House of the Dragon: Gaemon Palehair, explained
HBOWho is Gaemon Palehair in House of the Dragon? The trailer for Episode 9 seems to show a character we’ve never seen – so, let’s break down who he is.
The Dance of the Dragons is about to begin in House of the Dragon. By the end of Episode 8, we’ve seen the Targaryen dynasty torn apart, reunited, and ready to go toe-to-toe – all because of a dying man’s fever dream.
We’ve met most of the main Targaryen players in the impending civil war, but there are a couple yet to be seen. For example, where’s Daeron Targaryen, also known as Daeron the Daring?
In the trailer for Episode 9, some fans believe we see Gaemon Palehair – but who is he in the world of House of the Dragon? Let’s dig in.
Potential spoilers for House of the Dragon Episode 9 to follow…
House of the Dragon: Who is Gaemon Palehair?
Gaemon Palehair is the alleged bastard son of Aegon II Targaryen, according to George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood.
Gaemon’s mother is Essie, a prostitute at the House of Kisses on the Street of Silk in King’s Landing. In the book, he emerges during the riot of King’s Landing in 130 AC, with the women of the brothel claiming him to be the son of Aegon II and offering free sex to those who bent the knee to him in advance of his rule.
He then became one of the so-called monarchs during the Moon of the Three Kings, where there were three so-called rulers: Gaemon, Trystane Truefyre, and Shepherd, the latter being a follower of the faith who preached against Rhaenyra and the Targaryen family’s dragons.
If you look at Gaemon’s ambitions, he was rather forward-thinking: he wanted equality for women when it comes to inheritance; benefits for the poor; reparations and care for the wounded in war; and capital punishment for husbands who beat their wives.
We won’t go into too many other details, but we’ll say this: he isn’t a minor character, so we’d be surprised to see him cut from the show.
Is Gaemon Palehair in House of the Dragon?
Ultimately, we don’t know if Gaemon Palehair is in House of the Dragon right now – but he might be.
In the trailer for Episode 9, Larys Strong says: “I’ve found out something you should know,” before the trailer cuts to a young Targaryen-looking boy – could this be Gaemon Palehair? Some fans certainly think so.
“GAEMON PALEHAIR? SO SOON?” one wrote. “Is it already time for Gaemon Palehair and the storming of the Dragonpit next week? I feel like that’s out of order or something,” another tweeted.
“So like, that after-ep teaser DOESN’T indicate that they’re moving up the Moon of Three Kings or anything right? It looks like they’re just introducing the Shepherd and Gaemon Palehair ahead of time,” a third wrote.
We’ll update this article upon confirmation of Gaemon Palehair in the show.
House of the Dragon Episode 9 will be available to watch on October 16 in the US and October 17 in the UK.