WARNING! This article contains minor SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 6!
A growing House of the Dragon season 3 debate has now been addressed by Daeron Targaryen’s actor.
In House of the Dragon season 3, episode 4, it was confirmed that Benjamin Evan Ainsworth was playing the real Prince Daeron Targaryen, after Ormund sent a decoy silver-haired “Daeron” with Daemon in a false surrender to Rhaenyra. However, with Ainsworth’s new House of the Dragon season 3 character having red hair, similar to his mother Alicent and Hightower family members, a debate has circulated regarding whether Daeron’s hair is truly naturally red or silver, with a popular theory speculating that Ormund Hightower dyes the teen’s hair red to hide his Targaryen identity.
In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Jordan Williams for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 6, Daeron actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth addressed the mystery surrounding Daeron’s true hair color by revealing he can’t confirm the truth either way. However, in response to the theory that Ormund is dyeing Daeron’s hair red, Ainsworth discussed how “ominous and creepy” the image of Ormund dyeing his hair each week would be, elaborating that doing so wouldn’t be “out of the realms of possibility” for a character like James Norton’s villain:
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth: “I mean, the thing is, it’s probably not far out of the realms of possibility for a character like Ormund Hightower. And there’s something quite ominous and creepy about the image of him dyeing my hair every week or something like that. Just that proximity is just odd. I can’t say that it’s true or not, but it’s certainly something interesting either way.”
With Ainsworth answering coyly about Daeron’s true hair color, it seems likely that House of the Dragon will provide an official answer and explanation by the season 3 finale. Either way, his hair color plays a significant role in the context of his upbringing, part in the Dance of the Dragons, claim to the Iron Throne, and connection with both Hightower and Targaryen family identities.
Daeron truly having silver hair that’s dyed by Ormund would offer a deeper look into the lengths the latter is willing to go to expunge the young Prince of his Targaryen qualities and make him more of a Hightower. On the other hand, Daeron being born with red hair would exacerbate Alicent’s hypocrisy against Rhaenyra, as Alicent and Aegon’s supporters used the fact that Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey have black hair rather than silver to undermine their parentage and claims to the Iron Throne.
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🐉The BlacksTeam Rhaenyra
👑The GreensTeam Aegon
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⚔The CrownSuccession
🔮ProphecyA Song of Ice
01
King Viserys I names his heir early in the series, defying tradition that would favor his firstborn son. Who does he name as his successor?
✓ Correct! Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne after the death of his first wife, Aemma, and their infant son. He forced the lords of the realm to swear oaths of fealty to her — oaths many would later break.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Rhaenyra Targaryen. Viserys defied Westerosi precedent by naming his daughter over his brother Daemon. Even after fathering sons with Alicent Hightower, Viserys never changed his decree.
02
Alicent Hightower’s faction is known as “the Greens.” Who is her father, the cunning Hand of the King who orchestrates much of their political strategy?
✓ Correct! Otto Hightower served as Hand of the King and was the mastermind behind the Green faction. He strategically positioned his daughter Alicent to marry Viserys, and spent decades maneuvering to place Alicent’s son Aegon on the throne.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Otto Hightower. He served as Hand to both Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, and engineered the marriage between Alicent and the King. Corlys Velaryon sided with the Blacks, and Lyonel Strong served as Hand before Otto’s return.
03
Daemon Targaryen rides a fierce, battle-scarred dragon known for its Blood Wyrm nickname. What is the name of his fearsome mount?
✓ Correct! Caraxes, known as “the Blood Wyrm,” is Daemon’s dragon — a lean, red, battle-scarred beast. While Vhagar is the largest and oldest dragon alive, Caraxes is the most experienced in combat and fiercely loyal to Daemon.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Caraxes. Syrax is Rhaenyra’s dragon, Vhagar is the oldest dragon (ridden by Aemond), and Meleys “the Red Queen” is Rhaenys’s mount. Caraxes the Blood Wyrm is Daemon’s partner in the skies.
04
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is known by a nickname reflecting the fact she was passed over for the throne in favor of Viserys. What is she called?
✓ Correct! Rhaenys was dubbed “The Queen Who Never Was” after the Great Council of 101 AC chose Viserys over her, despite her strong claim. Married to Corlys Velaryon, she became one of the most formidable figures in the Dance, riding Meleys the Red Queen.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Queen Who Never Was. “The Realm’s Delight” is actually young Rhaenyra’s nickname. Rhaenys earned her title when the lords of the realm chose Viserys over her at the Great Council, setting the precedent that later fueled the Dance.
05
Vhagar is the largest living dragon during the Dance. Which Targaryen prince claims her — dramatically shifting the balance of power to the Greens?
✓ Correct! Aemond Targaryen claimed Vhagar at Driftmark after the funeral of Laena Velaryon — Vhagar’s previous rider. This bold act gave the Greens their most devastating weapon and sparked the confrontation that cost Aemond his eye.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Aemond Targaryen. Aegon II rides Sunfyre, Jacaerys rides Vermax, and Daeron rides Tessarion. Aemond’s daring claim of Vhagar at Driftmark was a pivotal moment that made him the Greens’ most dangerous warrior.
06
Viserys shares a secret Targaryen prophecy with Rhaenyra about a threat from the North and a promised prince. What is this prophecy called?
✓ Correct! Aegon the Conqueror had a prophetic dream he called “A Song of Ice and Fire” — a vision of a terrible winter coming from the North that would destroy the world of the living. This secret was passed from king to heir, and Viserys shared it with Rhaenyra on the night he named her heir.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is A Song of Ice and Fire. Aegon the Conqueror’s dream foretold a great threat from the North requiring a Targaryen on the Iron Throne to unite the realm. Viserys revealed this to Rhaenyra, connecting House of the Dragon directly to the events of Game of Thrones.
07
Corlys Velaryon is one of the richest and most powerful men in Westeros, famous for his legendary voyages. What is his well-known title?
✓ Correct! Corlys Velaryon earned the name “The Sea Snake” through his legendary nine voyages across the known world aboard his ship. He amassed a fortune that made House Velaryon wealthier than even the Lannisters, and his naval power proved crucial in the Dance.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Sea Snake. While Corlys did serve on the Small Council, his legendary title comes from his nine great voyages. “Lord of the Tides” is the formal title of the head of House Velaryon, but “The Sea Snake” is his personal epithet.
08
The Season 1 finale ends with a devastating loss for Rhaenyra when one of her sons is killed in a dragonback confrontation. Which son does she lose, and who kills him?
✓ Correct! Lucerys Velaryon, riding his young dragon Arrax, was pursued and killed by Aemond on the colossal Vhagar above Shipbreaker Bay near Storm’s End. The show portrays this as partly accidental — Vhagar acted on her own — but the result ignited the Dance of the Dragons into open war.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Lucerys, killed by Aemond and Vhagar. Luke was sent as an envoy to Storm’s End but was confronted by Aemond. The massive Vhagar devoured young Arrax and his rider above Shipbreaker Bay — the act that turned a succession dispute into a full-scale civil war.
Dragonstone Archives · Sealed by Fire Your Dragon Rider Record
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Did you ride to glory — or fall from the sky?
As season 3 has progressed, the curtain has been drawn on just how twisted and warped the dynamic between Daeron and Ormund, as his father figure, has been throughout his time as the latter’s ward. Ormund has gone to brutal extremes to uplift Daeron as the King of Westeros rather than his brothers or Rhaenyra, all in an effort to secure his own power and influence over the realm. Meanwhile, Ormund has made his hatred of the Targaryens no secret, seemingly using Daeron’s Targaryen parentage as a way to obtain power while simultaneously striving to remove the Targaryens’ customs and influence from Westeros.
With Daeron having been raised in Oldtown away from his immediate family, the majority of the Targaryen culture and influence that he would have experienced in King’s Landing were already erased from his upbringing. Other than Daeron possessing the dragon Tessarion and the Targaryen name, Ormund has worked to make everything else about him a Hightower. As such, the question still remains of whether silver hair was yet another Targaryen trait Ormund erased from Viserys’ son in House of the Dragon.
New episodes of House of the Dragon season 3 release on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
