The Targaryens brought some of the most powerful kings to Westeros, but they also produced kings who scarred the realm long after their reigns. From civil wars and religious rebellions to paranoia and outright cruelty, some Targaryen reigns proved that having a dragon does not automatically make someone fit to wear a crown.
The really interesting thing about these kings in the ‘Game Of Thrones‘ universe is that they failed in markedly different ways. Some were weak, some were selfish, and others were just terrifying.
House Targaryen Gave Weak Kings And Men Who Destroyed Their Own Legacy
Aegon II Targaryen is best known for the Dance of the Dragons, the terrible civil war he waged against his half-sister Rhaenyra. His right to the throne split House Targaryen and eventually led to the extinction of the dragons. He was a king whose pursuit of the crown helped push his family toward catastrophe.
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Aenys I presents the opposite problem. Aenys was not as successful as his father Aegon the Conqueror in asserting his rule. He was unable to stand up to the Faith Militant, and opposition grew until his brother Maegor took the throne by force. Aenys was not a monster, but his weakness had terrible repercussions.
Then there’s Aegon IV, aka “The Unworthy”. He was a ruler of indulgence, corruption, and excess. However, his most serious mistake occurred at the very end of his life: his legitimisation of his bastards. That act led to the Blackfyre rebellions, which brought generations of political unrest.
Maegor and Aerys Show The Darkest Side Of The Crown
Maegor I, “the Cruel,” is the most brutal of all Targaryen kings. Fear was his main weapon of government, and he launched a relentless campaign against the Faith Militant. He was not only cruel towards his political opponents, but towards anyone who opposed him. Maegor was hostile towards his own family and was prepared to kill anyone who challenged his rule.
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His treatment of the people involved in constructing the Red Keep became one of the darkest legends surrounding his reign. According to tradition, he ordered the builders killed so they could never reveal the castle’s secrets.
Then there was Aerys II, “the Mad King”. He was destined to become a paranoid tyrant and to bring down the dynasty he had hoped to preserve. His execution of Rickard and Brandon Stark proved to be a pivotal moment in the sparking of Robert’s Rebellion.
And that’s what makes the worst Targaryen kings so memorable. Their failures weren’t confined to their own reigns. They created problems that Westeros had to bleed for generations to solve.
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