Warning: this story contains major spoilers for the HBO series House of the Dragon.
In their 300 years ruling Westeros, the Targaryen dynasty produced kings that ranged from magnificent to malevolent. The Targaryens were known for being fond of incest, which led to a bit of inbreeding and a slightly polluted gene pool. Even so, House of the Dragon has made many interested in all the kings that ascended to the Iron Throne prior to Robert’s Rebellion. Some of them reigned for decades, while other for as little as a year. In their time, though, each of these rulers ultimately made an impact on the history of the Seven Kingdoms.
Aegon I Targaryen (The Conqueror)
The man who united the Seven Kingdoms with the help of his sister-wives, Aegon was spurred to conquer Westeros by the belief that a coming apocalypse would require a united realm to fend it off.
Aenys I Targaryen
The eldest son of Aegon and his half-sister Rhaenys, Aenys ruled for just five years before dying at the age of 35. His cause of death remains a mystery, although some believe Dowager Queen Visenya Targaryen was responsible, as she believed her own son would be a better fit for the job.
Maegor I Targaryen (The Cruel)
Aenys’s younger half-brother, Maegor ascended to the throne in spite of the fact that Aenys had a son who was fit to rule. Maegor conspired with his mother to steal the throne and ultimately defeated his nephew in battle while riding Aegon’s dragon, Balerion the Black Dread. Maegor was an exceptionally cruel king, known for solving his problems with bloodshed and dragon fire.
Jaehaerys I Targaryen (The Conciliator)
Jaehaerys staked his claim to the Iron Throne in the aftermath of a rebellion that led to Maegor’s death and received the backing of lords from throughout the Seven Kingdoms. He was known as The Conciliator, and ruled over 55 years of peace and prosperity inside the realm.
Viserys I Targaryen
One of the kings depicted on House of the Dragon, Viserys bequeathed the throne to his daughter Rhaenyra, and then had several sons during his second marriage. The eldest of these sons also claimed the throne, ultimately leading to a Targaryen Civil War following Viserys’s death.
Aegon II Targaryen
Aegon was crowned upon Viserys’s death by his mother, Alicent Hightower, but his reign was defined by the Dance of Dragons. Rhaenyra had also claimed the throne, and Aegon would only be king for two years before dying in the civil war.
Aegon III Targaryen (The Dragonbane)
Rhaenyra’s eldest son from her marriage to her uncle, Daemon Targaryen, Aegon III ascended to the throne at the end of the Dance of Dragons. He’s known as The Dragonbane because of his distaste for the creature, which stemmed from having witnessed his mother be eaten alive by one.
Daeron I Targaryen (The Young Dragon)
Aegon III’s eldest son, Daeron ascended to the throne at the age of 14 and never produced any heirs. Instead, he attempted to complete the conquest of Dorne and died in the rebellion that would follow.
Baelor I Targaryen (The Blessed)
Baelor was known as The Blessed because of how exceedingly pious he was. He spent his reign transforming King’s Landing into a more religious place, and he eventually shunned even his wife. He ultimately died of extended fasting, although some suspect that his uncle Viserys poisoned him.
Viserys II Targaryen
Rhaenyra’s second-born son with Daemon, Viserys ruled for only a single year. In that year, though, he attempted to codify laws in the Seven Kingdoms and establish new trade routes. He died quite suddenly, and some suspect he may have been poisoned.
Aegon IV Targaryen (The Unworthy)
If the nickname didn’t clue you in, Aegon IV is widely considered the worst Targaryen king. He fathered five bastards, and legitimized all of them on his deathbed, forcing his son to deal with the fallout of that decision in the form of open rebellion.
Daeron II Targaryen (The Good)
Daeron united the realm by bringing Dorne into the fold, and ultimately had five children. His reign was also occupied by the Blackfyre Rebellions, but he represented a return to stability following the disastrous rule of his father. He died of the Spring Sickness, which also claimed two of his children.
Aerys I Targaryen
Aerys is usually forgotten in histories of Westeros, as he had basically no interest in being king. Instead, he enjoyed sorcery and magic, and so spent much of his time with Bloodraven (one of Aegon’s bastards who would go on to become the Three-Eyed Raven). Notably, Aerys had no children with his wife.
Maekar I Targaryen
Maekar was named as heir by Aerys and served for 12 years, quashing two additional Blackfyre rebellions. He would ultimately die attempting to quash a rebellious lord in Dorne, with some reports suggesting that he was crushed under a boulder.
Aegon V Targaryen (The Unlikely)
Although he was the fourth son of Maekar and his wife, Aegon was crowned after his elder siblings either died or refused the throne, which is why he was known as The Unlikely. He was a squire for Ser Duncan in his youth, which is written about in George R.R. Martin’s Dunk & Egg tales. He was known as a good king, but died in a catastrophic fire along with his son Duncan as they attempted to revive dragon eggs.
Jaehaerys II Targaryen
Jaehaerys followed in the footsteps of his namesake Jaehaerys I, restoring order to the realm and bringing many of the great houses back into the fold. He fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings and quashed the final Blackfyre rebellion, but died after a short illness and just four years on the throne.
Aerys II Targaryen (The Mad King)
The king that preceded Robert Baratheon, Aerys was the last of the Targaryen kings. His growing insanity led to violence and instability throughout the realm and ultimately led to a rebellion which unseated him. Aerys was the father of Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys Targaryen, and he was killed by Jaime Lannister, a member of his Kingsguard, during Robert’s Rebellion.
