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There is no character in House of the Dragon more controversial than King Viserys' younger brother, Daemon Targaryen. While Game of Thrones embraced the moral ambiguity of its characters long before the Targaryen story was introduced to fans, even Jaime Lannister failed to produce the sort of mixed emotions that Daemon can spawn.
Yet, despite Daemon's disgraceful acts, many fans have been finding him increasingly sympathetic. Many of the reasons that they point to are understandable and help ensure that the character remains at least somewhat relatable. Of course, there are a few things that even sympathetic fans misunderstand about Daemon Targaryen.
Needed To Bend The Knee To Viserys
To find a way to interpret Daemon as a more benevolent figure, many fans have been pointing to Daemon laying the Stepstone Crown at his brother's feet. Yet, while it was a sign of submission to the King of Westeros, it was not nearly as benevolent as it seemed.
After all, Daemon is a rare Targaryen who lacks much political ability. Yet even he could see that crowning himself would almost certainly lead to war with Westeros. If he wanted to keep his head after Viserys' seemingly impending death, he needed to earn favor with the crown. Rather than a sign of loyalty, it was a sign that he wanted to stay alive.
Not Exceptionally Bloodthirsty
There have been many fans who look at Daemon as a bloodthirsty monster who goes out of his way to cause problems wherever he goes. While the latter is true, the former certainly is not. After all, Daemon has never been shown to incite trouble in an effort to cause bloodshed, but instead just causes it to get his brother's attention.
If Daemon was more bloodthirsty, he would have slaughtered Alicent, Laenor, or Ser Criston for getting in his way. He also likely would have killed his first wife far sooner, and he would likely not have hesitated to kill Rhea when the moment came. Daemon is one of the most powerful Targaryens and could easily burn cities to the ground if he wishes, but instead chooses to sit idly in the Free Cities, reading. It's not particularly bloody behavior.
Did Not Commit War Crimes
Many fans have been criticizing Daemon's behavior in the Battle against the Crabfeeder. After all, Daemon entered the battle waving a white flag of peace and even laid down his sword to the enemy, before brutally lashing out and slaughtering every last man with the help of his army. There have been fans who have even taken to calling it a war crime.
But there were no Geneva Conventions in Westeros, and there are certainly none that are meant to protect pirates. With no official law against false surrenders, Daemon would have only avoided it to prevent their own surrendering prisoners from facing poor treatment. Yet, given that the Crabfeeder's prisoners were being tortured, there was nothing keeping Daemon from a false surrender.
Not Personally Vengeful
Daemon initially appears to be a vengeful wildcard with no interest in propriety or honor. Yet that hasn't actually been depicted on-screen. Instead, the powerful Targaryen knight has remained surprisingly patient – one of the Daemon traits that Matt Smith nails.
Though Otto Hightower ensured that he would be disinherited, Daemon hasn't actually harmed him, despite having numerous opportunities. While Viserys stripped him of his place as heir, Daemon still defends him against Coryls. Even Rhaenyra, who replaced him, hasn't been the subject of Daemon's wrath.
He Is Predictable
Given that Daemon is viewed often as an unpredictable agent of chaos, it's worth taking a look at just how unpredictable Daemon really is. After all, despite Viserys struggling to deal with him, fans can always expect that he will offend his brother, face exile, return from exile at an opportune or dramatic moment, and then endear himself to Viserys again.
While the specifics of the pattern vary, the pattern itself remains consistent. In fact, it is so consistent that Rhaenyra was able to predict Daemon's exact behaviors at the Dragonstone confrontation. She was even able to predict the exact dragon egg that Daemon stole for his imagined child.
Not Overly Ambitious
While Otto Hightower might disagree, Daemon is not as ambitious as fans seem to have expected. After all, he never actually goes out of his way to claim power as anything more than an attempt at attention-grabbing. No matter how power-hungry Daemon might seem, he just wants people to notice him.
After all, he only brought up his inheritance as the husband of Rhea Royce to silence her uncle. He accepted his disinheritance without waging war against Viserys and without harming any of Viserys' children. He even planned to agree to settle in the Free Cities, far from the Iron Throne and far from the crown.
A Great Commander
Because Daemon can be brutal, many people assume that Daemon isn't a particularly good leader. After all, a man who beats messengers, abandons Westeros entirely, and kills his own men on the back of his dragon doesn't seem like a man who inspires loyalty, especially since the lords of Westeros seem to despise him.
Yet the Gold Cloaks absolutely love Daemon. Many even abandoned King's Landing, their home, just to ride with Daemon in battle or to take control of Dragonstone. As a man willing to lead from the front, Daemon has proven that he thinks of himself as one of his men, which has certainly inspired loyalty.
Always Fights For His Family
Despite being viewed as ruthless and desperate for power, Daemon has always been consistent about fighting for the honor of his family. He refused to face off against Rhaenyra on Dragonstone, even abandoning the fight against Otto Hightower just to keep his niece safe.
He also refused to harm Viserys, going so far as to silence Corlys Velaryon when the other lord attempted to insult the king. While Daemon regularly slings harsh burns at Viserys, that doesn't mean he wants to actually harm him. Instead, he remains loyal to House Targaryen — even to Rhaenyra and her family. In fact, he is even more loyal to his family than Viserys is, as he refused to let the maesters torture the dying Laena the way that Viserys hurt Aemma.
Was Right About His First Marriage Being Poor
While the marriage ending with Daemon murdering Rhea was clearly unacceptable, Daemon was right to argue about the merits of the marriage in the first place. As the heir to the Iron Throne and the Prince of Dragonstone, Daemon really should have had a better marriage than a marriage with a house of smaller stature in the Vale.
A man of his stature easily could have married an Arryn, like his brother did, or else someone else from an important house in Westeros. If Viserys was allowed to choose his own wife, Daemon should have been granted the same courtesy, especially since the two didn't get along at all.
His Plan To Stay In The Free Cities Was Smart
There have been many fans who view Daemon as selfish for refusing to leave the Free Cities after Viserys sent him away. Yet Daemon wasn't wrong to think that Essos would enjoy him more than Westeros would. After all, he had been driven from King's Landing numerous times. At some point, he lacks a choice.
His own family no longer wanted him in Westeros, but Essos was begging him to stay. For the first time, he was receiving acknowledgment, and his daughters could have easily become some of the most powerful people on that side of the world. Instead of eternally playing second fiddle to Viserys' line, they could have been queens themselves. It was a smart plan, even if Laena didn't like it.