Who Was the Worst Targaryen to Rule Westeros?

Home Targaryen ruled over Westeros for the very best a part of three centuries. They essentially formed the seven kingdoms as we all know them by the point of Recreation of Thrones, their rule defining a lot of the realm’s traditions, borders, natures, and really existence. However 283 years is a really very long time for one family to carry the reins. And lots of of them have been removed from excellent at doing so throughout that point.

Eighteen monarchs (17 kings and one queen) dominated in those years, and… effectively, let’s be trustworthy, there have been a whole lot of them who have been the truth is very dangerous for the realm. Civil wars, merciless management, absent management, paranoia, and insanity—the Targaryen rule of Westeros is as outlined by illness as it’s success after Aegon’s conquest. So, as we put together for House of the Dragon to return and provides us some updates on what’s happening with at the very least a few the candidates for Worst Targaryen in season three, let’s take a chronological look again on the candidates for probably the most horrible buttcheeks to have warmed the Iron Throne.

Aenys I (37-42 AC)

Sure, virtually instantly after Aegon the Conqueror issues began going sideways for Targaryen kings. A frail man—it was extensively believed at first that he was not the Conqueror’s true son, till he proved in any other case by bonding with the dragon Quicksilver—Aenys’ transient rule was guided by his personal indecisiveness and cowardice, with a number of uprisings throughout his reign. He additionally noticed an elevated opposition with the Religion of the Seven for persevering with Aegon’s follow of incest, ultimately resulting in a non secular revolt that noticed Aenys flee the capital for Dragonstone, the place he fell sick and died.

Many individuals believed that Aenys’ brother, the sturdy warrior Maegor, would’ve proved a greater king throughout his reign. Properly, about that…

Maegor I (42-48 AC)

Maegor the Merciless’s reign is usually thought of one of many darkest durations of Westerosi historical past. Virtually from the get-go, Maegor was deeply unpopular for his authoritarian bent, having usurped the Iron Throne from Aenys’ rightful inheritor, who would come to be often called Aegon the Uncrowned, and his defiance of the traditions of the realm. He was particularly at odds with the Religion of the Seven, each for his unorthodox coronation and his want to take a number of wives. This result in the primary Trial of Seven in Westeros’ historical past, through which Maegor brutally slaughtered his opponents within the Religion Militant, fell right into a month-long coma, after which promptly awoke and burned down the Sept of Rememberance, the Religion Militant’s major base of operations, from atop his dragon Balerion.

Maegor’s penchant for violence continued all through his reign, killing his nephew Aegon when he rose in defiance of Maegor’s rule, and his unpopularity ultimately lead the lords of Westeros to again Aenys’ final surviving son, Jaehaerys, to rule as an alternative. Making ready to face a brutal struggle for management of the realm, Maegor was discovered murdered earlier than issues might worsen—saving the realm from tragedy and even setting the stage for the ascension of what would go on to be often called one of many biggest, if not the best, durations of Targaryen rule underneath Jaehaerys the Conciliator.

Aegon II (129 AC-131 AC)

The second Targaryen king of his vaunted identify, Aegon’s rule will eternally be remembered by the chaos brought on by his ascension: the notorious Dance of the Dragons, when Home Targaryen was break up by civil struggle between the Greens, the faction that supported the assumption that Viserys I had supposed for his crown to go to his eldest son, and the Blacks, who supported the declare of Viserys’ eldest baby and daughter, Rhaenyra—who he had named his inheritor regardless of the principles of the road of succession declaring the crown would by no means be handed on to a daughter.

Even with out the Dance having terrifying impacts throughout Westeros, as Targaryen dragonfire wreaked havoc on battling forces on each side, Aegon’s rule was extensively unpopular. Home of the Dragon hasn’t gotten there but, however we all know from George R.R. Martin’s supply materials that after Aegon returned to the capital following the demise of Rhaenyra, the king—who had been horrifically wounded not as soon as, however twice within the struggle, leaving him coated in burns and unable to stroll—was preventing a dropping battle in opposition to the rest of his sister’s forces, an ineffective ruler till the Dance lastly got here to an finish together with his poisoning.

Rhaenyra Targaryen (129-130 AC)

Right here’s one other one Home of the Dragon hasn’t gotten to but. Throughout the Dance, Rhaenyra does briefly ascend to the Iron Throne as her father Viserys I needed, taking King’s Touchdown and forcing her brother-king to flee. Though Rhaenyra was well-liked throughout the civil struggle, particularly as Aegon II’s rule had confirmed so tumultuous because of his controversial succession, the hope that she would deliver vital change to the smallfolk’s prospects with rule was shortly confirmed incorrect. Rhaenrya was extraordinarily harsh to anybody she believed had supported, and continued to assist, Aegon, executing a whole bunch with the Knights Inquisitor, and imposing harsh taxes after the Greens had taken a lot of King’s Touchdown’s wealth outdoors of the capital for safekeeping.

Rhaenyra’s reign ended after simply six months, when tensions within the capital broke out right into a full-scale riot, destroying the Dragonpit (killing a number of dragons, and Rhaenyra’s son Joffrey, within the course of) and forcing her to flee to Dragonstone—and her eventual seize and demise.

Aegon III (131-157 AC)

Aegon III took the throne at simply the age of 10 within the wake of the Dance of the Dragons, and unsurprisingly, when your childhood is spent watching your loved ones brutally kill one another and begin the downfall of the age of dragons—and your reign actually sees the final of the Targaryen dragons die out—you’re not going to be a very jovial individual or that concerned about ruling the dominion.

Aegon III’s reign was often called the reign of the Damaged King—the primary 5 years of his rule, earlier than he got here of age, noticed numerous regents and palms trying to bully the traumatized baby for energy, and even after he turned 16, he turned inward and melancholy, making him seem chilly and distant within the eyes of his folks.

Baelor I (161-171 AC)

It is perhaps odd to have somebody often called Baelor the Blessed on right here—and after A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we already know the good-looking legacy that the subsequent main Targaryen to take his identify, Baelor Breakspear, needed to dwell as much as as inheritor obvious in his time. However whereas Baelor I used to be certainly a pious man, that was additionally a part of the rationale he wasn’t precisely beloved by all by the point his reign got here to an finish.

Though Baelor was already a religious follower of the Religion of the Seven when he took the throne at 17, many consider his elevated piety was a part of a psychological affliction brought on by having endured harmful snake venom rescuing his cousin, Aemon the Dragonknight, from seize in Dorne shortly after his ascension. A lot of Baelor’s reign was spent advancing the reason for the Religion, together with the development of the Nice Sept in King’s Touchdown, incomes him quite a lot of favor amongst its followers, however this additionally led to a sequence of extensively unpopular non secular reforms, together with an outright ban on prostitution, that proved divisive.

Baelor ultimately fasted himself to demise in an act of piety, trying to absolve his sister (and former spouse, who he had his marriage to annulled to take a vow of celibacy) for giving delivery to a bastard son, Daemon, and refusing to call his father. That can turn out to be crucial, because it set the stage for the transient reign of his uncle, Viserys II, paving the best way for…

Aegon IV (172–184 AC)

Jeez, what’s it with Westeros and dangerous Aegons? You realize you’re on a generational streak once you’re so dangerous at being king that you find yourself being often called Aegon the Unworthy.

Aegon IV’s complete rule was marked by corruption and greed, and of all of the Targaryens on right here he’s up there with the worst of a foul bunch. It was extensively believed that Aegon had his father, Viserys II, poisoned so he might take the Iron Throne sooner, and virtually instantly he stacked his courtroom with folks keen to flatter and indulge his vices for any shred of energy. He was an notorious philanderer, sleeping with dozens of ladies throughout the realm, and having at the very least 13 bastard kids other than his trueborn inheritor, Daeron, who often tried to problem his rule—resulting in a bitter relationship between father and son, that Aegon tried to undermine at each alternative.

For as dangerous as Aegon IV’s reign was whereas he was alive, it was on his deathbed that he cemented his legacy as one of many worst kings in Home Targaryen: as a last act of spite, Aegon legitimized all of his bastard kids within the line of succession, together with his favored son Daemon (who he had with Daena), who took the identify Blackfyre after Aegon gifted him the sword of Aegon the Conqueror as an indication of his approval. Though Daeron nonetheless took the crown after his father’s demise, Aegon’s final act set the stage for the rise of Home Blackfyre, and the series of rebellions that will sow chaos for many years to come back.

Aerys I (209-221 AC)

Not like most of the rulers talked about right here up to now, Aerys I isn’t on this potted historical past of horrible Targaryens for a reign of cruelty. If something, Aerys I is perhaps one of many nicer Targaryens on the record—however that was his downside. Aerys’ rule happened from an unlikely, unlucky sequence of occasions: the demise of his brother Baelor after he participated within the Trial of Seven at Ashford Meadow, and the demise of his father and nephews within the Great Spring Sickness that adopted.

Aerys by no means actually anticipated to rule and, in some ways, didn’t need to: though a lot of his early reign was a time of tumult for the seven kingdoms, Aerys discovered solace in his books, letting his hand, Brynden Rivers, rule with an iron fist in his stead. Aerys’ lack of curiosity allowed Home Blackfyre, initially quelled in its makes an attempt at rebel by his father Daeron II, to aim a number of successor rebellions, if not for the guiding hand of Rivers. Aerys died heirless, throwing the Targaryen line of succession into additional confusion, resulting in some unlikely (however much better) rulers than even he was.

Aerys II (262-283 AC)

There’d be no model of a listing of the Worst Targaryens to take a seat on the Iron Throne with out the Mad King himself. It’s not simply the very fact his reign led to hearth, blood, and the top of the Targaryen dynasty because it had been recognized for almost 300 years, however Aerys II’s rule, even so long as it was, was outlined by strife even earlier than it led to the outbreak of rebel.

Aerys himself barely ruled, leaving the small print of rule to his hand, Tywin Lannister, whereas he dreamt of outlandish methods to immortalize his rule of the realm, comparable to a second nice wall within the North. However after his seize by Home Duskendale in 277 AC—and Aerys’ horrible retribution upon his rescue—issues went from dangerous to worse, as an more and more paranoid king lashed out at his topics with executions and immolations. One execution too many—the burnings of Brandon and Rickard Stark after the perceived kidnapping of Lyanna Stark by Aerys’ son Rhaegar—stirred the dominion to revolt, altering Westeros’ historical past for good.

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