Over a 283-year period, 17 kings (and one queen) of Targaryen descent sat on the Iron Throne and ruled Westeros. During that time, the Targaryens went unyielding mighty dragon lords to weak rulers in peril of displacement, with just a handful of their number left. The dynasty’s decline began in earnest during the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war we will see play out in future seasons of House of the Dragon.
But there’s more to the story than that. Some kings were tyrants of the kind Robert Baratheon would eventually overthrow. Others tried to make the realm a better place. Let’s take a look at each, starting with the worst and working our way up to the best.
Caution: There will be SPOILERS for House of the Dragon below, but we’ll warn you before the worst of them.
18. Aegon the Unworthy
Aegon IV was the son of King Viserys II, and is considered one of the worst kings to ever sit the Iron Throne, earning him the nickname “the Unworthy.” I see many similarities between Aegon IV and Baron Harkonnen from Dune. Both are corrupt, gluttonous, lustful and indulge every desire they have no matter the cost to others. Some believe that Aegon poisoned his father Viserys II to fast track his ascension as king. He also stacked his court with yes men and women willing to do anything for his favor.
Aegon’s most notable feat as king was the copious amount of bastards he fathered; at least 13 with various women. The most famous of the bastards were Daemon Waters, Aegor Rivers (Bittersteel), Brynden Rivers (Bloodraven) and Shiera Seastar, all of whom would bring bloodshed to Westeros. Aegon IV hated his sister-wife Naerys and his trueborn son Daeron, favoring his bastards instead. His favorite among them being Daemon Waters, a talented warrior and knight that was everything Aegon wanted his son Daeron to be. Daeron was more of a bookish man who enjoyed reading books to waging war.
Aegon knighted Daemon when he was just 12 years old. He gave him the family sword Blackfyre, which Daemon also took as his last name. In 184 AC, after 12 years of glutton and misrule, Aegon IV died. On his deathbed, Aegon legitimized all of his bastards, putting them in line to inherit the Iron Throne. Although his true born son Daeron succeeded him, Daemon Blackfyre challenged him in an act of open rebellion against the throne.
This would become known as the first Blackfyre rebellion. It would not be the last. Aegon IV’s actions wound up dragging the country through five more Blackfyre rebellions over the next hundred years.
17. Maegor the Cruel
The son of Aegon the Conqueror and Visenya Targaryen, Maegor usurped the throne from the true heir, his nephew Aegon the Uncrowned. Maegor is regarded as one of the worst kings in Westerosi history on account of his authoritarianism and disregard for traditions. He was a cunning warrior who enjoyed violence, cruelty and dominating his opponents. Although he did not initially possess a dragon, after his father Aegon died, Maegor bonded with Balerion the Black Dread, which effectively made him the most powerful man in the realm.
Due to his illegitimate coronation and insistence on taking multiple wives, Maegor was constantly at odds with the Faith of the Seven. During a Trial of the Seven with the Faith Militant, Maegor defeated his enemies but was put in a coma for about a month. When he awoke, he mounted Balerion and burned the Sept of Remembrance to the ground. He also threatened to burn the main Sept in Oldtown if the Faith did not stop pestering him about his marriages.
Aegon the Uncrowned openly disputed Megor’s by leading a rebel force to King’s Landing on his dragon Quicksilver. Maegor easily dispatched of his nephew with Balerion, securing his rule for the time being.
One of the few good things Maegor did was oversee the completion of the Red Keep. However, even this feat was tainted with dishonor, as Maegor had all of the builders executed when the castle was finished to keep knowledge of its hidden passages secret.
Maegor created a lot of enemies during his six-year rule Eventually, the lords of Westeros had enough and threw their support behind Jaehaerys Targaryen, the last surviving grandson of the Conqueror. Facing enemies from all corners, Maegor retired to the throne room one night after planning with his war council. He was found the next morning impaled on the Iron Throne with his wrists cut. The circumstances of his death will never be known, but given how unpopular Maegor was, it is likely someone murdered him.
The only reason Maegor is not 17th on this list is because he was succeeded bythe greatest king in Westerosi history, but we’ll get to him later.
16. The Mad King Aerys II
The infamous Mad King is low on this list for obvious reasons. He was mostly known for his impatience, cruelty and all around nasty behavior during his 21-year rule. In his youth, Aerys was a decent knight and fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings alongside his future Hand of the King Tywin Lannister. Not long after this, Aerys ascended the throne after his father Jaehaerys II died just three years into his reign.
While Tywin essentially ruled the Seven Kingdoms as Hand, Aerys made unrealistic promises to do things like build a second Wall in the North, or build a marble city on the other side of Blackwater Bay. Over time, Aerys grew paranoid, partially because his wife Rhaella had trouble conceiving more children. For a time, Rhaegar Targaryen was their only child and heir.
At one point, Aerys was captured and held hostage for six months by the lord of Duskendale, a town close to King’s Landing. After Barristan Selmy successfully rescued the king, Aerys became even more unhinged. He did not allow anyone to cut his hair or nails and started to look much older than his 33 years. He also became obsessed with burning people alive after executing the lord of Duskendale with wildfire.
After refusing to marry Rhaegar to Cersei Lannister and naming Jaime Lannister to the Kingsguard, Tywin resigned as Hand and went back to Casterly Rock. Rhaegar then disappeared with Lyanna Stark, which many interpreted as a kidnapping. Brandon and Rickard Stark went to King’s Landing to demand Lyanna be returned, whereupon Aerys had them imprisoned and executed for treason. This led to the North, the Vale, the Riverlands and the Stormlands calling their banners and launching Robert’s Rebellion.
Aerys’ actions led to the overthrow of the Targaryen dynasty and near extinction of his house. If Jaime Lannister did not kill him in time, Aerys would have burned King’s Landing to the ground with wildfire. His daughter Daenerys and possible grandson Jon Snow are seemingly the only Targaryens left alive.
15. Aegon II
The sixth king of Westeros and the son of Viserys I, Aegon II ascended the throne against the wishes of his late father. Thanks to the scheming of his mother’s family the Hightowers, Aegon was crowned instead of his half-sister and Viserys’ named heir Rhaenyra. The result was the brutal Dance of the Dragons, the war which we are about to see play out on House of the Dragon. This conflict saw the Hightower faction, the “greens,” and Rhaenyra’s faction, the “blacks,” plunge Westeros into a destructive civil war.
Caution: SPOILERS for future seasons of House of the Dragon follow below!
Even before he became king, Aegon II was a greedy man who fathered several bastards with peasants in King’s Landing. The young prince was initially hesitant to take the crown but was convinced after the “greens” insisted Rhaenyra would kill him and his children if she were crowned.
During the war, Aegon II was severely injured in two altercations on dragonback, once against Rhaenys Targaryen on Meleys, and another against princess Baela Targaryen on Moondancer. These injuries left Aegon with burns on half his body as well as shattered legs from jumping off his dragon mid flight. After a series of back-and-forth setbacks for the remainder of the war, Aegon outlived most of his family and rivals before being poisoned by unknown assailants in the capital. The clubfoot Larys Strong likely had something to do with the king’s death, but it did not matter as the remaining black forces were about to take King’s Landing when he was killed.
14. Aegon III
The son of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen, Aegon III saw most of his family die during the Dance of the Dragons and it scarred him for life. He was especially wary of dragons. He became known as Aegon the Younger. He was also known as the Dragonbane, since the last dragons died while he was king. For much of his 26-year-reign, others ruled for him, in the form of a council of regents and then his brother Viserys, who served as Hand of the King.
Due to his childhood trauma, Aegon III was joyless in adulthood. He got no pleasure from marriage, fatherhood, tourneys, drinking, or hunting. He dressed simply in black. He was plagued by nightmares, barely ate food and tended to lock himself in his room for long periods at a time. When he died of consumption at the age of 36, many thought he was much older than he was.
13. Rhaenyra Targaryen
After Viserys I died, the “greens” in King’s Landing crowned his son Aegon II as king of Westeros, despite the fact that Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra his heir. When Rhaenyra found out that her half-brother had been crowned, her fury sent her into early labor and gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Visenya. Blaming the greens for her daughter’s death, Rhaenyra and her husband Daemon gathered their allies at the black council and planned to take back her father’s throne.
All of this we’ve seen on House of the Dragon. But there’s more to come: eventually, Rhaenrya takes back King’s Landing and the Iron Throne, forcing Aegon to flee and seek shelter elsewhere. The common folk of King’s Landing, who once looked at Rhaenyra as the realm’s delight, begin to turn on her for executing anyone she suspects of helping Aegon and implementing stringent new taxes.
Eventually, tensions in the capital boil over into a full-scale riot. The Dragonpit is destroyed with several dragons inside, and Rhaenyra’s son Joffrey dies trying to ride Syrax. At this point, Aegon the Younger is Rhaenyra’s only living child (that she knows of), and she flees King’s Landing with him.
Rhaenyra only sat the iron throne for six months, and that time saw much suffering for the smallfolk and high born alike. Her reign isn’t successful, but two of her sons would sit the Iron Throne after her, and her bloodline is the one that lives on after the Dance.
12. Aenys I
The first son of Aegon the Conqueror, Aenys climbed the steps of the Iron Throne in 37 AC and ruled for five years. As a child, Aenys was a frail and sickly boy, which led to rumors that he was not the Conqueror’s son, but a bastard of one of the many singers his mother Rhaenys kept company with. These rumors were put to rest when Aenys bonded with the dragon Quicksilver.
Despite bonding with a dragon, many questioned Aenys’ ability to rule because of his indecisiveness. His inability to make command decisions led to four separate uprisings sprouting during his reign. Meanwhile, his brother Maegor proved to be a great warrior, and some began to think he’d make a better king (which they’d regret when he actually became king and ruled as a cruel tyrant).
At the time, Westeros was not keen on the practice of Targaryen incest, only making an exception for Aegon the Conqueror himself because of how his proven military record and his respect for the faith. When Aenys looked to continue the practice with his own children Aegon and Rhaena, the weak king was met with an uprising by the Faith Militant. Instead of quelling the threat, Aenys went to Dragonstone with his family, where he fell ill and died at the age of 35.
11. Baelor the Blessed
The second son of Aegon III, Baelor ascended after his brother Daeron I died fighting in Dorne having not yet produced any children. Baelor was 17 when he was crowned, and he is known for being the most pious king in the history of Westeros. His first act as king was walking barefoot from King’s Landing to Dorne in an act of forgiveness. He completed the journey, secured a peace with Dorne and negotiated the release of his cousin, Aemon the Dragonknight.
Although the Prince of Dorne agreed to Aemon’s release, the lord holding him hostage refused to free Aemon unless Baelor could get him out of a pit of vipers. Baelor was successful, but was bitten by several snakes in the process; some think the poison got into his brain and impaired his decision-making going forward. Months later, he woke up in King’s Landing more devout than ever, thinking that he had just performed a holy miracle. He had the Faith annul his marriage to his sister Daena and took a vow of celibacy. He also locked all of his sisters away in the Red Keep to keep them “pure.”
Baelor’s outlawed prostitution, donated most of the Crown’s money, burned books and constructed the Great Sept in King’s Landing, the same one Cersei exploded on Game of Thrones decades later. He also named an 8-year-old as High Septon. After 10 years as king, Baelor eventually fasted himself to death praying for the forgiveness of one of his sisters. Some say Baelor’s uncle Viserys poisoned him before he tried to outlaw all gods except for those of the Faith, which likely would have led to a war with the North and the Iron Islands.
Despite securing peace with Dorne and giving a lot to the poor, Baelor’s reign is mostly remembered as a failure on account of the many outlandish and questionable decrees he made in the name of religion.
10. Aerys I
Aerys was the 13th king of Westeros and second son of Daeron the good. He took the throne after his father died in a plague and his older brother Baelor Breakspear was killed in a tourney. The beginning of Aerys’ rule was tough; a plague was sweeping through the realm while the Greyjoys were reaving the Western coast.
Aerys named Brynden Rivers — aka Bloodraven, one of Aegon the Unworthy’s bastards — as Hand of the King. Bloodraven ruled from behind the scenes with an iron fist and was instrumental in quelling the first Blackfyre rebellion. Using his vast spy network, Bloodraven was able to prevent the second Blackfyre rebellion before it began and quashed the third one on the battlefield.
After dueling and defeating his half-brother and lifelong rival Bittersteel, Bloodraven brought the rebel before the king. Although Bittersteel was found guilty of treason, Aerys decided to go against everyone’s wishes and send him to the Wall rather than execute him. Bittersteel escaped and fled to Essos to plot another rebellion.
Although he was technically king for 12 years, Aerys never fathered an heir and did not do much besides read books. He died of natural causes in 221 AC.
9. Daeron I
The first son of Aegon III, Daeron I took the throne at age 14 and was known for his prowess in combat. While his uncle Viserys effectively ruled the realm as Hand of the King, Daeron was a young warrior who thirsted for glory. This ambition led to him trying to finally conquer Dorne and unite the Seven Kingdoms as one. He was successful in this endeavor, which was unexpected since Aegon the Conqueror could not even conquer Dorne, and that was back when the Targaryens still had dragons.
However, Daeron’s victory was short-lived. The Dornish smallfolk rebelled and Daeron returned to battle them into submission. When it looked as though Dorne was again ready to surrender, Daeron met with the Dornish lords under a peace banner. During this meeting he was betrayed and killed at 18 years old.
8. Jaehaerys II
Jaehaerys II was the 16th king of Westeros. His reign began with the final Blackfyre rebellion, known as the War of the Ninepenny Kings. The Ninepenny Kings were a band of nine cutthroats and brigands from Essos led by Maelys “The Monstrous,” allegedly the last living Blackfyre.
Many characters from Game of Thrones cut their teeth during this war, including Tywin Lannister, Blackfish Tully, Barristan Selmy and Aerys Targaryen. Although Jaehaerys II wanted to lead his army to the band of nine’s encampment in the Stepstones, he was dissuaded by his Hand of the Kind Ormund Baratheon. After the war, and just three years of rule, Jaehaerys died of an illness, and his son Aerys II, who would become known as the Mad King, ascended.
7. Viserys I
The fifth king of Westeros, Viserys I inherited a prosperous kingdom from his predecessor and grandfather Jaehaerys I. Westeros was in its prime and the Targaryen dynasty was at the height of its power, with dozens of dragons at its disposal.
Viserys had good intentions as king, and loved his wife Aemma Arryn very much. Together, they had a daughter named Rhaenyra; she became his cup bearer at the age of 8, learning statecraft at her father’s feet. But Viserys needed a son to further his line and kept trying with Aemma, who eventually died in childbirth as was horrifically portrayed in the first episode of House of the Dragon.
Viserys’ brother Daemon was too much of a wildcard to rule, so Viserys went against precedent and named his daughter Rhaenyra his heir. Although Rhaenyra was well liked and capable, ocnflict arose when Viserys got remarried to Alicent Hightower, who gave him three sons.
Alicent and Rhaenyra grew contemptuous of each other, leading to the formation of two factions at court: the greens and the blacks. Viserys was unable to keep his family from fighting, and after his death these factions would battle each other in civil war.
Viserys’ actual reign was quite peaceful and prosperous, but he deserves some blame for setting up the disruption to come.
6. Maekar I
When King Aerys I died without an heir, his younger brother Maekar ascended the Iron Throne. Maekar was a cunning warrior, but also a harsh man who was quick to judge. He was also haunted by the guilt of killing his older brother and heir to the throne, Baelor Breakspear. His main accomplishments were helping put down the Blackfyre rebellions and forging a new crown of black-pointed spears.
Over a 12-year reign, the biggest problem Maekar had was choosing a successor. One of his sons was a drunk, another a cunning but cruel knight, a third a bookish scholar and his fourth son grew up among peasants. After Maekar was crushed to death by a rock in battle, Bloodraven called a great council to decide who would become the next king.
When a Blackfyre named Aenys put himself in the running, Bloodraven invited him as an honored guest in King’s Landing. He foolishly accepted and was beheaded by Bloodraven’s men almost immediately upon arrival. The council chose the third son Aemon, but he was a man of the Citadel training to become a maester, and he refused. Eventually, Maekar’s youngest son Aegon was chosen, which ended up being a great pick:
5. Aegon V, called the Unlikely
The fourth son of Maekar, Aegon V was chosen to become the next king at the Great Council of 233 AC. He was called Aegon the Unlikely because, as the fourth son of a fourth son, no one expected him to get anywhere near the throne.
Aegon, also known as “Egg,” grew up squiring for a hedge knight named Duncan the Tall and traveling the Seven Kingdoms disguised as a peasant. His early stories are told in George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas. Because of this upbringing, “Egg” was sympathetic to the common people. His first act as king was arresting Bloodraven for the murder of Aenys and sending him to the Night’s Watch. Egg’s brother Aemon, now a maester, went to the Wall as well; we meet him as the elderly Maester Aemon in Game of Thrones.
To the dismay of many lords, Egg gave more rights and protections to the common folk. He also sent food and supplies to the North during a harsh winter. These actions bred discontent amongst his lords, leading a frustrated Egg to try and hatch new dragons, so he could back up his proclamations with more strength.
Like his father Maekar, Egg had succession problems, as his sons were not keen on the marriage proposals he made for them. His heir Duncan the Small even abdicated his position to marry a lowborn girl named Jenny of Oldstones. His second son Jaehaerys also went against Egg’s wishes and secretly married his sister Shaera. This angered the Tullys and Tyrells, who were promised marriages to the princes. Egg’s third son Daeron also broke his marriage pact, as he preferred the company of a knight named Jeremy Norridge.
After decades of dealing with unhappy lords and two more Blackfyre rebellions, Egg gathered his family at the Targaryen palace of Summerhall. While nobody knows what truly happened, it is hypothesized that Egg was attempting to conduct a fire ritual to hatch dragon eggs. The ritual ended in tragedy as the palace burned to the ground while Egg, his friend Duncan the Tall, his son Duncan and possibly many others were inside.
While Summerhall burned, Rhaella Targaryen was giving birth to Rhaegar Targaryen, the brother of Daenerys. The Summerhall tragedy possibly led to the birth of Jon Snow, who may be the prophesied hero to save the world from the White Walkers.
4. Daeron the Good
The son of Aegon the Unworthy, Daeron II ruled Westeros for 25 years. After his father’s tumultuous reign, Daeron worked to undo the corruption and replace Aegon’s advisors with men capable of wielding power. One of Daeron’s two big accomplishments as king was finally uniting Dorne with the Seven Kingdoms for good. While Daeron I conquered it and Baelor I brokered peace with an act of faith, Daeron II married his sister Daenaerys to the Prince of Dorne, Maron Martell. Prior to becoming king, Daeron married Maron’s sister Myriah Martell.
It was these marriages that finally brought Dorne into the fold on a permanent basis. After years of conflict with Dorne, many were uncomfortable as Daeron began to surround himself with Dornish advisors. His son and heir Baelor Breakspear had the dark features of a Dornishmen instead of the blonde hair and velvet eyes of the Targaryens. Contempt was brewing among the lords, leading to Daeron’s second great accomplishment: putting down the first Blackfyre Rebellion.
Daeron tried to keep the peace with his bastard siblings, even arranging a marriage for Daemon Blackfyre. However, because Aegon IV had legitimized his bastards, many saw Daemon Blackfyre as a more worthy king than Daeron. Taking advantage of the malcontent in Westeros, Daemon Blackfyre and his half brother Aegor “Bittersteel” Rivers launched a rebellion against the Crown. After a year of fighting, the first Blackfyre rebellion came to an end at the Battle of the Redgrass field. Daemon Blackfyre and his two eldest sons were killed, while “Bittersteel” fled across the Narrow Sea to found the Golden Company.
Daeron dealt with the rebels harshly, taking away their seats and privileges while taking hostages. The remainder of his rule was relatively peaceful and prosperous, until a plague hit Westeros in 209 AC and killed many, including the king.
3. Viserys II
Viserys II is the second son of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. Although he technically only ruled for a year, he served as Hand of the King for decades, basically ruling from behind the scenes under several different monarchs.
We’ve already met Viserys II and his brother Aegon III on House of the Dragon, as babies. In a touching bit of foreshadowing, King Viserys I remarks that his grandson of the same name has the makings of a king.
During the Dance of the Dragons, Viserys and his brother Aegon the younger are sent away from the conflict in Westeros to be fostered in Pentos. Halfway through the journey, their ship is set upon by pirates. Aegon is able to escape on his young dragon Stormcloud. Viserys is left behind, and for years is believed to be dead.
In fact, Viserys survived lives in Lys for years in service to a magister. He would eventually marry the daughter of a powerful banker and return to Westeros during the reign of his brother, now King Aegon III. Viserys’ return was said to be the only true joy of Aegon III’s life, and the brothers grew close upon their reunion. Aegon eventually made Viserys his Hand, a position he kept for the next 30 years during the reigns of both of Aegon’s sons, Daeron I and Baelor I. His actions during this time were instrumental in keeping the realm together, as Daeron was preoccupied with war and Baelor with religion; Daeron was the one who actually cared about ruling.
Viserys II was shrewd and capable. During his short reign, he created a new royal mint, increased trade with foreign nations and updated the code of laws. Had to reigned for longer, he might have done as much good for the realm as Jaehaerys I before him.
2. Aegon the Conqueror
The man who founded the Targaryen dynasty, Aegon and his sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya used the might of their dragons to bring Westeros to its knees. Initially, the Targaryens were just another house in Westeros, residing on the island castle of Dragonstone. They were one of three families that survived the destruction of Valyria, their original home.
Seeing the seven independent kingdoms as one country, Aegon decided to invade with dragons and establish dominance over the realm. The spot where he landed on the Westerosi mainland was initially known as the Aegonfort, and later became the capital of King’s Landing. Aegon would eventually order the construction of the Red Keep and the Iron Throne on this site.
Even though he lacked a substantial army, Aegon and his sisters proved that dragons could dominate the battlefield even with a meager number of troops backing you up. But knowing he had the advantage on the field did not make Aegon arrogant. He had the foresight to understand that he needed to respect the customs of Westeros, or the lords would never faithfully serve him. So he embraced the Faith of the Seven, adopted Westerosi heraldry and gave each lord the opportunity to bend the knee rather than meet him in battle.
The only kingdom that withstood Aegon’s onslaught was Dorne, which employed guerrilla tactics that nullified Aegon’s advantage. This led to a full-scale war with the Conqueror that lasted 10 years. Rhaenys and her dragon Meraxes were among the casualties in the vain war, which ended in a ceasefire in 13 AC. After the war, there was 20 years of peace where Aegon made royal progresses to visit his new subjects.
At the age of 64, Aegon died of a stroke on Dragonstone and he was cremated by Vhagar.
1. Jaehaerys the Conciliator
The fourth King of Westeros, Jaehaerys II holds the record for the longest reign of any Westerosi monarch, and was arguably the most successful king to sit the Iron Throne. After inheriting an unstable realm after the chaotic reign of his uncle Maegor the Cruel, Jaehaerys proved to be a wise and competent leader who united the realm and kept peace for the vast majority of his 55 years on the throne.
Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne, who was said to have ruled just as much as her husband did, oversaw a golden age in Westeros. They spearheaded a unified code of laws, invested in infrastructure, worked to reduct debt, tax the rich, and more.
Jaehaerys and Alysanne were truly in love. Despite disapproval from the Faith of the Seven and from the Hand of the King Rogar Baratheon, they married secretly on Dragonstone, despite Alysanne being betrothed to another. Rogar attempted to stop the union by showing up with warriors, but Jaehaerys’ loyal kingsguard warned he Rogar would be the first to die should he try to interfere any further. Unable to break their bond, Rogar was eventually dismissed as Hand.
Despite the couple having 13 children, few of them would live longer than Jaehaerys. His two eldest sons Aemon and Baelon died young, leaving the old king without an experienced heir. This resulted in the Great Council of 101 AC, where Aemon’s daughter Rhaenys was passed over in favor of Baelon’s son Viserys. The creation of this precedent would later be one of the main reasons the Dance of the Dragons broke out. That, of course, is the story we’re experiencing on House of the Dragon.
Add us as a preferred source on Google