“I’m notorious for my love of morally grey characters”: Emilia Clarke Won’t Like Knowing George R.R. Martin’s Favorite Targaryen But That’s Good News for House of the Dragon

Emilia Clarke took on the role of Daenerys Targaryen in the Emmy-winning adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Introduced as one of the last surviving members of House Targaryen, her character underwent a significant arc both in the book series and the HBO drama Game of Thrones, making her one of the most impressive and beloved characters in the series.

However, despite her widespread popularity, Daenerys is not the favorite character of the author behind the captivating Westeros saga. While the author doesn’t usually seem to display favoritism, he has disclosed that he does have a preferred character, specifically a favorite Targaryen.

George R.R. Martin Revealed His Favorite Targaryen

While promoting Fire & Blood, the book set 300 years before the events of A Game of Thrones and explores the history of the House Targaryen, George R. R. Martin revealed his favorite member from the ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms.

“You know, I’m notorious for my love of morally grey characters,” he said as he revealed the younger prince of King Viserys I, Daemon Targaryen as his favorite Targaryen. Depicted as a complex figure with ambiguous morals, the character was also able to get a standalone story titled The Rogue Prince. Martin said, as per The Digital Fix,

And one of the greyest characters in the entire story of Westeros is Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince — We took one of those separate sidebars and made a story out of it The Rogue Prince.

The author further discussed how he was the heir to the throne until his brother King Viserys I had no children. “Then Viserys had children, and he stopped being heir to the throne. He’s a notorious bad boy, a rogue in every sense of the word,” he said.

Martin also described him as an unpredictable and complex character, as he shared that these are some things that rank him up as his favorite character. The character is portrayed by Matt Smith in HBO’s Fire & Blood adaptation, House of the Dragon.

Matt Smith on Portraying Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon

Actor Matt Smith took on the role of Daemon Targaryen in the HBO drama House of the Dragon. In a previous interview, he opened up about playing the role, sharing that his scenes with Viserys and Rhaenyra helped him get a better grasp of his character.

He told the Los Angeles Times,

There’s a sense that his brother and Rhaenyra particularly, are the two people he would go to war for. It’s like he’s got this very weird sense of loyalty. To him, sometimes he’s doing the right thing even when he’s really doing the wrong thing.

Smith is set to reprise his role in Season 2 of the fantasy drama alongside Emma D’Arcy, who portrayed the role of Rhaenyra Targaryen in the series. HBO has recently released the trailer for the next season, hinting at an impending war between Rhaenyra and her half-brother Aegon for the Iron Throne.

Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are available to stream on Max.

House of the Dragon Season 2 will premiere on June 16, 2024, on HBO.