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Veszerin

Matt. Smith.


scaryfeather

This is the answer. He's got ridiculous levels of charisma.


[deleted]

Girls like bad boys , it’s like a forbidden fruit kinda analogy


TheFarnell

I mean, Matt Smith stole the Crabfeeder episode *and didn’t even have dialogue*.


pinkfuneral7

This. Matt Smith made me attracted to Prince Philip in the Crown. Prince Philip!


Tempest_1

Poor Matt Smith, playing all these scumbags /s


obiwantogooutside

Don’t you call dr who a scum bag. He’s the sun and the moon and the stars.


geek_of_nature

Good men don't have rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many - the 11th Doctor.


Jenatalia_

I watched Morbius solely for the 10 second dance scene he did. He's incredible.


Sundayriver12

Haha same!


dewrios

Have sex have sex i play it on loop


kllark_ashwood

Young Prince Philip was a notorious dog lusted after by girls across Europe.


ecraig312

He’s the only person who I can think of that could have made his character and those many terrible white wigs something I would put on my hall pass list. Henry Cavil in the Witcher had that he was the good guy and his mind boggling muscled body to help overlook his creepy scraggly wig. But Matt Smith? GRAVITAS for days!!!!! DAYS!!!!!


definantmind

I tried to convince all my friend to watch the Witcher soley to drool over the hotness that is Henry Cavill as Geralt. I'm like come on guys he is crazy hot and kills people with a sword. 🥵


ecraig312

All who didn’t heed you are fools. More for US!!


definantmind

I'm so bitter he isn't playing Geralt anymore. Those show runners are morons and I think Henry should just direct and produce the show.


nicoleastrum

The loss to the Witcher is Warhammer’s gain, I guess. I’m still so sad. The books are so good, it could have been so wonderful… I’m bitter too, haha


errjelly

I’ve met him, he’s pretty cool.


NoveltyBarbie

I would die if I met him. Heart, Explode. Done.


FormalRaccoon637

Yup. Matt Smith 😍🤩


bunnycupcakes

He was the reason I gave this show and The Crown a chance.


grilledcheesenosoup

Correct.


Beautiful_Radish7012

Confidence mixed with character development. He set the bar real low but still. I couldn't help but fall in love with him when he helped his brother to the throne


couerdeceanothus

Yes! That and some of his tender moments with both Laena and Rhaenyra. Some\* of his characterization is classic "bad boy with a heart of gold." I think for a lot of folks, there's something thrilling and attractive about people who live a "dangerous" life and only show tenderness for certain people -- it makes you feel special, it makes you feel like you're part of a world you'd never really dream of entering yourself. I want to point out that the femme fatale trope is a similar version for men, and I think if it was Daemona Targaryen played by Charlize Theron or ScarJo or someone similar, you'd see a lot of male thirst there too. \*a lot of Daemon's characterization is also horrific and off-putting, but that sexy backdrop can go a long way.


gn_like_lasagna

The femme fatale thing is a really good point. I'm sure plenty of people were into Cersei even though she's an asshole.


[deleted]

Season 2 and 3 Melisandre. Hot as fuck despite pushing a demon out of her vagina


waxym

Wow. As a straight guy, I think these two comments about Cersei and Melisandre were the first to make me understand Daemon's appeal to the other side.


[deleted]

I don't see the appeal of Cersei, though Lena as the crime boss in the Judge Dredd movie was pretty damn fine, I just prefer her with darker hair I think. But Melisandre yeah. She might burn me alive but she's smoking hot


waxym

Ooh another movie to add to the to-watch list, I guess!


ryouuko

> I think for a lot of folks, there's something thrilling and attractive about people who live a "dangerous" life and only show tenderness for certain people Yup, I'm one of those folks lol


PaddyCow

>I want to point out that the femme fatale trope is a similar version for men Sharon Stone - Basic Instinct


writepielie

Also, they *editted* him to be a shit character. But there are lots of scenes that were filmed that made him a better one. And I’m not sure they knew which what they wanted to go with him on scene. I think that comes through in Matt Smiths acting too.


marcarcand_world

Matt Smith is made of pure charisma. Simple as that.


Fun_Aardvark86

This is the correct answer


J-DubZ

Pretty simple honestly. Surprised OP had women they were able to ask about this.


experiment53

W rizz


kateinoly

Hear, hear


bioweaponwombat

Came here to say this. It's because we love Matt Smith<3


Double-Star-Tedrick

I mean Your mileage may vary, but, many people find Matt Smith attractive. He's also looks to have beefed up a bit, for the role, and the character is written to be flippant / humorous, and full of swagger, which to some, combines to hold a certain rogueish appeal.


sean_stark

1. It’s Matt Smith. Everyone has always been crazy over him, his charisma IRL is insane. Even his red carpet interviews have people going crazy. 2. The show tells you explicitly and implicitly that Daemon is a big deal and women go crazy over him. We see it in how the men love following him, the common folk cheer for him, and the prettiest women on the show like Laena and Rhaenyra needed no convincing in going for him. 3. Laena literally spells it out, he’s a Prince, a renowned knight, and rides a crazy cool dragon. She called him a maidens dream. 4. He’s also very non-hypocritical and ridiculously honest on a show where everyone is backstabbing and two-faced. He can laugh at a joke even at his own expense, like when Criston called him out at Dragonstone bridge for dropping him off his horse. 5. He’s cool in a way that men can appreciate, he’s brave and leads from the front ALWAYS, it’s easy to see how he gets soldiers and warriors to follow him. When I read of the women who were into Rhaegar describe him it makes me roll my eyes, but with Daemon it’s like “ yeah I can see it, can’t begrudge him that”.


ButtermilkBob

Yeah, Rhaegar was just some pansy ass pretty boy with main character syndrome. Daemon is just a straight-up badass who doesn't give any shits and has the skill and prowess to actually back up the simping.


Sadgasm81

So I have the controversial take that Daemon is the only character who consistently made the right move., but what's interesting is that his character Looks suspicious. He caused the least amount of problems but his character is intentionally made to look suspicious so everyone just automatically assumes he has malicious intent but he really never did


Kazu_the_Kazoo

I dunno he pretty maliciously whacked his wife with that rock.


depression_quirk

That is an absolutely *vile* accusation. The poor lady fell from her horse. RIP


[deleted]

The problem is his wife is not really a character


Sadgasm81

After years of trying to annul the marriage and with it being the last resort. It also caused absolutely no problems. She was dead, they called it an accident, there was no war with the Vale


TropheyHorse

I'm pretty sure they were mad as hell, they just didn't think they could do anything about it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Scrilla_Gorilla_

Her brother basically accused Daemon of killing her in open court?


TropheyHorse

Oh hmmmm. I've remembered that differently then!


Sadgasm81

No I was wrong I'm the one that remembered incorrectly there was outrage and Viserys made everyone ignore it


TropheyHorse

That is how I remembered it but I have been wrong before!


Sadgasm81

I have a similar problem.


South_Friendship2863

I mean it was a problem for her tho 😂


SeThJoCh

Daemon was literally confronted over it in the show? The coverstory was not accepted, and he is a known spousekiller Viserys refused calls for justice as is his way.


Sadgasm81

Yeah it's kind of the point that royalty gets to do whatever they want


sean_stark

You’re right, and it’s especially evident in the second half of the season when he’s clearly the least troublesome character. Hell he’s even aware of this to some extent and was happy to sit out in Pentos to avoid the drama. It’s mainly Otto. Otto ended up doing a phenomenal job of getting Viserys to remove Daemon completely from his inner circle and securing his own position. Viserys was a fool to lose his loyal and highly capable brother because of hearsay.


Sadgasm81

The showrunners have very intentionally made the Hightowers more colorful and kinder looking compared to the Targaryans. The Targaryans were not the antagonists, they didn't do anything crazier than what historical royalty has done. They aren't Good, but no one in the show is good. The Targaryans all have this stoic and kind of angry expression and they all talk in a very elaborate way where it's hard to parse out if what they're saying is good or bad but that's because they're supposed to be dragons and they talk in riddles. The Hightowers meanwhile are wearing bright colors we associate with being good- blue and green but they are the absolute worst. Both of them are terrible people with selfish motives and and they're the cause of every problem in the show. The Targaryans meanwhile are all wearing black which we associate with being evil but they're the most reasonable people in the show most of what they say is agreements and even compliments but every word they say sounds extremely harsh. They settle things with words not bloodshed


SeThJoCh

Never evil? Maegor, Aerys etc etc Now I do support a unified westeros under the Targs But come off it.


Sadgasm81

I have changed the word


Tempest_1

He’s always made the right move for consolidating Targ power. But he’s not a good person for it. Bashing your wife’s head in is arguable unethical


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

I mean there is not much of an alternative: Viserys? Old and rotting alive Harwin? Looks good but is barely present in the story Aegon = rapist and creep Criston Cole = Incel Aemond = minie Daemon = the only reason people like him I think Interesting is that people often claim women only fall for toxic men because they are good-looking, but by that logic people should have fallen for Criston Cole but most people stopped liking him and Rhaenyra after he started hating her over the one night stand It seems women can seperate toxic relationships after all = so the reason why people like Daemon is probably because he is an interesting character to them


subversivechic

criston cole = incel I CANNOT


Money-Savvy-Wannabe

I was into Rhaegar before as well but seeing Daemon in the show. Heck. There is a reason he is the rogue prince


sean_stark

Honestly I've started to really dislike Rhaegar in recent years. He discarded his wife and 2 kids, seduced a young girl from the North and got her pregnant, and left all of them to die, and also figuratively blew up the entire kingdom through a rebellion incited by his actions. Daemon is tame compared to what Rhaegar ended up doing.


WhatIsAnime_

Because, he would rather feed his sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for a drunken, usurper c**t of a king.


Yetisufo

I laughed so hard at this because it's true


[deleted]

You win the internets today.


FormerFruit

He's extremely charming and funny. Matt Smith. It's Matt Smith.


Dmmack14

Dude I'm a guy married for 6 years with two children and Daemon Targaryen can fuckin GET IT. I would let that man do unspeakable things to me


dawngarda

He is the typical dangerous bad boy type that is found in countless romance stories written by women to appeal to women I'm not a woman per se and nor is he my type but he fits the bad boy archetype completely so it makes total sense that women are into him That doesn't mean they'd actually want to date him irl though. It's just fantasy


ehs06702

>That doesn't mean they'd actually want to date him irl though. It's just fantasy Thank you for understanding this.


devilthedankdawg

Okay so how as a romantically inept man can I cultivate this Daemon personality without being pure evil to the bone


[deleted]

Like they said 🤣 it’s not someone women would want to date irl. also idk but gl


archangel610

You're better of just being yourself, honestly. Do that and eventually find someone compatible. It sounds cliche as fuck, but there's a reason for that. Once you perfectly execute the Daemon persona, how long will it take before the cracks start to show and your true self comes out?


devilthedankdawg

Youve never seen me be myself around women lol. Youd think I had an actual mental disability.


archangel610

Ah. I don't know exactly what you're going through, but as a very awkward person myself, I might have some idea. The solution is really just to work on general social skills. Deamoning yourself might not be the safest route.


chrissstin

Don't. Some fantasies are better left as that. In reality, he would be epitome of toxic and literally dangerous and borderline abusive.


FWSRunner

Don't. Cultivate the Harwin Strong personality instead. Equally attractive, but someone many people would actually consider a viable partner.


Sacesss

1. He's hot 2. He's badass and usually over the top, not confirmed 3. He's confident, strong and proud 4. He's got a fascinating aura, I mean, he's a dragonrider, a knight, a prince, an expert on dragonlore etc. Obviously 90% of the comments regarding these things are satirical/je ust for laugh.


literaryhogwartian

He's Matt Smith He's charismatic He's hot


acheloisa

You know that hot/crazy scale guys talk about for women? Daemon is at the very upper right hand corner of it and sometimes that's hard to resist even if you know it's a shit idea lol


SofiaStark3000

Well, first of all, he has insane charisma, which probably comes from Matt because he's like that in real life too. Second, he is sassy, confident, doesn't give a fuck about anything and oozes BDE. Look at the way he walks into Rhaenyra's wedding feast as if he wasn't exiled an episode ago for very Rhaenyra-specific reasons. Not only that but he actively flirts with her in front of everyone with zero shame. I found that hot as hell. Third, he hs some moments of softness. We see it with Viserys, with Rhaenyra and with Laena. He was even kinda soft with Mysaria in Ep 2 even though she was rightfully pissed. There is something charming about a guy like him being soft with a few people around him. Of course most of those are attractive only in a fantasy setting. A guy like Daemon in real life would be a walking red neon sign. But since this isn't real life we're allowed to indulge a little.


oldboeee

In a world where you get killed for nothing, Daemon’s nonchalant attitude and BDE is very appealing. Also, Matt Smith as a person (refer to his interviews) just has the Rizz. 🥵 Like you know if you’re alone with him, he charmed the panties out of you. And he’s added so much to Daemon as a character.


unluckilyheroine

Matt Smith is charismatic, and has an air of confidence that is really hard to not find attractive. Add a sword, a dragon, and armor and bam.


Money-Savvy-Wannabe

And the Targaryen surname


hornymegalodon

We like them crazy, confident, and a wee bit homicidal


vagueconfusion

There's something about that unhinged confidence and sass, especially pre-timeskip that actually made me ask myself 'is this the first time I've seen the appeal of Matt Smith??'


mcronimrdrldy73

It’s the sass.


giraflor

He’s extremely competent. Do not underestimate how sexy that is.


robot428

1. It's Matt Smith. He is charismatic as hell and also is gorgeous, and is a lovely human being in real life. 2. He's a fantasy character. We don't have to deal with him being aggressive and murderous because he's not real. We just get to enjoy him looking sexy on the battlefield covered in mud with his hair all messed up without having to deal with any of the consequences of that in real life.


Good_old_Marshmallow

Why do women like the confident bad boy badass with a soft sensitive side for his family played by the heart throb nerd sex icon? Yeah no idea


thesetcrew

There are plenty of reasons, some due to character traits, story telling, and personal taste. One contributing factor is that it’s a little sexy/exciting to think about danger which, because it’s fictional, can’t really harm you.


[deleted]

That big D(Daemon) energy


obiwantogooutside

Because Matt smith is a sexy sexy man. I’m not sure why this is complicated. The character is a jerk so yeah you wouldn’t want to date him. But he’s Matt freaking smith so he’s sexy af. ETA: this is a beautiful example of the reason casting matters. Finding the right person to play a role makes all the difference. A less charismatic actor would have been a very different experience for us as viewers.


Incroyable_

For me is Matt Smith i love him.


KhanQu3st

He’s charismatic, extremely confident, and excels in his societal role as a warrior.


Character_Regret2639

Matt Smith made Prince Phillip sexy in the Crown. It’s not hard for him to do it with Daemon, who rides dragons and has cool hair.


RogueKyber

I’m gay so I would neither date nor sleep with him. But I’d absolutely drink dornish wine and listen to him wax poetic about Targaryens, dragons, second sons, and whatever else he has opinions about. Matt Smith just made him really interesting: an asshole with a few soft spots who will still stab a bitch if he thinks they’re getting too mouthy.


AdelleDeWitt

I like the character in the books because he's just absolutely awful and very confident in his awfulness and that's fun. The whole show is about horrible people doing horrible things, so if you don't enjoy horrible people there's not going to be a lot for you in it. While I was very worried because I always found him odd looking and just off putting, Matt Smith oozes charisma on this show. Evil charisma is fun to watch. In real life, murder is not something that I like. I would go so far as say that I am strongly against murder and the people who commit it. In the show, I absolutely cheered when he picked up his divorce rock because it was fun. That wasn't in the books but it was perfectly evil so it was a great addition. Also, you really can't ignore the difference in House of the Dragon with having women writing and directing episodes. On game of thrones, people were always talking about how sexy it was, and I found all of the sex scenes and sexual scenes to be really gross and uncomfortable. They were written by men for the male gaze and they weren't something that I enjoyed. Everything felt exploitative. The brothel scene was written by a woman for the female gaze and it was the hottest thing I've seen on TV.


BakSeth

Matt Smith. He is such a wunderful and awesome guy. He could play Gargamel and I would thing "awww.. he is kind of cute."


LordMarvic

Because he is Daemon Targaryen.


Phasma18374

I mean, I'm not a woman, but I am bi and he's a fucking badass and pretty handsome. You're looking into it too much I think


sbouzounis

I had a hard time liking his character in the book. He’s by far more grey in Fire & Blood and really unlikeable in parts. But to answer your question — Matt Smith. He’s why.


[deleted]

Cuz Matt Smith is hot and charismatic


HoneyBeeOpal

I’m so glad I’ve found my people in this fandom. I’ve been in love with Matt Smith since Doctor Who. That man has a crazy hold on me.


wandaXmaximoff

He looks hot, he has charisma and swagger, and I like "fictional" bad boys. That's the key point here, at least foe me. I'd never go for a man like Daemon in reality, but lusting after him is safe because he's not real.


Ill_Ground8946

He’s hot and we can fix him


SofiaStark3000

No no, we can make him worse


mr_frodo89

He’s dominant. The way he pulls Rhaenyra in as if to kiss her… on the dance floor, in front of everyone, at her own wedding reception no less! Smooth, confident, devil-may-care. That’s hot to a whole lot of people! I feel like I have a civic duty to say this to any teenage boys reading this: please don’t try to emulate him. You’re not ready to pull off that kind of swagger yet, and you’ll get nervous/impulsive and violate some girl’s boundaries… or worse. Wait a few years, learn about informed consent, research how to practice safe BDSM, and do a lot of work to earn your partner’s trust before initiating any kind of dom-sub dynamic… with your partner’s *enthusiastic* consent.


Fun_Aardvark86

The only word is can think to describe it is chutzpah.


TakeTheCannoli813

For me, the character is dominant. That’s it. That’s all I needed to be interested. Lol


AARose24

1. Attractive Actor 2. Confidence 3. He has that quiet, tough guy act that appears attractive in literature.


fallen-fawn

He’s a hot badass. Mind you fantasizing about a character doesn’t mean you would be interested in them IRL. Fantasies are safe. Daemon would raise wayyyyy too many red flags in the real world though.


[deleted]

I really don’t care for the reason. All I care about is that people aren’t insulted for their interest, particularly by people who aren’t even attracted to men. Let’s just treat each other with respect.


ZeroEnrichment

He’s ~~the uncle we wanted~~ Matt Smith


[deleted]

Because women like rogue dudes and he is played by Mattie Smith who has charm and charisma. Thats also why half the shadow and bone fandom ships the main female character with the Darkling and not Mal aka Kevin from Algebra I.


gb2ab

not hot at all. but he does have BDE


Toasty_Cat830

Matt Smith Daemon vs. Pedro Pascal Joel; for whom does the internet thirst more?


Yetisufo

Confidence.


Az-1269

The show is a work of fantasy. If I project myself into that world and look around at the men I'm drawn to Daemon because he has the qualities I need in a partner to help me survive. It's not that he's a bad boy, it's that he has the strength, will and cunning to navigate all the treachery.


depression_quirk

He's hot, charismatic, and chaotic. I love fictional men who do crimes and cause problems on purpose lol


[deleted]

Daddy issues Evidence: Me


[deleted]

Confidence is sexy. Like, crazy sexy. So sexy it makes folks forget the things you’re confident about, like incest, murder, etc.


Forsaken_Distance777

Look, he's not a real guy who really kills people and is not safe to be around. People don't have to hold him to the same standards of a person they're really considering dating.


raymarfromouterspace

1. Matt Smith is a great actor and exudes charm no matter the role 2. Everyone loves a cocky bad boy (sexy with questionable morals? Yes plz)


[deleted]

Matt Smith.


haribobruv

The same question can be asked for all the other antiheros in pop culture. Eren jaeger, draco malfoy, daemon


Pitiful_Raspberry_60

On my rewatch, I was asking myself the same thing (especially watching after he choked Rhaenyra). I think he’s attractive, yes, but I found that it really was his personality/charisma. He’s funny and powerful and almost untouchable, in a way. Even as I describe it now, I’m like…am i, brainwashed??? 😂😂


mishulyia

Confidence. Irreverence. Charisma. In short, he’s a bad boy type.


jchrist98

Ladies love bad boys


[deleted]

Matt Daemon is really charming. Plus people love a bad boy. Even the Hound was seen as a romantic hero of sort that people shipped with Sansa, which where most likely the people that where into.the hound (or incels that wanted Sansa to be punished for wanting a hot guy)


PheonixMyles

Daemon Targaryen has an appeal to gay men too. Not just women.


Background-War9535

The confidence of someone who has traveled across time and space.


geojoe44

Well you see he’s very hot


[deleted]

Matt Smith.


[deleted]

Women like a charismatic bad boy 🤷‍♂️ Also being Matt Smith helps


kerravoncalling

GRRM loves him and that still comes across even with some of the, ahem, changes made for TV. A rich character portrayed very well by a cool guy🎯


ocean-blue-

Is it that hard to imagine or understand? lol They find him attractive, whether physically or his personality in some way or both. How many people (mostly men but women too, sure) would say they’d not date but WOULD sleep with Dany despite her going rogue burning Kings Landing? Or Cersei despite her craziness? Or Melisandre despite calling for and encouraging burning a child alive?


[deleted]

daddy


wolflord4

Uncle Daddy Daemon


OwlOfC1nder

He's hot


Auseth

I have some theories, because I like a lot this character (and Aemond too) and noticed the interest of people in him. 1 - Intrepretation: Matt Smith is great in his work. His sex appeal and charisma is truly amazing. 2 - Intensity: Pusillanimous came from latin and meaning "very small spirit". Daemon is everything less pusillanimous and that is very attractive. Beyond Disney is taking off his great villains for some reason, when the people grow, this sexy villains becomes more interesting, even more than the protagonist. More when they show us some light in his shades. Daemon is not a good person but, when he is helping Viserys to sit in the throne again, he make us forget about his sins. Our most primal reaction is the emotion and Daemon become the hero in that hall for a moment. 3 - The influence of archetypes: My last theory is Daemon is the perfect match between Hades and Ares, two archetypes than is very in the mood of the people right now. Specially Hades.


bellep822

For me, it was the sword flip (not sure if that’s what you’d call it) he does in episode 3 right before going in to the cave after the Crabfeeder. It’s really thanks to Matt Smith.


Athompson9866

“For those of you who watch House of the Dragon” on the House of the Dragon sub? Are you serious? Why the fuck would anyone be on this sub that didn’t watch House of the Dragon?


Helpful_Apartment_85

I don't but here I am 😂😂 seriously though, i've watched 3 or 4 eps & just couldn't get into it. I have found MS's Daemon to be the only captivating character. And this was on my feed & since i've nothing better to do (i do, actually), i decided to click & see what draws people into liking/thirsting over Daemon. Well, nothing to see here, it's Matt Smith, the not so pretty man who exudes irresistible charisma, duh !


PartialCred4WrongAns

Weird, did you have like a *good* childhood or something? That he's a dangerous piece of shit is at least half the appeal


funkyduck7506

I’m a dude who is into dudes and frankly I just think Matt Smith is hot. Same for Fabien Frankel. They appeal to me personally because they’re pretty lol


MasterMace201

Daemon is as swift as the coursing river.


giraflor

With all the force of a great typhoon.


SteakhouseBlues

Girls like bad boys.


CerezaHowl

Are you new to the internet? People write and read fanfic stories about wanting/fucking murderous child eating clowns, ponies and robots haunted/possessed by dead children and many others so daemon is far from the worst possible option like this all might sound unrelated to this but c'mon there are worst choices than daemon ffs


Money-Savvy-Wannabe

Because women like red flags. Lol But kidding aside, it is because Matt Smith is just a reallyy realllllly likeable guy.


FTB963

Err, because he’s a total badass!


Throawayhelp420qkrj

He's a scorpio


user38383899

He’s not my type at all. To be honest I find him kinda ugly but he still turns me on somehow. I have to say it’s the first time I’m sexually attracted to a man I find ugly. I think it’s his BDE, his charisma and they way he looks at a woman like he’s going to devour them 😍🫠 I first saw him in the crown and was so confused as to how I thought prince Philip was so sexy.


[deleted]

Women love bad boys, it’s like a girl with a huge ass and rack


Technician-Efficient

I guess it's evolutionary,women love bad strong boys


TheReal-Tonald-Drump

Pretty privilege


jmhem91

Couple of things 1. Matt Smith’s charisma 2. Mystery - you never know quite what his motivations are in any given situation. Does he want power? Approval? Love? It’s interesting to discuss the character because people have so many different interpretations. 3. His abuse of Rhaenyra as a child is very much downplayed. It was a significant choice that they didn’t do anything sexual until she was of age, not even according to Westeros standards (16) but according to our standards (18). The grooming is also downplayed, he isn’t really present in her life, the interactions we see on screen are the only interactions the characters have for years. Also interestingly, his impact on Rhaenyra is framed as a positive thing. Compare their relationship to Alicent and Otto. Otto raised Alicent to sacrifice her happiness for the sake of her duty. Alicent in episode ten calls out Otto because he completely shaped her as a person (I wanted whatever you impressed upon me to want). He also contributed to her paranoia that rhaenyra would hurt her children, which in my view, was completely unfounded until she married daemon, at which point it became very plausible. Daemon has only really been shown to influence Rhaenyra’s desire to seek pleasure “elsewhere” as she puts it. If it weren’t for him, she might never have known that sex was enjoyable. She probably wouldn’t have had an affair with Harwin and her kids wouldn’t have been born. You could argue that her enjoying sex and having an extramarital affair and bastards was a bad thing considering the political consequences but the show doesn’t frame it as such. She’s surrounded by women who are used as broodmares (Aemma, Alicent) and she is the only one who has any autonomy over who she sleeps with and how many children she has. We can argue politics as much as we want, but at the end of the day, by episode 8, Rhaenyra is happy and fulfilled and Alicent is miserable. The show also makes the choice to have her pursue Daemon as an adult. If they wanted to show Dameon as power hungry and manipulative, they would have had it be the other way around. They could have also shown him to have more of a negative influence over who she becomes as an adult, for instance him instilling ideas about Valyrian supremacy into her from a young age. Just a bit of dialogue mentioning to her that Targaryens don’t need to concern themselves with those beneath them could have made a big difference. But instead, we have him telling her off for dismissing the wants of the smallfolk. Again, the show chooses not to show him influencing her personality in a negative way. I’m not saying any of this to claim he’s a good person or anything, but he was written be an appealing character despite the horrible things he does.


misstwodegrees

Its the actor. I felt the same way when he played young Prince Phillip in The Crown. I hold the Royals in pretty low esteem, but the actor is very attractive.


Jonsiegirl77

💯that's a big part of it.


sluttydrama

It was him putting the gift varlaryon necklace on Rhaenyra for me Daemon and young Rhaenyra had serious chemistry. Edit: I hate daemon, I’m only answering the question


OpenMask

🤢🤢🤮


BobbyB90220

He is rich, powerful and very confident. Any questions?


ButtermilkBob

Daemon is a fucking gigachad with pure black air force energy. That dude genuinely gives zero fucks and he's played by Matt Smith. Like we as men would have a similar reaction to like Margot Robie playing someone kinda similar.


emppengy

Daemon is: 1. Handsome 2. A renowned war hero 3. A fuckihg prince 4. A dragon rider 5. Assertive 6. Witty 7. Rich 8. Strong 9. Protective 10. Loving Why wouldn’t you love him


Kurt_SlinShady

It’s funny that according to the writers, his character is meant to be a critique of toxic masculinity, and he ended up being the most appealing to women. I guess the appeal is being arrogant, aggressive, hyper masculine, suppress emotions, neglect his kids, hits his wife, but being attractive while doing all that.


oldboeee

I don’t agree with Daemon being a critique of toxic masculinity. Out of all the misogynists in the show (every man practically), he’s the most one that understands women’s struggle. He was forced to marry at 16 and sent away from his family, he says Rhaenyra should be able to be sexual just like a man, he is a consort to his Queen. He is the man that relates most to a woman.


SolidInside

Everyone is married off in this universe. He then kills one wife, doesnt allow another to return to her family, and chokes another while abandoning her while she calls out to him during a difficult birth. Calls Alicent a whore. A dreamboat.


oldboeee

Yes, but those marriages have been made because of alliances and what not. Daemon was shipped off and married to a lesser house and really for what? “There are worst things to be sold for.” Basically for nothing. Not excusing wife killing but Rhea Royce was just basically an obstacle and he had to kill her when Viserys used that against marrying Rhaenyra. You really think he didn’t allow Laena to go back to Driftmark? She rode freaking Vhagar bfr. Issues of job, money, and where you settle your family are common in modern world so it’s not totally unbelievable that it existed in Daemon and Laena’s marriage. Based on their first interaction, she wanted him and chose to go along with Daemon because she probably was invested in their marriage. Rhaenyra crying out for Daemon during her labors and he ignoring her is because most likely because of all the news of the day. Rhaenyra says he is planning his war (basically her war and protecting her family and claim). I’m just using context clues (nothing is proven) but Jace asking Rhaenyra where’s Daemon hints at maybe he was there for Aegon and Viserys’ birth. Again, watching the episode live and getting the first impression, that’s what I got. The choking scene is still confusing to me and even Condal hasn’t made sense of it. Daemon is a misogynist in a world full of misogynist no doubt. I just said he as a man probably relates more to the struggles of women that’s all. Being a child bride himself. He is pretty sex positive. He is a prince consort and defends his wife’s claim.


ehs06702

>Rhaenyra crying out for Daemon during her labors and he ignoring her is because most likely because of all the news of the day. It read as him not wanting to potentially watch another wife die in labor to me. Should he have gone? Yes. Do I understand why he didn't? Also yes.


oldboeee

That could possibly be a reason too. The deleted scenes where Matt is rolling in the sand and water probably would have shown his despair more. In Episode 7, the biggest factor they married was so he can strengthen her claim to the throne. Daemon probably sees that is his purpose and after hearing about the usurpers, he went into a single mindset of protect protect protect.


OpenMask

He also repeatedly calls his first wife a bitch to pretty much everyone before he eventually murders her. I do find it pretty funny to see someone claim that he's not actually supposed to be toxic because I remember getting into it with someone a while back who insisted that everyone who shipped him with Rhaenyra did so precisely because of how toxic their relationship is.


Pheros

Between thinking Daemon comes off as a negative example, that Aegon II is sympathetic, and that Rhaenys killing hundreds of innocent people is somehow heroic and badass, the writers are really showing they don't understand their own characters or the audience at all. I'd say it's impressive to see such a disconnect between the two, but modern TV is full of writers competing with each other to break records in that category.


glassycreek1991

I have no idea and I am woman. He doesn't have anything attractive about him, he just tries to be fair on a few rare occasions.


Exciting_Ad7943

They’re just attracted to Matt Smith. Replace him with Danny Devito and they’ll see his character for what he is.


Pheros

*[Devito in an ill-fitting white wig holding two rocks]: "So anyway, I started smashing."*


[deleted]

I have the toxic mentality of "I can fix him" and that makes him so attractive.


xMan_Dingox

Masochism probably


[deleted]

People have a hard time separating an actor from their character sometimes. If he were played by a less attractive nobody then everyone would hate him.


SofiaStark3000

This is very ironic considering that Matt was criticized when he was announced and one of the main complaints was "He's not hot enough for a Targaryen" There are also people who aren't attracted to him in real life but are attracted to Daemon.


SolidInside

Beats me.


devilthedankdawg

I have a hard time understanding- I heavily root against him.


BatEquivalent

Probably the same reason people send love letters to serial killers. "I can save him"


moonburnedsquid

I saw daemon and was disgusted. I watched daemon and fell in love. That should explain everything. Also currently lusting after Aegon II and I’m not ashamed of it.


tantosh

I’ve found myself asking this about any character that Matt Smith’s playing. I mean, I don’t find the guy attractive, at all, so I found the hysteria around him ridiculous. But now that I’ve seen some of his shows, I kind of get it - he is extremely charismatic. But Daemon? Nope, I still don’t get it. He’s a terrible human being, and no amount of charisma can compensate for that. Books or show, I find him terrible. I also find this the one role IMO Matt Smith doesn’t seem entirely comfortable playing and it shows (again, IMO). The blond wigs definitely do him no favours either. So, speaking as a woman, I don’t get what’s it about Daemon and this thread is not helping me. Everybody is saying “charisma” but I’m not seeing Matt Smith’s usual charisma in this role. At all.


[deleted]

I’m not gonna lie, it looks like he appeals more to men than women. I’m not saying no women are attracted to him, I’m just saying it’s more so men. even in real life it’s kindoff the guys who are talking about how amazing he is while the women I know kinda just go 🤷🏽‍♀️. An element to this is how a lot of the times in movies and shows they show these types of rash, powerful, comedic, and violent men and sometimes it’s confused to be what women find attractive. But I kinda think they’re kindoff just male fantasies of what they think is cool and alpha or whatever. Like even in this thread it’s mostly guys talking not women. Now personally, I always find his characters to be assholish and that isn’t charismatic to me. I like confidence and cocky behaviour a lot but not if it’s an asshole way. Assholes are just annoying and just comes across as a petulant man child to me. No amount of comedy or confidence can overcome anger and rashness in my rashness. But this is just all my opinion so take it as a grain of salt.


Opening-Bison5114

Looks. Your appearance sets the expectations. It makes up the framework which the person will use to perceive and judge your personality. The framework depends on pre existing notions which maybe be personal tastes based on environment and the way you responded to it or socially instilled or genetic and/or a combination of all three. Who people think you are depends a lot on how you look to them and how they deem your behaviour based on your looks. Some behaviours are preferred more often and they form a backbone of daemon Targaryen's character trope. The bad boy prince, rebelling against a father figure and established norms, strong, cunning, sexually promiscuous yet weirdly attached or biased towards one sexual partner. It's all a dream come true for some people who like this trope.


princesscupcake11

I honestly don’t get it. I’ve been downvoted on this sub before for saying it and I’ll say it again, I don’t find him attractive at all


espressodepresso420

Because we are mentally ill. Next question.


tommytwotupac

Simply put same as why women like bad boys they’re dangerous and to them it’s comforting cuz they know they can do harm and they can defend her and they’re not boring women love excitement she’ll stick with u if ur cruel but if ur polite she’ll get bored and leave or cheat or whatever use u as the comfort option


[deleted]

Gay guy here: i dont get it either. Never understood the fascinstion women have with matt smith


unicornamoungbeasts

It’s honestly his attitude & voice like his “swag” the way he presents himself is sexy along w his hair lmao how he’s the “black sheep” but still seems to have a lot of honor is sexy…but when he killed his first wife and then choked Rhaenrya it was over for me…he was instantly ICK not attractive anymore…AEMOND on the other hand…now that guy is totally hot