Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for The House of the Dragon Episodes 1-3.It's a little too early to be picking favorite characters on House of the Dragon, but thus far, Matt Smith's outrageously evil performance as Daemon Targaryen has proven to be the scene-stealer. Daemon represents the most dangerous attributes of House Targaryen; he's a cunning warrior, a brilliant strategist, an imposing swordsman, and a surprisingly charismatic politician. Daemon shows pride in his lineage and stakes his claim for the Iron Throne on the argument that he is the rightful heir by blood. Despite staging an open rebellion against his brother, King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), Daemon still loves both his brother and his neice, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), who has taken his place as heir.
While Daemon will most certainly get into more violent exchanges in the coming weeks, House of the Dragon fans already got a taste of his brutality in the first few episodes. He maims and slaughters his way through King's Landing in a twisted form of justice in the first episode. Daemon mercilessly takes down his opponents during the royal joust held in King's Landing; he only loses his bout with the Dornish knight Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) after taking too long to stroke his ego. In last week's "Second Of His Name," he personally led a charge against the pirate lords who had invaded the Stepstones, and struck down the sinister warlord known as the "Crabfeeder" (Daniel Scott-Smith).
In both sequences, Daemon wielded his signature weapon: a narrow blade known as "Dark Sister." As we know from Game of Thrones, each sword comes with its own lineage and mythology. Daemon isn't the first ruthless swordsman to wield Dark Sister, and its past owners may foreshadow where his journey will go next. According to George R.R. Martin's mythology, Dark Sister is one of the two key ancestral swords that belong to House Targaryen. The other weapon, Blackfyre, is in the possession of Viserys I.
Although Dark Sister is heavily associated with the Targaryens' control of the Seven Kingdom, its origins trace back to a time before Aegon I (also known as "Aegon the Conqueror") united Westeros. Forged with Valyrian steel, the weapon was designed to be narrower than most longswords so that it could inflict quick, critical wounds. That also lended it to be used better by the average female warrior. The hilt itself is designed to look like the wings of a dragon.
After his conquest, Aegon I gifted Dark Sister to his older sister and wife, Queen Visenya Targaryen. Due to the tradition at the time, the siblings were wed in order to keep their bloodline "pure." While she was heralded for her nobility, Visenya was as fearsome a warrior as her brother. She personally used Dark Sister to execute a band of Dornish assassins that invaded King's Landing. She also fought alongside her brother in the subsequent war against Dorne.
Visenya was also responsible for establishing an organization that Daemon would have to contend with: the Kingsguard. While Daemon's loyal warriors in the City Watch are certainly powerful, they're unable to contend with the skilled swordsman in the Kingsguard historically. Visenya insisted that Aegon was not safe in the Red Keep; in order to prove her point, she drew Dark Sister and critically wounded him before his guards could attack. Aegon was impressed by her point and named her the first commander of the Kingsguard.
Visenya's ferocity with Dark Sister is actually brought up in the second season of Game of Thrones. When Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) is disguised as a common servant, she impresses Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) with her knowledge of history. Tywin is surprised that a poor servant has a greater depth of knowledge than his grandchildren. Arya mentions that during the burning of Harrenhal, Visenya wielded Dark Sister in combat.
Visenya passed Dark Sister down to her son, Prince Maegor Targaryen, who later inherited Blackfyre after his brother, Aenys I, became King. Aenys' widow, Queen Alyssa Velaryon, later stole the sword from Dragonstone after fleeing the Targaryen strongholds with her children, her children Jaehaerys and Alysanne. Jaehaerys would later wield Dark Sister when he stole back the Iron Throne for himself. He briefly gifted the weapon to his son, "Baelon the Brave." Baleon used it to track down the Myrish swordsmen that had murdered his brother, Prince Aemon.
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While King Jaehaerys I would name his grandson, Viserys I, as his heir, he gifted Dark Sister to Daemon for his bravery in combat. Jaehaerys knighted Daemon at the age of sixteen and became renowned within King's Landing for his prowess in jousting tournaments. Perhaps, Daemon's aptitude with Dark Sister is precisely why he was denied the Iron Throne. In the first episode of House of the Dragon, "The Heirs of the Dragon," his brutal campaign with the City Watch to brutalize King's Landing draws the ire of Viserys I's small council.
House of the Dragon has the potential to answer some questions that were left open-ended in Game of Thrones. The whereabouts of both Dark Sister and Blackfyre are unknown by the time that Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) takes the Iron Throne. Martin's spinoff novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg references Blackfyre and surmises that the sword was rumored to have been stripped of its titles, but the location of Dark Sister is still a mystery.
The swords in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones emphasize character attributes. Dark Sister is the ideal weapon for Daemon; it's burdened with historical significance and designed to inflict painful deaths upon its victims. Given Daemon's ambitious plans to take back the Iron Throne, it doesn't look like he'll be shelving Dark Sister anytime soon.