Is Daeron Targaryen A Bastard? The Truth Of His Parentage, Explained
When it comes to House of the Dragon (2022), each half of the divided Targaryen family is ripe for The Jerry Springer Show (1991). From incest and secret affairs to mommy issues and gluttonous power complexes, there is a lot to unpack. While House of the Dragon Season 3 sees Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) down another kid, things on Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) side aren't much better.
From Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), crippled and on the run, to Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), mad with power, the Targaryen men attached to the crown are struggling. However, let's not forget about Alicent's other son, Daeron Targaryen—third in line for the throne. Here's what you need to know about the forgotten Targaryen brother, including whether he is actually a Targaryen or just another bastard in House of the Dragon.
Don't Question Daeron Targaryen's Dragon Blood
According to George R. R. Martin's source material, Fire & Blood, Daeron Targaryen is a true-born Targaryen, and he has the dragon to back it up. The child of Alicent Hightower and King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), Daeron is the third-born son and, therefore, the third in line for the crown—if you're Team Green, that is. However, the question of Daeron's legitimacy among HOTD fans comes from one thing: his hair color.
The Game of Thrones universe puts a large stake on people's hair. After all, it was the hair color of Cersei Lannister's (Lena Headey) children that first clued Ned Stark (Sean Bean) into the fact that they weren't true heirs of Robert Baratheon, but the products of incest with her twin brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).
Here, in House of the Dragon, Daeron marks an obvious anomaly in Alicent's silver-gold-haired offspring. As the only one with brown, almost reddish hair, it begs the question, why? However, the answer isn't quite so simple… at least not yet.
Why Is Daeron Targaryen's Hair Brown In 'House Of The Dragon'?
As of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3, we don't know the exact reason why Daeron's hair is dark. However, we do know the boy Ormund Hightower (James Norton) claimed was Daeron in front of Rhaenyra and Daemon (Matt Smith) was actually a decoy. As of now, Daeron is alive, well, and sporting a dark-haired look. Is it natural? Well, we're not quite sure yet.
Genetics is a funny thing. In our world, brown hair is a dominant gene, meaning it usually beats out blonde hair. So, it's possible, for whatever reason, Daeron is the only one of his siblings born with dark hair because he takes after his mother, Alicent. The other possibility is that his hair is dyed or a wig, worn to keep people from recognizing him as a Targaryen.
We've seen this type of thing before. With young Aegon "Egg" Targaryen shaving his head bald to hide his silver locks in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2026). And there are plenty of other examples of Targaryens, like Princesses Aerea & Rhaella, doing this in Martin's books. Still, that fact hasn't stopped an uprising of fan theories questioning Daeron's birthright.
Fans Speculate Daeron Is Criston Cole's Son
One of the more popular theories behind Daeron's unique hair is that he is, in fact, a bastard who was fathered during one of Criston Cole and Alicent's many trysts. With both of them having dark hair, it'd make sense that Daeron would follow suit. However, that's pretty much where the evidence for that theory starts and ends.
It's possible that House of the Dragon made a major change to the source material by implying that Daeron is actually Criston Cole's son. Still, it wouldn't add much to the plot, other than to spotlight Alicent's hypocrisy since she consistently questioned the validity of Rhaneyra's three sons, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, based solely on their hair color.
Personally, I think it's unlikely. Martin's Fire & Blood confirms Daeron's hair color is silver-gold like his sibling and never questions the nature of his birthright. Thus, it seems the most likely reason for Daeron's hair change in House of the Dragon is dye or a wig to hide the Targaryens' most defining feature.
