Spoiler Warning: This interview discusses and mentions the events of Season 2, Episode 4 of House of the Dragon.

Ewan Mitchell’s cunning Aemond Targaryen just joined the ranks of some of the most vicious villains in the Game Of Thrones universe following the “apocalyptic” events of today’s episode of House of the Dragon.

The actor tells Supanova that, while the character’s recent killing spree might have made him irredeemable in many ways, it’s his backstory that has resulted in viewers feeling invested and perhaps even rooting for him.

Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO

“I think one of the redeeming characteristics and one of the commendable feats of courage that Aemond does is in claiming Vhagar,” Mitchell says.

“You know, it’s the story of the underdog, the kid that was bullied and neglected, and he ultimately found the strength to do the unspeakable and to achieve a great feat in claiming Vhagar, so maybe that, so to speak.”

This week’s episode, without spoiling too much, sees an epic dragon battle above Rook’s Rest, and it’s a brutal sequence that Mitchell describes as “apocalyptic”.

“What was really interesting was seeing the fallout from Criston Cole’s perspective,” he tells. “Working with Fabien Frankel is one of the best parts of the job.”

Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole and Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO

He continues, “I think that sequence on the ground level of Rook’s Rest, and seeing, ultimately, the fallout of these two dragons, and the damage that they’ve caused – it’s horrific, horrible imagery – it’s just apocalyptic. Reading it for the first time and then seeing it, it’s just crazy.”

While Mitchell remained tight-lipped about what the rest of the season offers and the consequences of Aemond’s actions above Rook’s Rest, he did reveal that he loves “exploring the shadow side to Aemond”.

“I love taking a deeper dive into that vulnerability,” he shares. “You see it at the end of season one on the back of his dragon Vhagar; he knows he made a mistake, he knows he let his emotions get the better of him, and it’s nice to see that vulnerability again in season two, in the second and third episodes.

“Ultimately, it strips back the veneer; he’s not just that one-dimensional, black cat sort of character – there’s something else simmering underneath the surface that, in part, motivates him.”

House of the Dragon Season 2 is available to stream now on BINGE, new episodes Monday.

Lead image: Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4. Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO