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The Worst Targaryen Monarch


King_Tristifer_IV_Mudd

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26 minutes ago, Ser Arthurs Dawn said:

"Targaryens didn't want to rule Westeros but they had to because of the prophecy and the people just didn't understand".

:rofl:

Cannot believe people actually think this. "Oh woe is me, I was just forced to invade and take over a continent and declare myself king and burn thousands to a crisp and massacre innocent Dornish peasants with my dragon. I didn't have a choice!"

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16 minutes ago, Lord Edmure of Riverrun said:

Aegon II was bad but so was Rhaenyra. Both only ruled during a period of great civil war. If we can’t call Rhaenyra a terrible monarch by the same logic we can’t call Aegon II a bad one. Neither got the chance to rule during a time of relative peace.

I mean I don't even count Rhaenyra as a monarch of Westeros. I don't know if that puts her lower on the list than Aerys. There are some mitigating factors, but as things turned out she was really rubbish.

35 minutes ago, Ser Arthurs Dawn said:

I've seen multiple tumblr users say that the "Targaryens didn't want to rule Westeros but they had to because of the prophecy and the people just didn't understand".

Huh, so that's where Stannis gets it from!

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Aerys II, Aegon IV, Maegor, Viserys I and Aegon II are the top 5 worst, the order might change depending on how to judge them.

Viserys I took the realm during a period of peace after the great Jaeharys, made everything in his power to set up a civil war. Ignored precendents, costumes and laws. Ignored clear signs of factionalism like the kids mangling each other and a KG killing the "best friend" of the princess's husband in a tourney. Raised at least 3 psychos as his kids. Gave dragons to both sides, gave simbols of power to both sides. Let people that had no intention (and they told him that) to hold his will. Just because his reing was peacefull does not make him good or decent, Aerys II also had a great reing when Tywin was in charge.

Maegor was cruel beyond reason, failed to sire a heir, almost detroyed his own dynasty killing 2 of his nephews, pissed off the realm with his pointless brutality, was murdered by his own court and nobody missed him.

Aegon IV just like Viserys I. He set up a huge civil war, he either complained about a unfaitfull wife or spread humors against his legit heir that heavily undermined him. Legitimazing all of his bastards was beyond foolish. His invasion of Dorne by all acounts was pathetic.

Aerys II has to be the worst... He managed to piss off Tywin with his petty intrigues, then he pissed the Starks, Baratheons and Arryns with his foolish actions, went on to piss off the Martells by using Elia as a hostage, started a civil war that ended his dynasty, that before him was very secured.

Aegon II ruled only during a civil war, but showed himself a incapable leader, he was cruel, impatient, and dumb, just like his sister.

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Aegon IV, for reasons other's said: he knew what being a good king entailed, and generally did the exact opposite because he was so full of corruption and vice. He willfully misruled.

GRRM also considers him to be the worst of the Targaryen kings. 

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8 minutes ago, Ran said:

Aegon IV, for reasons other's said: he knew what being a good king entailed, and generally did the exact opposite because he was so full of corruption and vice. He willfully misruled.

GRRM also considers him to be the worst of the Targaryen kings. 

He oozes every one of the 7 deadly sins. Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy. He is an outright evil and vile man.

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It says a lot about Westerosi society, and the sexism and patriarchy as well as the racism and xenophobia that define it, that Aegon IV didn't face rebellions but Daeron II did. And this is explicated with Eustace Osgrey rattling off a lot of good things about Daeron as if they were bad. :rolleyes:

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2 hours ago, Craving Peaches said:

I just had to murder my brother using black magic. There simply was no other way. You don't understand!

Unlike Daenerys' order to kill thousands, Stannis case is nothing like that. Mel saw Renly dead, Stannis believed in her power, for it was obviously demonstrated before, and went to SE with a pitiful force.

If you really want to put some blame on Stannis for the murder of someone with magic, you may as well do it right and blame him for Joffrey's, Robb Stark's and Balon's deaths for he knowingly and actively(well, however active you can be by getting sucked by leeches) participated in the magic ritual for those.

Quote

"Say the name," Melisandre commanded.

The leech was twisting in the king's grip, trying to attach itself to one of his fingers. "The usurper," he said. "Joffrey Baratheon." When he tossed the leech into the fire, it curled up like an autumn leaf amidst the coals, and burned.

Stannis grasped the second. "The usurper," he declared, louder this time. "Balon Greyjoy." He flipped it lightly onto the brazier, and its flesh split and cracked. The blood burst from it, hissing and smoking.

 

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3 minutes ago, Corvo the Crow said:

Unlike Daenerys' order to kill thousands, Stannis case is nothing like that. Mel saw Renly dead, Stannis believed in her power, for it was obviously demonstrated before, and went to SE with a pitiful force.

If you really want to put some blame on Stannis for the murder of someone with magic, you may as well do it right and blame him for Joffrey's, Robb Stark's and Balon's deaths for he knowingly and actively(well, however active you can be by getting sucked by leeches) participated in the magic ritual for those.

 

Nah, Mel’s magic didn’t kill Robb, Joff or Balon, she saw their deaths and used the info to convince Stannis of how powerful she is by claiming she was gonna kill them w/ king’s blood and then she went, “told ya!”. 

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13 minutes ago, Many-Faced Votary said:

It says a lot about Westerosi society, and the sexism and patriarchy as well as the racism and xenophobia that define it, that Aegon IV didn't face rebellions but Daeron II did. And this is explicated with Eustace Osgrey rattling off a lot of good things about Daeron as if they were bad. /cdn-cgi/mirage/6dc3d3eb1a38505cabd90fb7ffd43995f14702a0df4cf40d6136ae67a48e140e/1280/https://asoiaf.westeros.org/uploads/emoticons/default_rolleyes.gif

To an extent yeah, but he was almost assassinated at least once. 

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1 minute ago, kissdbyfire said:

Nah, Mel’s magic didn’t kill Robb, Joff or Balon, she saw their deaths and used the info to convince Stannis of how powerful she is by claiming she was gonna kill them w/ king’s blood and then she went, “told ya!”. 

Yup. It happened exactly that way, but the point is not that but Stannis wanted these deaths and took action, believing it would bring results. 

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I am reading all this with a great lot of interest.  Back in the day Baelor got a lot of heat and not even a low mention on a list here.  Interesting.  

It's fun to go back to Tywin's talk with Tommen about what makes a good king as Tywin is often thought to have ruled in Aerys' stead for a long stretch and did a good job by the sound of it.  He thought Baelor was a lunatic.   

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21 hours ago, Lord Edmure of Riverrun said:

I don’t think Maegor was mad at all. Just utterly ruthless. His ruthlessness is what made Jaehaerys & Alysanne’s  easier. He brought stability to the new dynasty.

I think his ‘blow to the head’ is supposed to be an obvious reference to Caligula’s ‘illness/seizure/coma’ after which the previously capable-but-dangerous became psychotic. That said, Caligula might be an example of who really writes the history books, so maybe GRRM intended a dual comparison. 

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