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Which Claim do you support the most?


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Given that Aegon is who he is claimed to be, his claim is strongest for sure. He is the rightful leader of the dynasty that created the office, unbroken until his father was murdered. After him, Daenerys for the same reasons .If Aegaon is false and Daenerys is gone for some reason, then Stannis is the rightful heir of Robert for sure. But Tommen is on the throne already.

In the end it is a de facto vs de jure issue imo. Right of Conquest vs Succession. Who ever is on the throne when the dust settles is has the best claim. Just like how Robert's Rebellion was treason, but they won, so it wasn't. It's a bit pragmatic and boring, and not really in line with your question, but it's true both in Westeros and in our world imo.

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Pretty much completely agree with Aehole Targaryen above. It’s always been my opinion that the Right of Conquest conquers the Targaryen claim to the throne - as at the end of the day, this is how Aegon the Conqueror became King of Westeros and created the best claim.

In this case, it’s Stannis and if I was a bold and powerful lord, this is who I would back. If Aegon is real, then to be perfectly honest I would say that him and Dany were exiled and thrown out of Westeros by House Baratheon, so if they want to get the rightful claim to the Iron Throne, they need to win it through conquest once again. And only then would they have the strongest claim.

On this basis, you may claim that Tommen has the best claim but he has not conquered anything. Instead, he is unrightfully clinging onto the Iron Throne and we know him to be a bastard.

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None. The Throne is half the woes of Westeros and should be destroyed. The bigger the stakes, the larger the battles.

The land should revert to so small kingdoms, an organisation like the Night Watch, made of volunteers from every place, could deal with most the troubles stirred by so petty lords.

Edited by BalerionTheCat
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
On 1/19/2023 at 4:23 PM, BalerionTheCat said:

None. The Throne is half the woes of Westeros and should be destroyed. The bigger the stakes, the larger the battles.

The land should revert to so small kingdoms, an organisation like the Night Watch, made of volunteers from every place, could deal with most the troubles stirred by so petty lords.

I mostly agree with this.  I don't support anyone's claim, because I don't support the Iron Throne.

But assuming the realm stays united and someone needs to sit the Iron Throne, see below for my ranking of the five people actively claiming the Iron Throne (this does not include potential claimants, such as Jon Snow, who haven't actually made a claim).

1.  Tommen Baratheon: The Targaryens have no claim to the throne.  If Aegon I "rightfully" gained the throne by conquest, then they "rightfully" lost the throne by Robert's conquest.  Tommen is Robert's recognized heir... and obviously I know he isn't really the heir because he isn't really Robert's son.  Is it worth more war and death and suffering so Robert's "true" heir (Stannis) can have the throne?  No.  I would have said differently for Joffrey, because Joffrey's Hand Tywin started a genocidal war in his name and Joffrey was a travesty of a human being, but Tywin is dead, the war is over, and Tommen is not a psychopath.  Currently, the small council ruling in Tommen's name is about as decent as you can hope for... but with Varys's manipulations that is not likely to last.

2.  Stannis Baratheon: The "true" rightful claimant of the throne, and better than the other contenders.  If he came to the throne by peace, I think he would be a good king, and he is the "king who cares" by actually trying to deal with the Others and making peace with the Free Folk... even if his motives aren't pure.  I'm not a "Stannis the Mannis" guy, but Stannis isn't terrible either.  Burning septs and godwoods is a major strike against him, but I suspect if he actually gained the throne, he would largely cast Melisandre's influence aside.

3.  Aegon Targaryen:  Frankly I don't care if he is a real Targaryen or not, because (yet again) Targaryens have no claim to the throne.  Varys's stated idea to raise "the perfect king" isn't a bad one... even though I don't think Varys's stated motives are his true motives.  With Cersei's incompetence and Varys's manipulation, I think Aegon can take the throne with minimal bloodshed and be backed by popular demand.  If he was peacetime king (he won't be), I think he would make a good king.

4.  Daenerys Targaryen:  If Dany really wants to help people, she would stay in Slavers Bay.  She has no right to the Iron Throne, and her entitled sense of superior "dragon blood" repulses me.  People say that her dragons can help fight the Others, and maybe they can... but so far she has given zero thought to a threat she doesn't know about and only wants to take what is "rightfully hers" (but isn't).  While she would make a decent queen if she came to the throne peacefully, but she won't, and any means she will use to take the throne (dragons, Dothraki, etc.) will almost certainly ensure she is a tyrant by the time she sits on it.

5.  Euron Greyjoy:  No claim whatsoever, but he is making the claim anyway.  His lack of claim is the least of the reasons why I hate him though, and no elaboration needed why he is the bottom of my list.

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“The Best”, as Alexander the Great put it.

Who sits the Iron Throne matters only insofar as that man or woman is the best to defeat the existential threat posed by the Others.

It makes no odds if that person is a brutal thug.

We can rule out Euron, as he sees himself as an eldritch demigod, and would likely side with the Others;  or else would rule in a similar fashion.  We can rule out Tommen.  Sweet boy though he is, he is simply the puppet of selfish, bad, people.

We can probably rule out Aegon.  He seems all flash and no substance, and his capture of Kings Landing will likely be accompanied by scenes of appalling cruelty, further dividing the Realm.

That leaves any of Jon, and Stannis (who know of the threat) and Dany (who will learn of it).  

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  • 5 weeks later...
On 4/2/2023 at 4:57 AM, StarkTullies said:

Currently, the small council ruling in Tommen's name is about as decent as you can hope for... but with Varys's manipulations that is not likely to last.

You're joking.

On 4/2/2023 at 7:17 AM, SeanF said:

We can probably rule out Aegon.  He seems all flash and no substance, and his capture of Kings Landing will likely be accompanied by scenes of appalling cruelty, further dividing the Realm.

Plus, Aegon's inner circle will consist of some really questionable people...the High Septon, Varys, Arianne, Illyrio, Lemore, Haldon Halfmaester, Jon Connington, the Sand Snakes

It's not a team I would put my faith

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1 hour ago, BlackLightning said:

You're joking.

I say "the small council ruling in Tommen's name is about as decent as you can hope for" as a cynic.  I hate Randyll Tarly; he's a despicable man, but capable for his role.  Mace Tyrell is hardly the blubbering fool some people think he is.  I don't know much about Harys Swyft, but he is certainly better than Baelish.  Paxter Redwyne is as good a choice for master of ships as any.

But let's say I don't have much "hope" for decent rulers, so the "best I can hope for" isn't a high bar.  Tommen's small council (post-Cersei) is miles better than his small council under Cersei, or Robert's, or Aerys's.  They may not be great men (certainly not Randyll Tarly), but more competent leaders than most others we've seen recently... and not nearly as malevolent as Varys or Baelish who would let the world burn for their own gain.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Umm I don’t like anyone who doesn’t like me Gendry’s claim why because you all love him so much a bastard is a bastard listen he’s not Cersei’s child half blood royal half what listen he’s no one and Arya wow poor kid she’s no one ha ha

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