Aegon Targaryen
Aegon Targaryen is the son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Princess Elia of Dorne, believed murdered as an infant during the Sack of King's Landing. In truth, he was smuggled across the narrow sea by Lord Varys and raised in secret by the exiled lord Jon Connington and the Pentoshi magister Illyrio Mopatis, groomed from childhood to reclaim his father's throne. His emergence as a claimant reshapes the political landscape of the late War of the Five Kings, offering a rival to both the Lannister regime in King's Landing and the distant dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen.
Identity and Hidden Upbringing
Aegon was raised under the assumed identity of "Young Griff," the supposed son of the sellsword Griff. His blue hair was dyed in memory of a claimed Tyroshi mother, a disguise meant to conceal his true heritage until the time was right. His education was extensive and carefully designed for kingship: Haldon Halfmaester tutored him in languages, history, and sums; Septa Lemore instructed him in the doctrines of the Faith; and Ser Rolly Duckfield trained him in arms. Jon Connington, once Prince Rhaegar's dearest friend and Hand of the King, served as his guardian and commander, while Illyrio Mopatis provided financial backing and strategic counsel. The conspiracy to restore the Targaryen dynasty was years in the making, with Varys and Illyrio at its heart.
Emergence and Claim
Aegon's true identity was revealed to the Golden Company at Volon Therys, where Jon Connington presented him as Aegon Targaryen, firstborn son of Rhaegar and Elia. The revelation was met with a mixture of shock and calculation by the company's captains. Homeless Harry Strickland, the captain-general, had been skeptical of the plan to join Daenerys Targaryen, but Aegon's bold declaration—"I am the only dragon that you need"—swayed the assembled officers. Convinced by Tyrion Lannister's counsel to sail west instead of east, Aegon resolved to claim the Iron Throne without waiting for his aunt, landing in the stormlands and capturing Griffin's Roost, the ancestral seat of House Connington.
Relationships and Conflict
Aegon's relationship with Jon Connington is central to his identity; Connington, who failed Rhaegar at the Battle of the Bells, is determined not to fail the son. The prince also forms a bond with Tyrion Lannister, who deduces his true identity aboard the Shy Maid and later advises him to trust no one and to strike for Westeros independently. This counsel sets Aegon on a collision course with Daenerys Targaryen, whose own claim to the Iron Throne is stronger by traditional Targaryen succession. The red priest Benerro's prophecies, which hail Daenerys as Azor Ahai returned, further complicate any potential alliance, as the faith of R'hllor has room for only one hero.
Change and Ending
Aegon's arc in A Dance with Dragons culminates in his decision to abandon the plan to meet Daenerys in Meereen and instead invade Westeros directly. With the Golden Company at his back and the stormlands in turmoil, he captures Griffin's Roost and prepares to march on Storm's End. His emergence as a claimant introduces a new variable into the wars for the Iron Throne, one that the Lannisters, the Tyrells, and the distant Stannis Baratheon must all reckon with. The epilogue reveals that Varys has murdered Kevan Lannister and Grand Maester Pycelle to destabilize the regency and clear the path for Aegon's conquest.
Narrative Role and Evaluation
Aegon Targaryen functions as a wildcard in the narrative, a hidden Targaryen heir whose existence challenges the claims of both Tommen Baratheon and Daenerys Targaryen. His youth, idealism, and inexperience are counterbalanced by the ruthless pragmatism of his supporters. Whether he is the true son of Rhaegar or a carefully crafted pretender remains ambiguous, but his impact on the political landscape is immediate and profound. His story embodies the theme of hidden heirs and the cost of exile, and his fate will likely determine the future of the Targaryen restoration.
