All 15 Targaryens from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, ranked worst to best
7. Baela Targaryen
Baela Targaryen, one of the daughters of Daemon and Laena Velaryon, is often remembered for her boldness during the Dance of the Dragons. With that fiery Targaryen spirit in her, she braves situations that would have made many others cower in fear. Though we haven’t seen much of that side of her yet, we’re only one season into House of the Dragon. Wait for it; this girl catches fire later on.
In Fire & Blood, Baela is the kind of girl who knows how to stir things up, always finding a way to escape her ladies-in-waiting to sneak away on adventures. This fiery young Targaryen was known for her tomboyish antics: riding horseback through the Street of the Sisters, often ending up tipsy in the wee hours of the night, daring to swim across the Blackwater Rush at midnight…She was a constant in the military barracks, hanging out and drinking with the gold cloaks, and was known to wager in the rat pits of Flea Bottom. There’s never a dull moment with Baela around.
Even more fascinating is her knack for befriending the most unlikely individuals and insisting they be given positions in the Red Keep. From jugglers to blacksmith’s apprentices, beggars to sorcerers, Baela was indiscriminate in her choice of company. Her rebellious streak, though a constant headache for those in charge of her upbringing, was part of her charm.
6. Jacaerys (Jace) Velaryon
Let’s chew the fat a bit about Jace Velaryon, shall we? The man is a standout during the blood-spattered spectacle known as the Dance of the Dragons. He has courage to spare and is a dab hand at the whole warrior gig; he’d give Jon Snow a run for his money any day.
Fourteen-year-old Jacaerys is no pushover. When Queen Rhaenyra calls her first council on Dragonstone, Jace volunteers himself and his little brother Lucerys (RIP, little king) to act as her messengers, traveling to the far corners of the realm to convince the lords of Westeros to back their mother’s claim to the throne. That takes some serious courage.
But, as history and George R. R. Martin have sadly shown us, not all characters get to ride off into the sunset. Jace has a prominent role in the Dance of the Dragons, but meets a tragic end during the fierce naval conflict known as the Battle of the Gullet. Jace’s dragon, Vermax, ends up flying too low during the battle and crashes into a burning ship, transforming it into a deadly inferno on the water. Jace does manage to leap from Vermax onto the wreckage of the ship, but is struck down by crossbow bolts until he sinks beneath the waves.
Despite his untimely death, Jacaerys’s influence lingers on. Near the end of the Dance of the Dragons, Lord Cregan Stark marches an army of northmen to King’s Landing, honoring the pledge he had made to the late Jacaerys. He has an eventful journey ahead of him, even if it ends too soon.