So who actually has a rightful claim to the Iron Throne now? [SPOILERS]

[Alhazard]

Gendry can't be king because no one legitimized him. A council can choose him to be king on account him being undeniably Robert's son, though.

Tommen and Myrcella are bastards and going to die soon. The Tyrells have no claim to the throne, nor does Littlefinger, despite these people having the best chance of a victory by conquest.

OP says to discount the Targaryens, so Dany or Jon has no claim either. Their dynasty was ousted from power. But Robert used his Targ blood to press his claim, and if you argue that it was the Mad King's line that was removed from power, It would be Trystane or Bran Stark who is the heir. I still don't know what claim Ned had to the Iron Throne, but he does say 'Robert's claim as stronger'. And if this Stark claim to Iron Throne is not in the show, the true heir will be Trystane Martell.

There is no clear answer to the question. I think we should go by Renly's logic and say the Iron Throne is up for the grabs by whoever with the strongest army.

Gendry can be king the moment all of Cersey's son are proven to be not Robert's -or are dead.

A bastard son can be legitimated, as Ramsay proved.

I think that in the future the high sept will support Gendry's legitimacy to oppose Cersey and when Daenerys will arrive in King's Landing she will find it devastated by civil war, making it simple to capture the city.

[Nickolaii Shadow - Blood]

I don't think the Iron Throne will last that long, though. I bet they will melt it down to make anti-Others weapons when the zombie armies pour into King's Landing with the Winter.

I actually had this thought the other day.

[grufolo]

The law never mattered actually, it's always been a matter of military power and alliances. "Rightful claim" doesn't mean anything.

:agree: :agree: :agree: :agree: :agree: :agree: :agree:

[Baron Bazunor the Twisted]

I see [9] possible contenders in the SHOW.

1) If Trystane ends up being revealed as fAegon. Very unlikely, but still a possibility and would explain for a lot of fat-trimming in the Dorne plotline. I would actually love this personally.

2) if Gendry ever makes a return and this is who Davos is sent to look for. Also pretty unlikely, but I am a bit saddened by the extinction of the Baratheon bloodline in the finale, so I'm holding out hope for this as well.

3) if Rickon ever shows back up he could be a contender for King in the North. We haven't gotten any non-Bolton northern houses other than the quick Mormont note that Stannis read to Jon earlier in Season 5. It seems they may still be pushing the King in the North bill, so until shown otherwise I will assume most northern houses feel this way. Still - no word from him in a few seasons and has always been a very minor character, we may never see him again to be honest...

4) if Euron is indeed casted for next season, he will be a huge wildcard in whatever storyline he is placed in. But he will ultimately be a bad guy that will not win. Especially being introduced so late.

5) Baelish has no bloodlines to latch onto, but he is clearly gunning for being King, which would be hilarious but temporary if done.

6) Jon Snow if R+L=J holds truth and he does return before the end of the series and is legitimized as such. Very strong possibility.

7) The obvious one Dany and pretty clearly going to be the victor on the show at least. They have placed all the blocks down for an easy takeover. I'm hoping that this is all a facade though and she does not win in the end. It just seems too obvious for GRRM or even D&D.

8) The Nights King or whatever the book is going to call the leader of the Others. Think about it, Westeros actually loses and the White Walkers simply take control. It'd be a WTF ending as that has never been done before. But unlikely.

9) Technically Tommen is still king though, and whatever unborn child Margaery may or may not have in her belly, giving the Tyrells someone to declare for as well.

[Grail King]

Well I don't think it's going to matter, per book and show KL is burned, they will be busy up north and GRRM said many will sit and the one who wins it is an unlikely person.

Maybe Robert Arryn.

[ricardoromell]

The Iron Bank - the Iron Throne is in massive debt and as such you could say, that without a doubt via financial instruments, the Iron Bank has the rightful claim. They can appoint whoever it is they seem fit considering the amount of debt we have been broadly explained KL is in.

[Jerimy Carroll]

This is all setting up very nicely for Baelish, isn't it?

Chaos is a ladder indeed!

Rightful claim is a bit of a loaded statement, no rightful claim is left. I guess Ser Pounce is about the only one left with anywhere close to a claim. (yeah, kidding.. But I love Ser Pounce)

My guess on the person to take the crown would be Baelish or Gendry. But I think the throne is pretty much a liability until things settle down and the white walkers situation is resolved.

[ummester]

8) The Nights King or whatever the book is going to call the leader of the Others. Think about it, Westeros actually loses and the White Walkers simply take control. It'd be a WTF ending as that has never been done before. But unlikely.

I think it's the most likely - well, not the NK sitting on the throne, I think Dany's dragons will melt that, but the NK being the ultimate hero and savior in the tale.

This isn't my blog, no idea whose it is, actually - just showing I'm not the only one thinking like this.

https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/it-s-time-to-embrace-the-true-heroes-in-game-of-thrones-the-white-walkers-70c6e6869d6

AsoIaF/GoTs is a saga that is meant to make us re-assess our humanity, where we are headed and what we hold dear, I believe. It is trying to do this but getting us involved with and rooting for horrible, self serving and greedy people. It is getting us involved with a human civilization on the verge of collapse, whilst making some subtle and some not so subtle references to our very real world. We are viewing this fantasy through the POV of it's orcs (humans) and the elves (White Walkers) are returning, to save the land.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Robert had a claim cuz he had targaryan blood himself tho.

House Baratheon is extinct.

its now obvious that Dany is going to sit on the iron throne. And she has the best claim.

Didn't Ned also have a claim and he told Robert that his (Robert's) claim was stronger?

[Pilusmagnus]

What if Stannis legitimized Gendry in the parchment which he entrusted to Davos?

[Imp Beyond the Wall]

Roberts claim consisted of a war hammer and a Trident full of rubies.

[Kabutsu]

Balon, duh. The last guy standing from the War of the Five Kings. Until he gets blown off a bridge in Season 6 Episode 1, finally 'confirming' the power of Mel's leeches.

That or Hodor.

[robasp2]

@OP

Robert was never a usurper.

Groups fight each other and kings are overthrown all the time.

If Robert was a usurper then so was Aegon and the Andals.

I have no idea why people like using the term and why Targs are the "rightful" heir?!

King robert died.

All his children were bastards

So stannis was heir. If he is dead, Renly. Since he too is dead, I believe Cercei has the claim to the throne as Robert's wife.

If Cercei is guilty she or her children cannot claim.

The overthrown king or his relatives have no "rightful" claim...so actually the throne has no heir.

Perfect for an overthrow.

[born amidst snow and corn]

I believe Gendry will be legitimized at some point before the end of the series, so at least House Baratheon can live on. But as rulers, they are done.

I don't think the law will matter for the next conflicts we will see.

a bastard that wasn't acknowlaged can't be legitimized, every connection he has to his father or house baratheon will be no more than a rumor, he will never claim storm's end, not to mention the crown.

the only claim Robert and Stannis had other than the right of conquest (which any peasant with an army can claim) was that the descendants of the mad king are out of the line of succession which makes the baratheons to the closest thing to legitimate targaryens.

so technically the throne still belongs to house targaryen and the only question is who is therightful head of house targaryen?

the boy who claims to be the eldest son of Rhaegar?

the boy who might be the only remaining son of Rhaegar (and is either ilegitimate or born out of bigemy)?

or the only girl whose targaryen lineage is unquestioned?

all of those have either 0 claim to the throne or a much stronger claim than stannis or any other baratheon..

if they are all legit than its Aegon>Jon>Dany>anyone else.

if they were actually disinherited then the rightful heir to the throne after the baratheons is doran martell.

the only one who can decide is the only one who can crown kings of the seven kingdoms-the high septon.

[Winter's Cold]

@OP

Robert was never a usurper.

Groups fight each other and kings are overthrown all the time.

If Robert was a usurper then so was Aegon and the Andals.

I have no idea why people like using the term and why Targs are the "rightful" heir?!

King robert died.

All his children were bastards

So stannis was heir. If he is dead, Renly. Since he too is dead, I believe Cercei has the claim to the throne as Robert's wife.

If Cercei is guilty she or her children cannot claim.

The overthrown king or his relatives have no "rightful" claim...so actually the throne has no heir.

Perfect for an overthrow.

Robert was an usurper. He overthrew the rightful king and crowned himself.

[robasp2]

Robert was an usurper. He overthrew the rightful king and crowned himself.

Didnt Aegon do something similar then?

He overthrew kings and crowned himself king.

[OldGimletEye]

Robert was an usurper. He overthrew the rightful king and crowned himself.

With the explicit consent of the lords of the Vale, the North, the Riverlands. And let's not pretend that Aerys didn't violate all kinds of norms within Westeros, causing a great amount of damage to the legitimacy of his house. Before RR, House Targeryen had a great deal of legtimacy as the rulers of Westeros. Most people wouldn't have balked at the idea of the Targaryens being the "rightful rulers". But, Aerys fucked that up.

This idea that Robert just woke up one day and decided to steal a throne from Targaryen babies is just Targ propaganda. It's complete bullshit.

ETA:

And there is no such fucking thing as a "rightful ruler" technically speaking. There's just a set of legitimizing norms, within the context of Westeros, that make some people appear to have the right to rule. It's the answer to Varsys riddle: People have power because that's what men believe. That doesn't mean beliefs ought not be subjected to analytical scrunity to see how well they hold up and pass the smell test. But, still at the end of the day, who and who is not the "rightful ruler" depends upon what people believe or what their stated beliefs are.

[robasp2]

This idea that Robert just woke up one day and decided to steal a throne from Targaryen babies is just Targ propaganda. It's complete bullshit.

:agree:

I always tell these Targ loyalist fans to think of this situation.

The president of your country decides to randomly burn houses (maybe yours).

Has women dragged out and raped publically

Large number of children burned alive in front of you.

Kills every protestant.

All just for "fun".

You probably are homeless, have your family degraded and destroyed. Have no food and in addition forced to pay twice the tax or die.

Would you call a person who stood up against this a "savior" or a "usurper"?

Would he be the person who "wrongfully" took power away from the president?

[born amidst snow and corn]

Didnt Aegon do something similar then?

He overthrew kings and crowned himself king.

there was no king of the seven kingdoms before Aegon,he didn't "steal" any of the 7 independent kings thrones hence he wasn't a usurper.

Robert took the targaryen throne by force, if he did it legally (by disowning his remaining cousins and declaring himself the rightful heir) or not is up for debate.

[robasp2]

there was no king of the seven kingdoms before Aegon,he didn't "steal" any of the 7 independent kings thrones hence he wasn't (b)a(/b) usurper.

Robert took the targaryen throne by force, if he did it legally (by disowning his remaining cousins and declaring himself the rightful heir) or not is up for debate.

I still dont get you..

A younger brother can steal from the elder brother (Renly)

Also Cercei stole it from Stannis.

In both these cases they used tricks to gain supporters and assert their claim.

The boltons cheated on the starks and usurped winterfell.

But how can a leader who declared war and Actually won the war "steal"?

He killed the prince in single combat.

It is overthrowing isn't it? Not stealing.

So if Robert made Storms end the capital after he becane king.. Would he be " not a usurper" then?