This was the last piece I was working on before my recent health dive and probably my last in a magazine for awhile: The Most Captivating Character in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Great to write for The Dispatch about one of my favorite characters in any series and big thanks to their associate editor Luis Parrales for encouraging me to do so. I just really appreciate Aemond’s arc and the world he comes from — shout out to my fellow New Mexican writer, George R.R. Martin. The piece starts:
Some of the most significant characters in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy realms—which inspired the HBO sensation Game of Thrones and its more recent prequel House of the Dragon—have some kind of disability, deformity, or disadvantage for which much of their lives are spent compensating in more or less destructive ways. In the process, they exemplify an essential part of compelling storytelling: using suffering as a way to craft convincing motives and scenarios.
So it is with Prince Aemond Targaryen. The second son of the king’s second wife, belittled and cast aside by his own family, begins as a bullied momma’s boy and grows into a one-eyed kin-slayer, one of the most terrifying figures in the story who ultimately starts the brutal civil war that the series centers on. Dark, deeply flawed, brimming with complexity and ambiguity, Aemond’s personal tragedy reflects the looming tragedy of House of the Dragon: a fall from historical greatness at the altar of family grievance. With Season 2 of House of the Dragon set to come out later this month, it’s worth revisiting what made Aemond the most captivating character in the series.
Aemond suffered and went on to become a badass. We have the first part in common, at least.