Daemon Targaryen Deep Dive––Why Do We Love Him? How To Write Compelling Characters

Honestly I think a big part of why we love Daemon is because we love Matt Smith.

Something that made Matt Smith’s performance so great is that his character didn’t always have to talk. When he was quiet, he’d generate the upmost tension in the room, his gestures were incredible. You can see that the character has a mean and true drive, but always unpredictable

The Maester in-universe who chronicled The Dance of the Dragons had this to say: Over the centuries, House Targaryen has produced both great men and monsters. Prince Daemon was both.

I think what people forget is that Daemon is a combat veteran. I see a man with PTSD. His fear is immediately subsumed in anger. When Rhaenyra talks about dreams, Daemon sees the fall of his family. He sees enemies creeping in. And here is his wife rambling like his useless dead brother. He is Odysseus. He is every combat Veteran who survives war. He is my ex husband. No one seems to touch this. If you've read the Illiad, you would see all the different ways PTSD manifests and what it does to the families of those soldiers.

Honestly, I love Daemon since I ^ve red the books...but Matt makes me love him even more.He was the wonder and the terror of his age and that's interesting , intense and attractive .

The most bad ass moment for me was when he boldly and without any care told the the king his is weak to his face😂 😂😂 I loved him since then

I love daemon because he is a complex character, also matt Smith is so cool

I can't help but see Daemon as somewhat of a dragon in human form, impulsive, instinctual, unapologetically himself. I think thats why he feels closer to the dragons than any other character, he sees them as more than just beasts or weapons, he has the respect for them that comes from a kindred spirit, someone who understands your nature. You can even compare this to other characters in the series who can't see in dragons what Daemon sees. The obvious one is Aemond, a second son, and one who as a child suffered humiliation for his weakness and inadequacy as a Targaryen. He obviously has some respect for Vhagar but he also sees her as a symbol of his strength, the power that he's gained. But even with this power Aemond still won't be king, he still desires that control and in doing so he fails to see that in reality, he has no control over Vhagar. But then on the other side you have Viserys, who in his perpetual weakness can only fear the power of dragons. He's has no real reason to trust in the power of dragons because he's never really had a proper bond with one. I feel like being a dragon rider requires dancing with evil at some points, because dragons are free creatures who don't feel remorse for most of their actions, its also why I don't really have an issue with the whole Rhaenys situation in episode 9.

I think the reason we love Daemon is because he's both good and bad and he's upfront and honest about it he truly is a grey character society always gets caught up in good versus evil light versus dark we never see one person truly embrace both so when Daemon does it we are drawn to him I personally like this Ive always lived this way myself you need to live this way if you want balance in your life

teamdaemon because he is the only one who knows that the hightowers have been the problem from the beginning he told his brother I will take care of anyone but his brother I never trust him and there is the result that is what I like about daemon's character because that he can be good or bad with anyone but the only thing that matters to him is his family and he does everything possible to protect them

We love him because he is true Westeros badass

33:25 as soon as Cole was on the move Daemon jumped in, you can tell he wanted that smoke lol

Here’s the viewpoint of a unbiased friend about Daemon. Although Vicerys was his fav character this season, what he loves about Daemon is his unpredictability. He knows when Daemon enters any scene, you don’t know what he’ll do and it’s great fun. On the other hand it feels like what he does is still within his character driven by the prime motivations of family that Matt Smith has outlined. Prrsonally, I’m biased. He’s been my fav actor since Doctor, one of the few I like. I agree totally about the missing context and his neglect of his daughters. If he loves family, he doesn’t love his children? Makes no sense to me. But tbf, they may have just run out of time, and this has to be one of the hardest characters to write. I think your point about his authenticity is one of the major ones. People hate hypocrites. Nice job on this

GRRM said Daemon is one of his favorites since he like Tyrion is a almost a pure neutral

It's amazing how Daemon's reception to other characters in the show is exactly the same as real life fans. "To some he was a hero, to others the blackest of villains."

His aura was bold and full of excellence. Smart in what he did in the series. Although it is scripted, he falls in love, proof of his effective character. In the real kingdom, HIS character is really what is needed to have a really abundant kingdom with order. That's why I really like him among all the kings. Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) made a big impact in the movie. Kudos!😘💛🫰💕✌️I'm from the Philippines 😘 #Gamesofthrones more power po from the Philippines 😘🌷✌️🧡💚💚💚💚🙏🏼🛐😘😇🫶 praying for your

He is the best actor in this show all I know I love him Mad Respect 💋

The TV show turned Daemon into a villain. Even one of the female writers posted a hate filled rant on Twitter about him, and fans that like him (The choking scene is absolutely stupid), all while making excuses for The Greens, and demonizing The Blacks.

Listen I wasn’t rocking with Daemon until he defended Ray-Ray when her sons were called bastards. “ He can keep his tongue” 😱😱😱😱😱Then he sings to the dragon😍😍😍😍😍😍.

Just found this channel - love the style of this video, the way you break things down is awesome. Thank you