The Targaryen empire witnessed a decline after the death of Viserys I Targaryen, as he was the last of the kings to oversee a peaceful and prosperous realm. Viserys left the coffers full, but they ran dry when the war between his kin known as the Dance of the Dragons broke out. His legacy fell prey to the war of succession that was instigated by his Hand, and shrewd players at court.

Viserys I Targaryen was a bad judge of character, and he failed to keep his heir, Princess Rhaenyra, close. Hours after his death, the Seven Six Kingdoms went to a war that lasted from 129 AC to 131 AC. But what reasons underlie the conflict, and what killed King Viserys I in House of the Dragon?

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Viserys Rules After The Old King Jaehaerys

The Old King convened a council after his heir and Hand, Baelon Targaryen, died from a burst appendix in 101 AC. He'd previously lost his older son and the first choice of heir, Prince Aemon, in 92 AC to a Myrish scout's crossbow at Tarth. The Old King prevented a war of succession between Aemon's daughter, Princess Rhaenys, and her household and Baelon's heir, Viserys, and his household. The lords paramount and lords vassal heard 14 succession claims at Harrenhal in 101 AC and chose Viserys as the Old King's successor.

Viserys, the firstborn son of Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa Targaryen, ascended the Iron Throne upon his grandsire's death in 103 AC. He ruled until "the rot" took every fiber of his being and died a painful death in 129 AC. King Viserys the First of His Name, initially known as, the Young King, was lucky enough to oversee a stable realm and great coffers left by his grandfather. Being King was his greatest weakness and, time and again, characters in House of the Dragon have pointed out that he took pleasure in histories, and prophecies, rather than ruling.

Viserys was a good man at heart, and that was his biggest weakness. He wasn't cruel or cunning, and neither haughty like Princess Rhaenys' husband, Corlys Velaryon. He was amicable, and respected his councilors but, at the same time, stood firm in his ruling. Viserys refused to supplant Rhaenyra in his lifetime despite having a male heir from his second wife, Alicent Hightower. All this while, the lords and councilors failed to remove Rhaenyra through various arrangements, so war was the only option.

A Brief Overview Of Viserys I Targaryen's Life

Viserys Targaryen's First Marriage To Aemma Arryn

Viserys marries his cousin, Aemma Arryn, at the age of sixteen, before ascending the Iron Throne. The nomenclature of the Young King is devised to draw a contrast between him and his grandsire, the Old King Jaehaerys I. He has the disposition to please and there is optimism in the realm about his rule. The beginning of House of the Dragon shows that Viserys has appointed his only child at the time, Rhaenyra, as the royal cupbearer. She is eight when she assumes the charge in lore, but her age has been moved up in House of the Dragon's canon. Queen Aemma, on the other hand, is heavily pregnant with Viserys' child, and brutally honest about the toll it has taken on her. Yet, she continues to believe childbearing is the way royal women like her are meant to perform their duty to the realm. Viserys wants a son more than anything and is hopeful the forthcoming child will settle the debate surrounding his succession. Viserys' mysterious illness becomes apparent within the first thirteen minutes of House of the Dragon season 1, episode 1 "The Heirs of the Dragon." His attending Maesters have sent inquires to the citadel while he maintains he got the small cut from sitting the Iron Throne. Viserys' Hand, Otto Hightower, instructs Grand Maester Mellos to keep his illness a closely guarded secret.

Queen Aemma has tried to give Viserys an heir 5 times in the last 10 years. She struggles to handle a tough pregnancy and declares to her husband that this is her last time. Heir's Tournament is held to celebrate the male child that Viserys does not have, but he remains optimistic:

The dream was clearer than a memory. Our son was born wearing Aegon's iron crown. And I heard the sound of thundering hooves, splintering, and ringing swords. And I placed our son upon the Iron Throne as the bells of Grand Sept tolled, and all the dragons roared as one.

Aemma begins her labor shortly before the tournament. When her labor fails to progress, Viserys permits Mellos to cut into her womb to free the baby. He signs Aemma's death warrant (without her consent) and this haunts him for the rest of his life. Viserys does have a male heir whom he names Baelon. The baby lives for a day and Viserys is made to choose a successor between his rogue brother, Daemon, and Rhaenyra.

Viserys And Daemon's Relationship

Viserys' younger brother, Daemon (played by Matt Smith in House of the Dragon) appears at Heir's Tournament and is at the funeral too. The Hand of the King, Otto, consistently stresses at the Small Council that Daemon's behavior is at odds with the interests of the realm, which is true to some extent. Otto continually conspires against Daemon and brings the King the news of him toasting Baelon as "the Heir for a day!" at a brothel. Viserys orders Daemon to return to his wife, Lady Rhea Royce, in the Vale, which, of course, the latter defies. Daemon and his lover, Mysaria, leave King's Landing on Caraxes and squat illegally on Dragonstone with the help of the army of Gold Cloaks.

Viserys has an epiphany and names Rhaenyra heir, but the brothers remain estranged for a good period of his reign. Daemon also steals the dragon egg, which was meant to be placed in the cradle of the dead Prince Baelon. He lies about Mysaria being pregnant, and declares he is to wed her to spurn Viserys' sovereignty. The final straw is when Otto reports to Viserys that Princess Rhaenyra and Daemon were seen "coupling" at a pleasure house. Viserys dismisses Otto as Hand, cuts ties with Daemon, and puts Rhaenyra's courtship at an end. He arranges a match between the Sea Snake's son, Ser Laenor, and his daughter. Viserys isn't pleased to have Daemon at the royal wedding in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 5 "We Light the Way."

Viserys Targaryen's Second Marriage To Alicent Hightower

Alicent begins visiting Viserys secretively, at her father, Otto's behest. The Hightower plan is simple: Otto uses Alicent as a pawn in his elaborate scheme to gain more power at court. Viserys is thoroughly impressed with Alicent, and she acts as a distraction from Aemma's loss. The couple have two sons, Aegon and Aemond, and a daughter, Helaena. Their fourth child, Prince Daeron, is absent from House of the Dragon's season 1. Despite having two sons, Rhaenyra remains Viserys' uncontested heir. Alicent's party, the Greens, usurp her throne in the hours after Viserys' death, and crown Aegon as King in the Dragonpit. Alicent communicates peace terms to Rhaenyra at Dragonstone, which she briefly considers to prevent the Kingdoms from plunging into war. But war breaks out when the Greens' Aemond causes the deaths of Rhaenyra's secondborn, Prince Lucerys, and Arrax, in the aftermath of a failed diplomatic mission to Storm's End.

Viserys The Peaceful's Reign

House of the Dragon season 1, episode 6 "The Princess and the Queen" is a glance at Viserys' efforts to contain disagreements between his bitter Queen Alicent and the judicious Princess Rhaenyra. He wants his kin to bury the hatchet and work to strengthen their House and name but the poison has spread far after Otto's dismissal. His children and their children have grown to hate one another, the result being that Rhaenyra leaves King's Landing for Dragonstone.

King Viserys in one of the conversations with his Hand, Lord Lyonel Strong, laments his reign, asking if he will be remembered as a good king:

I have neither fought nor conquered, nor suffered any great defeat.

Lyonel reminds Viserys that he has preserved King Jaehaerys' legacy and kept the realm strong.

Viserys was against warring with the Free Cities, he preferred peace to war, history to conquests, and was able to rule without any major inconvenience because his grandsire had left the realm strong.

How Does Viserys I Targaryen Die In Fire & Blood?

Grand Maester Mellos calls Viserys' unnamed illness "the rot" in House of the Dragon. He, Orwyle, and others attend to the King and use leech therapy to bring him relief. Viserys' painful condition deteriorates with age. His back is inflicted with a small pus-oozing wound that seems to have grown slightly. There comes a time when Viserys relies on Milk of the Poppy for pain relief and cannot oversee the realm's affairs. He becomes delirious and is unable to tell his daughter Rhaenyra from Alicent on his deathbed. Viserys utters Aegon's dream (A Song of Ice and Fire) thinking the woman beside him is his daughter. Alicent takes it to mean the King has called for Rhaenyra's usurpation and begins working towards it.

In lore, Viserys dies in his sleep at Maegor's Holdfast after entertaining Helaena's children, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor, with a tale of the Old King Jaehaerys. His body is discovered by an attending servant who, per usual practice, enters his chamber to serve him a cup of the Hippocras drink after sunset. The servant informs Queen Alicent, who embargoes the news and has Ser Criston call an emergency Small Council meeting at her apartment.

The circumstances of Viserys' death in the show are different from the source material, but the usurpation of power takes place nonetheless.

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16 at 9/8c on HBO and Max.

House of the Dragon

House of the Dragon is HBO's prequel series to Game of Thrones. Set hundreds of years earlier, the show follows the inner machinations and rivalries of the Targaryen royal family. The show was created by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, and stars Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.

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