This analysis compares two of the most dangerous rebels in Targaryen history, Daemon Blackfyre and Daemon Targaryen, to determine who posed a greater threat to the Seven Kingdoms, concluding that Daemon Targaryen was ultimately more dangerous due to the scale of destruction he caused and his inherent ruthlessness.
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When you think about the most dangerous
rebels in Targaryen history, two names
immediately come to mind. And
interestingly, they share the same first
name. Demon Blackfire and Demon
Targaryen. Both legendary figures who
challenge the established order, both
warriors of extraordinary skill, and
both men who left the Seven Kingdoms
drenched in blood. But here's the
question that's been burning in the
minds of fans for years. Which of these
two demons was actually more dangerous?
Which one posed a greater threat to the realm?
realm?
Today, we're going to dive deep into the
lives, the rebellions, and the legacies
of these two formidable princes to
determine once and for all who truly
deserves the title of Westeros's most
dangerous rebel. Before we begin
comparing these two legendary figures,
we need to understand who they were and
what made them so formidable. Let's
start with the earlier of the two, Demon
Blackfire. Born as demon waters around
170 AC, this man was the bastard son of
King Aegon 4th Targaryen. Known to
history as Aegon the Unworthy and
Princess Dana Targaryen. Now being a
bastard in Westeros usually means you're
destined for a life in the shadows. But
Targaryen on both sides, which gave him
all the classic Valyrian features. The
silver hair, the purple eyes, the kind
of looks that made people stop and
stare. But more importantly, he had
something that set him apart from every
other bastard in the realm. He had his
father's favor. When Demon was just 12
years old, King Aegon IVth did something
unprecedented. He kned the boy and gave
him Blackfire, the ancestral Valyrian
steel sword of House Targaryen. He was
steel sword of House Targaryen. the very
blade that Aegon the Conqueror had
wielded. This wasn't just a gift. It was
a statement. In Westerosi culture,
swords carry immense symbolic weight.
And Blackfire was the sword of kings. By
giving it to his bastard son instead of
his legitimate heir, Darren Aegon was
essentially saying, "This is the son I
favor. This is the son I believe
deserves to rule." From that moment
forward, people began to look at Damon
differently, and he took the sword's
name for his own, founding House
Blackfire with a reverse Targaryen
sigil, a black three-headed dragon on a
red field instead of red on black. Demon
Blackfire grew up to become exactly what
his supporters hoped he would be, a
warrior without equal. Contemporary
accounts describe him as tall, powerful,
with broad shoulders and a flat, hard
stomach. When he fought, it was like
watching a god among men. With sword,
lance, or flail, he could best any
knight. But with blackfire in his hands,
he was absolutely unstoppable. People
compared him favorably to legendary
warriors like Aean the Dragonite, and
some even said he surpassed them. He had
the training having been taught by the
best masters at arms in the Red Keep,
including the fierce Sir Quentyn Ball
called Fireball. He had the looks,
the charisma, and most importantly, he
had that sword. But it wasn't just
martial prowess that made Damon
dangerous. He had legitimate grievances
and a claim that many people found
compelling. His father had legitimized
him on his deathbed along with all his
other bastards. And rumors had
circulated for years that King Darren
II, the man who actually inherited the
throne was not really Aegon's son at
all, but rather the product of an affair
between Queen Duras and her brother, the
legendary dragon knight. Whether these
rumors were true or not didn't really
matter. What mattered was that people
believed them, or at least wanted to
believe them. Add to this the fact that
Darren too had made peace with Dorne,
bringing them into into the seven
kingdoms through marriage, and you had a
perfect storm of resentment. Many lords,
especially those from the Reach and the
Stormlands, who had fought Dorne for
generations, saw this as a betrayal.
They looked at scholarly, diplomatic
Darren with his Dornish wife and Dornish
looking heir. And then they looked at
demon who embodied everything they
thought a Targaryen king should be and
they made their choice. The first
blackfire rebellion erupted in 196 AC
and it wasn't some minor uprising. This
was a civil war that quite literally
split the realm in half. Now it's true
that none of the great houses officially
declared for demon. The Aarens,
Lannisters, Baratheons, Tullies, and
Tyrells all supported King Darren, but
many of their vassels did not. Lords and
knights from across the seven kingdoms
flocked to Demon's banner, and for over
a year, the realm burned. Demon proved
to be not just a great warrior, but a
capable military commander. He minted
his own coins, administered his own
territories, and led his forces with
skill and determination. The rebellion
culminated at the battle of Redg Grass
Field in 196 AC. One of the bloodiest
battles in Westerosi history. At
Redgrass Field, Demon Blackfire proved
why he was so feared. When the battle
began, he led a charge so ferocious that
it shattered the Targaryen vanguard. He
came face to face with Sir Gwen Corbre
of the King's Guard, who wielded the the
Valyrian steel blade, Lady Forlororn.
Their duel lasted nearly an hour and
despite Corbre being one of the greatest
knights in the realm, Demon defeated
him, even showing mercy by ordering him
carried from the field to prevent him
from being trampled. This was Demon at
his peak. Unstoppable in single combat,
leading from the front, inspiring his
men through sheer force of presence. But
then came the moment that changed
everything. Brynden Rivers, another of
Aegon 4's bastard sons who had remained
loyal to Darren, had positioned his
elite archers, the Raven's Teeth, on
Weeping Ridge overlooking the
battlefield. When Demon's eldest son and
heir, also named Aegon, was struck down
by arrows, Don rushed to his aid. As he
knelt beside his dying son, more arrows
fell. Seven of them found Damon and the
Black Dragon fell. When his twin son,
Aean, tried to take up Blackfire, he too
was killed. The rebellion collapsed,
though Demon's half-brother, Aigor
Rivers, called Bittersteel, managed to
escape to the free cities with Blackfire
and Demon's remaining sons. But here's
what made Demon Blackfire truly
dangerous. It wasn't just the rebellion
he led. It was the legacy he created.
His death didn't end the Blackfire
cause. For five generations, for over 60
years, his descendants and supporters
would rise again and again, causing five
separate rebellions. The second, third,
fourth, and fifth Blackfire rebellions
would continue to plague the Targaryen
kings, draining resources, causing death
and destruction, and keeping the realm
in a constant state of tension.
It wasn't until Sir Barristan Selme
killed me the monstrous, the last male
Blackfire during the war of the nine
penny kings that the threat finally
ended. Demon Blackfire's rebellion
created a wound in the realm that took
five generations to heal. That's a
measure of how dangerous he was, not
just in his lifetime, but in the legacy
of chaos he left behind. Now, let's turn
our attention to the other demon, demon
Targaryen, the rogue prince, born around
81 AC. This demon was the second son of
Prince Balon Targaryen and Princess
Alyssa Targaryen, making him the younger
brother of King Viseris I. Unlike demon
Blackfire, this demon was legitimate. He
was a trueborn prince of House Targaryen
with a direct line to the throne. He
claimed the dragon Caraxis, known as the
blood worm, one of the most fearsome
dragons of his age. He wielded
Darksister, another ancestral Valyrian
steel sword of House Targaryen, the
sword that had once belonged to Visenya
Targaryen. And just like Demon
Blackfire, he was an extraordinary
warrior, perhaps the most skilled and
experienced of his entire generation.
But what made Demon Targaryen different
was his nature. Where Demon Blackfire
was pushed into rebellion by
circumstances and supporters who
convince him to claim the throne, Demon
Targaryen was naturally rebellious,
unpredictable, and dangerous from the
very beginning. He earned his nickname
the rogue prince. Through years of
scandalous behavior, he was appointed
commander of the city watch of King's
Landing and transformed it into a
formidable force loyal to him
personally. He briefly served as master
of laws and master of coins, but
administrative roles didn't suit his
temperament. His relationship with his
brother Viseris was complicated,
swinging between genuine affection and
bitter rivalry. The breaking point came
when Viseris's wife, Queen Amma, died in
childbirth along with their newborn son,
Prince Balon. On the very night of the
baby's death, Demon was found drunk in a
brothel, making jokes about the heir for
a day. When this reached Viseris, the
king was furious. He stripped Damon of
his positions and named his daughter
Rayanira as heir instead, effectively
removing Damon from the line of
succession. This is where Demon
Targaryen's danger truly becomes
apparent rather than accept his
diminished position. Damon went into
exile. But he didn't just sulk in some
castle. He launched a military campaign
in the Stepstones against the Triarchy,
a coalition of the free cities. Over
several years, he fought a brutal war.
And when he finally won, he crowned
himself king of the Stepstones and the
Narrow Sea. This wasn't rebellion in the
traditional sense. He wasn't directly
challenging Viseris for the Iron Throne,
but he was establishing his own
independent kingdom, proving that he
didn't need his brother's approval to be
a king. Eventually, he laid his crown at
Viseris's feet. But the message was
clear. Demon Targaryen would not be
contained or controlled. The real test
of Demon's danger came with the dance of
the dragons, the Targaryen civil war
that erupted after King Viseras's death
in 129 AC. By this time, Demon had
married his niece, Ryanira Targaryen,
the designated heir, making himself not
just her husband, but her most important
military commander and political
adviser. When Viseris died and Rayanir's
half-brother, Aeen II seized the throne,
Demon was the one who placed the crown
on Rayanir's head at Dragonstone and
styled himself protector of the realm.
What followed was one of the most
devastating conflicts in Westerosi
history. A war that would see the near
extinction of dragons and the deaths of
countless members of House Targaryen.
Demon's actions during the dance of the
dragons revealed the full extent of his
ruthlessness. When Rayanara's son,
Lucarus, was killed by Aean Targaryen at
Storm's End, Demon arranged for revenge
in the most horrific way imaginable. He
hired two assassins known as Blood and
Cheese to infiltrate the Red Keep and
murder a child of the royal family in retaliation.
retaliation.
These assassins found Queen Helena with
her children and force her to choose
which of her sons would die. Young
Prince Jerice was then brutally murdered
in front of his mother. This act, which
became known as blood and cheese, was
arguably one of the most heinous crimes
committed during the entire civil war.
It showed that Demon was willing to
target innocent children to achieve his
goals, that there were essentially no
limits to what he would do. But Demon
was also a brilliant military
strategist. He took Harrenhal early in
the war, securing a strategic
stronghold. He executed Sir Veyan
Valarion with a single stroke when the
man challenged the legitimacy of
Rayara's sons. Throughout the conflict,
he demonstrated that he was not just a
great warrior, but a man who understood
power and how to wield it. His forces
won significant victories, and his very
presence on the battlefield, riding
caraxes and wielding Dark Sister was
enough to inspire his own troops and
strike fear into his enemies. The end of
demon Targaryen story came at the battle
above the god's eye. One of the most
legendary confrontations in Westerosi history.
history.
Demon lured his nephew and rival Amund
Targaryen who rode the massive dragon
Vagar to single combat above the god's
eye lake. In a suicidal but spectacular
final act, Demon leaped from Caraxis
onto Vagar's back and drove Dark Sister
through Aean's eye, killing him
instantly. Both dragons, mortally
wounded in their aerial battle, plunged
into the lake below, taking both riders
with them. Demon's body was never
recovered, leading some to speculate
that he somehow survived. Though most
historians believe he died in that final
glorious moment of vengeance. Now let's
compare these two legendary figures
directly. When we look at Marshall
Prowess, both men were extraordinary
warriors. Demon Blackfire was described
as unmatched with a sword and his
hour-long duel with Gwane Corbre at
Redgrass Field is legendary. Demon
Targaryen was equally skilled, described
as the most experienced warrior of his
time, and his combat record includes
countless victories both in single
combat and in larger battles. On this
metric, they're essentially equal. Both
were among the greatest fighters of
their respective eras, and both wield
wielded Valyrian steel blades that
became extensions of themselves. But
when it comes to military leadership and
strategic thinking, Damon Targaryen has
a clear advantage. While Damon Blackfire
led his forces competently during the
first Blackfire Rebellion and won
several engagements, his military career
was relatively short, lasting just over
a year from the start of open warfare to
his death at Redgrass Field.
Demon Targaryen, on the other hand, had
decades of military experience. He
fought for years in the Stepstones,
learning how to command troops, manage
logistics, and win a protracted campaign
against determined enemies. During the
dance of the dragons, he demonstrated
sophisticated strategic thinking,
securing key strongholds like Harrenhal,
coordinating with allies, and making
decisions that had long-term strategic implications.
implications.
His military acumen was proven over
decades, not just months. When we
consider political acumen and
understanding of power, again, Demon
Targaryen shows himself to be more
sophisticated. Demon Blackfire was in
many ways a reluctant rebel. Historical
accounts tell us that it took years for
his supporters to convince him to
actually claim the throne. He resented
being a bastard and had legitimate
grievances, but he wasn't naturally
inclined toward political maneuvering.
He was pushed into rebellion by
counselors like his half-brother
Bittersteel and Sir Quentin Ball. Demon
Targaryen, conversely, was always
playing political games. From his time
as commander of the city watch where he
built a power base loyal to him
personally to his self-crowning as king
of the stepstones to his marriage to Ray
Naira which positioned him as the de
facto ruler behind the throne during her
bid for power. Demon understood how to
accumulate and use power. He knew when
to retreat, when to strike, and how to
position himself for maximum advantage.
The ruthlessness factor is where things
get really interesting. Damon Blackfire
was by all accounts a man with honor.
Even in the heat of battle, when he
defeated Gwane Corbé, he showed mercy,
ordering the knight removed from the
field rather than finishing him off. He
fought according to the codes of
chivalry that he'd been taught. Demon
Targaryen had no such compunctions. The
blood and cheese incident alone
demonstrates a level of ruthlessness
that Demon Blackfire never displayed. He
ordered the murder of a child to send a
message. Beyond that, his entire life
was marked by actions that showed he
would do whatever was necessary to
achieve his goals. He likely had a hand
in the death of his first wife, Ria
Royce, who died under suspicious
circumstances. Many suspect he arranged
the death of Leenor Valarion to clear
the way for his marriage to Ray
Rayaniraa. He executed Vean Valarion
without trial or mercy. Demon Targaryen
understood that power often requires
getting your hands dirty, and he was
more than willing to do so. Resources
available to each rebel is another
crucial comparison point. Demon
Blackfire had significant support. No
question about it. Many lords and
knights joined his cause, enough that
the realm was said to be split in half.
He had his half-brother, Bittersteel,
one of the finest military commanders of
the age. He had Sir Quentynball called
Fireball who terrorized the Westerlands.
He had the symbolic power of black fire
the sword of kings. But what he didn't
have was any great house openly
declaring for him. The Aarens,
Lannisters, Tullies,
Baratheons, and Tyrells all remained
loyal to King Darren II, which meant
that the core power structure of the
realm opposed him. Demon Targaryen
fighting for Rayaniraa during the dance
of the dragons had something Blackfire
never had. Dragons. Multiple dragons. In
fact, he personally rode Caraxas. But
the blacks had several other dragons at
their disposal. This gave them a weapon
of mass destruction that could level
castles and incinerate armies.
Additionally, Rayaniraa had the explicit
designation as heir from the late King
Viseris, which gave their cause a
legitimacy that Demon Blackfire's claim
lacked. The legacy and lasting impact of
their rebellions shows a fascinating
contrast. Demon Blackfire's rebellion,
while it failed during his lifetime,
created a movement that lasted five
generations. The Blackfire pretenders
continued to threaten Targaryen rule for
over 60 years, causing five major
rebellions and countless deaths. The
wound demon Blackfire inflicted on the
realm festered for decades. In that
sense, his danger extended far beyond
his own life. Every time a Blackfire
rose in rebellion, it was demon's legacy
at work. Demon Targaryen's danger was
more immediate and more catastrophic.
The dance of the dragons was perhaps the
most devastating conflict in Targaryen history.
history.
It resulted in the deaths of numerous
dragons, reducing the Targaryen's
greatest weapon to a shadow of its
former strength. It killed multiple
members of the royal family. It
devastated the realm, causing famine,
disease, and economic collapse. The
great spring sickness that followed the
war killed countless more. But
interestingly, Demon's line actually
won. His sons Aegon III and later
Viseris 2 eventually became kings.
Meaning that all Targaryenss who came
after were descended from demon. In that
sense, he achieved what demon blackfire
never could. He put his bloodline on the
throne. So now we come to the ultimate
question. Which demon was more
dangerous? To answer this, we need to
define what we mean by dangerous. If
we're measuring danger by immediate
catastrophic impact, Damon Targaryen
wins hands down. The dance of the
dragons was more devastating than the
first Blackfire Rebellion. More people
died, more destruction was wrought, and
the very foundation of Targaryen power,
their dragons, was nearly destroyed.
Demon Targaryen fighting in a civil war
where both sides had dragons created a
level of devastation that the first
blackfire rebellion fought primarily
with conventional armies simply couldn't
match. The battle of Red Grass Field was
bloody with 10,000 dead, but the dance
of the dragons was a multi-year conflict
with multiple catastrophic battles,
sieges, and massacres. Moreover, Demon
Targaryen was personally more ruthless
and willing to commit atrocities. Blood
and cheese represents a level of moral
darkness that we simply don't see from
Demon Blackfire. While both men were
willing to kill their enemies in battle,
only Demon Targaryen showed the
willingness to deliberately target
children and innocents as a terror
tactic. This ruthlessness combined with
his military skill and access to dragons
made him extraordinarily dangerous
during his lifetime. However, if we're
measuring danger by the length and
persistence of the threat, Demon
Blackfire has a strong argument. His
rebellion didn't just end with his
death. It continued for five generations.
generations.
The Blackfire rebellions became a
recurring nightmare for Targaryen kings.
Every generation had to worry about
whether this would be the year that the
Blackfires tried again. The second
Blackfire rebellion, the third, the
fourth, the fifth, they just kept
coming. Demon Blackfire created a rival
house, a competing claim, and a banner
that malcontent and ambitious lords
could rally behind for decades. That's a
different kind of danger. Not explosive
and immediate like the dance of the
dragons, but persistent and corrosive,
constantly threatening to tear the realm apart.
apart.
There's also the question of intent and
circumstance. Demon Blackfire didn't
want to be a rebel initially. He had to
be convinced over many years to finally
claim the throne. His rebellion was
reactive, a response to grievances and
perceived injustices.
Demon Targaryen, on the other hand, was
proactive in his pursuit of power. He
didn't wait for opportunities. He
created them. He established his own
kingdom in the Stepstones. He positioned
himself as Ray Nerra's husband and
military commander. When the succession
was challenged, he didn't hesitate. He
immediately moved to secure power
through whatever means necessary. This
proactive, ambitious nature made him
dangerous even in times of peace, always
pushing boundaries, always testing
limits. From a purely military
perspective, Demon Targaryen's
experience and success give him the
edge. He won campaigns, he held
territory, he demonstrated strategic
thinking over decades. Demon Blackfire,
while an extraordinary warrior, led a
rebellion that lasted barely a year and
ended in in his death. Yes, he won
several battles and engagements, but he
ultimately lost the war. Demon
Targaryen, even though he died at the
God's Eye, technically won his war. His
side's candidate, or rather his son,
eventually took the throne after Aegon
secondu died. The black's line continued
while the green's line ended. That's a
significant difference. But perhaps the
most compelling argument for Demon
Targaryen's greater danger lies in the
nature of the conflicts themselves. The
first Blackfire Rebellion, for all its
bloodshed, was a conventional civil war
fought primarily with the traditional
armies. It was terrible, but the realm
had seen civil wars before and would see
them again. The dance of the dragons was
different. It was the first time dragons
had been used in a Targaryen civil war,
and the results were apocalyptic.
Dragons fighting dragons created
destruction on a scale that Westeros had
never seen. Cities were burned. Entire
armies were incinerated. The very weapon
that had made the Targaryen supreme was
turned against itself and nearly destroyed.
destroyed.
Demon Targaryen's willingness to unleash
that level of destruction, to burn the
realm, to secure power represents a
danger that transcends simple military
threat. Let's consider their
personalities as well. Demon Blackfire
was in many ways everything people
wanted in a king. He was handsome,
charismatic, honorable, and a supreme
warrior. People loved him because he
embodied their ideals of kingship. His
danger came from the fact that he was a
rallying point, a symbol that could
unite desperate factions against the
Targaryenss. But Demon Targaryen was
something else entirely. He was
unpredictable, impulsive, ruthless, and
willing to break any rule or taboo to
get what he wanted. He married his niece
in a scandalous union. He mocked his
brother's dead son. He orchestrated the
murder of a child. His danger came not
just from his abilities, but from his
willingness to do things that others
wouldn't. to cross lines that others
respected. That kind of moral
flexibility combined with extraordinary
skill and resources makes for an
extremely dangerous individual. There's
also the question of what each man
ultimately wanted. Demon Blackfire
wanted the throne because he believed it
should be his. He felt he had a
legitimate claim that he was more worthy
than Darren II and that his father had
effectively designated him as heir by
giving him Black Fire. It was about
personal legitimacy and perceived
injustice. Damon Targaryen's motivations
were more complex. Yes, he wanted power,
but he also seemed to genuinely enjoy
chaos and disruption. He delighted in
shocking people, in breaking rules, in
doing the unexpected. He crowned himself
king of a minor island chain, not
because he needed to, but because he
could. This made him less predictable
and therefore more dangerous because you
couldn't necessarily anticipate his
actions based on rational self-interest
alone. After examining every aspect,
military prowess, strategic thinking,
ruthlessness, resources, impact, legacy,
and personality, the conclusion becomes
clear. Demon Targaryen was the more
dangerous rebel. While Demon Blackfire's
rebellion created a lasting legacy of
conflict that plagued the realm for five
generations, Diamond Targaryen's actions
during the dance of the dragons caused
more immediate devastation and
fundamentally weakened House Targaryen
in ways from which it never fully
recovered. the near extinction of
dragons, the deaths of so many
Targaryenss, the economic and social
devastation of the war. These were
wounds that cut deeper than even five
Blackfire rebellions. Moreover, Demon
Targaryen was dangerous in a way that
extended beyond any single rebellion.
Throughout his entire life, from his
youth to his death, he was a source of
chaos and disruption. His very presence
destabilized situations. He couldn't be
trusted to follow rules or norms. He
would pursue what he wanted regardless
of consequences.
Demon Blackfire, by contrast, was
dangerous specifically as a rebel, as a
figure around which opposition to the
Targaryenss could coalesce. But before
his rebellion, he had been relatively
loyal, and after his death, while his
cause continued, he personally was no
longer a threat. The dance of the
dragons also demonstrated something
crucial that internal Targaryen
conflicts when fought with dragons were
far more dangerous than external
challenges or rebellions by non-dragon
riders. Demon Targaryen with his dragon
Caraxis, his Valyrian steel sword,
Darksister, his military experience, and
his utter ruthlessness represented the
greatest threat the Targaryenss had
faced precisely because he was one of
them. He understood their strengths and
weaknesses. He had the same weapons they
had. He knew how to hurt them in ways an
outsider couldn't. In the end, both
demons were extraordinarily dangerous
men who left marks on history written in
blood and fire. Both were exceptional
warriors who inspired loyalty and fear
in equal measure. Both challenged the
established order and plunged the realm
into war. But when we measure danger,
not just by body count or years of
conflict, but by the depth of the wound
inflicted by the fundamental damage done
to the realm and to House Targaryen
specifically, by the willingness to
cross moral lines and commit atrocities,
and by the sheer unpredictability and
ruthlessness of the individual
demon Targaryen, the rogue prince,
emerges as the more dangerous of these
two legendary rebels. The first
Blackfire Rebellion split the realm and
created a legacy of conflict. But the
dance of the dragons nearly destroyed
the Targaryen dynasty from within.
That's the ultimate measure of danger,
not just the ability to challenge power,
but the ability to fundamentally
undermine and potentially destroy it.
And in that regard, no rebel in
Targaryen history, not even the
formidable Damon Blackfire, was more
dangerous than Demon Targaryen, the
rogue prince who rode Caraxis into
legend and left the realm forever
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