Diksha Sundriyal
HBO’s ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ brings back the world in which the Targaryens rule. The story takes place several decades after the events of ‘House of the Dragon’ and several decades before ‘Game of Thrones,’ which puts it in the perfect spot to explore the world of Targaryens when they had lost their dragons but not their power. At least, not yet. Power, with or without dragons, tends to corrupt, and one of the more villainous characters in the show is Aerion Targaryen. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Aerion Targaryen is an Antagonistic Figure in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
The Targaryen dynasty in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is much different from the one we see in ‘House of the Dragon.’ With the dragons long gone, House Targaryen is struggling to earn back the reputation that made them gods amongst men, and according to Aerion, all the elder members of his family are failing exceptionally. The son of Maekar Targaryen, who is the brother of Baelor, was the second-in-line to the Iron Throne at the time of the tourney at the Ashford Meadow. Maekar has elder brothers, which means his claim to the throne is pretty weak, with him way down the line as one of the claimants. Yet, he sees himself as a dragon, and that is what causes him, and the people around him, all the trouble that ensues in ‘A Knight of the Second Kingdom.’
Aerion is introduced in the second episode, when he arrives in Ashford with his father and uncle and mistakes Duncan for a stable boy. His demeanor and the way he looks down at Duncan show that he lives in a delusion of superiority. While he doesn’t return for the rest of the episode, he will continue to play a major role in Dunk and Egg’s story, at least in the first season. According to ‘The Hedge Knight,’ the first of three novellas written by George R.R. Martin, exploring the adventures of Dunk and Egg, Aerion is cruel and ruthless, and he doesn’t care how far he needs to go to prove that he is better, simply because he has the blood of a dragon. This ego will cause the problems that will rope in Dunk and Egg, and put the duo on an entirely unexpected path.
Finn Bennett Portrays Aerion Targaryen’s Cruelty and Madness
Finn Bennett plays the role of Aerion Targaryen in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ The Irish-British actor is best known for starring alongside Jodie Foster in ‘Black Doves,’ ‘True Detective: Night Country,’ ‘Prisoner,’ and Alex Garland’s ‘Warfare.’ Bennett revealed that his parents sent him and his sister to a stage school when he was young. The classes included drama, music and dancing, and soon, he discovered that he liked drama the best. By the time he was 10, he knew he wanted to be an actor. He took to the stage and soon performed in plays at the local Her Majesty’s Theatre. In 2010, he turned to screen acting with a role in ‘Foyle’s War,’ and never looked back. He stayed in touch with theatre, performing in Lucy Morrison’s ‘The Woods,’ performed at the Royal Court Theatre in London. In 2025, he received the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival. He was also included in the list of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow in 2025.
Getting to play Aerion Targaryen was exciting but also challenging for Bennett. He knows of the reputation that ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘House of the Dragon’ have earned with the fans, and ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ has quite a high bar to touch. He felt the pressure of playing a Targaryen, but he also noted that the whole process could also be very fun and exciting. He called building the character a team effort, from how it was written by George R.R. Martin in the ‘Dunk and Egg’ novellas to how it was adapted for the screen by the writers, directors, the costume designers, and the actor.
He found Aerion to be ashamed of the current state of his house and found that to be the root of his cruelty. He found “playing those completely unrestrained aspects of him genuinely fascinating.” He compared the Targaryen prince to an “angsty teenager,” and listened to Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit (particularly “Break Stuff”), and Korn, to get into the mind of the character. He also leaned into the physical aspects of the character. He did sword training and learned how to ride horses, which not only helped him become Aerion but also gave him a hobby he cherishes. With ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ out and about in the world, the promising young actor is looking forward to several new projects lined up for release.
Read More: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Is Duncan the Tall Related to Brienne of Tarth?
You must be logged in to post a comment.