Aemond Targaryen’s arc in House of the Dragon season two is undoubtedly one of the best. The One-Eyed Prince finally got the respect and power that he craved after years of ridicule at the hands many. And boy, did he go about it in a wild way. Aemond and Vhagar intentionally set Aegon and Sunfyre ablaze, which led to Aemond becoming the Prince Regent. Since then, he’s been on a dangerous warpath, burning a town with impunity and severing his familial bonds. We caught up with actor Ewan Mitchell to talk about Aemond’s possible motivations, the dark omen over his House of the Dragon future, his love for Vhagar, and much more.
Nerdist: In season two of House of the Dragon, Aemond blazes his path to power, and he’s ready to start a war. What do you believe is his overall motivation for his actions? Is he just seeking bloodshed, or does he want something else?
Ewan Mitchell: That’s a good question. I think it could be a multitude of things. I think that’s the beauty of Aemond’s ambiguity. You don’t necessarily know what he’s thinking or where his true motivations and allegiances lie, but you definitely know that he is thinking. There is this calculative quality behind his eye. What his motivations are, I don’t know if I want to spoil it too much, but it’s a few things. I think he loves his mum [Alicent]. He wants his mum.
I’m going to quote Spider-Man… “with great power comes great responsibility.” He has the largest, baddest, oldest dragon in the known world. He has to be seen as someone who can wield that effectively. And so I think it could be a multitude of things, and I think there’s certainly a fear in the unknown there as well. What do you think are his motivations?
I feel like it’s a split. Some of it may just be, “I want to go into war, and I want bloodshed. I want to be able to prove that I am a man and I fit into this typical bound of masculinity.” But then I also think that some of it is a bit of wanting to be seen and be heard. Aemond is not the firstborn son nor the only daughter on House of the Dragon, and so maybe it’s wanting to prove your worth and show that you actually matter. Maybe he doesn’t even really want to be in power. Aemond just wants someone to see him.
Mitchell: Yeah. One thing that I’ve touched upon before is the idea that kids need that unconditional love to develop a balanced view of themselves. If a child isn’t embraced by the village, they’ll burn it down to feel its warmth. And so Aemond, like you said, he’s going to find that validation through other means, that attention through other ways, and he might just do that through war.
That is the direction he’s heading! One of the most important conversations in the House of the Dragon season two finale is when Aemond is speaking with Helaena and trying to convince her to take Dreamfyre into war. Is he asking her to do this purely out of desperation to best his opponent, or is it more of a strange attempt to protect the family and their lives?
Mitchell: I think it’s a little bit of both. It’s a fight for self-preservation. It’s basically, “Look, it’s either going to be them, or it’s going to be us, so it might as well be them… we’re out-dragoned seven to three. If we don’t bind together and take Harrenhal, take out Daemon, and destroy all of the influence that he has in the Riverlands, we’re going to be on a serious back foot.”
And like you touched upon, the idea of desperation; he is desperate at that moment. He’s been made a fool in Rhaenyra raising new dragonseeds, and he had to make a U-turn and fly back to King’s Landing, and he definitely has to feel like he has to overcompensate.
Right. It’s interesting that Aemond still wants to chart this course on House of the Dragon, especially after Helaena tells him about the vision of him dying in battle. Will he take that omen seriously or does he still think that he’s the master of his own fate?
Mitchell: He always thought that he was the master of his own fate, but this new knowledge very much challenges that. I think Aemond will believe that information. He just doesn’t want to… [the show] planted seeds earlier in season two, episode six, after he’s made Prince Regent. He is looking up at the Iron Throne, and he yearns for it, and Helaena appears behind him and says, “Was it really worth the price?” It gives the impression that she’s always been ahead of the curve and always known the secrets that happened all around in the skies above Rook’s Rest.
He knew that his sister possessed this foresight. And maybe if you were able to, in some way, shape, or form, harness that power, that might be actually incredibly invaluable for the Greens to possess that foresight to know when a blow’s going to come before it lands. It would be invaluable.
It is a powerful asset to have on your side! Do you think that Aemond actually has the capacity to be a good ruler and maybe redeem himself of his transgressions on House of the Dragon?
Mitchell: Do I think he’d be a good ruler? No. No, I don’t think he would.
I’m still rooting for him because I am an Aemond-apologist.
Mitchell: [laughs] …For the majority of season two, he’s so composed. Whilst all the members of the council table are raising their voices and arguing, Aemond’s always been the kid who sits back and waits for his moment. There is a very cold, calculative quality to him. But as soon as he sits in the King’s chair, he starts to chuck people out of the council, and it’s very interesting… You never say never, but at the moment, he seems pretty bad. Atrocious.
He’s trying his best! On House of the Dragon, Aemond often talks to other characters about sacrificing for the throne in order to best Rhaenyra. Out of all the sacrifices he’s already made, is there a sacrifice yet to come that would actually break his heart? Perhaps losing Vhagar?
Mitchell: Losing Vhagar would be… Oh, my God, I’d be heartbroken! I would be heartbroken as Ewan because I want to see Vhagar on screen as much as possible. Vhagar was very much his first friend. He was the first friend that he ever made and the first being that recognized Aemond and actually showed him some sort of attention. She saw something in him that maybe he didn’t even see in himself. If he lost Vhagar, he’d be heartbroken. Aemond and Vhagar, they’re a power couple. They’re soul-bonded. I think if Aemond has a breaking point, he definitely hasn’t found it yet.
Vhagar is the breaking point for now, I think. You know, you have quite the fan club now. There are a lot of people who dig Aemond! I call him a royal pirate on a dragon because he’s got the eyepatch. How do you feel about this influx of attention around Aemond, and what has your experience been with the House of the Dragon fandom so far?
Mitchell: Well, I’m not on social media, so I receive a lot of beautifully articulated fan letters that are often badass as well, and I never take it for granted. I use it all as motivation. It means the world to me, and it also means that in collaboration with Amanda Knight, the hair and makeup designer, and Caroline McCall, the costume designer, that our work has really paid off. It’s a testament to their hard work and talent. So I love it all. I read every single one of them, I swear to God.
