Mad king targaryen

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The final Targaryen King was murdered by Jaime Lannister at the end of Robert's Rebellion , earning him the 'Kingslayer' nickname, but the reasons for Aerys' madness are never fully stated. One of the most popular Game of Thrones fan theories about the Mad King is that his madness was a result of Bran Stark warging into him since Bran had a vision of Aerys and had already affected Hodor. However, that ignores all the events in the Targaryen King's life that drove him to insanity. Aerys II Targaryen didn't start out mad. He was considered a charming and charismatic young man and was a decorated war hero.

Mad king targaryen

Whilst still a teenager, Aerys was married to his sister Rhaella in the Targaryen tradition; however, the two of them despised one another, and the marriage was never a happy one. The two of them behaved bitterly during the wedding, and in time both of them would love, but never one another. Aerys surrounded himself with pretty young maids, while Rhaella had a brief affair with Ser Bonifer Hasty, but eventually both of these would be set aside. Rhaegar was born in blood and grief, during the blaze known as the Tragedy of Summerhall that killed King Aegon V, his heir Prince Duncan and many others. Aerys' father only ruled for three years before he passed away, and Aerys became king as Aerys II Targaryen. Aerys II's reign began with great promise. Under his father and grandfather, the court at King's Landing had become stuffy, filled with old men. Aerys II brought sweeping changes, replacing many at court with younger faces, energetic and lively men who could both flatter and indulge him. Aerys, impressed by the ruthlessness of the young Lord Tywin Lannister with dealing with houses rebelling against Casterly Rock , named Tywin as the King's Hand causing many to believe there was actual promise in the young man's reign, with Aerys being a charismatic but vain ruler and Tywin being a cold but decisive lieutenant. The first ten years of Aerys' rule were peaceful. The realm recovered from the tragic events at Summerhall and grew both rich and strong. The young and ambitious Aerys was full of grand and fantastical schemes; ranging from rebuilding King's Landing out of marble, 'making the Titan of Braavos kneel', building a replica of the Wall one hundred miles beyond the Wall to claim all lands in between, and absorbing the Stepstones into the Seven Kingdoms through conquest. His sycophants muttered in his ear that he would become known as ' Aerys the Wise ' or ' Aerys the Great ', among other titles.

But the Mad King gave his enemies the justice he thought they deserved, and each time, it made him feel powerful and right.

Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon has charted the history of the Targaryen family by taking us back to events preceding and including the bloody civil war known as The Dance of the Dragons. These events occur nearly years prior to the events of Game of Thrones and the stories of Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. However, one figure who loomed large in the history of the House of the Dragon was the figure known as the Mad King. The best sci-fi news and features this side of the Outer Rim. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

The Mad King, loomed large over Game of Thrones. He was cruel and delighted in setting his enemies aflame. The Mad King was often invoked as a cautionary tale, especially when it came to the growing ambition of his daughter, Daenerys Emilia Clarke. And while there is no denying that the Aerys was a monster, his predilection for burning people to a crisp might be explained by a prophecy shared in the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon. Viserys shares the contents of that dream only after he decides to formally name Rhaenyra as his successor, despite the fact that a woman has never inherited the Iron Throne.

Mad king targaryen

Aerys II Targaryen at the height of his madness. House Targaryen carries the trait for insanity in its bloodline. Over three hundred years of heavy inbreeding, marrying brother to sister whenever possible to "keep the bloodline pure," resulted in many of the medical problems seen with incest , particularly mental instability. The most prominent example of the Targaryen madness was the last Targaryen king, Aerys II , who subsequently became known as "the Mad King". In his youth, Aerys was initially perceived as charming and ambitious, but as he grew older, Aerys suffered from some sort of paranoid schizophrenia. He heard voices in his head that weren't real and these voices told him to burn people alive because they were all plotting against him. Other Targaryens displayed highly bizarre personalities, though they were not strictly speaking "insane". They didn't experience hallucinations or hear voices, but some had aggressive, sociopathic personalities. Aerion Brightflame despite not being a product of incest , the older brother of Maester Aemon and King Aegon V , eventually succumbed to the delusional belief that if he drank wildfire it would transform him into a dragon but instead, it killed him. Aerion Brightflame sealed his fate by drinking wildfire, believing it would turn him into a dragon.

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In response, Jaime killed Rossart, before stabbing Aerys in the back, who tried to flee, and then cutting his throat, ending his reign and thwarting his insane plot. Aemon Targaryen Deceased. After receiving a letter from Daenerys, Jon debates whether to meet her at Dragonstone , but Sansa reminds him of her father's role in the death of their grandfather. Jaime then finished Aerys off by slitting his throat in order to make sure he died, concluding that Eddard Stark found him at that point. Aerys, invited to discuss matters, walked straight into a trap at Duskendale and was taken prisoner for six months, before being rescued by Ser Barristan Selmy. Due to his insane meanderings, he accidentally cut his hands and thighs so many times on the Iron Throne that they were practically covered in scabs, leading some to refer to him as "King Scab" behind his back. Rhaelle Targaryen Deceased. Crakehall was not surprised, figuring incorrectly that Jaime killed the king so the Lannisters could seize the throne. While he was young, Aerys appeared to be generous, ambitious and wise, beginning his reign as peaceful and prosperous. Aerys's death is not avenged, as Robert Baratheon pardoned Jaime at the end of the war. Rhaella suffered the worst out of Aerys' savagery, and two decades after both their deaths Ser Jaime Lannister deeply regrets not intervening to protect Rhaella from her husband, because the other Kingsguard discouraged protecting the queen or judging the king. Share on reddit. He notes at one point that both Joffrey and Aerys tended to cut out the tongues of their enemies, and that neither man learned nor respected what it meant to be a truly strong or good king.

Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon has charted the history of the Targaryen family by taking us back to events preceding and including the bloody civil war known as The Dance of the Dragons.

Start a Wiki. Start a Wiki. Also his marriage to Rhaella had become stagnated after nine pregnancies, with several miscarriages and deaths in infancy until Viserys III was born when Rhaegar was Brandon was brought out to witness this with a strangulation device around his neck and a sword just out of reach. Aerys declared that fire was the champion for House Targaryen and had Rickard suspended from the ceiling with a fire beneath him while he slowly burned. Lyanna Stark Deceased. Combined with the stress from his madness, by the time of the rebellion, when Aerys was only forty years old, he looked as old and haggard as a man twice his age. Main Genre Drama. So many generations, in fact, that the prologue sequence in the premiere episode The Heirs of the Dragon takes place closer to the formation of the current Westerosi calendar than it does to the birth of Ned Stark. Fearful of allowing blades in his presence save those of his sworn Kingsguard , Aerys ceased to have his hair or nails cut for years. Aerys's relationship with Tywin Lannister began to deteriorate in these later years, as Aerys grew ever more paranoid about Tywin's ambition. He also enjoyed making grandiose and surreal plans until he grew bored and even denied concocting them in the first place.