One of the Targaryens fromGame of Thrones’history with the most brutal death should make his appearance onA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsnext year. Six years afterGame of Thrones’ending, HBO is still exploring thehistory of House Targaryenthrough exciting spin-off series, with a new title set to premiere in 2026.
Game of Thronesis based on theA Song of Ice & Firebook seriesby George R.R. Martin, which the author has expanded on with novellas likeThe Hedge Knightand history books likeFire & Blood. The original novels offer plenty of lore about his world’s history, but these additional texts allow for a more direct focus.
House Targaryen is one of the most storied families in Martin’s world, as, althoughthey arrived in Westeros thousands of years after the Starks and Boltons, their impact over the centuries leading up toGame of Thronesis more far-reaching. This makes the stories of the Targaryens continuously fascinating.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms' Aerion Targaryen Has One Of The Franchise’s Most Brutal Deaths
Aerion Died Screaming After Consuming Wildfire
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsis based on George R.R. Martin’s “Dunk & Egg” novellas, which are often described as being more contained, character-focused stories. Although they deal with similar ideas and are set during the Targaryen dynasty, decades beforeGame of Thrones, they don’t cover continent-altering events.
With that in mind, the majority of the series will focus on the two main characters, Ser Duncan the Tall and Aegon “Egg” Targaryen.Other members of House Targaryen will still appear in the show, but they’ll be in supporting roles, showing up infrequently as their stories play out off-screen in King’s Landing. Aerion Targaryen is one of such characters.
Aerion Targaryen is the second son of King Maekar I Targaryen, making him Egg’s older brother. While his history is documented in Martin’s books, his only appearance is inThe Hedge Knight, the novella whichA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsseason 1 will adapt. If the source material is any indicator, he’ll be unforgettable.
This is the substance that destroyed the Sept of Baelor in “The Winds of Winter” and Stannis Baratheon’s fleet in “Blackwater.” A human being is like paper in comparison.
Perhaps the most memorable part of Aerion Targaryen’s life for readers occurs much later in the timeline, however.Aerion decides to drink wildfire because he believes it will turn him into a dragon, and of course, it brutally kills him instead. It’s stated that he dies screaming after drinking it.
We’ve seen the effects of wildfire in GOT, so there’s no understating how horrible a death it would be to drink it willingly. This is the substance that destroyed the Sept of Baelor in “The Winds of Winter” and Stannis Baratheon’s fleet in “Blackwater.” A human being is like paper in comparison.
Aerys Wanted To Transform Into A Dragon Through Wildfire
Wildfire plays a significant role in the lives of numerous Targaryen characters, but the most famous association, aside from Daenerys, is with King Aerys II Targaryen, also known as the Mad King.The Mad King was fascinated by wildfire, using it to destroy his enemies and the people of King’s Landing aliketoward the end of Robert’s Rebellion.
Jaime Lannister revealed to Brienne in the books thatAerys also believed his wildfire plot would turn him into a dragon, creating a notable connection to Aerion. Unlike Aerion, Aerys never ended up being able to go through with that plot. Both Aerion and Aerys II are also two of the main “mad” Targaryens.
Aerion, who’s being played byTrue Detective: Night Countrystar Finn Bennett, will be much younger than the version of Aerys we saw in Bran’s visions fromGame of Thrones. Aerys was actually known for being a reasonably decent man in his early years, unlike Aerion, who is essentially always vile.
AKOTSK Takes Place Decades Earlier On The Timeline
Image via Max
As mentioned,A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswon’t be focusing on the events occurring in King’s Landing, though pivotal events like the Blackfyre Rebellions happen around the same time, serving as a political backdrop. Whether the TV series actually progresses as far as Aerion Targaryen’s death is to be seen.
In the books,Aerion’s death occurs in 232 AC, which is 23 years after the timelineA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsseason 1 is set to follow. The third Dunk & Egg novella is only in 212, and even though Martin plans to write more, they may not reach the end of these characters' lives.
There’s always the possibility with adaptation that the TV show will skip ahead in the timeline for future seasons, pivoting from the Dunk & Egg tales into the King’s Landing events surrounding Egg’s later life. George R.R. Martin praised the new show for its accuracy to his books, though, so it seems doubtful the plot would stray off that much.
WithGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragonbeing centered around succession crises,A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsseems better suited to remain a contained story. The tales of Dunk & Egg have tremendous heart, and audiences deserve a story that sticks to its source material.
