The most tragic thing about Robert’s Rebellion in ‘Game of Thrones’ is that it never felt inevitable while it was happening. In retrospect, it may appear as though House Targaryen was destined for ruin. However, several relatively minor choices led Westeros toward a war it could have avoided.
Who Really Destroyed House Targaryen?
For almost 300 years, the Targaryens had survived rebellions, rival claimants, family conflicts, and political instability. Their dynasty had endured far worse than one scandal involving a prince and a noblewoman. However, then all things went wrong at once.
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Rhaegar Targaryen was married to Elia Martell, but at the Tourney of Harrenhal, he crowned Lyanna Stark the queen of love and beauty. Whatever it was Rhaegar meant to do, it embarrassed the Starks and sparked suspicion throughout Westeros. Brandon Stark retaliated by riding to King’s Landing and demanding that Rhaegar come out to meet him.
Rather, Aerys II arrested Brandon and called his father, Rickard Stark, to court. That was a pivotal moment. Aerys could have dealt with the situation politically. Instead, he killed Brandon and set Rickard on fire. That’s when a family feud turned into a much bigger affair.
Aerys And Rhaegar Were The Main Catalysts Of The War
The Starks called their banners. Jon Arryn refused to surrender to Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark. Robert had his own personal reasons for fighting, particularly his belief that Lyanna had been taken from him. Initially an outburst against the crown, it soon turned into a revolt against the entire Targaryen rule.
And this is where the blaming gets tricky. Aerys is very responsible for turning a crisis into a war, because his paranoia and cruelties got the better of him. Rhaegar is also culpable, as his actions at Harrenhal contributed to the situation that sparked the conflict.
Robert, on the other hand, was not just a defender; he was a pursuer of the throne and a catalyst that helped bring one dynasty to an end and another to a beginning. However, the sad thing is that nearly every turning point could have gone another way.
If Lyanna had not been crowned, Brandon might never have gone south. If Aerys had imprisoned rather than murdered the Starks, Robert’s Rebellion might never have begun. Had Rhaegar confronted his father earlier, the Targaryen dynasty may have lived on.
That’s what makes the rebellion so heart-wrenching. Westeros wasn’t necessarily doomed to destroy House Targaryen. People made choices. But as those decisions started to add up, it was too late to turn back.
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