House of the Dragon turned King Aegon II Targaryen from his replacement of Joffrey into a much better character than the one in GRRM's book

King Aegon II Targaryen is, on the surface, House of the Dragons equivalent of King Joffrey Baratheon of Game of Thrones. Both are rulers who come to the throne at a young age after the death of a father who did not show much interest in them, both are far too immature, disabled and unprepared to assume such a position, and both are capable of acts Of great corruption and cruelty rivaling some of the worst kings of all Game of Thrones History.

Joffrey, of course, is one of the most hated characters in television history, brought brilliantly to life by Jack Gleeson as part of Game of ThronesThrow. Aegon, what in House of the DragonThe character himself, played by Ty Tennant and then (and still) Tom Glynn-Carney, didn't reach the same tantrum-inducing, fist-through-the-television levels of unhappiness. This speaks to how despicable Joffrey was, but also how good a job the prequel did with its own young king.

King Aegon is very different from King Joffrey, despite initial similarities

There is much more nuance to Aegon

There are clear similarities between Aegon and Joffrey in terms of their age, position and aspects of their personality, which make it easy to look at them on equal terms. It may also have been tempting to lean into the less desirable qualities, because it worked so well for Game of Thrones. However, Aegon stands apart from Joffrey in several ways. That's not to say he's a better character, because Joff was an all-time great villain, but he's certainly more human.

Joffrey was a spoiled brat, but also someone completely lacking in empathy, or feelings of any kind for the most part. He is not only cruel, but sadistic, and people's suffering may be the only thing that brings him pleasure. Egon does some terrible things, and there is no forgiveness for that, but he is more multifaceted, and really tries to be a good king, even if he fails in it. There is a vulnerability to him, and in contrast to Joffrey, he is very open with his emotionsEspecially after Blood and Cheese kill Prince Jaeharis. Glynn-Carney himself spoke about the comparisons, telling The Independent:

"Joffrey is cold and calculating, while Aegon is frantic, and when he feels, he feels so deeply - which is as dangerous as someone who doesn't feel at all. He doesn't have anywhere to put it, which I think sometimes shows in Violence."

House of the Dragon's Aegon is even better than the book version

The HBO show improves on Fire and Blood thanks to Tom Glynn-Carney's performance

Aigon in House of the Dragon Width follows the same arc as in Fire & BloodBut is, for the most part, a strong character. A big advantage that the HBO series has over Martin's book is the ability to better flesh out characters and events, which are simply presented as moments in history without much detail. That's not to say the show always gets it right—the changes to blood and cheese are testament to that—but it certainly helps with characters like Aegon, who are much richer and more nuanced than on the page.

A lot of the characteristics are the same, including being petulant young boys who are not made to rule, however House of the Dragon Adds extra layers. There is a tragedy to Aegon in the show that isn't really that clear in the bookWhich clearly defines how he is looked after by his father and used simply as a tool by his mother and grandfather. The addition of Aemond's hatred for him, too, is a nice touch, adding to the character's complexity, as is the sadness of him and Helena's inability to communicate between their shared grief.

Overall, Aegon developed into one of House of the Dragon's best characters in season 2. This is thanks not only to some good writing, but also Glynn-Carney's performance, which is one of the show's finest. He perfectly conveys so much, making the character not exactly likable, but definitely more understandable. He brings a great balance of humor and sadness alongside his despicable acts, making him not only completely different to Joffrey, but an improvement on Fire & Blood.

• Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon Tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before being replaced by Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra's father, King Viserys Targaryen, also star in the series.

• Based on George RR Martin's novels, the fantasy series follows the power struggles between noble families as they fight for control of the Iron Throne in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The series is known for its complex characters, political intrigue and unexpected plot twists.