The latest episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, episode 3 titled “The Squire,” dropped a villain so instantly detestable that fans are already crowning him the new king of hate. Prince Aerion Targaryen, played with chilling arrogance by actor, Finn Bennett, wastes no time proving why he’s earned nicknames like “Brightflame” and “the Monstrous” in George R.R. Martin’s lore.
The episode’s most explosive moment comes during a nighttime puppet show at the Ashford tourney. When puppeteer Tanselle performs a scene with a knight slaying a dragon, Aerion Targaryen takes offense, seeing it as an insult to House Targaryen and his recent stint. He storms the stage, grabs her hand, and snaps her fingers in a brutal display of cruelty.
The crowd gasps, but no one intervenes, until Dunk steps forward. He can’t abide the injustice, leading to a tense standoff that erupts when Dunk lands a solid punch square on the prince’s face. Blood drips, and the Targaryen reels. It’s cathartic, bloody, and exactly the kind of payback fans have been craving since Aerion’s earlier antics.
But that’s not all that fueled the fire. Earlier in the joust, Aerion Targaryen showed his vicious streak by deliberately driving his lance into an opponent’s horse’s neck to win unfairly; causing riots among the spectators and highlighting his disregard for honor or fairness.
Social media exploded immediately after the credits rolled.
On X, the backlash was swift, savage, and unanimous.
Prince Aerion is a fucking monster and I wish Dunk had broken all his teeth in. Egg went from squire to Prince in an instant. What a great episode. #AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms
— Diana Gonzales (@trojanchick99) February 2, 2026
i really do hate aerion targaryen
— jenny ❧ (@danyvrse) February 2, 2026
Family dynamics amplified the revulsion. Fans latched onto Egg’s dread around his brother.
aerion being hated by everyone is so real
— soph (@aerionism) February 2, 2026
Comparisons to Joffrey Baratheon flooded in; many calling Aerion Targaryen “worse than Joffrey” for his sadism without the throne’s protection, or blending him with Viserys-level cruelty.
You’re all gonna hate Aerion just as much as Joffrey by the time this seasons done 😂 Finn Bennett though was perfectly cast 👏🏻 🐉 https://t.co/ZzokIJDbl4
— Adam Reid (@__adamreid) February 2, 2026
He’s still not at the level. Joffrey was an asshole, and Ramsay… well, I’ve never hated anyone like him LOL. Aerion feels more like Viserys at this point.
— Cas (@casserapop) February 2, 2026
Finn Bennett’s “mad Targaryen” is nailing the role so perfectly that fans love to hate him this much. Right now, Twitter (and the entire fandom) just wants him gone.
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