Do you want Aegon to be a fake?

[GarthKITN]

He seems to be one of the most widely disliked characters in the series (a sentiment I don't agree with. I actually really like him), and one of the primary reasons seems to be "because he's fake". Now do you personally want him to be fake, or would you rather him be exactly who he says he is, Aegon Targaryn? Do you think part of the reason people get so riled up about him is because if he is Rhaegar's son, that negates the theory of Jon's parentage a bit?

So basically, if it were up to you and you were penning the script, would you want Aegon to be fake, or real?

[Pod The Impaler]

I don't dislike him, but I do find it jarring that so deep into the story we get thrown this son of Rhaegar, so in a way, yes I do.

Although I can see things still working if he really is real.

[GestaltReplicant]

Oh God yes. Or better yet, that he was never real in the first place and that this entire particular plot thread was just a bad dream.

I can't speak for everybody, but here's why he riles me up:

Basically, it negates in large part the emotional relevance of both the Oberyn/Gregor duel and the entire thinly veiled Martell/Lannister enmity. Not only that, but there was absolutely zero leadup to the reveal - unlike the other twists, which were brilliant and made total sense in hindsight. Aegon just up and pops out of nowhere. In addition, he kind of sets the whole plot back even further by adding yet another major character into the mess.

I would not have Aegon be fake or real if I was writing it - I'd have dumped the entire line of thought and devoted that page space to actually provide all the individual POV climaxes that were supposed to be in DwD but weren't (leaving it feeling unfinished) and which instead will awkwardly be at the beginning of Winds of Winter.

[Petyr Baller]

Yeah, his introduction and role in the story is pretty hokey if he's real. "Oh hi guys, I've been hiding out for the previous 5000 pages, but I have the best claim to the Iron Throne and I'm like super educated and good looking and have an awesome personality and stuff.

Oh, my Aunt...the other Targaryen exile supposedly being helped by Illyrio and Varys? Pshh. I managed to gather an army and invade Westeros in half a book. What's she ever done?"

[Yago]

Don't care. Just kill him.

[GestaltReplicant]

Yeah, his introduction and role in the story is pretty hokey if he's real. "Oh hi guys, I've been hiding out for the previous 5000 pages, but I have the best claim to the Iron Throne and I'm like super educated and good looking and have an awesome personality and stuff.

Oh, my Aunt...the other Targaryen exile supposedly being helped by Illyrio and Varys? Pshh. I managed to gather an army and invade Westeros in half a book. What's she ever done?"

This sums up my thoughts exactly. To have this random paragon of a character explode onto the scene and virtually conquer part of Westeros within one book is just so... meh.

[Belisarius09]

I think he gets a lot of flack from dany supporters, because if he's real then he has a better claim than she does to the throne.

I hope he's real because Rhaegar seemed like a bad ass, and maybe some of his traits were passed off to his son and we'll get to see what rhaegar was like.

[Tony Soprano]

Yes.

I don't really dislike him all that much, because he honestly seems more reasonable than Daenerys. But, I don't like the fact that he's been away for the past 4 books, and now, all of the sudden, he just shows up in Westeros with an army behind his back.

Also, I don't like Targaryens. Any Targaryen. I don't care if it's Danny, Aegon or whoever else shows up. I just want them dead.

[Addam of Hull]

I think it's kind of unfair to dismiss him as being a latecomer. aSoIaF was originally a trilogy with aDwD in the middle. Aegon doesn't really show up that late. I think whether he's fake or real, Martin recognized (correctly) that he didn't have the kind of lengthy plot line that Daenerys, the Stark Kids, and the Lannisters do and that he didn't need to show up until after tWoFK wrapped up.

Personally? I think him being a Blackfyre Pretender is a much more interesting story to tell, especially if he's competent as both a military commander and a ruler.

[Usrnmhsnomning]

I see nothing wrong with how Aegon was introduced. The Gold Company and Connington was explained well and made sense, and how little Varys and Illyrio actually did for Viserys/Daenerys (a place to hide for 13 years) while supposedy hinging their entire plan on a horselord who does things "in his own time" always seemed incredily iffy. Its pretty clear that Drogo was never going to invade Westeros, nor was the story going to what 15 years or more for Rhaego to do it.

Besides, Aegons introduction has nothing on Melissandre and her super shadow babys stagnating the Reach's involvement in the war of the "5" kings. Barely a war between 3.

[The Broke Howard Hughes]

He just showed up halfway through the series with all these lame claims and a sense of entitlement. I think people are justified in not liking him.

[Dolorous_Bob]

Yeah, his introduction and role in the story is pretty hokey if he's real. "Oh hi guys, I've been hiding out for the previous 5000 pages, but I have the best claim to the Iron Throne and I'm like super educated and good looking and have an awesome personality and stuff.

Oh, my Aunt...the other Targaryen exile supposedly being helped by Illyrio and Varys? Pshh. I managed to gather an army and invade Westeros in half a book. What's she ever done?"

She knows what she's done, and now she paying for it.

Well it doesn't bother me either way if he is a real Targ, finally I can have a living Targ (Unless Dany does a 180 back to the way she was) to like and if he's a Blackfyre Im okay with it because I actually like Blackfyre's better and believe would have done better. But to the complaints of there was no hint in the previous books to him being alive (if he is the real one) what kind of indicator would satisfy you? Only POV character in Esoss who could have given us our hint was Dany and she screwed around in Slavers Bay and to the only one knowing of Aegon in Westeros being Varys why the hell would he drop any sort of hints that he existed and the only POV character who came close to giving us a hint to Aegon was Arya when she overheard Varys and Illeryio talking.

I do have my own little theory regarding the dragon must have 3 heads and the 3 Targ lines we have (if Aegon is Blackfyre) but Ive brought it up twice before and no one seemed interested then so I wont trouble this thread with it.

[Bolivar]

I don't care either way as long as GRRM pulls off something epic and unexpected with him.

Personally, I like him and I enjoy the whole storyline with them. Personally, I was expecting him to come back since A Game of Thrones, a around the 86th time GRRM tells you "his head was dashed against the wall." Initially, I thought that Jon was him.

[The Dragon has three heads]

Haters gonna hate!

From book one "the babes face was unrecognizable".

What, 5-6 times?

Also book one "what good is war now?"

Illyrio and varys have played a long game, and played it well.

He came in 3 books in effectively, because that's where tyrion, perhaps one of, but not the only charactor smart enough to figure it out was able to meet him. Not only that, but then he could also carry the story to Danny and move her plot forward.

Now you say "uh Aegon got to westeros is half a book cry cry." And sure he's been trained to rule, and has a bunch of author fiat but Danny actually has ruled. Nothing beats experience.

I don't care if he's real or not, but what you guys prove is that he's exactly what he's meant to be. Devisive.

[Lion of Judah]

Not so much that I want him to be fake, I just believe that he is fake. I actually liked the character until that cyvasse incident with Tyrion.

[Quentyn the Blazed]

No because I've spent too much time on this forum arguing that he's real.

The two impressions I had from him though was when he froze in fear/hesitation in front of the stone man, and when he flipped the cyvasse table in rage. Not a good sign for a wannabe king. So I guess I dislike him, but want him to be real, just landed on the wrong side of the Targ crazy coin toss, thats all.

Ideal situation would be either he is embraced by Dany and then gets power hungry, reminds Dany too much of Viserys, and she takes him down in some badass way...perhaps she will take offense to how he deals with those who claim he isnt Aegon Targaryen.

Or he is called a fake, and everyone turns on him and he is killed, to be forever remembered as such, but then there is a Varys epilogue or someone hears a Varys Illyrio conversation and its revealed he was truly a Targ after all.

[The Dragon has three heads]

"power resides where men believe it resides"

[danm_999]

I don't think people dislike him because they think he's fake, I think it's because in the brief scenes he's appeared in he made a poor impression on them.

[The Dragon has three heads]

Once cyvasse game he lost, to a dwarf, who in his eyes, tricked him.

Come on people, you'll have to do better than that!

[GarthKITN]

I do have my own little theory regarding the dragon must have 3 heads and the 3 Targ lines we have (if Aegon is Blackfyre) but Ive brought it up twice before and no one seemed interested then so I wont trouble this thread with it.

Well...why mention it then?