Daemon sees himself as Aemond in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, a vision that holds a lot of meaning and sets up both characters’ futures. As the Dance of the Dragons escalates with the first battle between dragons in House of the Dragon, Daemon is on a side quest in the cursed castle of Harrenhal. Daemon has yet to send Rhaenyra a raven and seems to be more worried about the mysteries of Harrenhal. Even though Daemon refuses to face the problems in his marriage, his visions make his fears quite clear.

Given how Daemon rarely talks about his feelings, his Harrenhal visions are the next best chance of understanding what the character is going through. Alys Rivers’ potions have caused Daemon’s dreams and visions in House of the Dragon, during which the prince is faced with ghosts from his past and future. One of those is the image of Aemond Targaryen, except that the face Daemon saw was actually his own.

Daemon & Aemond Are Mirror Images In House Of The Dragon

Daemon and Aemond are more similar than they think.

Image via Max

Daemon and Aemond are similar in a lot of ways, starting from the fact they are second sons who believed they would have been much better monarchs than their brothers. Although House of the Dragon has yet to show Aemond’s perception of his brother’s rule, the fact that the prince attacked Aegon in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4 perfectly summarizes their relationship. Daemon and Viserys’ relationship never reached such a dramatic point, but the former considered the latter as weak. Additionally, Daemon felt insulted by Viserys’ decision to appoint Rhaenyra as the heir instead of him.

Daemon and Aemond are also known troublemakers who do not play by the rules. Nothing is ever off the table for Daemon, from fighting alongside the city’s watch to earn their respect to hiring a rat catcher to get inside the Red Keep and assassinate a Targaryen. Likewise, Aemond shaped his destiny by riding a dragon that was not supposed to be his. That is not to mention their battle skills – both Daemon and Aemon are great not only with swords but also as dragon riders. Daemon is aware of how similar he is to Aemond, hence his dream.

Daemon’s Vision Of Himself As Aemond Sets Up Their House Of The Dragon Battle

Aemond and Daemon’s fates will be the same.

Aemond and Daemon’s fates are connected in House of the Dragon. In addition to all the parallels between the Targaryen princes, Daemon’s vision of himself as Aemond sets up their ultimate battle above the God’s Eye. One of the most important events in the Targaryen civil war, the Battle Above the God’s Eye ended with the deaths of Aemond, Daemon, and their respective dragons. It is one of the most magnificent battles in the ASOIAF universe and should make for a fantastic episode based on House of the Dragon season 2’s first dragon battle.

Although they did not interact much once the war started, the stories of Aemond and Daemon always mirrored each other and were bound to converge eventually in Fire & Blood. Aemond originally marched to Harrenhal to kill Daemon, whom he believed was the symbol of Rhaenyra’s strength. However, Daemon had already left the castle. Toward the end of the war, once Daemon and Rhaenyra’s relationship was at a breaking point, Daemon flew back to the Riverlands and challenged Aemond. The result was a dance of dragons of epic proportions that House of the Dragon just foreshadowed.