Theorizing which fictional characters would win in a fight is a time-old discussion that cavemen were probably having in one form or another.
In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, House of the Dragon star Matt Smith has continued this proud tradition. The Game of Thrones spinoff is midway through its hit second season and Fallon asked Smith who would win in a fight between Daemon Targaryen and Jon Snow:
“Mate, I’ve got a dragon. Listen, I have a lot of respect for Jon Snow. Jon Snow’s a bad boy, don’t get me wrong. Kit Harington, lovely man, lovely guy. But don’t get it twisted I would f**k those brothers up. I have a dragon!”
A comment by arnav_rustagi_ countered by saying: “He [Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen] rode a dragon but Jon rode the mother of dragons,” it reads. While it might be a weird flex in our world, in the fantasy George R.R. Martin’s universe, there’s no beating that.
On the other side, in the latest season of Game of Thrones, and we presume in the upcoming (or at least we hope so, George, have mercy) books in A Song of Ice and Fire saga, Winds of Winter and Dream of Spring, Jon rode a dragon as well. So they’re tied in that regard, even if Daemon is far more experienced at dragon-riding than Jon Snow.
The clip sparked a serious discussion among fans of the series and the books, with many of them bringing up a few solid arguments in the comments:
“Jon is a superb swordsman and overall combatant. He’s unquestionably lethal and experienced. But Daemon is on another level. While both of them are tremendous warriors, Daemon is more cunning and ruthless. While it’s not always necessary, Daemon is also unafraid to use clever and underhanded tactics to get the upper hand.”
With HBO set to produce another spin-off series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it may as well create a special episode where the greatest swordsmen and fighters brawl it out in one-versus-one duels.