If you only watched the HBO show, you probably think the biggest reveal in the entire saga was Jon Snow being Aegon Targaryen. It was a massive moment. The music swelled, Bran narrated the flashback, and the secret of the Tower of Joy finally came to light. But here is the thing—in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, there is another Aegon. A different one altogether. And he is already in Westeros, leading an army, and claiming the Iron Throne.
His name is Young Griff Game of Thrones fans often call the "missing prince," and his absence from the television adaptation changed the entire trajectory of the final seasons.
Imagine a teenager with blue hair and the eyes of a king. That is how we meet him in A Dance with Dragons. He is traveling down the Rhoyne on a poleboat called the Shy Maid with a man named Griff, who is actually Jon Connington in disguise. Connington was Rhaegar Targaryen’s best friend and a former Hand of the King. He’s spent nearly two decades in exile, hiding a secret that could burn the Seven Kingdoms to the ground. He claims the boy is Aegon VI Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar and Elia Martell, who was supposedly "dashed against a wall" by Gregor Clegane during the Sack of King’s Landing.
The Mystery of Young Griff and the Varys Connection
How did a baby survive a literal skull-crushing? According to Varys, it was a simple switch. The Spider claims he swapped the royal infant with a "pisswater prince"—a commoner’s baby bought for a jug of wine—and smuggled the real Aegon across the narrow sea.
It sounds convenient. Almost too convenient.
This is where the fandom splits. Is he really Rhaegar’s son, or is he a "Feigned Boy"? A Blackfyre pretender? Many readers point to the prophecy of the "mummer’s dragon" that Daenerys sees in the House of the Undying. A mummer is a puppeteer, and Varys was literally a mummer in his youth. If Young Griff is a puppet, who is pulling the strings?
While Tyrion Lannister travels with them, he notices things. He sees the boy's natural command. He sees the way he’s been tutored in history, languages, law, and combat. Unlike Joffrey, who was born to the throne and felt entitled to it, or Daenerys, who had to conquer through fire, Young Griff has been raised to believe that kingship is a duty. He’s been taught to fish, to cook, and to live among the common people so he knows who he is actually ruling.
Tyrion, being Tyrion, can't help but poke holes in the story. He goads the boy into a game of Cyvasse (think Westerosi chess) and manipulates him into abandoning the plan to meet Daenerys in Meereen. Instead, Tyrion suggests Aegon should strike out on his own.
"Go west," Tyrion tells him. "Not east."
And the kid actually does it.
Why This Character Changes Everything for Daenerys
When people complain about Daenerys Targaryen’s "sudden" descent into madness in the show, they are usually missing the Young Griff-shaped hole in the narrative. In the books, Dany isn't just fighting a "villain" like Cersei Lannister. She’s coming home to find a handsome, young, beloved Targaryen prince already sitting on her throne.
Think about the psychological toll.
Dany has spent years being the "Last Dragon." It is her entire identity. If Aegon is real, she’s not the heir anymore. He is. By the laws of Westerosi succession, a son comes before a sister. If the Golden Company—ten thousand of the most elite mercenaries in the world—are already cheering for Aegon, what does Dany have? She has foreign Dothraki and eunuch soldiers. She becomes the invader, while Young Griff is the savior.
Honestly, it’s brilliant. George R.R. Martin is setting up a second "Dance of the Dragons," a civil war between two Targaryen factions. The Golden Company, which was founded by Blackfyre rebels, has never supported a "Red" Targaryen before. Their involvement suggests that Young Griff might actually be a descendant of the Blackfyre female line, making his claim a lie built on silver hair and purple eyes.
The Golden Company and the Siege of Storm's End
While the show used the Golden Company as glorified extras who died in five seconds during the burning of King's Landing, the book version of this army is terrifyingly competent. They have elephants. They have discipline. And they have Young Griff.
In the most recent chapters from the unreleased The Winds of Winter, we know that Aegon has already taken Griffin’s Roost and is planning to take Storm’s End—a fortress that is famously "impregnable." He isn't waiting for Daenerys. He isn't waiting for dragons. He is winning the hearts of the lords in the Stormlands who are tired of the Lannister-Tyrell alliance.
This creates a massive problem for the Iron Throne. Cersei is losing her grip. The Tyrells are distracted. And here comes a boy with the perfect pedigree and a clean slate.
Is He a Blackfyre? The Evidence
You have to look at the "Illyrio’s Chest" theory. When Tyrion is at Illyrio Mopatis's manse, he finds clothes that would fit a young boy—expensive, royal clothes. Illyrio seems to have a deep, personal affection for Young Griff that goes beyond mere politics. Some fans believe the boy is actually Illyrio’s son by his late wife, Serra, who may have been a Blackfyre.
- The Golden Company's Motto: "Bittersteel" founded them to put a Blackfyre on the throne. Why would they suddenly support a descendant of the king they hated for generations?
- The Rusty Sign: There is a story about a dragon sign at an inn that was painted black, fell into the water, and washed up red with rust. It’s a heavy-handed metaphor. A black dragon (Blackfyre) returning disguised as a red one (Targaryen).
- Moqorro’s Prophecy: The red priest sees dragons "true and false" in his visions.
Whether he’s a real Targaryen or a "Brightflame" or a Blackfyre doesn't actually matter for the politics of the realm. Power resides where men believe it resides. If the lords of Westeros believe he is Rhaegar’s son, he is.
The Impact on Jon Snow
In the show, Jon Snow's real name is Aegon. This always felt clunky to book readers because Rhaegar already had a son named Aegon. Why would he name his second son the exact same thing?
The answer is likely that the showrunners combined Jon Snow and Young Griff. They gave Jon the name and the "rightful heir" plot point, but they lost the complexity of the three-way struggle for the throne. In the books, Jon Snow is still dead at the Wall (for now), and Young Griff is the one making the power plays in the south.
Jon’s reveal will be even more complicated in the books because he won’t just be competing with Daenerys; he’ll be the third "dragon" in a world that might already have two.
What Happens Next for Young Griff?
We are currently in a holding pattern waiting for The Winds of Winter. However, the trajectory is clear. Young Griff is likely going to take King's Landing before Daenerys even arrives. He will be the "hero" who deposes Cersei.
This sets up a tragic end.
When Daenerys finally arrives with her dragons and her iron-and-blood army, she won't be liberating the city from a tyrant. She’ll be attacking a popular, young King who everyone thinks is her nephew. If she burns the city to take the throne from him, she becomes the "Mad Queen" in the eyes of the realm, regardless of her intentions.
Young Griff is the catalyst for the endgame. He is the reason the "Saviour of Meereen" becomes the "Destroyer of King's Landing."
Key Takeaways for Fans
To truly understand the depth of the Game of Thrones universe, you have to look past the screen. Young Griff represents the messiness of history and the "human heart in conflict with itself" that Martin loves to write about.
- Read the Sample Chapters: Look for the Arianne Martell chapters from The Winds of Winter. They provide the most up-to-date info on Aegon’s invasion.
- Re-watch Season 7 & 8 with a "Replacement" Lens: Notice how Cersei and Jon seem to absorb plot points that don't quite fit them. Those are the pieces of Aegon's story.
- Track the Blackfyre Lore: If you want to know if he's a fake, read A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It explains the Blackfyre Rebellions, which are essential for understanding why the Golden Company is back in Westeros.
Ultimately, Young Griff is the most important character you never saw on TV. He is the "mummer’s dragon" who might just win the game—even if it’s only for a moment. He turns a binary "Good vs. Evil" or "Dany vs. Cersei" fight into a chaotic, multi-sided war where bloodlines and truth are as blurry as the fog on the Rhoyne.
If you are looking to dive deeper into this specific lore, start by comparing the Golden Company’s contract history with their current actions in the books. It’s the clearest path to figuring out who the boy with the blue hair actually is. Don't take Varys at his word. In Westeros, the "Spider" never spins a web without a purpose.
