The final episode of Game of Thrones left audiences split for various reasons. While some fans appreciated the direction taken by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, others were much less pleased. One of the enduring debates is the identity of Azor Ahai, also known as The Prince That Was Promised.
Throughout the series, fans argued over who would save the world from darkness, with many supporting either Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen or Kit Harrington’s Jon Snow.
In the second season finale of the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, Daemon (Matt Smith) visits the Godswood and connects with the past, present, and future through a Weirwood tree.
The character has been finding mysteries all season, going into Harrenhal and confronting his inner demons. In his vision, Daemon sees various things, including the three-eyed raven and his niece-wife Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) on the Iron Throne. He also sees Daenerys Targaryen emerging from the fire with three baby dragons.
Many fans thought this vision confirmed Daenerys as the Prince That Was Promised. However, House of the Dragon showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal clarified that this is not the case.
At a press event after the Season 2 finale, where Collider’s Therese Lacson was present, Condal discussed Daemon’s vision and explained why the interpretation is not straightforward.
“It’s just a more complex idea. I think the connectivity for us is specifically in and around the dragons. We know from history, even if this is not a spoiler for anyone who hasn’t read the book, that in this world, there are 17 dragons.
When we first meet Daenerys, she’s looking across the narrow sea at her lost empire, and there are zero dragons. The connection between this family and the future family, and Daemon seeing an image—he doesn’t know who that is. It could be his future daughter with Rhaenyra who has three dragons. He doesn’t know, but he senses that this vision was shown to him for a specific reason.”
Condal continued, “Daemon believes Rhaenyra is the prince that was promised, as he mentioned to her in High Valyrian in Episode 8. This belief can shape his interpretation of reality moving forward. That’s why it was significant that the vision included Daenerys.”
At the core of this debate is George R.R. Martin. Condal mentioned that they didn’t want to commit to a specific interpretation of the prophecy because Martin hadn’t finished his book series yet. But fans have been waiting for years for the last two books, so the definitive answer to Azor Ahai’s identity may not come anytime soon.
