The Boy Who Lost an Eye and Gained a Grudge
To understand where Aemond is going, you have to look at what made him. He wasn't born the menacing warrior we see today; he was forged in the fires of childhood humiliation. Teased relentlessly by his brother and nephews for being the only Targaryen
prince without a dragon, Aemond developed a deep-seated complex. This wasn't just playground bullying; in a family whose power is measured in scales and fire, being dragonless was a mark of inadequacy. His decision to claim Vhagar, the largest and most fearsome dragon in the world, was an act of audacious defiance. He succeeded, but the price was his eye, carved out by his nephew Lucerys. In that moment, something shifted. Aemond's grievance became his entire identity. He traded an eye for the ultimate weapon, and the resentment he carried became as vast and dangerous as the beast he now commanded.
An Unreliable Nuclear Option
Possessing Vhagar makes Aemond the single most destructive force on the battlefield for the Greens. However, the accidental killing of Lucerys Velaryon over Shipbreaker Bay revealed a terrifying truth: Aemond doesn't have perfect control. That event, which tipped the realm into open war, was a catastrophic blunder born from a mix of his own rage and his dragon's predatory instincts. This makes Aemond an unreliable nuclear option. Unlike a calculating commander, his actions are dictated by personal slights and a furious pride. The show has consistently shown that when Aemond is goaded, his strategic thinking evaporates, replaced by a need to prove his dominance. For the Greens, he is both their greatest asset and their greatest liability. While his mother Alicent and grandfather Otto might try to wage a political war, Aemond is only interested in a war of annihilation, driven by a thirst for personal vengeance.
The Inevitable Collision with Daemon
Aemond is a dark mirror of his uncle, Daemon Targaryen. Both are formidable second sons who live in the shadow of their older brothers. Both are exceptionally skilled warriors, charismatic in their own menacing ways, and defined by a chaotic, violent streak. The narrative has been deliberately building a rivalry between them, a showdown between the two most dangerous men in Westeros. Aemond openly welcomes the challenge, while Daemon, grieving his stepson Lucerys, has a personal score to settle. George R.R. Martin's source material, Fire & Blood, culminates this animosity in a legendary duel known as the Battle Above the Gods Eye. While the show may save this epic confrontation for its final season, the Season 3 finale is the perfect place to set the stage for this ultimate clash. Expect Aemond's reckless actions, perhaps his brutal campaign through the Riverlands, to be the final provocation that draws Daemon into a fight to the death.
The Rogue Prince Regent
Aemond's volatility isn't just directed at his enemies; it poisons his own side. The show has already demonstrated his willingness to undermine his brother, King Aegon II. During the Battle at Rook's Rest, the show's version of events implies Aemond deliberately held Vhagar back, only to unleash fire on both Rhaenys and Aegon, severely injuring his own king. In the books, after Aegon is wounded, Aemond becomes Prince Regent and even wears Aegon's crown, remarking that it looks better on him. This ambition makes him a rogue agent within the Green council. He doesn't respect Otto's cautious politics and sees his own brother as weak. As the pressures of war mount in Season 3, Aemond's frustration with his family's leadership will likely boil over. The finale could easily see him making a unilateral, catastrophic decision—abandoning a strategic position or launching an unsanctioned attack—that costs the Greens dearly but satisfies his own ego.
