Warning: this article contains spoilers for House Of The Dragon.

After an age spent waiting for House Of The Dragon, many of us have naturally come prepared to watch the series with our Fire & Blood knowledge to hand, as well as each character profile carefully read over and revised in anticipation of the coming episodes.

One of the characters that has continually caused much fanfare is Prince Daemon Targaryen. Fans were initially brimming with excitement about the lead role, not least because it’s played by Matt Smith of The Crown and Doctor Who fame. But we see him in a very different light in this Game Of Thrones prequel series.

In House Of The Dragon, Daemon is the younger brother to King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and, at the start of the series, the presumptive heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon.  But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air, and Daemon’s journey to the Iron Throne is far from smooth.

We’ve jumped ahead in time over the course of the five episodes so far. One minute, he is banished from King’s Landing; the next, he’s revered and welcomed home with open arms by his brother, the King. It’s a tumultuous relationship, mainly on account of the fact that Daemon believes he is the rightful heir to the throne and not his niece, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock).

HBO’s House Of The Dragon: the fifth episode shows just how awful Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen is