Aerys Targaryen was a good King

[The Night's Prince]

So we're not allowed to disagree with topics anymore? Flame gang huh? Guess when you're a jet you're a jet all the way!

You can disagree everyday and twice on Sundays but the ridicule is what needs to cease. Disagreeing != sarcastic cheap shots

[The Great Walrus]

You can disagree everyday and twice on Sundays but the ridicule is what needs to cease. Disagreeing != sarcastic cheap shots

Now to be fair, some people deserve sarcastic cheap shots (not OP in this case)...

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

Aerys showed promise until the Defiance of Duskendale. He was jealous of Tywin, a good Hand, so he pissed him off and causing him to resign. The son of a powerful lord threatened his son, so he arrested him (fine), burned his father to death, strangled the son and then raped his wife (not fine). Those are just two examples of Aerys' incompetence. I'm sorry OP, but he was a terrible King.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

He came to KL with the intention of harming Rhaegar, and that's Lord Arya to you thanks :).

No that was Brandon. Aerys demanded that Rickard answer for his son's crimes and then burned him alive. Not cool, Aerys. Not cool.

[Rod123]

Aerys never truly ruled.

He was a good king because he had a good hand (Tywin) once that was taken it was a spiral down ride, going from inept to genocidal

[Mad Monkey]

Couldn't you construct an argument that Joffrey was also a good king because of the combined efforts of Tyrion and Tywin? Aerys turned the entire concept of fealty on its head, by calling for the execution of two children more or less at random. (Did he really think that Eddard and Robert had anything to do with what Brandon Stark did? If so, he could have put them on trial. He didn't do that, because he just wanted to kill them and didn't care about oaths and trust.)

A proper king would have handled the situation with Rhaegar, Lyanna, and Brandon with more care -- with any care, actually. Instead, Aerys decided to turn Westeros into an abattoir, to be capped off by blowing up the capital city. Seriously, this is actually worse than Joffrey -- Joffrey also started a war in a fit of pique but he at least managed to restrain himself from ordering the execution of everyone living in the capital city.

[Dead Wolf]

No, Tywin was a good Hand. King Scab was probably getting his cuts bandaged during the smallcouncil meetings

[Darth Visenya]

A proper king would have handled the situation with Rhaegar, Lyanna, and Brandon with more care -- with any care, actually. Instead, Aerys decided to turn Westeros into an abattoir, to be capped off by blowing up the capital city. Seriously, this is actually worse than Joffrey -- Joffrey also started a war in a fit of pique but he at least managed to restrain himself from ordering the execution of everyone living in the capital city.

See, you're wrong there, the key to a good Reign-always give them a big finish, and what's bigger than a huge firework display.

Joffery was a terrible King and a terrible person.

[Will to Power]

Apparently domesticated modern "men" and women have difficult time accepting that someone who is "evil" might actually be a good ruler.

preach brother/sister preach

This happens when one is unable to fight brilliance with brilliance. Crackpot threads are to your left. Know your place, ser.

So nicely written one could almost take it seriously.

I am a very serious person. Believe what you will.

[The Duke]

To be fair, surrounding yourself with competent people who are experts in their field is a hallmark of great leadership. So at least early on, you can absolutely argue that Aerys was a good king, even if Tywin did the heavy lifting. Even after the rebellion, Robert took over a kingdom with a fully stocked treasury, full harvests, and the smallfolk had a chance at living a decent life.

[aceluby]

I'm saying you can't judge a king a "good ruler" hen that king is described by all of his subjects as bat shit crazy, he incites a rebellion, and he loses said rebellion.

It wasn't 'all his subjects' though... we get a very distorted view because most of our POV's are from those that successfully rebelled and benefitted from said rebellion. In fact, in an Arya chapter in ACOK one of the commoners wishes that the old king was still around and when questioned said he was talking about Aerys.

I think the OP raises some good points here.

ETA: Regarding Ned & Roberts death, it wouldn't be the first time that a king ended a family's reign by ordering their deaths. Hell, Tywin did exactly that when he came in and killed all the Targs... So if Aerys is mad for demanding them dead, then so was Robert and Tywin.

[SwordInDaDarkness]

I think Aerys II was a real visionary.

1. He was a true feminist by supporting the execution of known womanizer Brandon Stark.

2. He let his son have a second marriage for love.

3. He exemplified anti-racist attitudes by allowing Dornishmen to die for him as equally as Andals.

4. He fought against monogamist patriarchy by trying to do Tywin's wife.

5. He was a patron of the sciences. Especially chemistry.

And the fire. Don't forget about the fire. Discovered way before Stannis about its awesomeness. He even proved the ability of fire to act as an aphrodisiac.

[Oberyn Stark]

Well if you call burning people alive ( Rickard) and practically raping his wife yes not to mention calling for two boys heads. And not having a father - son convo with rhaegar for (conspirisy ignored) nicking lyanna then yes :)

[aceluby]

Well if you call burning people alive ( Rickard) and practically raping his wife yes not to mention calling for two boys heads. And not having a father - son convo with rhaegar for (conspirisy ignored) nicking lyanna then yes :)

Well if you put it into context, Rickard was guilty of treason and many people guilty of treason never get a trial and have been burned alive since. The 'mad' raping is terrible, but really has nothing to do with his kingship. And lastly, while he should have probably talked to Rhaegar, pretty much everything he was afraid of was true. Tywin was ruling the kingdoms as hand and Rhaegar was planning to take the throne, both of which started his decent into madness, which before then he was thought of as a good king that was quick to anger.

[raegal_targaryen]

I think Aerys II was a real visionary.

1. He was a true feminist by supporting the execution of known womanizer Brandon Stark.

2. He let his son have a second marriage for love.

3. He exemplified anti-racist attitudes by allowing Dornishmen to die for him as equally as Andals.

4. He fought against monogamist patriarchy by trying to do Tywin's wife.

5. He was a patron of the sciences. Especially chemistry.

GODAMN AWESOME QUOTE

[aceluby]

Does anyone else find it kind of funny how hard people are on Aerys as the worst evil ever while Stannis is a hero while basically doing the same actions minus the raping? I don't agree w/ much of what they do, but I think their parallell is one of the most interesting aspects of the book.

[Drogon'sWrath]

Well if you put it into context, Rickard was guilty of treason and many people guilty of treason never get a trial and have been burned alive since. The 'mad' raping is terrible, but really has nothing to do with his kingship. And lastly, while he should have probably talked to Rhaegar, pretty much everything he was afraid of was true. Tywin was ruling the kingdoms as hand and Rhaegar was planning to take the throne, both of which started his decent into madness, which before then he was thought of as a good king that was quick to anger.

Brandon did commit treason by calling for Rhaegar's head. Rickard had nothing to do with that display of hotheadedness by Brandon. Rickard was called to KL by Aerys and when he found out Aerys blamed him as well as Brandon, he demanded trial by combat. Aerys proceeded to name fire his champion. Brandon was really the only one whose execution I would find acceptable in this case; Rickard and the others were killed unnecessarily. To top it off, he called for the heads of Robert and Ned, who had nothing to do with the incident. As for Rhaegar plotting to take the throne: I always understood it to mean that he wanted the throne because he knew Aerys was going mad. I agree with Barristan on this matter. Aerys' reign started with promise, but he slowly descended into madness. He started out as a competent king, but madness destroyed him.

[raegal_targaryen]

All Hail aerys targaryen, The one true King of his century. the one who taught the south what to do to the starks, the one who brought you a new flaming religion, burner of the unburnt people, lover of the fanatics,the one who paved the way for a new drunken fool of a king,he raised the lions up to power, so they to could bring the Evil starks to there knees yet again, protector of the southron religions, the one who made fire burn brighter than every before.

[Lord of Beyond the Wall]

Well, Aerys T. was a good King, he leave the reign with a good economy, according to Ned Stark he leave the coffers full of gold despite of the war of the usurpers. Maybe Brandon and Rickard Stark didn't deserve to die the way they died but Brandon didn't ask for justice he threated to kill the Crown Prince and that's treason.

[Rob Snow]

Well if you put it into context, Rickard was guilty of treason and many people guilty of treason never get a trial and have been burned alive since. The 'mad' raping is terrible, but really has nothing to do with his kingship. And lastly, while he should have probably talked to Rhaegar, pretty much everything he was afraid of was true. Tywin was ruling the kingdoms as hand and Rhaegar was planning to take the throne, both of which started his decent into madness, which before then he was thought of as a good king that was quick to anger.

Your timeline is a little off.

Rhaegar started making plans to take over (According to known Blackfyre loyalist Varys) after Aerys had begun his descent into madness at Duskendale.

In fact, Duskendale itself was caused by Aerys' rash decision to go there personally with a small guard, and only 1 Kingsguard knight.

King Robert, may well have went to Duskendale to handle matters himself as well, but I doubt he would've been captured and held for 6 months.