The Targaryens from Game of Thrones are now in the spotlight thanks to HBO’s House of the Dragon, but the prequel only focuses on a small portion of the vast Targaryen family tree. While House Stark was essentially the focus of Game of Thrones, the family’s relationship with House Targaryen, which held the Iron Throne for three centuries, was its most captivating dynamic. By the show’s conclusion, it was evident that the history and connections between House Stark and House Targaryen served as the foundation for the main conflict.
By the time Game of Thrones premiered, the Targaryen family had been removed from the Iron Throne after three centuries, leaving just two heirs, Danaerys and Viserys, to claim their inheritance. Despite this, House Targaryen’s history and influence remained crucial for Westeros because the numerous monarchs who came before them left behind a lasting impression on the important houses as they competed in the titular game of thrones. One observation about the Targaryens would endure throughout the entire history of Westeros: “Every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin.” Many Targaryen kings and queens ruled over Westeros, with too many being torn by wrath and destruction or peace and splendour.
This remark, which serves as one of the taglines for HBO’s House of the Dragon, introduces one of the most significant periods in Targaryen history. The Mother of Dragons in Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen, would carry on this sentiment via the Targaryen dynasty. Here is a summary of the Targaryen family tree in Westeros from Aegon the Conqueror to Jon Snow because House of the Dragon portrays a considerably bigger slate of Targaryens in Game of Thrones’ history.
Table Of Content
- 1 Aegon The Conqueror
- 2 Aegon the Unworthy
- 3 Aenys I Targaryen
- 4 Aerys II (The Mad King)/Rhaegar/Viserys Targaryen
- 5 Aegon II Targaryen
- 6 Aegon III Targaryen
- 7 Aegon V Targaryen
- 8 Baelor I Targaryen
- 9 Daeron I Targaryen
- 10 Daeron II Targaryen
- 11 Daenerys Targaryen/Jon Snow
- 12 Daemon Targaryen
- 13 House Targaryen History In Game Of Thrones Explained
- 14 Jaehaerys I Targaryen
- 15 Jaehaerys II Targaryen
- 16 Maekar I Targaryen
- 17 Maegor The Cruel
- 18 Rhaenyra Targaryen
- 19 Viserys I Targaryen
- 20 Viserys II
Aegon The Conqueror
The first Targaryen to dominate Westeros in the history of Game of Thrones and the founder of their dynasty was Aegon I Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Conqueror. Aegon I Targaryen, who was born on Dragonstone, conquered the kingdoms of Westeros with the aid of his wives, the dragonrider sisters Visenya and Rhaenys. It was stated that Aegon wed his younger sister Rhaenys, noted for her beauty and love of the arts, out of desire while he married Visenya, a formidable warrior, out of duty. House Martell on Dorne fought against Aegon frequently during his 37-year rule because they would not submit, even after Rhaenys and her dragon had burnt much of the land. In one such war, Rhaenys and her dragon Meraxes were killed, which only served to increase Aegon’s rage. With Rhaenys and Visenya, Aegon had two sons: Aenys I and Maegor I. The Iron Throne was transferred to Aegon’s eldest son, Aenys, after he passed away at age 64 after a stroke.
Aegon the Unworthy
Aegon IV Targaryen, also referred to as Aegon the Unworthy, replaced Viserys II as the elder Targaryen. Aegon IV, one of the worst Targaryen kings in Game of Thrones history, was infamous for his extravagant lifestyle, poor leadership, and numerous bastards. Aegon died violently at the age of 49 as a result of multiple health issues brought on by his extreme obesity. Aegon IV Targaryen legitimised his bastard children, including Daemon I Blackfyre (whose father was his cousin Daena) and Brynden Rivers, before his passing (the Three-Eyed Crow).
Aenys I Targaryen
Aenys I Targaryen, the second king of the seven kingdoms, was distinguished for missing the military prowess of his father and brother while being more prone to gentleness and hesitation. Aenys, the son of Queen Rhaenyra, wed Alyssa Valeryon very fast. They had three sons, Aegon, Viserys, and Jaehaerys, as well as three daughters (Rhaena, Alysanne, and Vaella). Throughout Aenys’ brief five-year rule, there were numerous uprisings, many of which were led by warriors affiliated with the Faith of the Seven from Game of Thrones. Aenys proclaimed his intention to marry his son Aegon to his daughter Rhaena, who would become his heirs to the throne, before he passed away. However, Aenys passed away in 42 AC at the age of 35, which allowed Maegor, his younger half-brother, to take over.
Aerys II (The Mad King)/Rhaegar/Viserys Targaryen
The reign of King Aerys II Targaryen, also referred to as the Mad King in the realm, is what directly preceded the events of the Game of Thrones timeline. Aerys was renowned for his paranoia, fear of being poisoned, and threats to the lives of his children; he perceived any small act of disobedience as a plot against him. Aerys soon developed a fascination with fire and wildfire, and she started using it to execute criminals. Only three of the many children Aerys and his sister had—Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys Targaryen—lived to adulthood.
Rhaegar, the eldest son of Aerys II, was soon wed to Elia Martell. Rhaegar was well-liked throughout the realm for his charm and fighting prowess. In the universe of Game of Thrones, Rhaegar and Elia’s two children were both murdered during the Robert’s Rebellion, which started after Rhaegar appeared to have abducted Lyanna Stark, who was engaged to Robert Baratheon. Robert Baratheon would later defeat Rhaegar in combat, killing him in the Battle of the Trident. Aerys II’s orders to kill famous lords and his plans to set King’s Landing on fire allowed the rebellion to really take off. Aerys was eventually killed by Jaime Lannister, a knight in his Kingsguard. Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen, Aerys’ young children, were banished to Pentos and stayed there after Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne.
Aegon II Targaryen
Aegon II succeeded to the throne after Viserys died, however his sister Rhaenyra contested his claim. In the midst of their conflicts, the two separated the realm, with both Targaryens dying in the Dance of the Dragons. Aegon married his sister Helaena, with whom he had two sons who both perished in the war when they were still quite young. Aegon’s heir after the passing of his children was Rhaenyra and Daemon’s son, Aegon III Targaryen. The Iron Throne thus passed to Aegon II’s nephew upon his death in 131 AC.
Aegon III Targaryen
After his mother Rhaenyra and uncle Aegon II passed away at the end of the Dance of the Dragons, Aegon the Younger took the throne. With the aid of his brother and Hand of the King, Viserys of the House of the Dragon, Aegon’s rule saw the Seven Kingdoms united following the Civil War. His 26-year rule was distinguished by minimal emotion, save for when a dragon was mentioned, which would send him into a rage because the dragons had gone extinct during his reign. The joyless monarch was damaged by his childhood during the Civil War. First, Aegon III wed his cousin Jaehaera, who passed just two years later, ostensibly by suicide. Daeron, Baelor, Daena, Rhaena, and Elaena are the five children he had with Daenaera Velaryon after their marriage. The Iron Throne was inherited by Aegon the Younger’s 14-year-old eldest son, Daeron I Targaryen, when he passed away at age 36 from consumption.
Aegon V Targaryen
The adored Maester Amon Targaryen’s younger brother was Aegon V Targaryen, also referred to as “Egg.” After being crowned in 233 AC, Aegon’s first action was to detain Bloodraven and hand him over to the Night’s Watch. During this period, his brother Aemon also joined the Night’s Watch as its Maester, where he eventually developed a strong friendship with Jon Snow. Aegon’s reign was marked by a second Blackfyre Rebellion and numerous uprisings, but he also placed a strong emphasis on enhancing the lives of the common people, resulting in numerous reforms that infuriated the lords. With his wife Betha Blackwood, Aegon had five kids: Duncan, Jaehaerys II, Shaera, Daeron, and Rhaelle Targaryen. Duncan rose to fame after getting married to Jenny of Oldstones, the woman for whom he gave up the right to the Iron Throne. Aegon’s son Jaehaerys secretly married his daughter Shaera, who would succeed to the Iron Throne after Aegon’s passing in 259 AC, despite his distaste for the Targaryen family’s history of interbreeding.
Baelor I Targaryen
Baelor I Targaryen, often known as Baelor the Blessed, was crowned King of Westeros at the age of 17. Many Westerosi lords expressed outrage when Baelor’s first action was to pardon his brother’s murders. By getting his cousin Daeron married to the Princess of Dorne from House Martell in Game of Thrones, Baelor quickly restored relations with the Prince of Dorne. Baelor, who was well-known for his piety, soon made prostitution illegal, built the great sept, and attained the rank of septon. After 40 days of fasting, Baelon passed away in 171 AC, and since he had no children, Viserys II, the younger son of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen, became the heir apparent.
Daeron I Targaryen
Daeron I, the ninth king in the line of House Targaryen, came to power in 159 AC. His noteworthy invasion of Dorne, which ended in 158 AC when the Dornish prince and numerous lords eventually submitted, served as a defining feature of his brief rule, which lasted only till 161 AC. Despite this, the Young Dragon’s conquest of Dorne sparked the Dornish uprising, which quickly resulted in the 18-year-old king’s assassination by dozens of foes. Daeron’s throne passed to his younger brother, Baelor, because he was childless.
Daeron II Targaryen
Daeron II, the sole trueborn child of Aegon IV Targaryen, faced numerous challenges from his recently legitimised bastard siblings during The Blackfyre Rebellion, which took place in 184 AC. Daeron II is regarded as one of Game of Thrones’ greatest monarchs since he united the Seven Kingdoms and established peace throughout the realm. Daeron II had four sons after getting married to Myriah Martell: Baelor, Aerys, Rhaegel, and Maekar Targaryen. Baelor was inadvertently killed by his brother Maekar during a trial of the seven in 209 AC, at the conclusion of Daeron II’s rule. Then, Daeron and Valarr were both killed in the Great Spring Sickness, leaving Aerys as his successor. His heir was then Baelor’s son Valarr.
Daenerys Targaryen/Jon Snow
When he wed his sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo, played by Jason Momoa, Viserys’ strategy in Game of Thrones got under way. Viserys was keen to recover the Iron Throne. Viserys was assassinated by Drogo shortly after by having molten gold poured on his head, leaving Daenerys as the final Targaryen to succeed to the Iron Throne. The Targaryen queen sought to seize the Iron Throne in Westeros after amassing a sizable following in Essos, where she found support from Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Lord Varys. After taking over King’s Landing and setting it on fire, Daenerys would only have the title of Queen of Westeros for a short moment. She was killed by Jon Snow in front of the Iron Throne as a result of her rage, and Drogon then dragged her off. As Aegon VI Targaryen’s true heir, Jon Snow was revealed to be the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark just before Daenerys assumed control of the Iron Throne. Bran Stark was crowned King of Westeros by the Great Council, ending the Targaryen dynasty once more. Jon Targaryen was also sent Beyond the Wall to live among the freemen in the Game of Thrones finale.
Daemon Targaryen
The dragonrider Viserys I Targaryen succeeded his grandfather to the Iron Throne after his passing. Soon later, Rhaenyra received the title of his official heir, but his younger brother Daemon (played by Matt Smith in House of the Dragon) believed that the Iron Throne was his natural birthright. With a well-known actor like Matt Smith from Doctor Who playing Daemon Targaryen, it seems evident that the Game of Thrones prequel would focus largely on Daemon Targaryen’s claim to the throne. While they first appear to be at odds in season 1, Daemon and his niece Rhaenyra finally work out their disagreements through inter-family romance, the unnerving Targaryen tradition. To add more complication and grossness, Rhaenyra was initially married to Laenor Velaryon, while Prince Daemon and his wife, Laena Velaryon (Laenor’s sister), had two kids. The niece and uncle wed shortly after the spouses of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen passed away. Aegon the Younger, a son, was shortly welcomed by Rhaenyra and Daemon. The Targaryens, however, had split into two groups: the “greens” (Alicent’s son Aegon II’s followers) and the “blacks” (Rhaenyra’s supporters), as a result of the hostility between Rhaenyra and Alicent. When Viserys passed away in 129 AC, Rhaenyra was declared to be his successor, but the greens chose to back Aegon II Targaryen’s claim, sparking the Targaryen Civil War. If the show follows the original story, Matt Smith won’t sit on the Iron Throne because at this point, Daemon had sworn allegiance to his wife, Queen Rhaenyra. The on-screen Daemon may not have the same allegiances as his counterpart on the page, as House of the Dragon has already undergone modifications.
House Targaryen History In Game Of Thrones Explained
The history of House Targaryen in Game of Thrones starts in the period when Westeros was conquered and lasts until Jon Snow’s (Aegon Targaryen) start of his life Beyond the Wall. While Westeros’ recorded history dates back 12,000 years, the timeline in Game of Thrones is measured in BC (Before Conquest) and AC (After Conquest), with the first year AC denoting the first Targaryen throne and the beginning of the Targaryen family tree (Aegon I’s BC ancestors were undoubtedly there but are unknown). The Iron Throne was occupied by 16 more kings or queens after Aegon the Conqueror, ending with Daenerys Targaryen’s demise in 305 AC. However, Daenerys’ reign was short—she doesn’t sit on the Iron Throne for the majority of Game of Thrones. Aerys II and Rhaegar Targaryen were deposed along with the Mother of Dragons when Robert Baratheon took the throne in 283 A.C.
For ages, Targaryens were married off to brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles in order to maintain the “purity” of the dragon’s blood. This practise is another prominent aspect of House Targaryen’s history. The Targaryen family’s rule in Game of Thrones was also significantly influenced by dragons because the fear these powerful beasts inspired in their enemies. Daenerys Targaryen became the first Targaryen to rule with dragons over a century later, even though it appeared that the last of House Targaryen’s dragons had died out in 153 AC. The history of House Targaryen in Game of Thrones is often characterised by fire and blood, but it was finally put to a stop when Bran the Broken was named King of Westeros.
Jaehaerys I Targaryen
After Maegor passed away, Aenys’ son Jaehaerys, then 14 years old, was installed as the fourth king to sit on the storied Iron Throne. Jaehaerys was regarded as being born to be a king, forgiving, wise above his years, and decisive. Jaehaerys married his sister Alysanne Targaryen, despite advice to the contrary, and they had 13 children together: Aegon, Daenerys, Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, Maegelle, Vaegon, Daella, Saera, Viserra, Gaemon, Valerion, and Gael. Jaehaerys married his daughter Alyssa to his son Baelon, who had three children: Viserys, Daemon, and Aegon Targaryen. Aemon fathered a daughter named Rhaenys. After Baelon passed away unexpectedly, Jaehaerys called a Great Council to determine the succession. The lords eventually named Baelon’s eldest son, Viserys, as his heir. At the age of 69, Jaehaerys’ 55-year, generally tranquil reign came to an end in 103 AC.
Jaehaerys II Targaryen
The War of the Ninepenny Kings, the final of the Blackfyre Rebellions, occurred under the rule of Jaehaerys II Targaryen, who only held the throne for three years. By defeating Maelys the Monstrous in battle, Ser Baristan Selmy of Game of Thrones put an end to the uprising. Jaehaerys then appointed him to the Kingsguard. Jaehaerys was succeeded by his son Aerys II, whom he had forced to wed his daughter Rhaella, after his death in 262 AC.
Maekar I Targaryen
Maekar I, the eldest son of Daeron II, was renowned for his military prowess, impatience, and harsh judgement. Most people recall his reign as being a brief, calm period. Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Aegon V, and Rhae Targaryen were Maekar’s six children. When Maekar’s two eldest sons both passed away and left behind children who were deemed unfit to rule, Maekar’s lineage was in trouble. The succession was then decided at a Great Council, but his third son, Maester Aemon from Game of Thrones, refused the throne and said it should go to his younger brother, Egg.
Maegor The Cruel
Maegor, the younger son of Aegon the Conqueror, ascended to the throne upon the death of his brother and spent years in exile as a result of his polygamous union with Ceryse Hightower and Alys Harroway. As a result of his prior marriages never bearing him children, Maegor kept getting married; at the end of his life, he had six wives. Maegor persisted in his conflict with the High Septon and the Warrior’s Sons, killing hundreds of Septons till one agreed to wed him to his subsequent bride. Maegor killed Aenys’ eldest son, Jon Snow’s historical namesake Aegon Targaryen, and his dragon when he revealed his intention to ascend to the throne. He then imprisoned Jaehaerys and Alysanne on Dragonstone as his mother’s wards. Viserys, Aenys’ oldest living child, was held with Maegor at court, but after discovering that his nephew and niece had left Dragonstone, Maegor had tortured and killed Viserys. Soon after, Maegor forcibly married Rhaena, his niece, with the intention of having Rhaena’s daughter from a prior marriage as his heir. Jaehaerys launched his claim to the Iron Throne in 48 A.C., and many Westerosi lords supported him, including his sister Rhaena. It is unknown who was responsible for Maegor’s death, but he was shortly discovered dead while seated on the Iron Throne with his wrists cut off and his throat impaled on the throne.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
Viserys and his first wife, Aemma Arryn, have a daughter together named Rhaenyra. She is Aegon II’s half-sister. Similar to the events of Game of Thrones, the two contestants for the Iron Throne led to a terrible civil war in Westeros that involved other claimants from both the Targaryen dynasty and outside it. In House of the Dragon, she is represented by Emma D’Arcy, with Milly Alcock taking on the role of the younger Rhaenyra in scenes that focus on her connection with Viserys’ second wife, Alicent Hightower. The House of the Dragon teasers and advertising hint that the major focus will be Rhaenyra’s rivalry with her uncle Daemon rather than Alicent’s son Aegon II (for season 1 at least). In the original text, Rhaenyra and Daemon are hitched. But her second husband is her uncle. In the beginning, she marries and has kids with Laenor Velaryon (John MacMillan), who is pictured with Alcock in the trailer. Rhaenyra is a key figure in the Dance of the Dragons adaption, and along with Daemon, House of the Dragon is said to focus heavily on her rivalry with Alicent Hightower.
Viserys I Targaryen
Paddy Considine portrays Viserys I Targaryen, another early ruler, in the television series House of the Dragon. From 103 until 129 A.D., he governed Westeros while riding the dragon Balerion, who sadly passed away before witnessing his dragonrider take the Iron Throne. Despite the tragic fact that Viserys never discovered another dragon, he was still a powerful leader and one of the most important in Westerosi history. The Targaryens’ Golden Era comes to an end with Viserys’ reign, and the Targaryen Civil War begins (also known as the Dance of the Dragons, and the focus of House of the Dragon). Aegon, Viserys’ firstborn son, Rhaeneyra, and Daemon, his younger brother, were among the parties who opposed his succession, as is typical of leaders. It will be fascinating to see if House of the Dragon follows the same course as George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, in which Aegon II Targaryen succeeds Viserys (especially given Aegon II doesn’t seem to feature heavily in the House of the Dragon advertising material).
Viserys II
Viserys II rose to the throne with significantly more expertise and knowledge of governance than his forebears because he had previously served as Hand of the King to his two nephews. Viserys’ legacy was not well remembered in the history of Game of Thrones since there was a myth throughout Westeros that he had poisoned Baelor in order to sit on the Iron Throne. However, Viserys would only rule for a year before passing away suddenly in 172 AC.
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