Game of Thrones: Top 10 castles in Westeros, ranked
2. The Red Keep
The Red Keep is where the ruler of Westeros resides, and where the Iron Throne is located. The Red Keep was constructed by the Targaryens early in their dynasty. The castle’s construction was begun by Aegon I toward the end of his reign. The Red Keep’s predecessor was a wooden fort called the Aegonfort that was constructed when the Targaryens landed at the mouth of Blackwater Bay at the beginning of the conquest. When the town of King’s Landing sprouted around the structure, Aegon wanted a more fitting seat, and ordered his sister Visenya and his Hand Alyn Stokeworth to oversee construction of the Red Keep.
Aegon died two years after the start of construction, passing the Iron Throne and the project on to his son Aenys I and eventually his second son Maegor I. Maegor personally oversaw construction and added a moated smaller castle within the greater structure known as Maegor’s holdfast. He also built secret passages, false walls and trap doors, and then had the craftsmen killed so only he would know the secrets.
The castle’s massive great hall contains the Iron Throne and used to display the skulls of dead dragons until Robert Baratheon had them moved. The Tower of the Hand is the residence of the Hand of the King, but was burned to the ground by Cersei Lannister in A Feast for Crows. The Red Keep’s other features include a rookery, a godswood, an entire keep for the kitchens and the White Sword Tower, which is home to the kingsguard.
The Targaryen kings held the Red Keep for over 200 years after it was complete. During the Dance, Viserys I died in the Red Keep and his son Aegon II usurped the throne from his sister Rhaenyra. In retaliation for the death of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys, the blacks sent two men named Blood and Cheese into the Red Keep to assassinate one of Aegon’s children.
Eventually Rhaenyra captures the Red Keep and holds it for a time until the smallfolk revolt and begin killing the dragons. Later, Lord Cregan Stark takes King’s Landing in the name of the blacks. He holds the city for two weeks, known to history as the hour of the wolf.
The Targaryen dynasty continued to occupy the Red Keep until the reign of the Mad King Aerys II, who attempted to blow up not only the castle, but the entire city of King’s Landing with wildfire. Jaime Lannister broke his kingsguard vows and murdered Aerys to save the city. Meanwhile, Tywin Lannister’s army was sacking the city; he ordered Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane to kill Rhaegar’s wife and children.
Robert Baratheon took control of the Red Keep, and of Westeros, after the rebellion. In A Game of Thrones, Ned Stark is named Hand of the King and travels to live in the Red Keep with his daughters Sansa and Arya. After Robert is killed, Ned is betrayed by Littlefinger and thrown in the Red Keep’s black cells. Sansa is confined in her chambers but Arya is able to escape and flee the city. In a shocking move, Robert’s heir Joffrey goes against everyone’s wish to send Ned to the Wall and instead has him executed for treason. His head is displayed on the spiked walls of the Red Keep.
Over the next few books, many prominent events happen in and around the Red Keep, including Stannis’ invasion at the Battle of the Blackwater, Joffrey’s death, Tyrion’s trial and Tywin’s death. By the end of A Dance with Dragons, Tommen Baratheon sits on the Iron Throne and Cersei rules as regent. After Cersei is imprisoned by the Faith Militant, Kevan Lannister becomes Hand of the King. Varys infiltrates the Red Keep using the secret passageways to kill Kevan and Grand Maestar Pycelle.