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.