Great video. I always said that Aemond did nothing wrong. Rhaenyra's spawn cut out his eye and somehow people think that he's the bad guy. It's crazy. And I hate it when people think that Aemond deserved to be ambushed by those other children. He literally did nothing wrong. Yes, he was being a dick, but he literally did nothing wrong. You're right, he was just quicker to claim Vhagar and Vhagar chose him at the end of the day. And fuck, Viserys was a terrible father. People love to act like he was the best dad ever. You're not a great dad when you're only good to one of your five children.
Do people say he’s a good dad? I haven’t read the book yet, but in the show I feel like he’s made intentionally to be weak, naive, and driven by superstition. That’s not to say he didn’t love his children, he’s a complex character, but he showed blatant preferential treatment to one over the others which is probably one of the worst things you could do as a parent. And naming a new heir at the end of his life, ensuring that his children all try to murder each other over the kingdom? Come on. There are worse fathers to have but literally all of the events leading to war could have been better handled, if not halted entirely, by Viserys. It’s not coincidence that Daenyres’ god awful brothers name was Viserys.
@ryanmiller1317 He was s terrible dad to Alicent's children. How do you see your child get mutilated and not react? He didn't even scold them. He is a terrible father for them, but for Rhaenyra he might be great.
Precisely. 100% agree with all of this Hell, I'll even play devils advocate here; I understand why Rhaena was upset that Vhagar was claimed and bonded with someone else, but she was of course not realizing that Vhagar isn't an heirloom that automatically gets passed on from Parent to Child. Even Laena made it clear that for most Dragonriders, you have to claim/earn that right
The fact is that Vhagar defended Aemond. When Aemond's eye was cut out, Vhagar screamed and she felt his pain. For Vhagar, protecting Aemond is more important than his orders. Take the dog as an example; if the owner is in danger, she will protect him, despite the commands.
It's astounding how people acted like a kid mounting a dragon was more inconsiderate than Daemon mounting Rhaenyra right after his wife died. Like bruh 💀
Daemon simps hated the Harrenhal sup-plot because they lack the media literacy to understand the character. Going a full season where Daemon fails a limp dicked attempt at being the man in charge is exactly where his character was headed from S1, not the medieval John Wick his fanboys were clamoring for.
Even reading the books, Aemond was the Green I felt the most sorry for. He never got a chance to be anything other than what he was. He was villainized from childhood, so he became a villain. Not so unlike Tyrion in some ways.
Except, it's not really the case with Aemond. He was villianized in the books because it was written throught the lense of extreme bias. In the show, we see that he was not really a villain at all. He was maimed and realized his own sister and father do not give a shit about him. He and every child in this series are victims of the adult issues their relatives refused to solve. And now, at a young age, because of the brutality of the feudal system, he knew there was going to be war and so prepared himself for it. Aemond was never a villain, and outside of terrorizing the person who crippled him, he hasn't done villainous things. The same can't be said of Tyrion. People constantly white wash him, but he has always shown how capable and ready he was to abuse his power. He only did it to prostitutes, so maybe that's why readers are so ready to defend him? But he has always been as brutal as Tywin. He was just beaten down by his father until he constantly saw himself as a victim.
Aemond is such a tragic character in that he's essentially the inverse of Daemon. He shares many of his mercurial and roguish qualities; he even looks like him. However, where Daemon became the way he was because he was essentially given the freedom to do whatever he wanted and Viserys would always welcome him back Aemond was crushed into being this person to protect himself and his family by a father who didn't care about him.
Not inverse, theyre basically the same person. As 2nd sons, both spent their entire childhoods trying to prove themselves worthy to their families. It eventually drove them both to near-madness. The only real difference was Daemon would act out when he felt neglected or ignored. Aemond used that neglect like gas on the fire to become an even better warrior.
Aemond sitting with a 4 inch gash across his face, leaving him disfigured and permanently blinded in one eye, and Visery's biggest concern is who called Rhaenyra a 304... Yeah I would have carved the eye balls right out of Lucerys head first chance I got.
I wish the show had made it clearer for non book readers that rhaenyra was asking for aemond to be tortured. They already whitewash her every chance they get. I'll admit that the writers did a good job of making alicent and aemond more complex and keeping some of aegon's good traits but they still are clearly biased for rhaenyra
Aemond is a interesting character in the books and show and everything you said absolutely right he lost his eye to be wrong and and lose a part of yourself to a family member and ridiculed by your own father who supposed to protect you from those who wants to harm you i see why he grow up training constantly and waiting to get his revenge I understand his character both book and show everyone trying put blame on Otto and alicent but they never lied I understand why daeron doesn’t like his sister either aegon aemond and daeron know that they was not safe and they sister would have them executed, so she could keep her place on the throne and her family so no aemond isn’t a villain my eyes criston Cole is the father that stepped up for alicent kids
I agree with you. Alicent never lied to her children and she was actually the only parent who was looking out for them. The fact that they don't trust Rhaenyra is 110% justified.
Aemond was accused of being a thief, he insulted them back. They punched him for it, he punched them back. Jace pulled a knife, he pulled a rock. It was 4 kids against him one. I understand luke was a child but none of them had a fair reason to think that aemond would have killed them when it was all of them ganging up on him in the first place. Aemond was definitely wronged that day and he did not deserve to be maimed and crippled for life. Then to add salt to the injury the entire room was gaslighted by Rhaenyra, Viserys making insults more of a priority then Aemond losing his eye. Then the 'poor' lucerys who everyone feels sorry for had the audacity to laugh at him at the gathering which means that he feels no regret whatsoever for crippling someone. The boy was far from an innocent sweet boy. Aemond had every right to be bitter and vengeful.
THIS. Finally someone said it. Aemond in his own words definitely disliked breaking bread with the enemies on the same table and he was very restless and alert during the dinner. But he didn't outright made any rude comments until Lucerys (the very same guy who maimed him when he was a child ) smirked at him. Aemond was bullied for not having a dragon, got ganged upon by 4 kids (when he was a kid himself ), lost his eye to Luce, his own father didn't give him an iota of justice and instead made it all about his nephews parentage. A kid had to quell his mother's anger and then the very same kid who maimed him, after all this year's shows absolute no remorse and smirks at him.
Dont forget how lucerys' "punishment" was being rewarded as heir of driftmark literally stealing another person's inheritance with zero shame, & what happened to Vaemond for doing what Aemond did, another victim of lucerys "the sweet poor boy" who we all can safely say didnt shed a tear for vaemond...I guess they can do it to others but god forbid it ever be done to them
@@judigemini178 Lucerys was young but he was also a HUGE factor in escalating the dance in the show. After they had made peace and Viserys had begged them to get along, he still decided to mock and goad Aemond unprovoked out of pure arrogance over something that happened years ago. He didn't mature at all since that happened. Luke wasn't sorry about gouging out a sibling's eye, he thought it was funny like a little sociopath. Not saying he deserved to die, but he was far from innocent.
Aemond Targaryen is most certainly not the villain here. Aemond learned at a young age that Rhaenyra was not interested in the well being of her siblings, and was willing to have them tortured or worse all over a blatant lie. He also learned that his father cared little for anyone but Rhaenyra and her heirs, as well as Daemon. So, without a father figure to defend him, Aemond understood that he had to learn how to defend himself and his family if necessary. He doesn't care about Tourneys because he knows that soon enough, a real war will begin, and he's been training for it for the past 6 years while the Blacks were away on Dragonstone.
Why did Rhaenyra have to be interested in Alicent's children after Alicent made it clear that she and Rhaenyra were enemies? We see Alicent commanding to see Rhaenyra's child minutes after he was born, that she has the man who killed her husband's lover at her feast as her sworn sword, and has committed to Otto's agenda to replace her. Rhaenyra tried to bond the family through marriage, which Alicent rejected. She offered a dragon egg to Aemond, which Alicent rejected. And she's not their parent. She has kids of her own. All the people who comment this completely leave out that Alicent is going around calling Rhaenyra's sons bastards besides not taking an interest in their lives either. Yet, Jace and Luke try to be honorable people. Why is it that Rhaenyra's kids aren't considered evil even though Rhaenyra raised them. If she's so disdainful of her family members, why aren't her kids and Rhaena the aholes that Aegon and Aemond are? Why isn't Jace a rapist? You're trying to blame her for Alicent and Viserys's bad parenting by claiming that the sister should have helped out more. Lol. That's an interesting way to try to cope with the way Aemond turned out.
@@LPno.9Alicent was the one who kept trying to make peace with rhaenyra and she refused. Remember all thos times she has defended her against her father,the council . Helena,s marriage was to the black,s advantage they can use that to get what they want
@aishahamma334 Rhaenyra did make peace. Then she had sex, and Alicent flipped out and started insulting Targaryen sex practices and demanded that she be told what Rhaenyra did with Daemon. After finding out that Rhaenyra wasn't completely honest she took back her friendship and started calling her step-daughter and bonding with the one person who was beginning to hate her. As if Rhaenyra putting her own self-preservation first just like Alicent did when she married Viserys was somehow worse. Rhaenyra was right to call Alicent a hypocrite. Hightower supporters stay leaving out inconvenient facts to fit their narratives. It's wild because I'm not choosing a side, but I notice that Rhaenyra supporters tend to be more honest about her shortcomings. Alicent's fans can't seem to do that.
@@aishahamma334 Rhaenyra did make peace. Then she had sex, and Alicent flipped out and started insulting Targaryen sex practices and demanded that she be told what Rhaenyra did with Daemon. After finding out that Rhaenyra wasn't completely honest she took back her friendship and started calling her step-daughter and bonding with the one person who was beginning to hate her. As if Rhaenyra putting her own self-preservation first just like Alicent did when she married Viserys was somehow worse. Rhaenyra was right to call Alicent a hypocrite. Hightower supporters stay leaving out inconvenient facts to fit their narratives. It's wild because I'm not choosing a side, but I notice that Rhaenyra supporters tend to be more honest about her shortcomings. Alicent's fans can't seem to do that.
True. The show's writers did a good job of fleshing out his character and showing us that there were layers to the character that the maesters probably missed when they were recording the history of the Dance.
As my favorite character in all of ASOIAF, I have no issues saying Aemond is a villain. He's a prime example of what happens when you push the bullied kid too far, and he grows up into a worse monster just so he can be stronger than the kids that tormented him. I dont admire him for his morals. I admire him for his strength.
The first time I read the book, I dismissed Aemond as a cartoon like, self destructive brat. Like a less psychotic version of Euron Greyjoy. But the show definitely humanized him. Your analysis has added more layers to his character. He is a complex character.
It amazes me how Green stans think a man (who was basically literally falling apart for years) being an uninvolved father (from what we were shown) and a pushover king makes him terrible, while defending and supporting: A woman who is a religious fanatic and abuses her children and manipulates her son to steal his sister's inheritance (and who says children's lives are unimportant because their biological parents weren't married to each other), a man who tries to use his daughter and grandchildren for his own ambitious gains (and abuses his grandson), and a man who literally commits a large mass murder of innocents. 😊
@@outlawssweetheart He still loved being a dad to Rhaenyra and didn't give a damn if his other children were even mutilated. She is religious but at least she defends her mutilated son and I don't see a problem with her preaching whatever faith she wants. Disciplining a son who bullies another son is being a good mother, the inheritance by law is Aegon II's, not Rhaenyra's. If you were taught in your family that seeing a 13-year-old drunk is no reason to reprimand him, I warn you that your family is shit and Otto was a bigger dad at that time than Viserys I was in 13 years. Their grandfather is already the hand of the king and has reached the top, his objectives have been achieved and now he only wants to protect his family. I have bad news for you, you are ignorant 😊.
I’m not a book reader … but from the show this is my perspective: I don’t see Aemond as a villian. He is protecting himself & his family. He accidentky killed Luke yes….so being killed would be an eye for an eye and he knows that . He is angry kid who was ans is still bullied by his brother and nephews. I feel for him… Like yes he is increasingly becoming Daemon… He doesn’t choose NOT to use his power, but what is he to do? He still has to stand with his family. Unfortunately for him he doesnt have a mother or father’s love … He is a product of his environment. He has shown that he feels remorse for Luke, he feels for Heleana… he respects Daemon. He just happens to have this power because of Vaegar. He’s the underdog that now is seen as a villian when he has a good but broken heart inside.
Maesters does not seem to like aemond very well considering how they write about him. Team black constantly says Maesters are green propaganda and bullsh*t, but they are not on anyone's side. Dance characters are written in a very controversial way. Hotd does half a good job in creating characters but as far I like aemond's development.
I think that the maesters were just against anyone with a dragon, and since Aemond had the biggest and fiercest dragon out of all of them, he was the most villainized of all the Targaryens who were a part of the Dance. 🤔
They seem pretty nice to Prince Daeron & Jace. I do think some of stuff isn’t propaganda. I think most of greens & blacks sucked. Rhaenyra was likely a spoiled brat & Aegon probably was a sexual deviant.
Aemond in season 1 was definitely not a villain to me he is a good young man that made a terrible mistake with chasing Luke. Aemond has been told that Rt would kill him n his siblings to secure her claims n in episode 7 she gives him all the confirmation he needs that his life is forfeit. He grows up physically n mentally because he believes he has to be prepared to protect himself and his family from another assault.
I agree. That night I think that he realized that everything that he's mother, Alicent, had told him was 100% true - Rhaenyra really would try to kill him if she ever came into power. The fact that she was so willing to have him tortured, even though her child was the one that cut out Aemond's eye, was all the confirmation that Aemond needed. I hated how cordial Rhaenyra and Alicent seemed a few episodes later, because why would Alicent just forgive and forget that? It was one of the few things that I really didn't like about the show (the fact that they were trying so hard to make Rhaenyra and Alicent seem like besties).
@@thecriticalmaester9702I believe that meeting with Alicent and Rt was the first time Alicent heard a genuine Thank U from Rt with no ulterior motives. For a second she had her sister back n I think Alicent was genuinely tired of hating Rhaenyra n not to mention Alicent is a lot more religious 6 years later so she has a lot more forgiving attitude.
@@jjosifovic I hear you, but I just felt like it took away from her motivations to take her of her children. I don't understand why they'd rob the character of her agency in wanting to protect her children from Rhaenyra, and instead try to present Alicent as Rhaenyra's besty and give her the lame motivation of mishearing Viserys and misinterpreting his wishes to crown Aegon. It just sucks, idk. 😔 Alicent could've been a smarter and craftier version of Cersei, but instead she comes across as boo-boo the fool in most situations.
@@thecriticalmaester9702 to me I believe Alicent could be more like Margery n to me Rhaenyra is more Cersei than Alicent lol N to be honest most of the faults with this season has to be the time jumps n not enough episodes. I much prefer 12 episodes than 10 n they could saved money by having no dragons for those episodes.
@@The-Allfather-OdinHe hasn't done anything WRONG but he didn't improve things either. Like I get his goals and all, but his involvement just added gasoline to the fire.
Probably my favourite Green, what a character! And regarding Vhagar, I get the feeling it was something similar to what happens with Rickon and Shaggydog: when Shaggydog gets angry, so does Rickon. Vhagar and Aemond had such symbiosis that Vhagar simply acted upon inner Aemond feelings. I love the Greens, they are soooo more nuanced than black team ugh.
"I love the Greens, they are soooo more nuanced than black team" Same Guess thats the problem of many MANY modern Writers with Writing Pro and Antagonists, they are so affraid of the Audience losing Symphaty for the Protagonist that they "play it safe" and making the Protagonist flawless, do gooder, boring, unintresting, passive Rheneara. With the Antagonists an the other Hand, they are more comfortable to take Risks wich unsurprisingly results in way better and actual intresting Charakters
Alicent was the only one who went to her son’s defense. Rhaenyra didn’t even care that her own brother got his eye gouged out by her son and wanted him tortured. Viserys did jack f*ck all to punish Luke for intending to possibly kill Aemond with a knife. The fans bash Alicent for cutting Rhaenyra because harming royals is treason. Where tf was that outrage when a ten year old prince got his eye gouged out? Sorry. This makes me a bit heated because I was bullied at school when I was Aemond’s age and the only people who defended me were my mom and dad. The school victim-blamed me. Whenever I did anything to defend, the school punished me. Maybe that’s why Aemond has a soft place in my heart. Because I was him at ten years old.
Bro, that's exactly why I'm speaking up for Aemond. I had incidents as a kid where people would try to bully me, but I would fight back harder, and then for some reason I would also get punished for trying to defend myself. The other guy would also be reprimanded, but from my POV it always seemed like I got the worst of the reprimanding, even though I was the one being bullied. I hate that! I think the scene when those kids are attacking Aemond and he was fighting them off really triggered me, especially when Viserys did nothing to reprimand them for cutting out Aemond's eye. If there's one scene that made me Team Green...
Understanding and feeling compassion for someone’s circumstances doesn’t take away from the wrongness of them. He is a villain, but he is a villain of his family’s making.
Of course not, at least not more than the other characters. I just view him as someone who is loyal to his blood and his family wich is his mother, his siblings and their children. He is no different than Daemon in that regard just on the opposing side.
I can't believe they undid all that work they did in season 1 making Aemond a sympathetic character and made him a one-dimensional villain in season 2.
@@ammonite0257 I like Daemon. He's interesting. But the actions he makes, and the way people are praising him. Really leaves me feeling puzzled. It could be that some people can't look past the charisma. I for some reason can't romanticise him, or defend him. But I respect that he's complex. Sometimes I wonder if its the bad boy appeal? Which is a trope I'm not that fond of.
@@veraanastasiaramirezrozas1633 I think they veered way too hard on his villainous side. Into scene where he kills a bunch of criminals? Perfect. Makes fun of his brother dead child? A little too much. Essentially tries to cede from the crown? Rash but at the end doesn’t do much damage. Perfect. imply that he smashes his wife’s head in with a rock? Definitely too much. Doesn’t console his own children when his wife/ mother commits suicide. What the hell are they doing? If some of these were changed, I would definitely see more people thinking he’s misunderstood instead of a straight up villain
Yeah, fair enough. Darn near half of the Realm ends up as Kinslayer, one way or another, and the death/destruction of many a town in Westeros is the fault of both sides.
It’s so crazy to me that the hotd fandom see daemon as a better person than aemond, and they call aemond a kinslayer but daemon is also one, imo daemon is one of the worst characters in the show, if he didn’t marry rhaeynra he would’ve been competing for that throne aswel.
As a green, Aemond is evil. Not only is he evil, he's also 100% why they lose. He's like the Daemon of this side, but dumber. Given this, it goes without saying that he goes against a lot of what his team stands for regarding Kingship. I really liked him pre time skip and he has that cool factor post time skip too but when you look at him using objective metrics it really doesn't look good. Viserys was a terrible father who clearly disliked all his sons (for not being Aemma) though he never said it. This clearly hurt Aegon more who actually cared. Aemond never did, or at least didn't care about what his father thought of him so Viserys' neglect didn't affect him as much. Even despite this, Aemond did have just cause to despise him.
I think people say he is bad because in their minds there is only "good" and "evil" and he is obviously not "good" so he must be "evil" I feel sad for these people.
I don't think aemond is evil in the world of the books either but I think the framing of the book being an account of history that takes place in the future paints him as an evil character because he was on the side that didn't end up keeping the throne
Yeah, and because he rode the biggest and most fiercest dragon. I do think that since the maesters hated magic and dragons so much, they just hated on Aemond the most because he rode the biggest dragon alive, Vhagar, and plus he consorted with a witch (Alys Rivers) when he was in Harrenhal. These things probably didn't sit well with the historians who chronicled the Dance, and so they painted him out to be evil and monstrous. 🤔
He didn’t accidentally chase Lucerys out into the storm, he made the situation happen and the potential consequences would be obvious to anyone smart enough to ride a horse, much less a dragon.
Show Aemond has been humanized Definitely but I personally do Think he is on the slippery Slope to becoming one of the darkest villain's. In the Show was he bullied as a child for not having a dragon yes, was he ignored by his father and possibly Alicent as well for being only the 2nd born yes. But Aemond I think is like a child who has been given a gun or another weapon, and he suddenly becomes trigger happy and cocky since he claimed Vhagar or as I see it Vhagar claimed him which led to him loosing control and killing Lucerys. These aren't good things when you are connected and hold a powerful creature that can bring massive destruction.
You are putting a lot of conjecture in Rhaenyra being awful (She isn't a great person by any means, but Rhaenyra, and her children who in the books were 6 and 4 when this happened, and it happened because Aemond who was 10 at the time was feeling really bold after getting his dragon, and pushed Joffrey who was 3 into a pile of dragon shit) Rhaenyra didn't suggest Aemond be sharply questioned out of the blue, she did it in retaliation to Alicent saying Luke's eye should be put out, while it is true that her brothers would always be threats, I don't think Rhaenyra would kill them unless they make themselves into trouble for her, and this is an example of how Alicent's own actions become the reason her children have to be put in the crossfire.
Rhaenyra might not have ordered their deaths but Daemon definitely would after she was crowned the queen. Maybe not immediately after her ascension but a couple of years later. It wouldn't be a gruesome death though maybe a poisoning or a freak accident that would take the lives of Aegon and his brothers. Helaena might not be killed but she might be held as a political hostage (a good reason why Alicent opposed the Jace/Helaena betrothal) and slowly Otto and the Hightowers would be crushed to the ground. Rhaenyra is a cunning person, she might have mourned her half brothers death for a bit (if in that hypothetical situation they hadn't rebelled and opposed her rule like they did in canon) but she wouldn't be letting any potential competitors to her throne live. Her saying that Alicent's sons would have held positions of power in her court if they had swore loyalty to her was just mouth service. She isn't daft enough to NOT secure the throne for her sons if later her brothers though of rebelling against her. Plus her being a woman already puts her on a major disadvantage against those westerosi lords who follow the Andal's law of male successor. Alicent's fears were valid.
Rhaenyra was the one who asked for aemond to be tortured first That's why alicent was tired of rhaenyra,s bullshit. Honestly lucerys does deserve to have his eye cut out. If a child can plan on trying to kill or damage another person intentionally. Then he is not a child Lucerys didn't do it to protect his. He had already planned on killing or maiming aemond even before the fight started and that's why he came whit a knife 2. If you watch again you will see that lucerys pulled out the knife when aemond called them bastards that was before aemond picked up the stone Aemond had already lowered the rock when Jace threw sand in his eye and lucerys cut out his eye. If lucerys really did that to protect his brother then they would have run off after Jace threw sand in his eye distracting him they had a chance to escape. But still he stayed and cut out aemond,s eye And you call someone like this a child
Rhaeynra might’ve not killed her brothers if they didn’t challenge her but daemon would, he would’ve done what he did with baby jaehaerys and sent ppl to kill them without rhaeynra’s consent or knowledge
If i look its all a point of view. Us the audience think Aemond is a sympathetic villain. We relate to him feeling ostracised and ridiculed, and his desire to prove himself because of that , but because he was fine with Aegon usurping the throne, not even questioning Viserys changing his mind before dying, we also see him as morally wrong. However to game of throne morals, Aemond isn't really that bad a person. He went after Luc merely because he wanted an eye for an eye, nothing more or less. Thats a lot more balanced than other vengeful antiheroes. We know he didn't mean to kill him, but honestly, would you feel super remorseful about someone who mutilated you. Point is, Aemond's only true crime is his desire to impress his mother and perform duty for his family, which clouds his larger sense of honour
Aemond is what I'd call necessary evil; he and Ser Criston are the backbone of the Green faction. Otto is mostly a political animal, Aegon II is a figurehead, Helaena and Alicent are there for popular support. So while Aemond might seem a tad bit harsh, he's the Green faction's answer to Daemon Targaryen. And he's a necessary answer, since there are hard times coming, which means hard mean are needed.
Aemond did nothing wrong at this point. He earned Vhagar's loyalty and a dragon isn't just a passed down property. In addition, he never meant to kill Lucerys and only sought to intimidate him rather than mutilate or kill the nephew who took away his eye. I think the villages Aemond will burn in the future is another Vhagar accident. The biggest sin of HOTD Season 1 is that we barely get to the Greens' point of view because of the show's biased agenda to make the Blacks more favorable over the Greens.
I'll probably do a video in the future where I compare his book counterpart to how he's portrayed on the show, but it is clearly in an effort to demonize his character and prop up the Black faction so that the audience roots for Rhaenyra more... in my opinion.
In the show when he and Criston are looking for Aegon, Aemond says he is the one that trained to be a warrior and studies the histories..then Aemond says he is next in line for the throne. Why would he say that, he just said that he studies, so Aemond knows Aegon's first born son is the heir. I think Aemond is the father to Aegon's kids. Aemond said that because he knows Aegon's kids are bastards. Which would technically make Aemond next in line of the succession.
@@thecriticalmaester9702 you know how GRRM loves his parallel characters. We have a queen with three illegitimate kids by her brother, two boys and a girl.. that sounds familiar. Also at laena's funeral we have Aemond saying he would have no problem doing his "duty" with Helaena as Aegon stood there disgusted at the thought of marrying his sister.
@@thecriticalmaester9702 also the irony of this war being started over the legitimacy of Rhaenyra kids. In the end It turns out the heirs to the throne on both sides are all bastards. That sounds like a GRRM story.
@@Guinnessdrnkr1234 No need. You’re spot on. The Greens are actually like Stannis here while the Blacks are closer to the Lannisters. However, it’s just that George has tried to present the Blacks as the protagonists while the Greens are the antagonists. It’s actually interesting, because the story is flipped, and though the same scenario as the main Game of Thrones series is happening here, the audience now seems to believe that Cersei and her children’s claims are more legitimate than Stannis’s. Very interesting. Basically, people who support Team Green are the people who remain steadfast and who say the law prevails in both situations. In the main series, Cersei’s children had no real claim, and now in this story, Rhaenyra and her children also don’t have a real claim. The law prevails and the law says that Aegon is the rightful heir, just like how Stannis is the rightful heir in the main ASOIAF books. 🤷🏾♂️
Whether you are team green or team black, seriously Aemond is the victim here. He did some wrong things I mean he perhaps shouldn’t have been so mean to the girls after claiming Vhagar but a dragon isn’t inherited, Rhaena isn’t entitled to Vhagar. Aemond was pushed and pushed to the limit by his nephews and his brother. We all know that Viserys wouldn’t give a fuck about his kids with Alicent. He doesn’t give them 1/10 of the love and attention he has for Rhaenyra and her kids. The blatant neglect of them and favoritism of their older half sister and her kids really causes Aemond to resent them and rightfully so. Viserys ultimately is in the wrong but Aemond is a trueborn son and yet in a feudal medieval society like Westeros for some reason he is not as important as two bastard children. It must hurt him so much. Alicent perhaps went a little to far but she’s tired that Ehaenyra gets to do whatever the hell she wants at least in her view while Alicent repeatedly sacrifices and gives up her livelihood and has never had an ounce of the easiness and pleasure that Rhaenyra gets in her life. Her children are not given the love they deserve that Rhaenyra gets. She is stuck fighting the ghost of her husband’s first wife, gave up her girlhood and innocence while Rhaenyra got her pick of suitors and got to have affairs and a chance for real connection. Her son was maimed and traumatized for life and yet he’s the one being interrogated and threatened (sharply questioned is a euphemism for torture) and there are no consequences for the one responsible. Maybe Luke shouldn’t have lost an eye in exchange but he didn’t even get a slap on the wrist. Banishment from Kingslanding in the future confinement to Dragonstone, removal of the line of succession that he shouldn’t have been in the first place, lost his place as heir of Driftmark that he shouldn’t have in the first place, anything! But no… no consequences and Viserys caring more about someone speaking the truth about Rhaenyra’s sins shows Alicent and Aemond that they don’t matter. People say it’s ridiculous that the Greens genuinely think Rhaenyra will threaten them if she becomes Queen. And yes I don’t think at this point she’s become a kinslayer but this scene cements that idea in their head. Her son maims Alicent’s son and she doesn’t even care. It cements the idea that Rhaenyra doesn’t care about her half brothers and perhaps could be persuaded that they need to go in order for her reign to be secure especially once she marries Daemon who has no love for Otto and Alicent and by extension Alicent’s children. She marries a man after this with a history of violence reckless behavior and great ambition. Those two things alone make them fear for their safety if Rhaenyra ascends.
To say Rhaenyra planned on killing her siblings as soon as her father died is a bit extreme in either the books or the show. In both cases did she care for them? Nah, Did she understand that they could challenge her claim? Yeah, But did she ever clearly or openly attempt to kill one of them before their father's death? No. As for him being evil, I have to agree and say he isn't. That being said when he went after Luke he was a grown man who depending on the version wanted to scare a child with a living nuke or just wanted to kill him. It was his choice.
If Rhaenyra wanted to kill her own brothers, then I don't think that it's something that she would've said openly, especially given how taboo kinslaying is in Westeros. However, it's very possible that she could've harboured those dark thoughts and let them fester inside her mind, and I think that that makes her very much capable of murdering them at the end of the day (in the book's version of her character anyway). I think that the proof of that is in Halaena's death. Obviously, Rhaenyra had a hand in her death. It's mysterious and dark, but Rhaenyra is certainly involved in it. If the show changes that, then I will further be convinced of their bias in favour of her. Also, I pretty much agree with you on what you've said about Aemond. Him chasing after Luke and trying to scare him was a blunder, and he is responsible for Luke's death as a result of that. It indeed was Aemond's choice to do that. However, Luke is no innocent in the matter either. He literally bullied that boy for years, and Aemond did nothing to retaliate before. Luke has constantly teased him, goaded him, laughed at him, and has even mutilated him, so I can't blame Aemond for finally snapping.
It's less that Rhaenyra would do so herself and more that Daemon would, even if she objected. I think the show actually made this fear even more well-founded for both the characters and the audience; there's no way that Otto and Alicent wouldnt be thinking about what the Rogue Prince would do to the Green kids after the way he acted in Lord of the Tides
@@thecriticalmaester9702 that's quite a lot of speculation you seem to be attributing to Rhaenyra and her intentions to murder her half-siblings. Contrarily, Otto and members of the green faction outright plan to murder Rhaenyra and her children before the news of Viserys's death can even reach them. One is conjecture, the other actually happened. Also, it's strange that you mention the teasing of Aemond for not having a dragon, but not fail to mention Aemond's tendency to bully Rhaenyra's kids for something far more serious. Whether it's true or not is not really relevant here. Also, it's been shown that it's either Viserys or Aegon who are often the ones bullying Aemond the most, so I'm not really sure what you're getting at there. I don't view Aemond as a villain as there aren't really one-note characters in asoiaf, but you seem to be coloring Rhaenyra as such in defense of Aemond and the Greens. No one is actually innocent or completely guilty during the dance, as that's basically the whole point. It was a pointless war fought over silly bickering that ended with thousands dead, the dragons basically gone, and the Targs a shell of their former selves - weak and vulnerable, primed for Robert's Rebellion in the main series.
@@KingKong11730 Jace and Luce bullied Aemond for not having a dragon and Aemond called them bastards (or strongs) which they actually were. Everyone knew the truth although noone could say it since the truth would wound Rhaenyra's pride and accuse her of high treason. Even if we put that aside, the greens were definitely going to die if Rhaenyra ascends the throne. According to Daemon's reasoning even if they didn't rebel against Rhaenyra's succession that still doesn't mean they won't rebel LATER. Plus they were males- who would be favoured by traditional westerosi standards as successors. Why keep a knife hanging down your head when you can easily remove it after gaining absolute authority aka after Rhaenyra becomes the ruler. Rhaenyra might not have immediately jumped to agree on Daemon's plan but she was a cunning woman, not a fool. As time passed, she would definitely agree with his plan to get rid of them. She would mourn them for a bit as they caused no troubles to her (supposedly if they don't oppose her like they in canon) and then move ahead. That's it. When Alicent was married to Viserys and gave birth to 3 sons, their fate were already sealed. The Alicent- Viserys marriage should not have taken place in the first place.
Aemond is one of the best villains in the books. In the show, he has an edge but in the next 2 seasons they can’t hide his villainy, he basically commits genocide.
As a Native American what he does is not genocide he kills off a family but how is he a villain if the blacks will kill off a child there is no villains or hero’s here this is a war
Never saw aemond as evil. Look at what he did. Spoilers ahead He killed luc who was a dragon rider for the other side the he kills rhaenys in battle. Then attempts to draw our the blacks best weapon in daemon by burning castles that are loyal to his enemies. Before eventually fighting daemon. Where in that is he evil. On the other side the blacks murder a child, turn on two of there own because two others betrayed them, tortured prisoners and ultimately poisoned the king that's alot more evil in my eyes.
I still think that Lucerys death was his own fault while yes Aemond should not had followed him on Vhagar beacause that was just asking for trouble it was Arrax that first started the fight and how stupid can you be to attack the Queen of dragons after that Aemond could not have denied her the revenge for that pesky little thing that dared to disrespecet her
@@t-rexcellentreviews1663 I mean Arrax was the first who attacked I think it was pretty obvious from Aemond's reaction to Lucerys death that it wasn't his intention to kill him only to scare him so if Arrax didn't blew the fire the entire situation could have been prevented
No it was lucerys fault. He bullied aemond for years. They made a fun of him brought a a pig and said they found a dragon for him and you know how the fight ended. Aemond was already angry about losing his eye and nothing was done th the person who cut his eye out. Then at that dinner lucerys had the audacity to laugh at aemond. I mean seriously. That's why aemond decided no I won't let it go this time . Lucerys started it again. If he hadn't laughed at aemond. Aemond wouldn't have chased him trying to scare him. Also Vesris did say it you can't control a dragon. He said the idea that we control the dragon is an illusion. You could see the horror on aemond,s face when Vagah killed lucerys. Vagah killed lucerys not aemond
I actually dislike the choice of having Aemond "losing control" of his dragon. I think that the way the show handled him harkened back to GOT (when it was good). By presenting a nuanced character. He can still be humanized and made sympathetic even if he is a kinslayer.
@@joshuagause941 But that's the point: they're not houses. In fact, they are not property at all. They have free will. They choose the rider as much as the rider gets to choose them, and Vhaegar chose Aemond as his rider. He did nothing wrong, in my opinion anyway.
@@thecriticalmaester9702 they are property if no one but the rider can ride them. Aren’t they bonded until death. In no story has a dragon said I want a new rider someone come claim me.
@@joshuagause941Aemond didn't take Vhagar by force, he won her. Aemond approached Vhagar, Vhagar tested him acc to her standards and liked what she saw. Thus she chose him. She was kept in Driftmark as she was riderless but she doesn't belong to house Velaryon or any other houses. She belongs only to her rider and his/her house by association. With Laena dead, Vhagar was kept there but she was not a dragon of House Velaryon. And knowing Vhagar she too didn't oppose to living there but that still doesn't make her a family heirloom that would be passed to Rhaena/ Baela. She has her own choice in the matter and by choosing Aemond she made it
A villain is a villain, regardless of what leads them to villainy. But that's not to say that he doesn't have his own tragic background to explain what pushed him to where he ultimately ended up. And at the end of the day, even when it's written by the Maesters, the history of Westeros is at best a very colored and biased Accounting in favor of whomever happens to be on The Winning Side of whatever conflict is in question.
To be fair, Criston spoke badly about *one* woman who personally wronged him, and he generally worships Alicent. Some fans think him calling Rhaenyra a name once and then immediately apologizing for it and being mad at Rhaenyra after she used him is proof that he's a woman-hating incel (also he is explicitly voluntarily celibate so he can't be an incel) but when Daemon calls women names repeatedly with no remorse and commits violence against them he's just "complex" or motivated by love and not a misogynist. Ok... (Not saying you're one of these fans - good take on Aemond!)
Yeah, I agree. His parents definitely played a huge hand in shaping him to be who he is, and even Rhaenyra did. The fact that no one but his mom spoke up for him when he lost his eye must've had a profound impact on his psyche and eventual behaviour. Luke mutilated him and Rhaenyra wanted him tortured, and yet only Alicent cared - and even she (Alicent) is ruthless and ambitious (though more so in the book), so some of that must've rubbed off on him.
You verbalized a lot of the thoughts I have a difficult time explaining about him. I think he was a sensitive child (and second son) that had a rough upbringing that taught him he could only depend on himself. It turned him into a person that wanted power and revenge, and he acted more cruel than he actually was because he wanted respect. You can see how kind and protective he is with his sister (I think he was truly in love with her and was the father of her kids). You also brought up a lot of things that I hadn't thought of before that were very interesting. Your voice is so nice that these videos are ASMR quality lol
Well, yes. He's a villain based on his actions, despite the reasons behind them. Though few Targaryens are not villains and especially few characters involved in the dance of dragons are innocent. Whatever the cause behind it, he did kill a child and many others. Danny started as a heroic character but quickly flipped to a villain arc.
Aemond may be a villain, but season one sets a sympathetic foundation for him. Even if he's vindictive and violent, there are moments where he's sympathetic.
OK here I am talking about the BOOK: Didnt Aemond (10years) first beat up 3years old Joff and pushed him into dragon-shit? I mean he is almost a Baby wtf? And when his brothers (5years,6years) came for revenge he EASILY gained the upper hand savagly beat Jace until the young Luke (5years) freaked out because he thought his brother could die and slashed his face with a dagger? (BTW: wearing a dagger is very normal in this medievalish world, so I dont think they brought the dagger on purpose). Sure, the Greens are being portrayed REALLY poorly by Netflix .. but Aemond seems to be an asshole right from the start and the red keep´s environment helped foster his bad character-traits. Though I can at the same time feel for him being neglected and overseen by his unloving and incapable father.
Then again Aemond wanted no beef with them, he was just trying to claim Vhagar. Who do the strong boys think they are that they want to gatekeep Vhagar from Aemond? He is the kings son and a Targaryen prince. Joffrey should have kept his mouth shut. And afterwards they were waiting for him armed with wooden swords and attacked him and he still overpowered them and gave them a good beating wich they pretty much were asking for. As in the show Rhaenyra's brats had really no business meddling with Aemond's business in the first place, so why are they justified?
@@michaelnkomphela8231 ok, if the readers of my comment are not convinced by the argument that he savagely beat up far younger kids when he could have stopped far earlier I guess nothing can cure you guys from your crush on Aemond😅
@@arturleperoke3205 umm, savagely beaten? Where are the scars? On with page of the book did it happen? Crushing on Aemond is inevitable. Ps. I did see disgusting Daemon and Rhaenera f***at Leana's funeral. Why did they choose such old and ugly actors?
I might've made a mistake there. I thought that the dagger that Luke uses is the same one that Alicent used to try and shank Rhaenyra. Regardless, it's still pretty messed up that Luke tried to take the boy's eye, whether or not the blade was Valyrian steel or not.
Aemond is a victim of a horrible maiming, but that doesn’t make him completely innocent either, he wanted things that others didn’t want him to have and he did horrible things to get them, only ever regretting the consequences of his actions when they came back to bite him in the ass, his intent at this point is irrelevant, only the result matters now, in season 2, we are going to see him butcher innocent people, break a betrothal his family paid in blood for, burn entire villages to the ground and use his older brother as a meat shield, make no mistake, he will be a evil villain by the end of this story.
All who read this comment , in your opinion who has the greatest legacy in the ASOIAF franchise ? For me it’s Aegon , because of the conquest and the impact it had on the centuries that followed !
Yes. .He has a terrible family who degrades him. Every single one. The worse being his mother and brother. Alicent is a very angry woman who every adult in her life disregards and tells her that it is her duty to endure their abuse. She gets no real love or comfort despite conforming to everyone's wishes but her own and the only person who ever truly respected her, Rhaenyra. She passes that anger-- now also seething hatred -- to her sons. She teaches them to be violent to their nephews and to fear their sister. Viserys ignores all this because having sons isn't what having sons had hoped it would be. It's interesting that people think he supports Rhaenyra over them, but he doesn't. He supports his guilt for what he did to Aemma and Rhaenyra. Having his wife endure horrible pregnancies while not having the faith or courage to name his daughter as an heir (grandpa Jace gets some of the blame for that, too. Even Maegor named a girl his heir). It brought him the most extreme heartbreak that he thought naming Rhaenyra would cure. But he didn't protect Rhaenyra or her children from Alicent. He could have squashed all of Alicent's resentful bs by making sure she taught her children to respect Rhaenyra. Of course, he felt guilty for what he did to her life as well so didn't intervene, but what Alicent was doing was more dangerous. Publicly calling the boys bastards could have resulted in their deaths, Rhaenyra's or her own and her sons'. Her resentments outgrew her care for her children. I also believe that the only thing that had her try to rekindle her relationship with Rhaenyra was seeing Daemond get away with killing Vaemond. That could have been herself or her sons because none of them could stop running their mouths about it. Mixing all thar with the entitlement of a royal and a Targaryen can create evil children (Aegon is evil, too.) As a child he felt he didn't have the rights of other Targaryens, which is the right to bring whole nations to their knees with dragons. That's not a healthy or honorable desire. It's the right to kill anyone who goes against you, including the whole village they live in. It's an evil desire that was encountered by his grandfather and not tempered by his father. By the time he had matured that's all he cared about. When he finally claimed Vaeghar one of the first things he did was say to other dragonless Targaryen that all she deserved was a pig. Then that being mamed was a tradeoff to having the most terrifying dragon. His own self was worth less than the power to kill his own family. Killing Luke by accident could have been a moment for learning about the evil that lurked inside himself and possibly turn away from it. We don't know why he didn't, but he didn't. He accepted it and went on to do more evil.
It's annoying how team black keep saying oh Oh lucerys was just defending his brother. Well aemond was defending himself too .He was outnumbered by 4 kids. What was he supposed to do lie on the ground so they can keep beating him. Lucerys and his brother had many chances to run away but they didn't
@@axolotl1777😂.He started the fight. They attacked him first. And lucerys didn't even use the knife to protect his brother. He pulled out the knife when aemond called them bastards
@@aishahamma334 i changed my mind i just found out that in the book they pulled up with wooden swords so the plan from the start was to hurt him those little bastards.
Aemond and Helena are definitely my favorites, and i have some things in common with them I have some dreams that can actually happen . People think im weird because of my love for snakes, so i understand Helena when it comes to people thinking im weird, i also have 1 older brother and one younger brother too and i liked to learn how to fight just to defend myself and i know what its like to be bullied badly and im not really close with my family, and my parents are both sh** in a way but my dad was always abusive, but i never let none of that stuff bother me and currently rightnow i have a huge crush on Aemond 😅
So what luke was carrying a blade ? Every prince does . Aemond was gonna hit his brother in the head with a rock . Who tf would sit and watch that . I like aemond but he had that one coming maybe the other girl should’ve claimed vhagar them self but he took that to the extreme and seems more like the bully then the bullied in that situation .
😂. You my friend are the definition of a blinded team black fan you are mad that aemond picked up a rock to defend himself but you ignore the fact that lucerys actually came prepared with the knife. He was already planning on killing or disfiguring aemond even before the fight started. If you watch the scene again you will see that lucerys pulled out the knife when aemond called them bastards. This was before he picked up the stone
@@aishahamma334 I do not root for any team but, I watched season 1 and I realized that the Otto's daughter even try to help Reanera. And yet she is still the best child of the king. She is the spoil brat, and didt even punnish her kids for bullying.
These people are crazy. Aemond is easily the worst character because he's so psychotic. I don't even think they realized that the real Aemond came out once he claimed Vhagar. A bully full of insecurity while. He ends an entire bloodline for goodness sake.
100% he is! So are his mother and his grandfather. AT least if you actually acknowledge the bookverse, and that badly written, high-budget fanfiction Warner Bros is currently peddling.
@@NaphakadeTheGoat canonically, that doesn’t make sense? How does the heir to Driftmark get the kings personal dagger for one night? I am pretty sure it was just a regular steel dagger
@@Vkammp He could have filched it from his grandfather or something. Those boys are cunning enough to do that, and theyknew that they wouldn't get in trouble for it because Viserys never scolds them, not even when they cut out his sons eye.
@@NaphakadeTheGoat I’m mean, sure he could have, I just seriously doubt that. If you rewatch both scenes where Aemond loses his eye, and Rhaynera gets stabbed; Luke’s blade looks significantly shorter than Viserys.
For me though i would rather to see Syrax got killed killing other dragons instead of fighting mobs. And no spoil but my poor Meleys, Caraxes and Aemond should have arrive or Jace and Vermax should arrive there. And there would be possible chance that Meleys will leave since she is going to deal with Vhagar abd Vermax will going to have a sky dance with Sunfyre since both are very aggressive and cunning dragons.
Yes hes a villain. Just because we understand why doesn't change that. Say he isnt the villain when he and Vhagar ar ravaging the innocent small folk of the riverlands. And in the book, he was 10 and it was only Jace Luc and the baby, ages 6, 5 & 3. Luc only pulls out his dagger when Aemond gets the upper hand and is about to take the 3 y old out and began mothing off about Strongs. Not defending any of them. Also, even before this night Aemond knew that Visaerys would cut out tongues- he said so quite frequently- but he continuously says these things. Knowing what tje outcome may be. And if he was continuously warned about Rhaenyra, why didn't he push it? Because he DID know his father would save him. Dont get me wrong, Rhaenyra is bo saint and yes, i caught the question sharply. I just feel sorry for the Dragons ❤ lol
