Best Monarch We've Seen

[Tyrell_like_Squirrel]

I've seen a fair amount of threads talking about which Baratheon King is best. Or which historical Targaryen King was the best. I don't think I've seen a thread compiling all the monarchs we've actually seen in ASOIAF ranked or discussed.

 

For the record, this is a thread about all the people who have called themselves King and or Queen that we have seen alive in the series. So no Aerys or anyone before him. Only leaders we have seen within the story. I have included those that have been officially crowned, those who are in rebellion or exile, and those who are not technically a "King"

 

Here's a list of all the monarchs.

 

Kings on the Iron Throne

 

King Robert I Baratheon

King Joffrey I Batatheon

King Tommen I Baratheon

 

Kings in Rebellion to the Iron Throne

 

King Stannis Baratheon

King Renly Baratheon

King Robb Stark

King Balon Greyjoy

King Euron Greyjoy

 

Targaryen Rulers

 

Queen Daenerys Targaryen of Meereen

King Aegon VI Targaryen

 

Unofficial Kings

 

Mance Rayder "King beyond the Wall"

Viserys Targaryen "The Beggar King"

Aurane Waters "The Pirate King"

 

 

 

I understand with some of these, specifically Aurane Waters, that we haven't really seen their leadership styles. And others, like Tommen, aren't actually ruling anything due to age or otherwise. That said, I feel they should still be included on the list. Also, many of these characters are still in flux in terms of character arc and learning leadership. So for many of them there is room for improvement, and one judgement is not final.

 

If I were to rank them as leaders/rulers, this is where I'd say they stand.

 

1. Mance Rayder

2. Stannis Baratheon

3. Daenerys Targaryen

4. Robb Stark

5. Euron Greyjoy

6. Robert Baratheon

7. Renly Baratheon

8. Aegon Targaryen

9. Balon Greyjoy

10. Tommen Baratheon

11. Aurane Waters

12. Joffrey Baratheon

13. Viserys Targaryen

 

Mance comes in at number one for being a King who not only manages to unite 100,000 different people of different backgrounds, but unites them for the express purpose of saving their lives. That is a King who defends his people and deserves his title.

 

Only Stannis and Dany come close in terms of their focus on the bigger picture and their dedication to protecting the innocent. The former in Stannis' case, the later in Dany's.

 

I think Robb was undone by a series of unfortunate events, some his fault and some not, that culminated in a brutal murder before we got the chance to see him really handle the adversity thrown at him.

 

Euron is a bastard, but so far has managed to unite the Iron Islands with a grand, if insane, vision of conquest. He's awful, but pretty effective. And considering how fast he's accomplished his rise to power, I think we can continue to expect great things from him. Terrible, but great.

 

Robert was technically a piss-poor king. But during his rule the kingdoms enjoyed peace and prosperity. He gets some credit for being so imposing that few dare to risk rebellion against him. Thus he does aid in keeping the peace, which I believe is the duty of the King. Not perfect, but not the worst.

 

Renly has one thing going for him. His fantastic understanding of PR. It doesn't necessarily make him a good king, but he is by far the most well-loved. This is important. Both Stannis and Tyrion were undermined by lack of public affection. Renly may not have been a brilliant leader, but he knew how to make friends and build a powerfully positive public image that would long outlast him. Other then that, I'm not too impressed.

 

Aegon has yet to rule anything, and there are some signs that he might not be the "good king" Varys has built him up to be. Nevertheless, I think his background and education count for something. In another time and place, perhaps he could end up being a successful ruler. He's a bit brash and a bit immature, but he also seems to have a sense of empathy which could make him a stronger ruler. If he ever gets the chance.

 

Balon is a shitty, shitty king. But in my mind, he's the last ruler on this list that is/was actually ruling anything. His plans to take over the north were short sighted and reckless. The only thing Balon has going for him is his experience in being a lord/king and his skills as a fighter. Definitely one of my least favorite kings.

 

Tommen is too young to rule, but for a time has had some pretty effective people ruling for him. Lord Tywin, Ser Kevan, Lord Randyll. But there's not much else to say

 

We've seen nothing of Aurane, so he ranks very low. At least he has some style. It's pretty ballsy to just go and steal the royal navy.

 

Joffrey is low for obvious reasons. He's Joffrey. The only reason Viserys ranks below him is because Joffrey actually possessed power for a time. Viserys was viscous and cruel like Joffrey, but couldn't even back up his threats with any form of power.

 

 

And that's my list. I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

Your list is pretty good.  But are we sure that the Pirate King is Aurane Waters?  I mean it probably is him, but do we have any actual confirmation?  

 

I'm not 100% on this but I'll give the ranking a try.

 

1. Mance Rayder.  Getting his people to safety was his top priority, even when that meant surrendering his own life (cause he would have been killed if Mel hadn't run interference).  Aside from leaving the Watch he seems a decent sort, and has some wisdom and even a kind of charm about him.  

 

2. Stannis Baratheon.  First of all because legally he actually IS the king, and second because when Davos alerted him to the threat of the Others, he got his butt up to the Wall and is now committed to saving Westeros over sitting on the world's ugliest chair.  He's not likable, but he's a good king.

 

3. Robb Stark.  His own people proclaimed him their king, which is a strong statement.  Yes he made some mistakes, but overall he was a heck of a leader for a 14/15 year old kid (seriously 14 years old and grown, powerful, battle-hardened men declare him king!).  And he won every battle against Tywin's forces, even to capturing Jaime.  Pretty impressive for a rookie.

 

4. Daenerys Targaryen.  Has also made some mistakes, but for having no education and dealing with barbarian cultures she's done fairly well.  For one thing she's still alive, and most of the people on this list are not.  She truly cares about her people, as do those who I have placed above her.  She also values the wisdom of those who have lived longer and know more than she does.  Also...dragons.

 

5. Aegon VI Targaryen.  Yet to be proven to be who he thinks he is, but at least has about the best background a king can have.  His upbringing as told by Varys is reminiscent of Aegon V's, and may yield as good a king.  Doing pretty well battle-wise too.  He may end up being too easily persuaded, but so far he hasn't made any mistakes bad enough to place him any lower.  He is dedicated to avenging the family he thinks he had, and is confident enough to risk invading Westeros without dragons, on the strength of his claim alone.  Kid's got guts.  (Please note: this placement may be changed pending the kid royally screwing up in TWoW)

 

6. Renly Baratheon.  Not king long enough to mess up.  No right to the throne, but still, he probably would have done better than Robert did.  

 

7. Tommen "Baratheon."  Tommen has all the makings of a good king.  He has a loving and open heart, a desire to please but not one so strong that he would override his own sense of what is right and good--as evidenced by his eagerness to outlaw beets.  Had he been allowed to grow up with strong and capable role models, I believe he could have made a truly great king.  Plus he's the only one on the list who qualifies for being called adorable.

 

8. Joffrey "Baratheon."  Hear me out on this one: GRRM has stated that Joffrey is a spoiled 13 year old boy who has been given unlimited power, not necessarily a psychopath and certainly not the total monster they depict on the show.  In time, with proper guidance, he might have turned out okay.  He has the blood of Lannister kings beyond count, Tywin, and Jaime.  There was potential there.  But since he was killed before he came of age, he never got the chance to straighten out.

 

9. Robert Baratheon.  Ah, feels good to write that without quotation marks again.  Robert was well-liked, and kept a lively court.  He chose a decent men to be Hand.  But by the time Ned arrived in KL, things were beyond repair.  Jon Arryn may have been a good man, and he certainly gave the realm more than a decade of peace, but he either could not or did not handle Robert very well.  I know, there's only so much a man can do, but Jon Arryn of all people would have had the best chance to explain to Robert that they simply could not keep spending, that he should maybe pay more attention to his wife, not whore so much, that he should exercise a bit more...etc.  Robert was not a terrible king, but he wasn't a good one either.  Quite simply he was not cut out to rule an entire nation.  He would have been much happier, and more effective, as the Storm Lord, ready to fight for king and country at a moment's notice, but with fewer responsibilities and more freedom.  Robert Baratheon is the Peter Principle personified.

 

10. Viserys III Targaryen.  He was mad so I figure he's not entirely accountable for the worst of his actions.  He also had a tragic past that twisted him.  He truly believed that the Iron Throne was his right, and if he had grown up in Westeros, a lot of the damage to his psyche might have been avoided and he might have made a half-way decent king...or not.  At any rate, since he had no country to rule, he didn't really have one to damage either.  Viserys thought that the people would rise for him and his sister, if they could only get home, and he remembered Westeros as a place where he was deferred to and adored.  He remembered the pomp, the elegance, the luxury.  He never knew about his father's madness, the politics, the back-biting and backstabbing.  He was king of a dream--and in a way it's a blessing that he didn't live long enough to see it shatter.

 

11. Euron Greyjoy.  Arrogant, self-serving, jackass, with likely nefarious intentions.  But he stands a chance of getting what he wants, and has a plan to do just that.  He's also got a certain magnetism that even his detractors admit, which draws people to support him.  

 

12. Balon Greyjoy.  Really this guy proclaimed himself king for no better reason than because his ancestors had been kings and wanted to be king too.  Which is actually similar to what Renly did, but Renly truly believed he would be best for the realm, whereas Balon just had an ego issue, and Balon's decision led to far more disastrous consequences than Renly's did.  Balon could have been king with far less fuss, if he'd been willing to look at Robb Stark's offer as the alliance it was, instead of the insult he imagined.  Stupid.  Culturally ingrained, but still stupid. And it cost him his son.

 

13. Aurane Waters.  Don't know anything about him so he automatically goes to the bottom.  Not having anything to criticize is balanced by not having anything to praise either.

[a Spider from Mars]

Dany by far, and it's not even close.

[Nictarion]

Mance and Daenerys > all the rest. At least they're the one's I would want to follow.

[Winter's Cold]

I'd go with Renly as the best king. If I were a lord or a commoner, I feel following him would give me the best chance of survival.

[a Spider from Mars]

I'd go with Renly as the best king. If I were a lord or a commoner, I feel following him would give me the best chance of survival.

Renly had zero war experience, that's why plebs like you die in wars.

[Boarsbane]

Mance and Robert, the others either died too soon, are terrible, or we haven't see enough of.

[Bobby b's bobby]

Probably renly or mance at the top both were skilled and popular with good PR.

[a Spider from Mars]

Probably renly or mance at the top both were skilled and popular with good PR.

Laaaaawwwwl!!! Robert was a fat idiot, who had the support of one of the best minds of his time, Jon Arryn. Robert also had the whole north & Riverlands backing him up. Renly was a boy, that knew shit about the War.

[Bobby b's bobby]

Laaaaawwwwl!!! Robert was a fat idiot, who had the support of one of the best minds of his time, Jon Arryn. Robert also had the whole north & Riverlands backing him up. Renly was a boy, that knew shit about the War.

Want to try that again?

[Good Guy Garlan]

Mance > Dany > Stannis

[Lady Blizzardborn]

I'd go with Renly as the best king. If I were a lord or a commoner, I feel following him would give me the best chance of survival.

I'm curious as to your reasoning on this.  Would you be willing to share it?

[a Spider from Mars]

Want to try that again?

No. Robert was an idiot with too much support, and Renly a noob.

[Bobby b's bobby]

No. Robert was an idiot with too much support, and Renly a noob.

Why are you talking about Robert?

For a noob (is that the right word I don't think renly played much call of duty) Renly was doing fine he had 100000 men was starving the enemy capital causing riots and was winning without losing any men as his enemies killed each other.

[Hodor the Articulate]

I'd go with Renly as the best king. If I were a lord or a commoner, I feel following him would give me the best chance of survival.

I'm curious as to your reasoning on this.  Would you be willing to share it?

 

Dunno about Winter's Cold, but it's safety in numbers for me. On top that, Renly had some of Westeros' toughest military leaders on his side, to make up for his inexperience.

[Hugorfonics]

1. Drogo! If he's not a king, what is he? Killed many khals, ruled supreme and was the ideal soldier on the sea. He never lived to see his son become khal, but that's hardly his fault.

2. Balon. Very few ironborn died during his war of castle grabbing, he brought considerable glory to his subjects and merit to the iron throne; He also brought enough power for Euron to be unleashed causing his demise, and he didn't see eye to eye with his subjects pertaining an heir.

2.Robert. He suppressed one rebellion quickly and had 15 years or so of otherwise peace, until the end of course, His inability to not be firm in governing killed him, and harassed the realm.

3. Dany. Doesn't abandon her people. Very regal. She is a proven conqueror and protector, but she needs to bring justice too, to her subjects and rival nations

4. Stannis. His hearts in the right place, and although many who fought with him died, many are not. His going about bastards and being lawfully king has no impact on being a good king though, Stannis does butcher Westeros.

5.Mance. He was in a tough spot. But with his knowledge of nightwatch thinking, and wildling military it's insane to think he could remain king in the 7 kingdoms.

6.Robb. He brought the title back, at the expense of his life and countless subjects.

7. Tommen. He's no monster, but we hardly know this beet hating kid. He hasn't fucked the realm up.

8. Aegon neither. Unless you count Griffs crib, but that wasn't much.

9. Pirate king. Cool name.

10. Renly. Caused mayhem in the little time he was king. His lack of a will created further anarchy.

11. Joffrey. With as much power as Tommen, something doesn't add up.

12. Viserys. He had one subject, and was beyond cruel. All he cared for was vengeance.

13. Euron. If he claimed to be king of the iron islands... but he's not. He's a slaver residing outside oldtown. Slavers should not be kings.

[khal drogon]

Mance and Daenerys

Their flaws aside they think more about their people than anyone else.

[Lord Wraith]

Renly had zero war experience, that's why plebs like you die in wars.

 

Lucky he had Randyl Tarly one of the best commanders in Westeros to fight his battles for him.  Problem solved.

[Mithras]

Balon was bad, Dany is worse, and Joffrey was the worst of them all.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

Balon was bad, Dany is worse, and Joffrey was the worst of them all.

And where do you rank the others?

 

The OP introduced a ranking of thirteen monarchs for us, but most people seem to be using the thread just to complain about the rulers they don't like or praise the ones they do, while not even discussing any of the others.