Matt Smith Addresses House of the Dragon Theory That Connects Him to Game of Thrones

Matt Smith doesn’t seem to know if a popular fan theory Daemon Targaryen is true, but he certainly hopes it is. He and the other main cast members from House of the Dragon sat down with Entertainment Weekly last week for a video in which they read, discussed, and debunked many fan theories about their show circulating online. When they got to a post titled “Daemon will become the Three-Eyed Raven,” they were clearly intrigued. Smith said that he likes the idea, and he even hopes its true for his brooding anti-hero. However, there are other interpretations of this theory that hold up better, especially accounting for the books.

Smith and his co-stars read a brief summary of a fan theory about the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale, in which Daemon sees a vision of the White Walkers and the Long Night, convincing him to earnestly fight for Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne. Within the vision, Smith sees Brynden Rivers, a.k.a. Bloodraven, played by Joshua Ben-Tovim. The character is named for a red-colored birthmark on his face which resembles a raven, which is part of how fans identified him. He is also the same Greenseer who trains Bran Stark in using his abilities in Game of Thrones.

Smith and his co-stars don’t read the full theory in this video, which makes sense as it’s not easy to summarize. The theory relies on the assumption that “the Three-Eyed Raven” is title or position that can be passed from one person to another in succession, which is not at all supported by the shows or the books. However, if it were, Daemon would be a plausible predecessor for Brynden Rivers. The idea is that Daemon continues to awaken more Greenseer abilities as the war goes on, and uses those powers to influence events in Westeros so that Targaryens remain in power and The Wall remains guarded.

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After reading the summary, Smith’s first response was, “I hope so.” He seemed to be thinking through all the implications for a moment before snapping back to the present and moving the video along. “I like that,” he said. “We’ll go with that. We’ll have that. Affirmative.”

Smith’s support for this theory doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true, but it will probably serve as ammunition for fans touting the prediction online. This idea has been growing in popularity since the release of George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood in 2018 — long before it was adapted into House of the Dragon. However, in most cases, fan’s don’t expect Daemon to literally become Brynden. Instead, they imagine that the abilities and title of the “Three-Eyed Raven are passed from Daemon to Brynden, and then to Bran Stark.

House of the Dragon exceeded fans’ expectations with the amount of magic and prophecy involved in the plot, as it was mostly left out of Martin’s book due to unreliable narrators. At this point, anything seems possible for Daemon in the show’s second half. House of the Dragon Season 3 is filming now, and is expected to premiere sometime in 2026. Fire & Blood is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.