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This article contains spoilers for all of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is a sprawling saga that covers many miles of storytelling and presents rich fantasy themes. At the end of the day, however, the most important question the series puts forward is right there in the title of the TV show: who is going to sit on that damn Iron Throne?
This was the query central to HBO’s Game of Thrones. The series opens with King Robert Baratheon I (Mark Addy) atop the iron chair and then cycles through many more monarchs on the way to crowning its final ruler, King Brandon Stark I (Isaac-Hempstead Wright). After all, he’s the one with the best story, right? We’re all in agreement?
The franchise’s first spinoff prequel, House of the Dragon, deals with a succession crisis from an earlier Westerosi era. After the death of the fifth Targaryen king, Viserys I (Paddy Considine), two of his children state their claim to his crown. The Dance of the Dragon civil war between Queen Rhaenyra I (Emma D’Arcy) and King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) will cause untold damage to the continent that House Targaryen will never fully recover from.
While many Game of Thrones stories are about the relentless pursuit of power, it’s worth remembering that the Iron Throne doesn’t stay unoccupied while the mighty Houses of Westeros fight over it. There are many, many kings presented in the deep historical canon of George R. R. Martin’s world. The venerable Targaryen dynasty ran for nearly 300 years from King Aegon I’s landing on Westerosi soil all the way through King Aerys II’s fall. The Targaryens alone gave the realm 17 “officially” recognized kings with many pretenders, queens, and regents to consider beyond that. And that’s not even to get into the political chaos of the show’s main War of the Five Kings story, in which it seems like a new independent kingdom pops up daily.
With that enormous track record of rulers in place, a favorite pastime for A Song of Ice and Fire fans has been to debate which King of the Seven Kingdoms was the best and which was the worst. We aim to keep that tradition going now with Den of Geek‘s official power rankings of Seven Kingdoms monarchs.
The easy thing to do here would be to count only the 17 Targaryen kings presented in Martin’s encyclopedic The World of Ice and Fire. But that wouldn’t be very fun for folks who haven’t read the books and want to see where rulers like Rhaenyra, Daenerys, and Robert shake out. Therefore our list will include the aforementioned 17 Targaryen kings plus every other Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon character who can reasonably claim to be a king or queen of or within the Seven Kingdoms. This includes monarchs who did not sit the Iron Throne like Robb Stark I and Balon Greyjoy I. That takes us from 17 Targaryen kings to 30 Westerosi sovereigns all told.
While the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon canons get a little shaky when compared to Martin’s ironclad A Song of Ice and Fire history, the following list attempts to incorporate both and to take a longview of things. Imagine we are maesters in the far-flung Westerosi future trying to determine which rulers had the best policies that led to the most prosperous periods. Who was the best King Aegon? How should the Baratheon dynasty be remembered? And how do we even process the short reign of one Jon Snow? Find out below:
30. Aegon IV
Aegon IV is an auto-include at the end of any “Worst Targaryen Kings Ever” list. Many Targaryen kings were bad, but only one was bad enough to be dubbed “Aegon the Unworthy.” If the eldest son of Viserys II ever had a desire to rule competently, he lost it quickly into his reign. The only thing Aegon IV desired was desire itself. Whether it was food, women, or any other vice, there was no appetite that the Unworthy refused to indulge. By legitimizing his many bastards upon his death, Aegon IV created the conditions for the Blackfyre Rebellion that led to innumerable death and destruction for generations to come.
29. Maegor I
A bad person isn’t automatically a bad ruler. The world can be a cruel place and sometimes it takes a crueler person to lead us through it. But King Maegor I was just simply way too much of a dick to rule effectively, let alone fairly. King Aegon I’s son with his sister-wife Visenya came across his “The Cruel” sobriquet honestly. Though many initially welcomed his firm hand in the wake of his brother King Aenys I’s weak one, Maegor’s monstrous behavior quickly became a real problem. Some unknown hero even had to assassinate him and blame the Iron Throne itself before Maegor could bring the entire Targaryen dynasty down by being an asshole.
28. Aerys II
Many terrible Targaryen kings laid the groundwork for the dynasty’s fall during Robert’s Rebellion in 283 AC. But only one king was actually sitting atop the Iron Throne amid House Targaryen’s demise. That “honor” goes to Aerys II a.k.a. “The Mad King.” Aerys II was actually a perfectly mediocre Targaryen king for much of his reign. Following the events of the Duskendale Defiance, however, he just flat out lost his mind. Aerys II’s final years were spent in the throes of paranoid delusions that helped hasten the end of a nearly three-century old family.
27. Euron I
As many of you know, the Euron Greyjoy of the books and the Euron Greyjoy of the TV series are very different beasts. Book Euron is something out of Lovecraft: a hallucinatory blue-lipped warlock who seems frighteningly capable of bringing about a biblical Armageddon. TV Show Euron is a sex pirate. Regardless of which version you choose, both are uniquely shitty rulers and belong near the bottom of any list.
26. Balon I
So uh…what was Balon Greyjoy’s plan exactly? Step 1. Declare himself king of the Iron Islands. Step 2. Send Theon to die in The North. Step 3. Live happily ever after? Balon is a living example of why successful Ironborn monarchs are few and far between.
25. Aenys I
Aenys I is the weak, ineffectual yin to Maegor’s I oppressive, awful yang. The only son of King Aegon I and his sister-wife Rhaenys, Aenys was quite simply not strong enough to live up to his father’s legacy and keep the fledgling realm intact. Following Aegon I’s death, everyone in Westeros seemed eager to test the mettle of this new king. Time and time again that new king failed to impress.
24. Joffrey I
Game of Thrones viewers are well aware of the fact that Joffrey Baratheon is an awful little shit but what will history think? Probably the same, to be honest. The reign of Joffrey I lasted for all of two years and was marked by a continent-spanning civil war that killed thousands. In fact, the only “win” under his belt (his grandfather’s successful negotiation of The Red Wedding with the Boltons and Freys) is a flat out warcrime.
23. Tommen I
The reign of King Tommen Baratheon I is technically still in effect in George R. R. Martin’s book series but there’s no reason to believe it will unfold any better than the show’s Tommen, which ends with the lad jumping out of a Red Keep window. At best, Tommen earns an “incomplete” grade.
22. Baelor I
A deeply pious man, King Baelor I was far more preoccupied with his prayers than the day-to-day operations of the kingdom. This made him tremendously popular with the smallfolk but it also greatly weakened the Targaryen dynasty. Baelor rejected Targaryen traditions and locked his sisters away in the Red Keep for the crime of being hot. Near the end of his life, he began making plans for religious crusades to convert all-nonbelievers, which surely would have led to the most violent war in the continent’s history if he had not died before enacting them.
21. Cersei I
Due to the, uh…chaotic nature of Game of Thrones‘ final seasons, it’s hard to know what to make of Cersei’s short reign on the Iron Throne. History tells us that the realm would never accept a female monarch but they seemed to tolerate Cersei I just fine. Perhaps that’s because, after the War of the Five Kings, there was literally no one left to step up. We know that Cersei is not a particularly good person or ruler but when her only real opponent for the throne torched the capital on dragon back, it’s not hard to imagine her being remembered somewhat fondly.
20. Aegon II
Like many other Targaryen kings, Aegon II has only a short reign to judge. Truth be told, however, the short reigns tend to be the least destructive as the less time someone spends on the Iron Throne, the fewer opportunities they have to fuck things up. That can’t really be said for Aegon II, who ruled over one of the most chaotic eras of the past 300 years. The only reason he’s not lower on the list is because he shares responsibility for the Dance of the Dragons conflict with several other figures.
19. Renly I
Speaking of short reigns, Robert’s youngest brother Renly was king for less than a year and his dominion amounted to all of two territories: The Reach and The Stormlands. Still, Renly belongs in the middle of the pack because some of his reforms were legitimately progressive (a woman in the Kingsguard, not abiding by the tradition laws of succession, etc.). Unfortunately, he was also not a particularly serious man and is unlikely to beat the “treated this whole thing like a game” allegations anytime soon.
18. Jon I
By almost any measure, Jon Snow is the ultimate hero of this whole story. Here is a man who was: born a bastard, joined the Nights Watch, saved the Nights Watch, saved the Stark family, saved the North, and then saved the rest of the world for good measure. But how was he as a king? Well here’s the thing: was he ever even really a king? Following the Battle of the Bastards, Jon was chosen by the surviving Northern houses to lead them and rebuild the North. Then mere weeks later Jon bent the knee to Daenerys Targaryen to secure her help in defeating the White Walkers. Jon clearly had no interest in being a king and his entire tenure basically amounts to handing the reins of power to someone else. For the purposes of our list, that’s enough to crack the top 20 at least.
17. Robert I
King Robert I not being in the bottom five should give you a good idea of just how awful the Seven Kingdoms’ monarchs have been. A consummate warrior, Robert Baratheon had little-to-no-interest in ever being king and his reign bears all the hallmarks of that mindset. Robert was second to only King Aegon IV in his lustful appetites and squandered much of the realm’s wealth on tourneys solely to keep himself entertained. His inability to see the Lannister family’s treachery ultimately led to the ruinous War of the Five Kings. The only reason Robert isn’t any lower here is his shrewd choice of Lord Jon Arryn as Hand of the King. Despite Robert’s shortcomings, Jon kept the realm in a place of relative peace and prosperity for a good 15 years. That’s a pretty impressive achievement after the bloody reign of Aerys II.
16. Jaehaerys II
We’ve reached the middle of our list and these next two Targaryen kings are as “mid” as they come. As the penultimate Targaryen king on the Iron Throne, one would think that Jaehaerys II would bear a lot of responsibility for the dynasty’s downfall, but he really doesn’t. If anything, Jaehaerys II kept the realm together better than anyone expected. Though he was frail and sickly and only ruled for three years, Jaehaerys II’s armies ended the Blackfyre threat once and for all during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. King Jaehaerys II’s track record is short but is not anywhere near as ruinous as many of his peers. He was also remembered fondly by none other than Kingsguard legend Ser Barristan Selmy.
15. Aerys I
Thin, bookish, and old, Aerys I was considered a nerd who “would sooner bring a book to his bed rather than his wife.” Though it wasn’t necessarily his fault, Aerys I’s reign was plagued by the ongoing conflict with House Blackfyre and Aegon IV’s many bastards. Ironically, it was one of Aegon IV’s bastards who kept the realm together while Aerys I read his books. That’s because, in undoubtedly his best choice as king, Aerys I turned to his uncle Brynden Rivers a.k.a. Boodraven to serve as his Hand of the King.
14. Stannis I
Look, Stannis Baratheon had his faults. Converting to a strange religion that encouraged him to burn his own daughter alive was less than ideal. But before all that unpleasantness, Stannis was an uncommonly steadfast leader and keen military strategist during a time when the Seven Kingdoms was lacking in both. In spite of (or perhaps due to) his strict moral code, Stannis could be downright magnanimous at times. He was one of the few lords who would elevate a lowly commoner like Ser Davos Seaworth to such heights. And he was the only king who answered The Nights Watch’s call for help. Ultimately, however, any claim to greatness for Stannis ended with the fires that consumed Shireen.
13. Daeron I
Daeron I a.k.a. “The Young Dragon” deserves a lot of credit for re-instilling a sense of hope and optimism in The Seven Kingdoms when it needed it most. His elevation as the youngest and handsomest Targaryen king yet helped the Seven Kingdoms turn the page on the ugly bit of business that was the Dance of the Dragons. Despite his youth, he also intuitively knew exactly what the realm needed to get over the most recent war: another war! Daeron is relatively high up on this list mostly for his impressive military conquest of Dorne. The reason he’s not any higher, however, is because that conquest ultimately didn’t take. Dorne eventually rose up again and King Daeron I was killed in action.
12. Aegon III
In the interest of avoiding upcoming House of the Dragon spoilers, we won’t say much about Aegon III. Suffice it to say, he was the most emo Targaryen king by far. Aegon III’s near-constant state of misery actually made him a decent ruler. He was receptive to the small folk’s pain during the Winter Fever pandemic and then just generally stayed out of the way, running down the clock on his short reign until the realm was someone else’s problem.
11. Robb I
What is history to make of “The Young Wolf?” Like many other monarchs on this list, Robb Stark I’s reign was short and ended in tragedy. Before that though, he had all the makings of a solid leader. Despite his youth, Robb did a marvelous job commanding the loyalty of his father’s bannermen and then an even better job of leading them into battle. Robb Stark would go on to win virtually every battle before him but still lose the war overall and pay the ultimate price. With a little more seasoning, Robb could have been a great king. As it stands, he was only a good one.
10. Viserys I
Here is another instance where the book and TV canons diverge sharply. There’s a reason why George R. R. Martin has said that he prefers Paddy Considines’s King Viserys I to his own. As depicted in Fire & Blood, King Viserys I is just an ineffectual goof. He doesn’t do much in terms of the day-to-day running of the realm and then slowly grows fatter and dies. Conversely, the television Viserys does his level best to be a good king and has some real impressive moments even while his body rots away. Whichever version of Viserys I we opt to judge, their defining trait remains the same: the Seven Kingdoms enjoyed near-unprecedented peace under their reign. While most of that peace can be attributed to Viserys’ predecessor, his not ruining it (at least until the end) is enough for top 10 status.
9. Maekar I
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon fans will soon get to meet King Maekar I in upcoming spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and we bet they’ll like what they see. Maekar I (to be played by Sam Spruell) was a prickly, physically-imposing figure who was battle-hardened by numerous conflicts during the Blackfyre Rebellion. By the time he was eventually elevated to king, Maekar I had the potential to be a Maegor-esque monster. Instead, Maekar I was more of a Stannis-like figure by most accounts. He was tough and exacting but also mostly fair.
8. Rhaenyra I
If we go by the Rhaenyra Targaryen we meet in Fire & Blood, the reign of Queen Rhaenyra I should be looked upon rather unfavorably. House of the Dragon, however, presents a version of the monarch that does feel a bit closer to the truth. That is to say that Rhaenyra was a rightful queen, robbed of her throne and we’ll leave it at that for now to avoid big spoilers.
7. Aegon V
Save for maybe the HotD version of Rhaenyra, Aegon V was undoubtedly the best person to ever sit the Iron Throne. But does that mean he was the best king? Not quite. Due to his exposure with the smallfolk as a youth, Aegon V made decisions for the realm based on how they would affect everyone, not just the noble lords and ladies. While that’s very much appreciated in a ruler, Aegon V’s lack of political acumen often created problems as the nobility of the Seven Kingdoms would bristle at their perceived lack of deference from the crown. We like to remember him as Westeros’ Jimmy Carter: great guy, middling leader.
6. Daenerys I
Here is where our modern sensibilities begin to really create a problem in compiling this list. A Song of Ice and Fire is a fundamentally anti-war and anti-monarchal text. The point of delving into the reigns of all these rulers isn’t to remark upon how awesome the Targaryen dynasty is but rather to point out how dumb this whole game of thrones is in the first place. That alone is why Daenerys is ranked so high. Because yes, she did go a little crazy at the end there and torch King’s Landing. But she also finally broke that damn wheel. The slaves are freed, the Iron Throne is melted, and the potential for a new world order is there. It’s not her fault that the silly council at the Dragonpit didn’t seize on the opportunity to create that new world order.
5. Viserys II
Viserys II is the ultimate “what could have been” Targaryen king. Viserys was fairly low on the succession ladder and as such found himself passed over for the Iron Throne in favor of his kin Aegon III, Daeron I, and Baelor. He didn’t put on the crown until he was 49 and he then died a little over a year later. But what he got up to in that brief timeframe proves that he was one of the Seven Kingdoms’ best-ever monarchs, short reign or no. Viserys II was a consummate reformer and enacted impressively progressive policies by Westerosi standards. This included tweaking the roles within the royal household, establishing a new mint, pursuing more overseas trade, and actually updating the Seven Kingdoms’ laws for the first time in a century.
4. Daeron II
Simple as it may seem, the Targaryen kings’ sobriquets are pretty useful. Aegon the Unworthy was indeed unworthy. Maegor the Cruel was indeed cruel. And Daeron the Good was indeed good. The twelfth Targaryen king to sit the Iron Throne, Daeron II did was his 11 predecessors couldn’t: he brought Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms. He didn’t accomplish this at the tip of the sword like Daeron I attempted, he did so at the tip of his…well, he married a Dornish princess. Most importantly, Daeron undid much of the damage done to the realm by his awful father Aegon IV. The young king got to work quickly removing all the corrupt enablers from King’s Landing. Without King Daeron II to set things straight, the Targaryen dynasty could have come to an end a century earlier.
3. Aegon I
Being the first doesn’t automatically make you the best but in the case of Aegon the Conqueror, it does get you pretty close to the top. Obviously, there is no such thing as the Seven Kingdoms without Aegon I, his sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya, and their dragons. Aegon had the vision (a quite literal one as it turns out) to unite a continent of squabbling petty kingdoms into one political force. That alone makes him great. While he was admittedly a better conqueror than a ruler, Aegon I was still an entirely respectable king – setting important precedents that would last for centuries after his time.
2. Jaehaerys I
Jaehaerys I a.k.a. “The Conciliator” a.k.a. “The Wise” a.k.a. “The Old King” is easily the best Targaryen king ever. He’s also likely the best overall ruler Westeros has ever seen (save for the weird situation that leads to the number one spot on our list). The fourth Targaryen king ascended the throne following the chaotic successive reigns of Aenys I and Maegor I. One more imperfect king could have been enough to end the Targaryen dynasty before it even began. Thankfully, Jaehaerys wasn’t just merely not bad, he was spectacular. Jaehaerys embodied nearly everything one would look for in a monarch: he was strong, intelligent, fair, and steadfast. He sought out capable advisors and treasured their insight, but he also knew when to follow his gut. Basically everything that made the Seven Kingdoms an actual country can trace its origin back to Jaehaerys’ reign – from laws to infrastructure to long-lasting traditions. He was so good he was able to keep the Brackens and Blackwoods at peace for 50 years! Granted, Jaehaerys wasn’t perfect. Some of the fractures within his immediate family and his inability to advocate for his daughters would eventually set the stage for the Dance of the Dragons. But as far as kings in medieval fantasy settings go, he’s about as good as you’re gonna get.
1. Brandon I
Call this a cop out if you must. Or better yet: just consider Bran ineligible and completely ignore him. But we really don’t see a way around placing Brandon Stark I in the number one spot. That’s because King Brandon Stark I is so much more than merely King Brandon Stark I. As the powerful greenseer known as the “Three-Eyed Raven,” Bran Stark is essentially a living embodiment of Westeros’ history. Bran Stark sees all, experiences all, and knows all. No one is better equipped to give the Seven Kingdoms a happy ending than him. It’s like having George R. R. Martin himself on the Iron Throne.
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