House of the Dragon Night King and Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith

The Season 2 finale of House of the Dragon has people wondering if Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen just became the Night King.

The curiosity comes from an eventful vision that the character has in Harrenhal. The moment Daemon touches the weirwood tree, he’s flooded by intriguing images and scenes—most of which paint the story that Game of Thrones tells.

This leads to audiences seeing the red comet, the three-eyed raven, a white walker, Daenerys alongside her dragon eggs, and more.

[ Daemon’s Vision Explained: White Walkers, Bloodraven and Daenerys in House of the Dragon ]

Is Daemon Targaryen the Night King?

White Walker vision from House of the DragonMax


This is an easy question to answer right off the bat: Daemon Targaryen did not become the Night King.

While The Night King was once a mortal man, he is actually over 10,000 years old by the time audiences see him in Game of Thrones.

He was created by the Children of the Forest during a brutal war to protect them and their lands. This led to his being cursed with immorality, along with other abilities.

Needless to say, the Night King pre-dated Daemon for an extended period of time.

Some of the confusion may have come from the one shot of a white walker with long white hair—someone who is notably not the Night King. That particular one is just a general goon within his army.

But could that white walker be Daemon? Probably not—and it was likely not the intent of the vision to try and hint that to audiences.

Though, the possibility is certainly a fun one to think about.

[ Here’s When House of the Dragon Season 3’s Release Is Now Expected to Happen ]

What’s the Future of Daemon Targaryen?

Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in House of the DragonMax
Interestingly, in the books, Daemon’s ultimate fate is left unknown—though his assumed demise is teased in his vision, where he’s drowning in a body of water.

Eventually, Daemon and Caraxes will face off against Aemond and Vhagar. The ensuing battle leads to no victors—everyone crashes into God’s Eye (a lake), and no one emerges.

However, everyone’s bodies are found except for Daemon, who is nowhere to be seen.

Could he perhaps one day become a White Walker in an unseen story? Well, again, probably not, as he’d need to first encounter the Night King, who is far beyond the wall across the continent.

But that is to say, there is still potential space for a story about Daemon post-House of the Dragon. Who knows what the character’s future could hold?

House of the Dragon is now streaming on Max.