Who Was Maester Aemon?
Long before he’s the ancient, blind maester counseling the Night’s Watch at Castle Black, Aemon Targaryen is a prince — the eldest son of King Maekar I and older brother to Aegon V (“Egg”). When his grandfather Daeron II offers him the crown following a succession crisis, Aemon makes an extraordinary choice: he refuses, choosing instead to join the Night’s Watch and forsake his claim entirely.
Why He Gave Up the Throne
Aemon’s decision to become a maester rather than a king is one of the more quietly remarkable choices in Targaryen history — a deliberate rejection of power that indirectly clears the path for his younger brother Egg’s later, “unlikely” rise to the throne after other family members die.
Life at the Wall
Aemon serves the Night’s Watch for the better part of a century, eventually becoming its senior maester. By the time viewers meet him, he’s ancient, blind, and one of the last living links to the dynasty’s earlier, dragon-filled history — a detail made especially poignant once Daenerys’s dragons are reborn during his own lifetime, an event he doesn’t live to fully witness but reacts to with quiet awe when word reaches the Wall.
Family Connection
As Aegon V’s older brother, Aemon is Daenerys Targaryen’s great-uncle — one of the few characters in the main show timeline with a direct personal memory of the family’s pre-Mad-King history.
FAQ
Why is Maester Aemon important to the Targaryen family tree?
He’s Aegon V’s older brother and a direct link between the earlier Targaryen dynasty and the events of Game of Thrones.
Did Aemon ever become king?
No — he refused the crown, choosing the Night’s Watch instead, which reshaped the succession that eventually led to his brother Egg becoming king.
How is Aemon related to Daenerys Targaryen?
He’s her great-uncle.