Is Criston Cole the father of Daeron? House of the Dragon theory explained
HBODaeron Targaryen gets yet another mention in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6, reigniting the theory that he might secretly be the son of Criston Cole.
Even though Daeron hasn’t appeared (and isn’t set to) in House of the Dragon Season 2, that hasn’t stopped fans from thinking about him. Described as being the kindest of Alicent’s sons, he will go on to play a larger role in the Targaryen Civil War.
But some believe he might not be a Targaryen at all. With Alicent and Criston’s highly-divisive relationship taking center stage during the second season, it’s not the first time a pregnancy between them has come up.
So, is this true? Here are the possibilities when it comes to Criston being Daeron’s father.
Is Criston Daeron’s father?
It’s unlikely that Criston is Daerons father for a number of reasons, with the biggest being Daeron’s appearance and the timeline of events.
In the book House of the Dragon is based on, Daeron is described as having the coloring of the “blood of the dragon.” This is usually exclusive to those with Valyrian descent, and since neither Alicent or Criston is Valyrian by blood, it’s unlikely he would be their son.
Since appearance plays such a large role in bloodlines (it was key in Ned Stark working out Joffrey’s true parentage in House of the Dragon, remember?) it’s an important fact that Daeron has silver hair and light features.
He’s described as looking like his siblings, Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena. If he were the son of Alicent and Criston, he would more likely have red or dark hair and darker features. While this is a purely aesthetic point, it’s an important one in the world of Westeros.
Daeron was also able to claim his own dragon, Tessarion, at the age of six. Being a dragonrider implies that there is Valyrian blood in him. So in order for this theory to work, Alicent or Criston would have to be in the Valyrian bloodline, too.
Not to mention the timing of everything. When Alicent asks Gwayne about Daeron in Episode 6, he mentions that he’s 16 years old now. That means he would have been conceived around the time Viserys was still alive, and he and Alicent were still producing children.
Since Alicent and Criston’s relationship isn’t implied to have started until after his death, it’s likely that he’s simply Viserys’ son.
Why do people think they’re related?
The main reason people seem to think Criston is Daeron’s father is because of his ongoing relationship with Alicent, and the fact that he hasn’t been introduced yet.
In Season 2 Episode 4, Alicent drinks moon tea to prevent a pregnancy with Criston. This might have sparked the flame that she could get pregnant by him.
And considering how Daeron has yet to appear in person on the show, many are thinking that this might be part of a big reveal.
As one Reddit user wrote: “Could Daeron be the son between Alicent and Criston Cole? They’re spending a significant portion of the screen time and climactic time on their affair. Something (or someone) must come out of it. And I think there are also cutting Nettles (I don’t know though).
HBO“So this way we could have a token ‘not from dragon blood but could ride a dragon’ person. I haven’t decided how I feel about the idea, but they could make it work with the timeline by saying she was pregnant before Vizzy died right?”
The theory can also be found elsewhere, with another user writing on a separate occasion: “I’ve seen theories that the reason Daeron is not shown or mentioned (besides showrunner incompetency) is because TG is trying to hide that he looks like Criston Cole.
“After the leaks, I am starting to think that this is 100% something that Ryan Condal would try to pull. Only to further portray the two of them as hypocrites and Alicent as jealous of Rhaenyra.”
Still, it’s unlikely this theory has any legs, since Daeron is described as a Targaryen through and through.
For more character histories, check out our guides to Nettles, Alys Rivers, and Hugh Hammer. You can also take a look at the five creepy Westeros mysteries too dark for House of the Dragon.