The 10 most significant kings to rule Westeros
By Michael East
the long reign of king aegon I targaryen was by and large a peaceful one… in his later years, especially. but before the dragon’s peace, as the last two decades of his kingship were called by the maesters of the citadel, came the dragon’s wars.
— best of house targaryen (@targdynasty) May 28, 2020
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1. Aegon I Targaryen: The Conquerer & The Dragon (1 AC – 37 AC)
The founder of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros, the name Aegon the Conqueror will be spoken for millennia. He carved out a kingdom and became an almost mythical ideal for every Targaryen that followed.
Born on Dragonstone, Aegon was destined to be a conqueror and had the looks and manner to match. Broad and powerful, he commanded immediate respect from those in his presence. He was also noted for his generosity with those who bent the knee and for dealing with those who defied him with brutal ferocity. He was no fool and understood the limits of his own power and abilities, enlisting the help of his sisters in his rule.
Initially landing with fewer than 1,600 men, Aegon would conquer the kingdoms of Westeros in a campaign of legend. Yet it was not without controversy. The burning of Harrenhal that resulted in the death of Harren the Black of the Isles and the Rivers would set a terrible precedent for future kings and ensure the fear of the Targaryen dragons.
The Stormlands, Westerlands, and Reach would follow, and by the time Aegon reached Highgarden, Harlen Tyrell would surrender without a fight and bend the knee. Yet it was the submission of House Stark that genuinely sealed the fate of Westeros. Crossing the Neck with 30,000 men, most expected that Torrhen Stark, King in the North, would at least do honor to their lands by giving Aegon Targaryen a fight he would remember. Yet faced with a Targaryen army now including the conquered houses, Stark was outnumbered, and he negotiated peace. Torrhen would be forever known as “the King Who Knelt.”
The Vale would follow, and even though an invasion of Dorne failed, Aegon would forever be known as “the Conqueror,” the man who united six kingdoms. Following his victory, he founded Kings Landing at his Aegonfort base and melted down the swords of his defeated foes to create the Iron Throne, setting in stone the power and fear that would serve the Targaryen dynasty for centuries to come.
All the dragons in House of the Dragon, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel. dark. Next
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