We’ve all thought it: Daemon Targaryen looks awfully similar to the Night King. And many viewers from around the globe believe there might be something to the theory. Then again, they believed the same thing about King Viserys, Aemond Targaryen, and Ser Otto Hightower.
House of the Dragon Season 3 Just Made This Theory Impossible to Ignore
House of the Dragon Season 3 premiered on June 21, 2026 — and Episode 1 wasted no time reigniting the Daemon Targaryen Night King theory. The Isle of Faces, a mystical location tied directly to the Children of the Forest (the very beings who created the Night King in Game of Thrones), appears in the premiere alongside a Green Man — the same antlered figure Daemon encountered in his Season 2 Harrenhal visions.
Crucially, Daemon himself encountered the same antlered figure during his Season 2 Harrenhal visions — a moment the show now confirms was real, not a hallucination.
Since the Season 3 premiere, fans on Reddit and X have once again begun connecting Daemon’s Harrenhal visions, the Isle of Faces and the Green Men to the White Walkers — reviving a theory many believed died after Season 2.
The show isn’t being subtle. It’s threading Night King mythology directly through Daemon’s arc, episode after episode, season after season. Showrunner Ryan Condal has described Season 3 as operating on a mythological scale “unlike anything that’s ever been done in television before.” If there was ever a moment to revisit this theory, it’s now — because House of the Dragon keeps leaving the door open.
Why House of the Dragon Could Rewrite Night King History
Game of Thrones may be over, but House of the Dragon still serves as a building block to a lot of historical context we missed on Westeros. One of the many things this show could explore is the Night King and the origins of White Walkers.
Before we get into it, yes, we understand that Game of Thrones actually gave us an “origin” of the White Walkers, even showing the first man who eventually became the White Walker King. Yet, in classic TV fashion, some of the things that are established can either be revised or even retconned. If the opportunity for a more engaging origin presents itself, the writers are definitely getting on top of that.
There’s also the problem of an unreliable narrator, as the origins we were shown might just have been a way for the Targaryen legacy to stand without the taint of such a barbaric fate for one of their own. The Targaryen who might have been the victim of this cruel fate is none other than Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith.
The Evidence That Connects Daemon Targaryen to the Night King
Smith’s character seems to have some similarities to the Night King that we can’t ignore. First is his wavy mane of hair, which is similar to the first look we got from Game of Thrones for the White Walker King. This style of pure white hair doesn’t seem to be shared with any other White Walkers or people from Westeros. Therefore, it isn’t too much of a stretch to assume that it is a Targaryen spearheading the wights.
Another interesting clue involves the attire worn by Daemon. Not many people in Westeros seem to enjoy the studded vest-like piece, so it is a bit odd that the final look of the Night King is similar to what Daemon wears in the series. Once again, this is just speculation, but he seems like the type to keep his sense of style, even with the whole mindless zombie thing going on.
How Targaryen Blood Could Explain the Night King’s Power Over Dragons
House of the Dragon is still a pretty new entry in the grand scheme of things, so it’s safe to say that the doors for exploration are wide open. Daemon seems like a snobbish Targaryen right now, but there’s a good chance that his character arc could completely change the audience’s sentiment toward him before a tragic downfall into his frosty throne. It would be quite poetic for the writers to have him become king, but not in a way he may have anticipated.
Our final hint towards his White Walker status lies in his Targaryen blood and the ability to ride dragons. The Night King wasn’t only able to steal a dragon from Daenerys, but he could also bend it to his will, making it his own zombie-like steed. Sure, it is cool to assume that the ancient magic in its blood allowed him to control dragons, but that feels kind of flimsy compared to an explanation involving Daemon’s unique Targaryen blood mixed with whatever the White Walkers have going on. That combination may have been potent enough to conquer and zombify the dragon!
What do you think — is Daemon Targaryen the Night King? Does Season 3 change anything for you?
House of the Dragon |
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An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. |
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| Creator: Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin |
| Cast: Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Ewan Mitchell, Paddy Considine, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama |
| Number of Seasons: 3 |
| Streaming Service: HBO Max |
i’m beting aemons is the night king; not daemon
Here’s my theory. Daemon is not the night king but the best friend of the NK with the long hair !
aemond targaryen Becomes the king of white walkers in my opinion
OFCOURSE HE CAN BE BECAUSE ONLY A KNIGHT KING WAS UNBURNT
The night king doesn’t have hair. You have the wrong picture
Would hair be scraggly and thinning. Hair Care is not really easy to get
Yes night king
It also adds to the dagger of valerian steel that is the family targarian air loom would be the only weapon that could kill the night king
That would be silly. The Night’s King has been around since around 8,000 years prior to the original GOT series.
He is the night king I know it he has to be.
It would make sense if he were the ice king
It would make absolutely no sense.
Yes I thought it from the minute I saw him!
I agree just the whole 3 episode of the tv show makes you think of the Night King.
What show are you watching?