So if popular theories are true... there were technically 7 Targaryns still alive at the start of book 1!

[Thuckey]

Think about it..

 

Of course there is Dany and Viserys. Yup, check. That makes 2.

 

Then there was Maester Aemon, whooo Targ reveal okay so guess there are 3 still alive!

 

But wait, there's more! Jon Snow a secret targ?? Tyrion too? Wat!? So.. 5!?

 

But wait,,, there's even more more!

 

Bloodraven is alive and living under a Weirwood tree grove? Wicked.. so if everything is true so far thats 6.... even though he is a bastard but still a targ, right?

 

NOW,, there is fAegon! Who if also is a targ.. well. you can do the math.

 

So SEVEN Targaryns alive at the start of book 1 when supposedly only 2 were left. While 4 can be officially confirmed(Dany,Viserys,Bloodraven,Aemon), how many others do you think are likely as well? 7 targs? Really?

[Spookykid]

but wait theres more!  Varys and his buddy Illyrio could be as well, 9!

[A spoon of knife and fork]

Yes, interesting post OP.  

However, If Tyrion is Aerys kid he's a bastard, so no Targaryen.  Not to mention Aegon is probably a Blackfyre through a female line if he is a Targaryen at all.  Thus, if we are counting everyone alive at the start wih recent Targaryen heritage, we can also add the following people:

Robert, Renly, Stannis, Shireen, and all of Robert's bastards (so that's... 20 more people?)

Brienne and Selwyn Tarth, and I think there were some others were mentioned in the world book as being recent Targaryen decendents.  Speculation is that they may be descended from a union between Dunk and one of Eggs sisters.

[Maxxine]

This is exactly why I don't want Tyrion (or any other Lannister) to  be a Targ. We've had enough secret Targs come out of the woodwork without adding to it with the the Lannister kids. Bastard or not he would still be a Targ child. so still a Targ (at least for the purposes of this discussion).

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

There are basically a ton of people with Blood of the Dragon. But only Aemon, Viserys & Daenerys who are trueborn. Though even I admit there is a slim chance fAegon is Aegon. Though I wouldn't want to be someone with a bet on that. 

Jon is very likely a son of Rhaegar and I think true born. But yes, there is no proof as yet. 

Bloodraven we can say for definite is a Targ Bastard. 

Leaving fAegon,& Illyrio  likely true born Blackfyre descendants through the female line

Varys as a descendant of a bastrd of Aerion Targaryen.

And a possibillity of Tyrion being a bastard from Aerys Targaryen. 

Brown Ben Plumm who has a double dose of Targ blood in his own family blood line.

So yeah 10 

 With the addition of the entire Baratheon House, the Valaryon House, House Martell, and a bunch of others whom have been married into by the Targaryen's 

So definitely far from eradicated. 

edited to add, possibly Mellisandre if B+S=M, though I'm not a subscriber to that theory, as much as I love Yolkboy

[UnmaskedLurker]

If we narrow the total to characters who have at least one parent who was an actual Targaryen, then I suspect we are down to 6 because I doubt that either of fAegon's parents was a Targ, even if both sides might be Targ descendants (Blackfyre/Brightflame). So Dany and Viserys were known to be Targs. Maester Aemon was not secretly a Targ even if many people did not know who he really was -- he was not hiding his background. Similarly, Bloodraven was presumed dead -- but everyone knew that Bryndon Rivers was a legitimized bastard of Aegon IV.

The only "hidden" or "unknown" characters with at least one parent who was an actual Targ (not just someone with a Targ as a recent ancestor) would be Jon (Rhaegar as father) and Tyrion (Aerys as father). And if they are two of the three heads of the dragon -- then no, I don't think we have too many Targs. They were a dynasty for almost 300 years -- why is it so hard to believe there would be other descendants than the ones who were initially disclosed to the readers?

[Dorian Martell]

Tyrion probably isn't one 

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

6 minutes ago, Dorian Martell said:

Tyrion probably isn't one 

Or... he totally is.

[Blade of Sunlight]

Neither Tyrion nor Jon would be considered Targs, as they would be bastards. Bloodraven was legitimized, so he could be called Targ if he wished. Varys and Illyrio, if descendant from the female line would be as much Targs/Blackfires as the Baratheons are Targs, but they wouldn't be called so.

[6D_Hypercube]

20 minutes ago, UnmaskedLurker said:

If we narrow the total to characters who have at least one parent who was an actual Targaryen, then I suspect we are down to 6 because I doubt that either of fAegon's parents was a Targ, even if both sides might be Targ descendants (Blackfyre/Brightflame). So Dany and Viserys were known to be Targs. Maester Aemon was not secretly a Targ even if many people did not know who he really was -- he was not hiding his background. Similarly, Bloodraven was presumed dead -- but everyone knew that Bryndon Rivers was a legitimized bastard of Aegon IV.

The only "hidden" or "unknown" characters with at least one parent who was an actual Targ (not just someone with a Targ as a recent ancestor) would be Jon (Rhaegar as father) and Tyrion (Aerys as father). And if they are two of the three heads of the dragon -- then no, I don't think we have too many Targs. They were a dynasty for almost 300 years -- why is it so hard to believe there would be other descendants than the ones who were initially disclosed to the readers?

Aerion's son Meagor is a trueborn Targaryen though, not a 'Brightflame'. If we assume that Meagor's decendents are trueborn and include Varys and Aegon, then that increases the number of actual Targs at the start of the story to 8.

I think there is a reasonable case to be made that Varys and Serra already belong to a combined Targ-Blackfyre bloodline. Such a union would be a political marriage between Meagor and a female Blackfyre making both Varys and Serra, who are of the right age to be their children, trueborn. If Aegon VI is the child of Serra and Illyrio he would take Serra's last name as the Targaryen name considerably more prestigious than the Mopatis name. This makes him a trueborn Targaryen, just not the one he believes himself to be.

If we add Melisandre, for whom I think the evidence for her being the daughter of Bloodraven and Sheira is pretty convincing, the number of Targs increases to 9.

I still don't think that's too many Targs by the way. If anything, it amuses me to dilute Jon and Dany's specialness.

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

9 minutes ago, Blade of Sunlight said:

Neither Tyrion nor Jon would be considered Targs, as they would be bastards. Bloodraven was legitimized, so he could be called Targ if he wished. Varys and Illyrio, if descendant from the female line would be as much Targs/Blackfires as the Baratheons are Targs, but they wouldn't be called so.

There is good evidence that Jon is a true born son of Rhaegar and Lyanna

[bent branch]

Okay, I thought you might be quoting this ADWD-Chapter 33:
 

Quote

 

"Someone told me that the night is dark and full of terrors. What do you see in those flames?"

"Dragons," Moqorro said in the Common Tongue of Westeros. He spoke it very well, with hardly a trace of accent. No doubt that was one reason the high priest Benerro had chosen him to bring the faith of R'hllor to Daenerys Targaryen. "Dragons old and young, true and false, bright and dark. And you. A small man with a big shadow, snarling in the midst of all."

 

This section of text strongly suggests that there are seven Targs in the story: Old/Aemon and Young/Jon; True/Dany and False/Viserys: Bright/Aegon and Dark/?; and Tyrion.

Most of the reason that people can't see this is because they have one pet theory or another that they want to be correct.

[Thuckey]

Also "public knowledge" in story had only Sansa as the only surviving member of House Stark (at least until fArya) when really Bran, Rickon and real Arya were alive the whole time. GRRM seems to have it as a common theme that people either are still alive when presumed dead or have taken somebody else identity, this happens over and over again. So I guess the many targ concept has some firepower to it!

 

Not to mention I think that the Targs will in fact make a comeback, as the shear amount of history behind the house is very extensive, in fact it has more history than the other houses combined!

 

Would be like having a sportscar with no engine. What would be the point?

[Lord Fauntleroy]

Bloodraven has never been a Targaryen.

[ChillyPolly]

1 hour ago, Thuckey said:

So SEVEN Targaryns alive at the start of book 1 when supposedly only 2 were left. While 4 can be officially confirmed(Dany,Viserys,Bloodraven,Aemon), how many others do you think are likely as well? 7 targs? Really?

Stannis, Shireen, all the Martells, all the sand snakes, all the Baratheon bastards.  (Targ heritage is the basis of the Baratheon royal claim).

Probably Craster and all his brood.  His mom was a wildling but he's got that incest thing going on, so his dad is probably a a Targ, most likely Bloodraven.

[Blade of Sunlight]

5 minutes ago, King Viserys Targaryen IV said:

There is good evidence that Jon is a true born son of Rhaegar and Lyanna

According to the Faith and the Old Gods even if they married it wouldn't count for any of the major religions of th 7 Kingdoms, of course since in Medieval times it's all about power if he has enough support sure he can be "legitimate" just as Renly wanted to take the throne even though he had no legitimately good claim

[Thuckey]

Oh how I wish for the Targaryn nobles to once again reign supreme over Westeros and don their wickedly cool black dragon armour. I mean, Krakens, Lions, Wolves and even the Stag they are cool enough but fucking DRAGONS!! I loved the way the armour and crap looks in the illustrations. I hope to one day see something similar on the show.. but Dany riding Drogon is pretty satisfying in its own way I suppose.

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

10 minutes ago, bent branch said:

Okay, I thought you might be quoting this ADWD-Chapter 33:
 

This section of text strongly suggests that there are seven Targs in the story: Old/Aemon and Young/Jon; True/Dany and False/Viserys: Bright/Aegon and Dark/?; and Tyrion.

Most of the reason that people can't see this is because they have one pet theory or another that they want to be correct.

Seven Dragons (this would be Targaryens, Targaryen bastards & Blackfyres)

My theory

Old & Young (Aemon & Jon), True & False (Daenerys & fAegon), Bright & Dark (Varys & Bloodraven) and Tyrion

[TerrorVoid]

If you are counting all of the popular theories, everyone is a secret Targaryen.

Varys, Illyrio, Jaime&Cersei, HR, Mance for what I can remember. Not counting bloodlines with Targ heritage, that would be almost all of the noble houses, excluding Lannisters and Starks.

2 minutes ago, Blade of Sunlight said:

According to the Faith and the Old Gods even if they married it wouldn't count for any of the major religions of th 7 Kingdoms, of course since in Medieval times it's all about power if he has enough support sure he can be "legitimate" just as Renly wanted to take the throne even though he had no legitimately good claim

Mistake. Big one.

[Prince of the North]

11 minutes ago, Lord Fauntleroy said:

Bloodraven has never been a Targaryen.

I guess I don't know just what you mean here?  I mean, Bloodraven was legitimized by his father King Aegon IV Targaryen, was certainly loyal to the Targaryens, and even served as Hand to a Targaryen king - Aerys I.  So...