if Helaena is supposed to be gaining similar abilities, which would be a big surprise).
Thus, she offers a chilling warning to Aemond:
“You’ll be dead. You were swallowed up in the God’s Eye, and you were never seen again.”
What Is The God’s Eye?
Harrenhal is located on the north shore of the God’s Eye, a lake in the Riverlands. As Helaena warns, Aemond’s death in House of the Dragon, like Daemon’s, affects the God’s Eye. Later in the Dance of the Dragons, they will meet on their horses for The Battle Above the God’s Eye. An epic battle culminates with Daemon thrusting his Valyrian steel sword, Dark Sister, into Aemond’s vacant eye socket. All four combatants, however, are killed and end up in the lake, with Aemond’s remains discovered years later.
What’s worth noting again is Helaena’s tense as she tells Aemond you “were” sucked up. It’s another illustration of how she has witnessed these occurrences and how the present and future are becoming inextricably linked in her mind, with her spending more time seeing the latter. It also explains why she tells Daemon this is a story: she knows the events have occurred.
What Is Aegon’s Wooden Throne?
Helaena also informs Aemond that Aegon will reign again from a wooden throne. And yet again, she is right. After Rhaenyra’s death at House of the Dragon, Aegon will come to King’s Landing to govern Westeros. However, due to the injuries inflicted on Dragonstone, he cannot climb the steps to the Iron Throne and must instead reign from a litter placed at the bottom. That is most likely the wooden throne Helaena is referring to.
About House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon is the prequel series to HBO’s blockbuster Game of Thrones based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Set three hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will show Westeros under the Targaryen family’s rule before the dragons went extinct. It will follow the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra, who fought for the throne after the death of their father, Viserys I.
Directed by Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik, the show stars Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish.
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