In Finn Bennett’s character of Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen in the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms series, the most impactful scene in the entire series occurs in episode three, where the revelation of Egg’s true identity happens. What is portrayed as a rather whimsical tale of knights and petty ambition suddenly takes a dark turn, and the character most affected by this is Aerion.
As a Targaryen, he is a bored prince with wounded pride. The tournament at Ashford Meadow is a humiliation for him, a reminder that he and his house are no longer the force they once were. Dunk’s defiance is exactly what he needs to regain his dominance over the tournament. To Aerion, violence is not the problem; rather, it is the solution. It is the means by which he can regain order, or the semblance thereof.
Aerion Targaryen’s cruelty becomes insecurity after Egg’s reveal
“I think it really changes things in a very exciting way for Aerion. Like I said, he comes into this tournament very bored. They shouldn’t be here. He knows it’s embarrassing. And when Dunk seizes him on stage and beats him up, he’s kind of got an excuse now to make an example of somebody. This guy stood up to authority, and he’s going to make a f—— example of him. And then when he says to Dunk, “If you’ve got nothing more to say,” and Dunk doesn’t say anything, it’s boring again.”
Egg’s interruption bursts this bubble, however. With this one action, the superiority of Aerion is reduced to the point where he is answerable to it. He is no longer at a place in the story where he is able to use his power to his own advantage, but is instead answerable to it.
“You know? It’s like, “Come on, man, you’ve made your point. Keep going! Dive deeper!” And it’s all a bit, “Well, I’ll just punish this guy in front of everybody, and we’ll move on.” And then, when Egg bursts into the tent, the stakes are raised again. It’s suddenly really exciting for Aerion. He has an excuse to do something big and dramatic.”
Actor Dexter Sol Ansell recently opened up about Egg being Targaryen. “It feels cool. Feels like I’m a dragon. I just wanna jump out my window and go ‘wee!’ and breathe fire. Yeah, it feels exciting to be a Targaryen. I mean, I don’t know much about ‘Game of Thrones’ because I’ve never watched it, but I think Targaryen’s the best house, in my opinion.”
The reader is able to tell that this is not just the escalation of the stakes, but the insecurity of Aerion. Bennett does not portray him as the evil tyrant in this situation, but as the insecure young man who wants to prove that he is worthy of his own legacy. The Targaryens, who were the epitome of power, are now teetering on the brink of revolution, and Aerion is fully aware of this. His meanness is no longer arrogance, but insecurity.
