Daemon Blackfyre

King **Daemon Blackfyre**, born **Daemon Waters**, was the eldest bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen and his cousin, Daena Targaryen. He swayed half the kingdom to support his claim to the Iron Throne against Daeron II in a war that later became known as the Blackfyre Rebellion.

## Early Life

Daemon was Aegon IV's son by his first cousin, Daena, born around 170 AL in King's Landing. Daemon's mother, Daena, was the former wife of her brother, Baelor the Blessed, but was set aside when he became king and dissolved the marriage. Daena was imprisoned in the Maidenvault with her sisters so the sight of them would not tempt Baelor with carnal thoughts. However his cousin, Aegon, was under no such prohibition and undertook a tryst with Daena that left her pregnant. Daena would later escape from her confinement and refuse to reveal the father of her baby. She eventually became known as Daena the Defiant, and her son was raised in the Red Keep. As a young boy, Daemon displayed impressive skill-at-arms and leadership potential which his father Aegon IV took note of from afar. Aegon came to view his eldest true-born son, Daeron II, with disdain, lacking the fire and vigour Aegon believed a Targaryen king should possess.

At a tournament when Daemon was twelve, his father openly acknowledged him as his son, after Daemon bested every squire in melee. As a reward, the king knighted Daemon and gave him the Valyrian steel sword of House Targaryen, Blackfyre. It was said that talk of Daemon becoming Aegon`s heir began with him receiving Blackfyre from the King. Daemon grew to manhood and became a strong and charismatic warrior, noted for his chivalry and honour as well as his skill-at-arms. Being the son of two Targaryens, Daemon took the house name **Blackfyre** as his own. On his deathbed, Aegon legitimised all of his bastard children. For years during and after the late Aegon IV's reign, unsubstantiated rumours had circulated that Daeron was not Aegon's son, but had been born of a tryst between Queen Naerys and Prince Aemon the Dragonknight. This lent a constant air of doubt to Daeron II's right to the Iron Throne, especially when coupled with his non-martial nature and his numerous generous concessions to Dorne (whose final entry to the Seven Kingdoms Daeron was then negotiating, to the anger of many other Westerosi).

Daemon was urged to claim the throne by several advisors, most notably his half-brother, Ser Aegor Rivers, known as 'Bittersteel', and Ser Quentyn Ball, nicknamed 'Fireball'. Daemon was at first reluctant to rebel against the Iron Throne, despite growing resentment of his bastard status and surrounding himself with ambitious councilors. It was also said that Daemon was rumored to be in love with his half-sister, Princess Daenerys Targaryen. King Daeron had the Kingsguard dispatched to arrest Daemon at the Red Keep, but he escaped with Fireball's help. After raising his banner, almost half the realm responded to his call to arms.
In the rebellion that followed, many tens of thousands lost their lives. Events culminated at the Battle of Redgrass Field where Daemon Blackfyre's army met that of King Daeron's. Daemon's forces gained the upper hand and he personally engaged Ser Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsguard. Their battle was considered the highlight of the rebellion. Ser Corbray was severely wounded by Daemon, but when Blackfyre chivalrously paused to help his wounded foe off the field it gave the loyalist forces time to regroup and attack him again. The rebellion came to end when his loyalist half-brother Brynden Rivers, known as Bloodraven, who was watching Daemon`s duel with Ser Gwayne, was able to place a company of archers atop a hill overlooking the battlefield and pincushioned the Blackfyres with arrows. Daemon and his twin sons Aegon and Aemon were slain by Bloodraven personally. Bittersteel managed to rally some of Daemon's forces and escape the field (severely wounding Bloodraven in the process), but most of the rebel army was destroyed. Aegor would later flee with Daemon's remaining children to the Free Cities.

## Character and appearance

Unlike his bastard half-siblings, Daemon had a more Valyrian look, because both his parents were pure Targaryens. He had long silver-gold hair, deep purple eyes, was clean-shaven and was consider to be inhumanly beautifu. Exceptionally strong and athletic, Daemon was physically the most impressive of Aegon Targaryen's bastards. Unlike his elder true-born brother Daeron II, he was every inch a warrior, having broad shoulders, big arms and a flat stomach.

Daemon was said to have been considerably charming, very charismatic, honorable and chivalrous, easily making friends and having women drawn to him by mere presence and physical beauty. Jaime Lannister, among so many others, consider him to have been the greatest threat that House Targaryen faced after the Dance of the Dragons, and his only contestant since has been Robert Baratheon. Daemon was charismatic enough to have driven almost half of the realm to side with him during his civil war. He was an awesome warrior, a master swordsman who wielded Blackfyre, the ancestral sword of the Targaryens. He was an unstoppable opponent who fought 'like the Warrior himself' on the Redgrass Field, only falling when he was overwhelmed by an army of archers - no man could withstand him with his sword in hand.

## Legacy

Daemon Blackfyre was considered to be the greatest threat to House Targaryen, as he was successful in splitting the realm in half. Though he failed to take the throne from his half-brother, there have been five Blackfyre pretenders since his death. Daemon's two eldest sons were killed, but five younger sons and numerous daughters survived, who were under the protection of his loyal half-brother, Bittersteel, who took them into exile to Tyrosh; there, he raised a fresh army which eventually became the mercenary force known as the Golden Company, which assisted in two more attempts to unseat House Targaryen through war and more through intrigue.

One of Daemon's descendants was Maelys Blackfyre, the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders, who died on the Stepstones during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, slain by Ser Barristan Selmy.

Many years later, House Targaryen was eventually overthrown by Robert Baratheon, who ironically was a descendant of Daeron II's own line.

The name of his remaining sons below:

* **Aemon and Aegon**: twin brothers, Daemon's squires, killed on the Redgrass Field at the age of twelve.
* **Daemon**: a boy of seven at the time.
* **Haegon**: Daemon's fourth eldest son