The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 5, "We Light the Way," which debuted Sept. 18, on HBO.
HBO's House of the Dragon certainly left fans polarized regarding Rhaenyra Targaryen. It does seem like she wants to effect change as heir to the Iron Throne, but she's shown some sinister traits. For example, her bond with the murderous, treasonous Daemon is pretty toxic, suggesting she's more selfish and into drama than first assumed.
It's part of why King Viserys was so worried, wanting to marry her off to Leanor Velaryon quickly to bring stability to King's Landing. He didn't want her to be viewed as weak, which could usher in civil war in Westeros. Interestingly, Rhaenyra started to fall in line, realizing what was at stake, but in the process, she showed she had a dark characteristic in common with Daenerys.
As much as Game of Thrones depicted Daenerys as a leader and liberator, she was definitely a user. She wanted to follow her heart, but relied on her head, especially as she was so desperate and obsessed with the crown. It's seen in how she used Khal Drogo's army and even oversaw her brother's death. Granted, her Viserys was a brat, and she did love Drogo, but ultimately, they were pawns to her.
The same held true for Jon Snow down the line. Daenerys ended up loving him too, but first and foremost, he was a tool in the game as he brought her the army she needed. Lord Varys, Jon and Tyrion Lannister all realized how she lacked empathy, which eroded bit by bit the more Daenerys started treating people like chess pieces. To Daenerys, politics came first; something her own inner circle saw, which informed why she ended up burning King's Landing -- she lost her soul and her humanity. For viewers, it was exemplified earlier as well when she shooed Daario Naharis away, as she couldn't be seen as someone who took a non-royal for a husband.
Rhaenyra exhibited this same selfish, disappointing trait when a lovestruck Ser Criston Cole propositioned her en route to meet Laenor. Granted, Criston was a bit naive, but the way Rhaenyra treated him reminded fans of Daenerys' machinations. Rhaenyra wasn't mean or didn't intend to be, but it wasn't kind how she let Criston know he was beneath her station. And that she would never think of running away with him, as she was the crown.
Criston felt like a damaged, insulted peasant and a passionate fool in love, but more so, like someone who was duped into breaking his knightly vow of celibacy. The fact Rhaenyra tried to keep him on as a secret lover made him feel even worse because even though her style was different from Daenerys years later, the principle still stood -- Criston was a convenient object, ergo why he went berserk and killed Joffrey. He could tell that once he wasn't of political gain, Rhaenyra didn't see him as anything more than a toy.
Ultimately, these women were bound by duty, but they had the chance to break the vicious cycle and leave the war behind. Or at least show the realm they could love the common folk and invite them into their new dynasties, too. But both Daenerys and Rhaenyra wanted to rule no matter what, illustrating their power with folks they considered elite and intimidating. In the process, they didn't care about breaking hearts. All that mattered was finding the right pawn to use, reinforcing that the Targaryen women were just as ruthless and businesslike as their male counterparts.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on HBO and stream on HBO Max.