When historians, and peoples of the future (yes, you and I) ask themselves who lit the fuse that sparked the Dance of Dragons? The answer would most certainly be unanimous. Albeit unintentional, House of the Dragon’s sapphire-eyed villain Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) will be held responsible as the singular factor that pushed the realm into a war of fire and fury. Before his mishap in the clouds over Storm’s End, where his dragon, Vhagar snapped his nephew, Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault) to pieces, Aemond’s half-sister, Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), had tried all within her power to prevent a civil war after her throne had been stolen. Now, Mitchell teases that Aemond, his blond Targaryen villain, is set to be a menace in the coming season.

When the second season of House of the Dragon premieres in mid-June, the consequences of Aemond’s actions will only have begun to materialize. However, Mitchell teases that Aemond would simply lean into his villainous side going forward. “He hijacks the show and turns it into a horror film,” the Saltburn star told Vogue regarding his character. On Lucerys’ death, he adds, “You’re gonna see the repercussions of that — and you’ll see another side to Aemond.” In bringing to life the second living son of King Viserys Targaryen, Mitchell sought authenticity. “I’ve never seen Thrones,” Mitchell confessed. “I avoided it. I wanted to create something fresh,” employing “a bespoke method,” and pulling references from “Kirk Douglas in The Vikings” and “Michael Fassbender in Prometheus.”

As with many of the children who grew up as part of the Targaryen dynasty, Aemond had a difficult childhood — albeit a lavish one. He didn’t bond with a dragon at birth, making his interactions with his brother and nephews torturous. After losing an eye, and finally bonding with a dragon, Aemond becomes one of the most feared Targaryen’s around. Showrunner Ryan Condal has teased huge battle sequences in the coming season, and one of the show’s biggest clashes will involve Aemond. As far as the Targaryen family is concerned, the resident bad boy is still Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). Some of the interactions between Aemond and Daemon in Season 1, tease that a showdown between the pair is around the corner.

The War Will Have A Steady Momentum on ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2

The Season 2 premiere is entitled “A Son For A Son” and will most definitely see the camp of Rhaenyra, most especially, Daemon, seeking revenge for the murder of Luke. This should herald the brutal Blood and Cheese story, and further lead to even more evil and carnage as the war begins to unfold. Condal recently revealed that the coming season will have a more steady pace to it than the first season. He said:

“All the wounds are fresh. I think the pace will feel more like building momentum. Season 1 felt breakneck because you were jumping time periods, whereas Season 2 feels like you light a fuse in Episode 1 and watch it go — and at points, little charges go off.”

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16. You can watch the first season on Max ahead of the Season 2 premiere, and stay tuned to Collider for future coverage of the series.