Daemon

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Daemon Blackfyre Targaryen
Alias(es)	Daemon Blackfyre; Daemon Waters; the Black Dragon; “Conqueror Reborn”
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	House Targaryen; formerly the Blackfyre rebel cause
Occupation/Role	Dragonrider; prince; military commander; wielder of Blackfyre
Status	Alive; leading the Vale’s allied army against the Mountain Clans 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “The Black Dragon’s Final Echo”

Background / History

Death at the Red Grassland

In his original life, Daemon Blackfyre led a rebellion for the Seven Kingdoms as the bearer of the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre. He broke House Arryn’s Moon Gate knights with a heavy-cavalry charge, fought Kingsguard Ser Gwayne Corbray to a standstill, and spared Corbray after defeating him. 1

Daemon refused to flee after his eldest son Aegon was killed carrying the Black Dragon banner. Brynden Rivers’ Raven’s Teeth then struck him with three poisoned arrows, killing him beneath an arrow storm. 1

Arrival in 97 AC

Daemon awakened a century earlier in a weak twelve-year-old body within Dragonstone, retaining his memories and battlefield instincts. He escaped confinement by killing guards, while an old black three-headed dragon brand on his right shoulder began glowing. 2

After leaping into the sea to evade pursuit, he was rescued by Rhaenys Targaryen atop Meleys. His silver hair, violet eyes, High Valyrian, dragon brand, and Meleys’ acceptance led Rhaenys to declare him her lost half-brother and a son of Prince Aemon. 3 4

Corlys Velaryon challenged this claim and had Daemon confined in the Night Watch Tower, but the ancient dragon Glutton repeatedly responded to Daemon’s burning mark. 6

Rider of Glutton

Daemon Targaryen secretly befriended the imprisoned Daemon over seven nights, exchanging battlefield knowledge and helping him escape. 7

In Glutton’s cavern, Daemon recognized the dragon’s rage at imprisonment and confronted it without fleeing. His brand flared, Glutton accepted him, and the two took flight together. 8

Glutton’s choice forced Baelon to acknowledge Daemon as a dragonrider. Daemon was provisionally named Daemon Waters, recorded as Prince Aemon’s surviving son, and placed under Daemon Targaryen’s supervision. 10

Acceptance and Legitimation

Daemon fought beside Baelon, Daemon Targaryen, and their dragons against the Triarchy fleet in the Stepstones, displaying calm tactical judgment from Glutton’s back. 11

At the tournament celebrating Rhaenyra’s birth, he defeated Daemon Targaryen in the final joust through precise, anticipatory lance work. King Jaehaerys then legitimized him as a Targaryen and granted him Blackfyre. Daemon chose to retain “Blackfyre” as his middle name. 18

Jaehaerys later ordered Daemon’s public origins rewritten: he would be presented as Aemon’s legitimate son by a Valyrian noblewoman from across the Narrow Sea. 34

Appearance

Daemon has the unmistakable Valyrian appearance that causes many Targaryens and courtiers to compare him to Prince Aemon and Aegon the Conqueror. Though reborn in a youthful body, his eyes and bearing often unsettle adults accustomed to boys of his apparent age. 4 6 13

• Long silver-gold or silver hair. 1 4
• Deep violet eyes. 1 4
• A slight, teenage frame following his arrival in the past. 4
• A black three-headed dragon brand on his right shoulder; it glows red and causes pain during dragon-related resonances. 2 5 6
• Commonly carries Blackfyre after his legitimization. 18
• Wore dark iron tournament armor marked with Glutton’s winged silhouette. 18

Personality

Daemon retains the ruthless instincts, confidence, and battlefield experience of the original Blackfyre pretender. In battle, he is decisive and frighteningly composed; against Gwayne Corbray, however, he chose mercy despite their opposing sides. 1

His displacement leaves him wary of fate and suspicious of the political calculations surrounding bloodlines. He initially guards the truth of his origins, using the explanation of “Dragon Dreams” to account for foreknowledge that could otherwise expose him. 22 23

Life among the Targaryens softens him. He values the familial warmth offered by Rhaenys, Baelon, Jaehaerys, Alysanne, and Gael, and increasingly defines his strength as a duty to protect others rather than merely a means to claim power. 13 28 38

Abilities & Skills

Master Swordsman

Daemon’s former life as a rebel commander left him with exceptional swordsmanship despite his younger body.

• Defeated and spared Kingsguard Ser Gwayne Corbray after a prolonged Valyrian-steel duel. 1
• Killed multiple guards while escaping Dragonstone using a stolen curved sword. 2
• Uses Blackfyre effectively in close combat, including while fighting from Glutton’s back. 38 50
• His old instincts can overwhelm the limits of his younger physique, but his body was initially weak after awakening. 2 7

Jousting and Mounted Combat

Daemon favors precision, timing, and tactical positioning over flashy aggression.

• Defeated Lucas Tyrell and advanced through the royal tournament. 18
• Anticipated Daemon Targaryen’s attempt to target his horse and unhorsed him in the final pass. 18
• Leads cavalry charges personally, as seen during the defense of the Crabb Lands. 38

Military Strategy and Command

Daemon’s knowledge of warfare predates his new era and makes him an unusually capable young commander.

• Used heavy-cavalry wedge tactics to break House Arryn’s forces during the Red Grassland battle. 1
• Shared practical knowledge of ambushes, terrain, formations, and warfare with Daemon Targaryen while imprisoned. 7
• Organized disparate Vale lords into an allied army, assigned each house a role, and took command of the campaign to rescue Jeyne Arryn and Yorbert Royce. 49

Dragonriding

Daemon is Glutton’s rider and has an unusually intimate connection with the ancient black dragon.

• Claimed Glutton after communicating through their shared sense of confinement and the response of his dragon mark. 8
• Flew alongside Daemon Targaryen and Caraxes, earning Baelon’s recognition. 9
• Fought in the Stepstones and the Mountains of the Moon from dragonback. 11 24
• Coordinates aerial attacks with Gael and Dreamfyre during later campaigns. 38 49 50

Dragon Mark and Dragon Dreams

Daemon’s shoulder brand is an unexplained magical link to dragons and possibly to his displacement through time.

• Burns and glows in proximity to dragons, especially Glutton. 2 6
• Resonates with dragon calls and eventually becomes warm rather than painful after Glutton accepts him. 9
• Experiences visions and foreknowledge that he publicly identifies as “Dragon Dreams.” 22 23
• His knowledge creates suspicion among the royal family, forcing him to conceal or reinterpret what he knows. 22

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Blackfyre — Valyrian steel sword granted by King Jaehaerys after Daemon’s tournament victory. 18
• Glutton — ancient black dragon and Daemon’s mount; its dragonfire freezes and shatters targets rather than simply burning them. 8 24
• Silver chain — an heirloom from his original mother, Princess Daena; inscribed inside with “Blood and fire share one source.” 10
• Dragonglass pendant — a broken pendant bearing half of a three-headed dragon, found among Daemon’s possessions after his flight with Glutton. 10
• Direwolf-bone-hilt dagger — given by Brandon Stark as a warrior’s gift. 20
• Ruby-studded dagger — gifted by Count Simon Staunton. 37

Relationships

• Glutton — dragon and bonded mount; both are portrayed as isolated beings marked by captivity and violence. 6 8
• Daemon Targaryen — namesake, friend, and publicly treated as a brother; helped Daemon escape confinement and shares his love of flying and warfare. 7 9
• Rhaenys Targaryen — rescuer and protective elder sister figure; publicly asserted that Daemon was Aemon’s son. 3 4
• Baelon Targaryen — initially suspicious guardian who later accepts Daemon as his “youngest son” and values his martial ability. 4 11 28
• King Jaehaerys I Targaryen — officially legitimized Daemon, granted him Blackfyre, and later arranged a public account of his parentage. 18 34
• Queen Alysanne Targaryen — maternal figure who welcomed Daemon into the royal family and showed him affection. 13
• Princess Gael Targaryen — close companion who gives Daemon gifts, worries for his safety, and fights beside him on Dreamfyre; Daemon is deeply protective of her. 25 29 37 39
• Corlys Velaryon — initially regarded Daemon as a fraudulent danger to the succession, but later recognizes him as Rhaenys’s brother and offers political guidance. 6 44
• Aegon Blackfyre — Daemon’s eldest son in his original life; Aegon’s death at the Red Grassland led Daemon to remain and die. 1
• Brynden Rivers — Daemon’s half-brother and enemy in his original life; commanded the archers who killed him. 1
• Gwayne Corbray — childhood friend turned royalist opponent; Daemon defeated but spared him during the Red Grassland battle. 1
• Rhaenyra Targaryen — Daemon’s future great-grandmother, born during the tournament that secured his legitimization. 18

Story Role / Major Arcs

The Black Dragon’s Return

Daemon’s death as a failed Blackfyre king is interrupted by his arrival in 97 AC. His appearance threatens the established Targaryen succession while introducing a future rebel, complete with his old memories, into the generation preceding the Dance. 1 5

Dragonstone and Glutton

Confined as an unknown claimant, Daemon escapes with Daemon Targaryen’s help and claims Glutton, becoming the second young dragonrider in Dragonstone’s skies. His bond with Glutton changes Baelon’s treatment of him and makes him politically impossible to ignore. 7 8 10

The Targaryen Prince

Daemon earns recognition through the Stepstones campaign and the royal tournament. His legitimation, acquisition of Blackfyre, and deliberate retention of the Blackfyre name create a new identity: a Targaryen prince carrying the legacy of the future rebellion. 11 18 19

Dragon Dreams and the Vale Campaign

His foreknowledge of the Arryn massacre forces Daemon to reveal “Dragon Dreams,” drawing scrutiny but placing him in the royal retaliation against the Stone Crows. The horror of Glutton’s cold dragonfire makes him confront the human cost of Targaryen power. 20 23 24

Protector of the Crownlands and Vale

During his royal progress, Daemon gathers young followers, aids the Crabb Lands against wildlings, and becomes a local symbol of protection. He later unifies quarrelling Vale lords at Heart’s Home, commands their allied army, and leads the effort to relieve Moon Gate Keep. 36 38 49 50

Notable Quotes

“I am Daemon Blackfyre, the true king of the Seven Kingdoms!” 1

“I know what it feels like to be imprisoned.” 8

“The Blackfyre sword in my hand is an inheritance of the Targaryen Lineage, not a banner of rebellion.” 19

“So long as I still live, I will never stand by and watch you die!” 38

Trivia

• Daemon’s original surname before Aegon IV acknowledged him was Waters, the same provisional surname Baelon assigns him after his arrival in the past. 10
• He is historically descended from Daemon Targaryen, yet forms a brotherly bond with him after arriving in the past. 7 10
• Daemon’s original-life mother is identified as Princess Daena through the heirloom silver chain he carries. 10
• The public story of his parentage is a royal fabrication intended to make his presence politically acceptable. 34