History Characters / ASongOfIceAndFireHouseTargaryenAncestors

* AgeWithoutYouth: [[spoiler: By the time Bran meets him, he is in his mid-120's and looks it. While his life was extended by Children magic and a possible fusion with a tree, Bran thinks he looks more corpse than man]].
* AmbiguouslyEvil: So ambiguous, it's hard to say where he stands even now [[spoiler:he's mostly a tree, even after the events in the current series he's triggered. Melisandre most certainly considers him evil, or at least a threat, but she's not exactly in a position to talk.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler:When meeting Bran, he makes a passing mention of a brother whom he loved. Unlike Bittersteel who he hated and Shiera who he desired, who Brynden was referring to is never revealed thus far. One obvious possibility is Daeron II, who he supported against the Blackfyres. But another possibility is ironically Daemon Blackfyre, which would add a layer of tragedy to Brynden considering that he killed Daemon in order to put down the rebellion.]]

->''"He is better remembered as Maegor the Cruel, and it was a well-earned sobriquet, for no crueler king ever sat the Iron Throne. His reign began with blood and ended in blood as well."''
-->-- '''Maester Yandel'''

Son of Aegon I and Queen Visenya. Maegor served as Hand during the short reign of his half-brother Aenys. Had a total of six wives (Ceryse Hightower, Alys Harroway, Tyanna of the Tower, and the "Black Brides": Elinor Costayne, Jeyne Westerling and his niece Rhaena Targaryen). Though Aenys had three sons of his own, Maegor came to the throne ahead of his nephews. He put down the Faith Militant rebellion with much bloodshed which earned his InSeriesNickname "The Cruel". It was in his reign that construction of the Red Keep was completed. (The royal apartments are housed in the holdfast that continues to bear Maegor's name.) Died without (surviving) issue, supposedly killed by the blades of the Iron Throne. He was awarded Blackfyre by King Aenys and wore Aegon the Conqueror's crown. He was the first and only King from Visenya's line.

[[folder:Tyanna of the Tower]]
!!Queen Tyanna, mistress of whisperers
!!!Tyanna of the Tower, the king's raven, the mistress of whispers, the mistress of spiders
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1332709726933366f9d8da8812052b2a.jpg]]
Maegor's Pentoshi mistress (later the third of his wives) and Mistress of Whisperers. She was said to practice sorcery and alchemy. She was executed by her husband in 48 AC after confessing to poisoning his other wives (resulting in their children's deformities and stillbirths).

* AllThereInTheManual: Only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* AndShowItToYou: Maegor cut out her heart with Blackfyre and fed it to the dogs.
* AssholeVictim: She was known throughout Westeros as the only wife of Maegor who loved to partake with his cruelty onto others, so it’s so surprises that no one mourns her. [[spoiler: When one of the black brides fatally delivers a stillborn and deformed baby, Maegor rightfully suspected she might have caused this, which Tyanna confesses to under torture, as well as admitting to doing the same thing to Alysn and lied of her suspected unfaithfulness. Considering Tyanna herself tortured Alys to death and drove Maegor into killing Alys’ supposed lovers and her entire family, you’d be cheering on Maegor for once when he gives her a CruelAndUnusualDeath.]]
* BastardBastard: She was rumored to be the illegitimate daughter of a Pentoshi magister and she eagerly participated in Maegor's atrocities.
* BullyingADragon: Possibly a deliberate example. [[spoiler: Her confession to Maegor about poisoning his children in the wombs of his wives happens before anyone gets to torture it out of her. It's been theorized that, far from being that terrified of having to take what she's doled out all her days in King's Landing, Tyanna might have known she was a dead woman walking and so decided to goad Maegor into killing her ''quicker''.]]
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:After admitting that she had lied about Alys's infidelity ''and'' poisoned Maegor's other wives, causing them to give birth to deformed monstrosities, Maegor cut her heart out with Blackfyre and fed it to his dogs. It's still a better fate than a lot of her victims got, though...]]
* TheDragon: To Maegor.
** CoDragons: For a time, she ruled King's Landing alongside Maegor's Hand Edwell Celtigar.
* DirtyCoward: Could dish out torture, but couldn't take it. Barely had the torturers begun to heat up the torture implements that Tyanna immediately confessed to poisoning her fellow queens.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From a simple tavern dancer, to a courtesan, to queen of Westeros, Mistress of Whisperers, and Maegor's personal TortureTechnician.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: She was the only bride of Maegor who shared his penchant for cruelty, and spent her reign torturing, killing, and conspiring to bring about the deaths of thousands.
* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:Part of Tyanna framing Alys for adultery is accusing her of this, claiming that she viewed Ceryse Hightower as a threat and would have done ''anything'' to secure her place as queen, including bearing another man's son. In fact, this was Tyanna's schtick, as she clearly didn't want any of Maegor's wives to give him children if she couldn't.]]
* HighClassCallGirl: She was a courtesan in Pentos, before Alys brought her back to Westeros and Maegor made her one of his queens.
* InSeriesNickname: She was known as "the king's raven", on account of her black hair and her influence over Maegor. She was also known as the mistress of whispers and the mistress of spiders.
* LadyMacbeth: [[spoiler:Some of Maegor's worst offenses were instigated by her, including his murder of Queen Alys and her entire house after Tyanna (falsely) claimed that Alys had cheated on him.]]
* LoveInterestTraitor: [[spoiler:Tyanna was apparently Alys's lover as well as Maegor's, and Alys bringing her to Westeros helped her to become queen. Didn't stop her from apparently poisoning her sister queen to damage her pregnancy, clearly framing her for adultery, and ''definitely'' torturing her for nearly two weeks straight until she finally died.]]
* MasterPoisoner: [[spoiler:She claimed to have poisoned Maegor's other brides so that their children would be born twisted and deformed.]]
* TheMedic: She treated Maegor after he fell into a coma following his Trial by Seven against Ser Damon Morrigen and six Warrior's Sons.
* TheMistress: Served as Maegor's mistress for several years before he married her upon becoming King.
* MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:She lied to Maegor that Alys had cheated on him, since the stillborn child she gave birth to couldn't ''possibly'' be his. He responded by murdering Alys's entire family, with Tyanna herself torturing Alys to death. She might well have repeated the process with her husband's 'Black Brides' if it weren't for one of them, Jeyne Westerling, ''also'' giving birth to a deformed stillborn, rousing Maegor's suspicions.]]
* TheSpymaster: Worked as Maegor's Mistress of Whisperers.
* TortureTechnician: She tortured Maegor's enemies—including his nephew Prince Viserys, who she "questioned" for nine days before he died; and his second wife, Alys Harroway, who likewise died after the better part of two weeks as punishment for the stillborn child she had birthed.

[[folder:Princess Rhaella Targaryen]]

One of the twin daughters of Princess Rhaena and Prince Aegon Targaryen, born during their time sheltered at Casterly Rock. Sent to Oldtown to become a septa during the reign of Maegor.
----
-> See the [[Characters/ASongOfIceAndFireTheFaithOfTheSeven Faith of the Seven]] page.
[[/folder]]

!!!The Uncrowned

-->''"It takes a man to rule. An Aegon, not an Egg. Kill the boy and let the man be born."''
--->-- '''Maester Aemon Targaryen'''

* KissingCousins: Averted, as he shunned Aelinor's bed.

* UnfitForGreatness: He was a great scholar but devoted more effort to his scholarly pursuits than to ruling his kingdom. Aerys probably should have refused the crown if he cared so little for its duties.

[[folder:Daeron II]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Maekar I]]
!!King Maekar Targaryen, the First of His Name; r. 221-233
!!!The Anvil, Prince of Summerhall
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maekar_i.jpg]]
-->''"And my father... [[TheUnFavourite he never thought]] the throne would pass to him, and yet it did. He used to say that was [[LonelyAtTheTop his punishment]] for the blow that [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten slew his brother]]. I pray he found the peace in death that [[TraumaCongaLine he never knew in life]]."''

Fourth son of Daeron II and Mariah Martell. Married Dyanna Dayne, with whom he had six children: Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Aegon V and Rhae. Succeeded his brother Aerys I and was tragically killed in battle against a rebellious lord during the Peake uprising after 12 years of ruling. Maekar I was noteworthy for keeping his own personal sigil; the Targaryen dragon, red on black, quartered. He wore a crown of black iron and gold, with sharp points.

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: A downplayed example, at least before [[spoiler:accidentally killing Prince Baelor]]. He was an accomplished WarriorPrince who had earned the fear and respect of many, but the love and admiration of few. He also pushed his children hard to measure up to his example, which likely contributed to Daeron and Aerion's respective issues manifesting the way they did.
* BaitAndSwitchTyrant: Maekar seems to fit the textbook model of evil prince & heavy handed tyrant. But under a veneer of brusqueness & pride, he is actually a fair minded & generally decent person.
* BashBrothers: Very much. He and his brother Baelor were a right pair.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Despite being low in the line of succession and overshadowed his entire life, circumstance made it so that he inherited the Iron Throne, and the respect that becoming King merited. The sad irony is that he never wanted the Iron Throne, just to be respected and acknowledged for his accomplishments.
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:Kills his eldest brother Prince Baelor in a trial by combat, but accidentally. He notes people will call him a kinslayer for the rest of his days, and several years later Egg hears squires claiming Maekar means to murder his other brothers.]]
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Despite being a great warrior King, he dies a sudden and anticlimactic death when he is crushed by a boulder during the Peake Uprising.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: It is clear he suffered this often through his life, living in the shadow of his three more popular and beloved brothers, despite all his accomplishments for the family and a life of duty. And even more so when his brother did not name him Hand of the King, despite clearly being the best fit for the job and the duties it required, giving it to a sinister spymaster like Brynden Rivers with a one track mind, the Blackfyres, instead.
* TheDutifulSon: Even living in the shadow of his brothers, he was clearly this for House Targaryen, despite all the slights he recieved.
* EducationPapa: It's heavily implied that many of the problems faced by his children were, at root, caused by him trying to pressure them to exceed the feats of his brothers' children by getting the equivalent of As across the board, which is even noted by them all having the names of great Targaryens. They all were ''very'' literate and all the boys got training in arms to try turning them into perfect little knights (even if Daeron, Aemon and, to a small extent, Aegon, didn't really take well to that -- having said that, Aerion totally bungled the chivalry and logic parts of the course, for all he worked the Jock bit out).
** Though, according to Aemon, his father was opposed to sending him to the Citadel to earn his chain and it was his grandfather Daeron II who supported him in his decision because he felt there were too many Targaryens in the line of succession and wanted to diversify.
* FrontlineGeneral: Died during the Peake Uprising because he was close enough to the action to get caught in siege and anti-siege weapon crossfire.
* GenerationXerox: Has similarities to his great-great-grandson Stannis I Baratheon. They were both stern, socially-awkward younger sons with a penchant for grinding their jaws when irritated who are great military commanders that feel overlooked by their brothers, killed a more overtly charming and popular brother of theirs (though in Maekar's case it was accidental and in Stannis's case its unclear how aware he was), are very unpopular throughout Westeros and seen as The Evil Prince, and unexpectedly become King, when neither of them wanted to be. Both are deeply unhappy men who nevertheless continue to do their duty to the realm and their families. Also despite their image as stern and sticking to the law, both show a progressiveness in their treatment of a lowborn but decent Knight, Stannis knighting Davos and making them his Hand, and Maekar letting Dunk take his son Egg on as his squire. Ultimately Maekar seems to be the King Stannis would have been if he had won at the Blackwater, and as a result didn't suffer a humbling, character development inducing defeat.
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:After the tourney and the death of his brother, Maekar is quite remorseful about his ambitions and resentment. He also decides to spare Aegon from some of it by sending him out as the squire to a hedge knight]].
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: After [[spoiler:Baelor Breakspear]] dies saving Dunk, the latter ponders if this means destiny has something great in store for him. Maekar dismisses this as "not bloody likely". Guess who would go on to lead the Kingsguards and play an instrumental role in ending two separate rebellions? Along with saving the children of Jaehaerys II from the fire of Summerhall, setting into motion important events in the future.
* LargeAndInCharge: Even Dunk feels a little... intimidated near him. That's quite something.
* LaserGuidedKarma: One of his sons, Aemon, notes that Maekar felt his reign was a punishment for [[spoiler:his kinslaying]]. He never expected or wanted the crown to fall to him and yet, partly due to his own actions, it did.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: His issue: Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Aegon and Rhae.
* MoralityPet: His youngest son Aegon. For all his other faults and failures, his brusque personality, it's clear he loves his son, and as a widower father tries to do the best he can to raise him properly. In turn Aegon frequently defends him furiously whenever others insult Maekar in his presence, especially if they claim Maekar [[spoiler:killed his brother on purpose]].
* OldSoldier: He was a grandfather at the time of his death, but still fought and fell in battle despite his older age.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: The death of [[spoiler:his elder brother Baelor Breakspear]] haunts him for the rest of his life, especially as some falsely believe that [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident Maekar deliberately arranged it]] and means to murder other [[spoiler:relatives of his]].
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His oldest sons Daeron and Aerion both predeceased him, which was one of the reasons that led to the formation of a Great Council to choose his successor after his death.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Lived in the shadow of his brothers, all of whom he perceived as more popular.
-->'''Ser Raymun Fossoway:''' Poor Maekar. The King's fourth son. Not as bold as Prince Baelor, nor as clever as Prince Aerys nor as gentle as Prince Rhaegel, and now he must suffer seeing his own sons overshadowed by his brother's.
** This even happens in "The World of Ice and Fire", where despite ruling for 12 years he only gets one page and a lot of it is about the Great Council that followed his death.
* PapaWolf: Don't. Hit. His. Kids. (Even if they outright deserved it.) [[spoiler:It's also the same Papa Wolfness that allows him to finally realize what a screw-up trying to bring Aegon up the same sheltered way as his brothers would be, once he grudgingly admits it to himself. Needless to say, Dunk was left with no illusions as to what would happen to him if Egg suffered any real damage during their adventures together.]] It's implied the reason he was fighting his brother hard enough to kill during the trial of seven, and couldn't even recall the fatal blow, is because he was so focused on and desperate to reach Aerion as he received a vicious beating from Dunk. One could also reasonably conclude his change of attitude towards Dunk following the trial -- to the point of allowing Aegon to squire for him -- was partly out of gratitude for sparing his son.
* ParentalFavoritism:
** His youngest son Aegon ("Egg") was his favorite. Though considering that the eldest (Daeron) was an alcoholic, the second (Aerion) a psychopath and the third (Aemon) was effectively disinherited by becoming a maester, he hardly had any serious competition.
** When Dunk first meets him, it's mentioned he's been playing favorites with Aerion, though only because Aemon's studying, Aegon's gone walkabout, and Daeron is... Daeron, so that really only leaves Aerion to receive dad's attention (rather than, say, a smack upside the head or five).
* PassedOverPromotion: Despite how strong, capable and just a leader he was, his military accomplishments, and the realm's best military commander, his elder brother Aerys chose their sinister sorcerer uncle Brynden Rivers over him as Hand Of The King, on account of him and Aerys having a shared interest in magic, much to Maekar's anger. At the show of disrespect he promptly [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere packed up]] from King's Landing and [[AchillesInHisTent returned to Summerhall]]. Given how Brynden turned a blind eye to the problems that weren't related to the Blackfyres, like overlooking the reaving of the Greyjoys for a long time, it's not difficult to see why Maekar may have been the better choice.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: It is possible Maekar was given Summerhall (close to the Dornish border) as his seat to keep his unsavory sons Daeron the Drunken and Aerion the Monstrous away from the rest of the royal family.
* ResignedToTheCall: Maekar saw his reign as such. A duty he did not expect, nor particularly desire but one that fell upon his shoulders nonetheless. His son Aemon notes he never found peace in life and hoped he'd found it in death.
* SourOutsideSadInside: At least from the moment when he accidentally killed his brother Baelor. He could come off as a bit nasty, but he actually wasn't such a bad guy. He was really just rather sad.
* SpikesOfVillainy: The trope is played with thanks to Maekar's armor during the Trial of Seven instigated by his sons; while he’s much more of a PapaWolf who’s failed to have a HeelRealization about his family's role in the situation, he’s also wearing highly intimidating armor covered in black dragon’s teeth.
* TokenEvilTeammate: He is thought of as this among his brothers. [[spoiler: Many thought that his accidental killing of Baelor Breakspear was intentional, and when Aegon says he loved his brother someone comments Maekar means to love his other brothers the same way]].
* TheUnfavorite: Sees himself as this. [[spoiler:After accidentally killing his brother Prince Baelor, he notes bitterly that many will see him as a kinslayer for the rest of his days. He'll always be the guy who denied them King Baelor II.]]
* UnexpectedSuccessor: A fourth-born son but outlived his father, brothers and nephews to become king.

[[folder:Princess Daella Targaryen]]
!!Princess Daella Targaryen

Fourth child and older daughter of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne.

* ArrangedMarriage: To her brother Aegon at some point during their childhood, though he did end up marrying someone else.
* TheGhost: Only briefly mentioned in ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' and ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her brother Aemon mentioned her as having had children of her own, but that's the only thing we know of her adult life.

[[folder:Princess Rhae Targaryen]]
!!Princess Rhae Targaryen

Youngest child and second daughter of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne.

* DeadGuyJunior: Like many of her ancestors, she's likely named after Rhaenys Targaryen.
* TheGhost: Like her sister Daella, was only briefly mentioned in the published material.
* LovePotion: Slipped one on Aegon's drink so he would marry her instead of Daella. It didn't work as he refused to drink it.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her brother Aemon mentioned her as having had children of her own, but that's the only thing we know of her adult life.

!!!Daeron the Drunken's Family
[[folder:Prince Daeron Targaryen]]
!!Prince Daeron Targaryen
!!!Daeron the Drunken

-->''"I'm doomed to some hell, I know. Likely one without wine."''

The eldest child of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne. Married his cousin Valarr's widow, Kiera of Tyrosh, with whom he had one child, Vaella (said to be a "feeble-witted girl"). He eventually died from a pox caught from a whore.

* TheAlcoholic: Turned to alcohol to cope with his "dragon dreams"... and likely as a response to the pressure of having to measure up to his father's expectations, when that was the last thing he wanted to do.
* BlessedWithSuck: He'd argue that prescience isn't a blessing. Like, at all: his visions started young and never stopped terrifying him with their cryptic content and nightmare intensity.
* CrashIntoHello: Almost having this happen to him with Dunk while he was drunk in a tavern practically knocked years off his life. Even if it didn't, quite, manage to sober him up. [[spoiler:He recognized Dunk from some of his darker dreams, hence the panic.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: He could get in some pretty good zingers.
-->'''Daeron''': Aerion's quite the monster. He thinks he's a dragon in human form, you know. That's why he was so wroth at that puppet show. A pity he wasn't born a Fossoway, then he'd think himself an apple and we'd all be a deal safer, but there you are.
* DirtyCoward: Daeron knew this is how most people saw him... and he didn't much care. As he rather sarcastically puts it to Dunk, ''nobody'' is better at lying prone in the mud to avoid serious injury than he is. After being caught allowing Egg to run off with a hedge knight, rather than admitting to Maekar that he was too drunk to watch his brother, Daeron instead lied that the boy was kidnapped by Dunk, further landing the knight in hot water to save his own skin. Once said lie backfired and caused him to be dragged into a trial by Seven against the same man, [[spoiler:who turned out to be prophecied to kill a Targaryen]], Daeron did everything possible to avoid fighting him, including agreeing to throw the fight, withdrawing his accusation and practically begging the knight to kill his brother instead. One may argue that he was asking Dunk to kill Aerion because he didn't want [[spoiler:the prophecized victim to be his father]], but his wording made it very clear that he was concerned only with himself.
--> '''Daeron''': I don’t care to die today. The gods alone know why, but I don’t. So do me a kindness if you would, and make certain it is my brother Aerion you slay.
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: He dreamed that dragons would be reborn, as well as Baelor Breakspear's death.
* HiddenDepths: Who would guess in-universe that this waste of space was actually a man who could see the future?
* IronicName: The man known for drunkenness shares the name as that of The Daring, The Young Dragon and his own grandfather The Good.
* {{Irony}}: He was, perhaps, the strongest, most accurate seer of a trueborn Targaryen born in generations, but he ''didn't'' get hit with either the MysticalWhiteHair or TheBeautifulElite signs of it like most would expect him to with such a [[RoyaltySuperpower specific family trait]], so very few even guessed he had it. He did, however, get the [[{{Determinator}} strong determination]] ''not'' to try becoming TheAce by pushing his skill even near its limits in any size, shape or form, so was a... determined slacker. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Rank cowardice or rare non-Targaryen common sense]] to go with the non-Targaryen looks? You decide.
* KingIncognito: At the start of the novella, Daeron was ordered by his father to attend the tourney at Ashford, but instead he just ran off with Egg and drank himself stupid in some random tavern. Due to his unimpressive look and non-Targaryen features, no one there knew that this babbling drunken fool was a prince of the Seven Kingdoms.
* JerkAss: A bit of one, yes. Not in the same league as his evil bully of a brother, though. But wallowing in his problems didn't exactly sweeten his disposition any.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He comes around to Duncan's side during the trial of seven, warning him of whom he faces and promising to make no effort to actually fight him.
* MadOracle: Averted using a moat of booze and persistent, very deliberate [[TheSlacker under-achievement]]. However, he had the all the basic building blocks to become it, were it not for it being his personal nightmare.
* TheMadnessPlace: Deconstructed. He feared the nature of his dreams with the alternate thinking they fostered and had no idea how to understand or deal with the whole package. So he turned to drink to drown them all out and find a relatively "normal" niche. Well, "drunken wastrel, profligate and disappointment" was a label he much preferred to "crazy oracle of doom" or "Baelor the Befuddled Mk.II". As a coping strategy it left much to be desired.
* NearAndDearBabyNaming: He was named after his grandfather, King Daeron the Good.
* NonActionGuy: His default setting, by choice. His father pressured him to at least ''try'' to become worthy of the knighthood he scraped by getting, not all that successfully.
* TheNondescript: Well, as much as a Targaryen can get. He had sandy hair so plain-looking, it could make his eyes get easily mistaken for a more bog-standard blue. Add a medium height, medium build and normally plain face to that, plus take away his rich clothes with dragon insignias and replace them with plainer stuff, have him consciously drop the posh accent (or let him just get slurring drunk)... and most people would have a very hard time guessing they had a Prince among them. It's basically how he evades his father's searches so easily, at first, and why he made Egg shave his head (his hair color was too much of a giveaway for them ''both'' to get away with not being where they should have been).
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Implied he'd much rather be seen as a drunken fool than as a mad prophet. Also, did he really "lose" Egg that day, or did he actually know it was meant to be and, thus, make sure Egg was where Dunk could find him? If you're trying to indirectly set certain things in motion (or prevent others), it's perhaps better if strange words or actions are chalked up to drinking too much than to you seeing the future. And... if you fear messing things up if do you try too hard to then get labeled as just another crazy Targaryen, what better disguise or deflection than being a drunk nobody takes too seriously?
* ProphecyTwist: He had a vision of a Targaryen laying dead on top of Dunk, which he took to mean that Dunk would soon slay a Targaryen. This is implied to have influenced his decision to try and make peace with Dunk before the Trial by Seven, as he didn't want to be Dunk's fated victim. [[spoiler:In truth, the prophecy was much more literal than he had thought, with the Targaryen in question actually killed by someone else and merely fell on Dunk.]]
* TheSlacker: Oh, yeah. Something that annoyed his father beyond tolerance. Daeron, however, was hell bent on being this trope to the max for his own reasons.
* SelfDeprecation: He could get quite snarky, mainly when talking about himself. He raised this trope to an art form.
* UnhappyMedium: Having some really dark and downright terrifying dreams with, given Daenerys' version of the same ability, likely horrific and nightmarish cryptic imagery of the future (probably starting when very young) turned him ''right'' off the whole experience. His whole "nope-nope-nope, no thanks" attitude, sour disposition and the resulting tankard, goblet and shot solution become rather understandable once you get that he's ''miserable''.

[[folder:Princess Vaella Targaryen]]
!!Princess Vaella Targaryen
!!!The Simple

The only child of Prince Daeron and Kiera of Tyrosh.

* AllThereInTheManual: Her name and nickname are only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* TheGhost: Only passingly mentioned in the (so far) published material.
* PassedOverPromotion: After her grandfather Maekar's death, her claim was considered (as she was the only child of Maekar's firstborn son Daeron), but was quickly dismissed, with her uncle Aegon ending up as king.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: In this case, the generations of incest made Vaella a feeble-witted girl. Either that, or her father's years of trying to pickle himself thanks to the family "gift" hit her, too. Whichever or both.
* TakeAThirdOption: Inverted. She was basically filling the ballot for lack of candidates after Aemon stepped aside and took the black for the sake of Aegon, but she was so feeble that even Aenys Blackfyre would have had a chance at the candidacy [[spoiler:if Bloodraven had let him live]].
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Even those with mental challenges don't stop breathing the minute they are conveniently written off family rolls. However, nothing is known of Vaella from after the conclave. For all we know, she could have had a long life with a merchant husband happy to have a trophy princess-wife, or died early due to her issues.

!!!Aerion's Family
[[folder:Prince Aerion Targaryen]]
!!Prince Aerion Targaryen
[[quoteright:141:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wildfire_3970.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:141:This is not going to end well.]]
!!!Brightflame, the Monstrous, The Bright Prince, The Prince Who Thought He Was a Dragon

-->''"Are you not dead yet, hedge knight?"''

Second child of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne. Was married to his cousin Daenora, with whom he had a son, Maegor. He died in 232 AC by drinking a cup of wildfire (thinking it would turn him into a dragon). His personal sigil was the Targaryen three-headed dragon on a black field, with one head red, another orange, and the third yellow.

* AccidentalMisnaming: The first time Aerion is named in the main books (first by Lord Alester Florent, and then by Jaime, both in ''A Storm of Swords'', two years after ''The Hedge Knight'' was released) he was called "Aerion Bright''fire''".
* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: Wildfire? Not a ''particularly'' good choice for a chaser, as it happens...
* AssholeVictim: Ser Duncan's beatdown on Aerion is deserved many times over. And a large part of why Duncan survives attacking royalty is that most people, including many of his own family, wind up thinking he's an asshole too.
* AxCrazy: One of the most egregious and straightest examples of this trope in the Targaryen dynasty. The man had delusions of being a great dragon who would turn all his enemies to ash!
* BigBrotherBully: He threw Aegon's cat down a well and also broke into his bedroom during one night with a knife and threatened to castrate him... so he could have a sister to marry. Dude, that's not even a paper-thin excuse!
* TheCaligula: Started working on this early, like any good little Caligula should. Had he ever got any real power, things would have turned rather nasty very quickly.
* DissonantSerenity: [[https://awoiaf.westeros.org/images/4/4c/Aerion-and-Tanselle-THK-MikeSMiller.png Just look at his face when he brutalizes the puppeteer.]]
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Death by drinking wildfire is ''not'' a pleasant way to go. Not that he didn't deserve it.
* EvilPrince: Oh, he tried very hard to live up to this trope to the point of being StupidEvil about it. It got him exiled to ''attempt'' teaching him sense. Thankfully he predeceased his father.
* TheExile: Maekar sent him to the Free Cities to see if he would get better. It is known he joined the [[PrivateMilitaryContractor Second Sons]] for a while. As he never made it back home permanently (he did fight in the Seven Kingdoms on the Targaryen side during at least one Rebellion), the safe assumption is "nope: never really got better".
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: He was described (and depicted in official art) as a handsome and slender young prince who wore regal robes. Underneath that, he was a monster who was loathed by all who knew his true nature.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He was supposedly jovial and smiley to the respectable lords and ladies and was very courteous around his father and the small council, but behind their backs - and to those who he considered beneath him or he could torment - he was a cruel, arrogant and abusive maniac.
* InsaneTrollLogic: An old, well-known folk-tale involving a dragon that gets slain is enacted in puppetry during a festival with an innovative gimmick which gives the dragon its spectacular decapitation-and-sawdust-spilling scene the center of the stage as the dramatic climax? Obviously a subversive message against House Targaryen! Yeah... erm... in which reality, mate? The "flimsy excuses for sadistic urges" one, maybe. Even before that: "cutting my brother's penis off will make him close enough to a sister -- let's threaten him with that!". In short, ''normal'' logic was not strong with this one, despite his education: his drunker brother may not have been the only one with a touch of the dream stuff.
* JerkassHasAPoint: He supported Bloodraven's plan to cut Aenys Blackfyre off at the pass. Although not a move that would convince anybody that he wasn't still an enormous tool, the idea had some small merit, at least. [[spoiler: Supporting the [[PragmaticEvil surprise slaying of kin when under a flag of truce for a decisively cheap victory]] ''definitely'' wouldn't have won him any Brownie points, though.]]
** Aerion also supported Bloodraven's wish to execute Bittersteel after he was captured at the end of the Third Blackfyre Rebellion. Both of them were proved right when the ship transporting Bittersteel to the Wall was intercepted and the moment he was free, Bittersteel went back to plotting the next rebellion.
* JerkJock: Out of Maekar's sons, he was the closest to being a naturally martial, jousting knight like his father wanted. And the biggest, dumbest bully of them all with a sense of entitlement quite a bit too large for his boots, too. What a charmer.
* KickTheDog: During the Ashford Tourney, he drives his lance through the neck of a rival's horse ''on purpose''. He also attacks a puppeteer and breaks her fingers for performing a show in which a puppet dragon is slain by a puppet knight, on the grounds of such performance being treason.
* KissingCousins: As per the family tree in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]'', he married his cousin Daenora. Poor lass.
* TheMadnessPlace: One possible explanation for his moonbats approach to jerktasticness is that... he primarily channeled what he had of this into being a dick.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Shares his name with Aerion, father of Aegon the Conqueror. Unfortunately, he also saw fit to name is son Maegor. Yeah, that went down as well as you'd think.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever contribution Aerion made during the Third Blackfyre Rebellion. While Maester Yandel makes note of Maekar's leadership, Egg's courage, and Bloodraven's second duel with Bittersteel, all he says regarding Aerion is that he made "actions" that were "known well".
* RoyalBrat: Basically the Joffrey of this section of the family and/or "Aegon IV: Redux". Except, keeping him off the throne and well away from any other role of consequence. See? People ''can'' sometimes learn.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: Another example of [[ItRunsInTheFamily Targaryen madness.]] He thought he was a dragon in human form and accidentally killed himself drinking wildfire, believing it would turn him into a dragon. Although, to be fair, he was pretty drunk at that point.
* TheSociopath: Very likely. Aerion was bloodthirsty, manipulative, cruel, impulsive, had no real empathy for anyone (how else do you explain unironically naming your only son "Maegor"?) and was hungry for power.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Yup. Even if Daeron ''could'' be a bit of a prick to his family, at least he wasn't in Aerion's league of thoughtless douchebaggery. Despite this he's still nominally on Dunk's side in the Third Blackfyre Rebellion.
* TooDumbToLive: Died from drinking wildfire, which he believed would turn him into a dragon. He ''was'' atrociously drunk at the time, though, as a partly mitigating factor.
* WhatDidYouExpectWhenYouNamedIt: Seriously, Aerion? You wittingly clapped "Maegor" on your only bonny, bouncy baby boy? Unsure if logic-failure or deliberate trolling. Both?
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Well, he ''was'' both white-haired and decidedly "not good".

[[folder:Princess Daenora Targaryen]]
!!Princess Daenora Targaryen

The third child of Prince Rhaegel and Alys Arryn. Married her cousin Aerion and was the mother of his only child, Maegor.

* AllThereInTheManual: Only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* TheGhost: Nothing is known about her aside the little information we have from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* KissingCousins: Married to her cousin Aerion.

[[folder:Prince Maegor Targaryen]]
!!Prince Maegor Targaryen

The only child of Prince Aerion and Princess Daenora. He was one of the claimants of the Great Council of 233 AC.

* AllThereInTheManual: His name is revealed in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* TheGhost: Only passingly mentioned either in the novels, the ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' and ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: In-universe example. He's noted to be "ominously named," and rightly so: his namesake was none other than Maegor the Cruel.
* PassedOverPromotion: After his grandfather Maekar's death, the Great Council of 233 AC decided to pass over his claim to the Iron Throne because he was an infant ''and'' out of fear he would have inherited his late father's combo of [[TheCaligula madness and cruelty]]. His name certainly didn't help his case, either.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After getting turned down for the throne, his life is a blank, although it's presumed even in-world that he remained in Essos. Did he even survive to have kids, legitimate or otherwise? Enter EpilepticTrees, stage right. If he did have surviving sons and grandsons, they would be the senior heirs of Aegon the Conqueror in the male line, or perhaps the ''only'' male line heirs of King Aegon if Young Griff is not in fact who he says he is.

!!Court of Aegon V

[[folder:Aegon V]]
!!King Aegon Targaryen, the Fifth of His Name; r. 233-259
!!!Egg, The Unlikely, The Fortunate
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/13a0964b4521720e8b3db310a1c6688e.png]]

-->''"It takes a man to rule. An Aegon, not an Egg. Kill the boy and let the man be born."''
--->-- '''Maester Aemon Targaryen'''

Fifth child and youngest son of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne. Was married to Betha Blackwood, with whom he had five children: Duncan, Jaehaerys II, Shaera, Daeron and Rhaelle. Deceased by the time of Robert's Rebellion, Aegon was called "the Unlikely", as he was the [[SpareToTheThrone fourth son of a fourth son]] and absolutely ''no one'' ever expected the throne to ever come to him. A wise and well-loved ruler, he eventually died at the [[NoodleIncident "Tragedy at Summerhall,"]] on the same day his granddaughter Rhaella gave birth to a son named Rhaegar; his best friend, Lord Commander Duncan the Tall of the Kingsguard, and his oldest son Duncan (called "the Small" to differentiate him from his namesake) perished along with him. His daughter Rhaelle wed [[Characters/ASongOfIceAndFireHouseBaratheon Ormund Baratheon]], which later provided her grandson Robert's claim to legitimacy after he won The War of the Usurper. He wore the crown of Aegon III.

Of course, readers of the prequels know King Aegon by another name: Egg, one of the main characters of the ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg''. Taking place about eighty years before the main series, these prequels cover the adventures of a seven-foot-tall hedge knight named Duncan who is persuaded to take on a bald kid named Egg as his squire. After discovering that Dunk was a genuine KnightInShiningArmor, Egg's father Maekar formally apprenticed him to Dunk as his squire, and the two began WalkingTheEarth.

* AllThereInTheManual: Much of what we know of his adult life and reign comes from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* ArrangedMarriage: To his sister Daella in their childhood. Ultimately averted, as he eventually married Betha Blackwood, with whom he was in love.
* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: He died in the Great Fire of Summerhall, the same time and place where his great-grandson Rhaegar was born.
* BrainsAndBrawn: Broadly his relationship with Dunk, wherein Dunk was street smart whereas Egg started out as a book-smart, sheltered prince (although further subverted in that Duncan was surprisingly naive, and Aegon already had some familiarity with court politics).
* CoolCrown: {{Averted}}. As he was a ModestRoyalty, he refused to wear his father's warlike crown or his grandfather's huge red gold one, but settled for Aegon III's slender gold band instead.
* DarkhorseVictory: Sort of. He was given the crown by a council that passed over both his niece Vaella (the feeble-witted daughter of the late Prince Daeron) and his infant nephew Maegor (the son of the insane and also late Prince Aerion) and wanted to crown his brother Aemon, who refused the crown due to taking their Maester's vows seriously.
* DoomedByCanon: His reign proves disastrous and he, Dunk and one of his sons die in a great fire.
* GenerationXerox: Daenerys is usually compared to the Aegon I. And, not without cause: she is a conqueror who has three dragons and who rides the Black Dread of the current day. However, her instincts to help the downtrodden and save slaves by imposing reform, damn what the nobility say? In this, she takes more after Aegon V -- albeit, an Egg who successfully hatched dragons.
** The [[spoiler: would-be-King Aegon VI's]] whole story arc is one enormously deliberate invocation of the life of Prince Egg, including a baseborn knight called "Duck" -- just add an N. [[spoiler: How close he'll actually be remains to be seen: already there are doubts.]]
* TheGoodKing: And this. Although without what Bloodraven did when he was a lad, he could have been up to his knees in Blackfyres instead of focusing on running the kingdom.
* GoodOldWays: Tried to change this, but failed.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: We've got a few windows into it. But only a few.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: In the Sworn Sword, he tells Dunk that his father taught him that all bastards are untrustworthy by nature. Dunk then explains to him that he (Dunk) is most likely a bastard, which makes him reconsider his prejudice.
* InternalReformist: He tried to be this for the Iron Throne and the Targaryen Dynasty. His actions, which favored the smallfolk by eroding the privileges of the nobility, earned him hostility and indeed [[AristocratsAreEvil Tywin Lannister]] made his reputation by completely removing all his reforms as Hand of the King.
* KindheartedCatLover: Was fond of his cat but Aerion threw it down a well.
* KingIncognito: Though was this long before he became King. He shaved his head to hide his signature Targaryen blondness.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Egg, the fourth son of King Maekar, fourth son of King Daeron II, had pretty much the same problems his father had: being a strong willed patriarch of an unmanageable brood of determined kids who defy their Dad's wishes and have a series of wildly different personalities.
* LostHimInACardGame: Egg's eldest brother, Daeron, known as Daeron the Drunk, once took him to a tavern and completely misplaced him. This is how he first stumbled across Dunk.
* LoveRuinsTheRealm: According to Ser Barristan Selmy (who was [[OldMaster around at the time]]), Egg married for love, and all three of his sons did the same. Duncan, Prince of Dragonflies, actually abdicated his status as heir to the throne to wed a commoner, Jenny of Oldstones. Unfortunately, the match Duncan spurned was one with the daughter of Lyonel "the Laughing Storm" Baratheon, who took this as a personal insult and rebelled against Aegon (though the two eventually reconciled). Fallout from this also supposedly led directly to the Tragedy at Summerhall.
** As per ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]'', Aegon V and his wife Betha Blackwood wanted to end the Targaryen dynastic incest and become [[GoingNative fully Westerosi]], while making major reforms to improve the lives of the smallfolk. To conciliate some of the high lords for taking their privileges away, Aegon V and his wife planned on marrying their older children to members of powerful Houses, which said children quickly abrogated by falling in love (one of his sons being gay) and refusing the arranged matches. He was too much of a softie to go full-Tywin on them.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: His children with Betha Blackwood: Duncan, Jaehaerys II, Shaera, Daeron and Rhaelle.
* ModestRoyalty: His adventures with Dunk made many people scoff about him being "more than half a peasant". As a King, he tried to make several reforms to improve the lives of smallfolk, whose living conditions he had seen first hand.
* MoralityPet: From what it's seen in ''[[Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg The Mystery Knight]], [[TheDreaded Bloodraven]], of all people, seemed to have been fond of that bright grandnephew of his. [[spoiler: So much that one could wonder if he didn't actually clear the way for him to the throne...]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Much like many other characters in the series, he tried to be a good man ''and'' a good ruler and found it harder than expected.
** He made several reforms to improve the lives of the smallfolk, which earned him the enmity of the highborn. The ArrangedMarriage contracts for his children he planned with his wife to counter the opposition backfired when his sons and older daughter decided to follow their parents' example and marry for love (or in the case of his son Daeron, who was gay, remaining unmarried in favor of his "friendship" with a knight with whom he died in battle). He got even more frustrated when his son Jaehaerys II and daughter Shaera proved more conservative than him in reviving dynastic incest, which he had wanted to put an end to.
** His obsession with trying to revive dragons led to the Tragedy of Summerhall, his death and those of Ser Duncan the Tall and his own son Duncan. The marriage between his daughter Rhaelle and Ormund Baratheon eventually led to Robert Baratheon deriving his claim to the Throne from his descent from Aegon. Tywin Lannister made his reputation by removing many of his reforms.
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: He resembles, in many aspects, Louis XVI. Both are intelligent young boys, who become king unexpectedly (Louis when his older brother died at a young age, Aegon when... a lot of his family died under various circumstances). Both attempt to reform archaic institutions, losing the support of the nobility, which sets off a chain of events that led to their deaths and, the fall of their dynasty and likely, [[spoiler:the end of the monarchy in their country]] (although Aegon at least did not live to see it).
* NoodleIncident: What exactly went down at Summerhall that resulted in a massive, out-of-control blaze and claimed the lives of Aegon V, his eldest son, Duncan the Tall and many others. According to [[ConvenientlyInterruptedDocument an ink-splattered letter by Maester Corso]], it involved seven dragon eggs to honor the seven gods, multiple pyromancers, wildfire, and sorcery.
* NotSoAboveItAll: In spite of his scorn towards the incestuous tendencies of his family later in his life, he did court his own sisters when he was young, admitting so much to Dunk. The towering knight does find weird how the boy talks about it as if it were second-nature to him, but he brushes it off because Targaryens are "special". This indicates that his grandfather King Daeron II, and his father Maekar were not so disinclined against incest in spite of their marriages to Dornish women. Having become king himself and denouncing incest, Aegon V was dismayed at his son Jaehaerys' return to the practice.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Maester Aemon points out that despite being a husband and father at the time of his accession, Aegon seemed more boyish and youthful than his years. Granted, he came to the throne at 33 which, even by Westerosi standards, is still relatively young. Still, Aegon's need to "kill the boy so the man could rule" was a major part of his arc.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: His sassy tongue more than once gets him and Dunk in trouble. Leading to Dunk's frequent threat to cloat him on the ear.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His youngest son Daeron predeceased him, being killed in battle years before Aegon's own demise.
* PragmaticVillainy: Failed to convince the nobles of the realm to do this. (Treating the peasantry better than absolute crap, even if said improvement would still be relatively slight, pushing for better working conditions and trying for improved social safety nets with accountability ''could'' have led to much less trouble and revolt down the line... and, say, a more robust economy maybe capable of surviving, say, a meddling Littlefinger or an overdue long winter.)
** At a personal level, he refused to strong-arm his children into accepting the arranged marriages he had planned for them. If those marriages had went ahead, it is likely that Egg would not have become desperate enough to think about reviving dragons to push through his reforms.
* RashomonStyle: The Tragedy of Summerhall was either caused by his disastrous attempt at hatching dragons or a sabotage by those resentful at Aegon allowing his son to marry a common girl.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Or, you know, try. ''Hard''. For a lot of his adventures, being a kid can be [[NotNowKiddo rather the roadblock]] to the instinct to Do Something, being a Targaryen notwithstanding. Particularly when being set against other, older Targaryens. [[spoiler:Or, you know, Blackfyres.]]
* ShootTheShaggyDog: How his life story seems to have played out in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''. His youthful adventures with Dunk showed him first hand what the lives of the smallfolk were actually like, and as a King he sought to relieve their plight by making reforms. The chief obstacle for those reforms were his own children, whose headstrong willfulness (which they inherited from both him and their mother) he couldn't control or stifle, leading him to dream of bringing back the dragons, which in turn led to the Tragedy of Summerhall and the beginning of the end of the Targaryen dynasty. In the end, Tywin Lannister reversed all his reforms, later rulers don't even bother ameliorating the lives of smallfolk and the dragons he wanted to bring back carry more ominous threats than ever.
* TheSquire: To Dunk.
* SpareToTheThrone: And then some. When he was born his grandfather Daeron II still sat the Iron Throne, with ''twelve other spares'' ready to step up to it. The years 209-233 AC were not good to House Targaryen.
* TagalongKid: Being Dunk's squire, they formed a BadassAndChildDuo.
* ThirteenIsUnlucky: Played with. Egg was thirteenth in line for the throne, but he himself seems to have been the last popular Targaryen ruler. So on the one hand, the Seven Kingdoms loved having him on the throne; but on the other, his rule was the sole HopeSpot in a century that ended with the War of TheUsurper, the [[CivilWar War of Five Kings]], and, eventually, [[spoiler:the return of the Others]]. There's also the fact that his life ended with the Tragedy at Summerhall, strongly hinted to be an attempt to hatch dragon eggs GoneHorriblyWrong.
* TragicHero: Egg came into the throne determined to make life better for the poor and oppressed but his idealism was crushed by real world politics. The Summerhall tragedy besmirched his name and he is now remembered as another mad Targaryen who got himself and others killed when he tried hatching dragon eggs.
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: It's understandable as Aerion is a bastard, but to scream for a stranger to kill him is still creepy.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Dunk and his Father. Routinely defends Maekar which occasionally gets him into fights. He also refuses to be anyone but Dunk's squire and is almost always by his side. He later names his first son Duncan.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: It's even in his nickname. Being the fourth son of a fourth son of a king, an awful lot of his relatives have to die for him to become the king.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Unlike other Targaryens, who wanted to return dragons to regain glory, adventure or power, Egg wanted to bring back the dragons so he can have more leg-room to radically alter the Seven Kingdoms society in favor of the smallfolk. It led to the Tragedy of Summerhall.
* TheWisePrince: He had his faults, but evens out as this. Particularly when compared to what his brothers could have done in similar circumstances. Well, two of them, at least.

[[folder:Prince Duncan Targaryen]]
!!Prince Duncan Targaryen
!!!The Prince of Dragonflies, The Small
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duncan_targaryen_woiaf_1144.jpg]]

-->''"The Prince of Dragonflies loved Jenny of Oldstones so much he cast aside a crown, and Westeros paid the price in corpses.''
--->-- '''Ser Barristan Selmy'''

The eldest child of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood, named after Ser Duncan the Tall. Married Jenny of Oldstones. Died during the Tragedy at Summerhall along with his father and his namesake Ser Duncan.

* AbdicateTheThrone: Despite being crown prince, Duncan so loved Jenny of Oldstones that he chose her over the realm. King Aegon thereafter styled him "Prince of Dragonflies" so that he could show up at the Red Keep and not look like a ''complete'' beggar.
* AllThereInTheManual: Some of the information about him (his original betrothal, for instance) comes from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* ArrangedMarriage: Duncan was originally betrothed to a daughter of Lyonel Baratheon. However, he refused that match to marry Jenny of Oldstones, a commoner, instead.
* DisasterDominoes: The history of Westeros would have been totally different had Prince Duncan kept his marriage vow. His brother Jaehaerys would not have been King, would perhaps have not followed his brother and choose to follow his heart, MarryForLove and revive Targaryen incest, as a result of which Aerys and Rhaegar would not have been born.
* GenerationXerox: He seems to have taken after his father quite a bit, which brought them both much sorrow as both proved to be rather strong-willed. He's also named after his dad's HeterosexualLifePartner.
* InSeriesNickname: "The Prince of Dragonflies", "Duncan the Small" (to contrast with Ser Duncan the Tall).
* InterClassRomance: To the point he gave up the crown for Jenny.
* LoveRuinsTheRealm: Ser Barristan mentions that when someone in his position marries for love rather than duty, it often brings about misery to the realm. The Prince of Dragonflies was just one example among many from the old knight's perspective.
* MarryForLove: Like his father, much to Aegon's own sorrow.
* ModestRoyalty: So modest he fell in love with a commonborn girl and abandoned his claim to the throne to marry her.
* NearAndDearBabyNaming: He was named after his father's best friend, Ser Duncan the Tall.
* NiceGuy: He was the only one gracious enough to accept kid Barristan's challenge at a tourney, even though Barristan was not even a knight & quite obviously not even in the same league, skill & experience wise. Even after unhorsing kid Barristan, Prince Duncan did not laugh at him but helped him to his feet & nicknamed him "The Bold".
* TheNicknamer: The reason why Barristan became "The Bold".
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: To Edward VIII of Britain, who abdicated the throne because he wanted to marry a divorced woman.
* OddNameOut: Is the only Targaryen without a Valyrian name, having been named after the commonborn Ser Duncan the Tall.
* RebelPrince: He inherited the willfulness of both his parents, and chose to give up his claim to marry a commoner (which also makes him something of a gender-flipped RebelliousPrincess.)
* StarCrossedLovers: With Jenny of Oldstones.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: As a direct consequence of Duncan [[AbdicateTheThrone giving up his claim to the throne]]:
** Jaehaerys II became the royal heir and his sister Rhaelle married a Baratheon Lord in compensation for a Rebellion sparked by Duncan breaking the engagement. Jaehaerys also cited Duncan's love marriage as justification for marrying his sister whom he was in love with. This essentially led to the Baratheons getting a claim for the Iron Throne (as a result of Rhaelle's marriage) and Jaehaerys II fathering Aerys who became the Mad King.
** Duncan's MarryForLove and rebellious attitude urged his siblings to FollowTheLeader and break their engagements as well. This led to their father, King Aegon V, to dream of bringing the dragons back, leading to the Tragedy of Summerhall, which Ser Barristan claims resulted from Duncan and Jenny's romance.

[[folder:Prince Daeron Targaryen]]
!!Prince Daeron Targaryen
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f3e20b4060b2a64c7170c924c563bbb1.png]]

The third son of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood. Rejected the betrothal his parents had arranged for him, remaining unmarried and leaving no issue. He was killed in battle against the Rat, the Hawk and the Pig in 251 AC.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Practically everything we know about him (including his own ''name'') comes from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Rejected a betrothal, showed no interest in women and was constantly in the company of Ser Jeremy Norridge, with whom he had been a squire at Highgarden.
* ArrangedMarriage: Betrothed to Olenna Redwyne, today called "the Queen of Thorns." He rejected the match, however.
* BitCharacter: Briefly touched upon in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* BloodKnight: He rejoiced in tournaments and battles.
* DeadGuyJunior: Likely named after his uncle Daeron the Drunken, his great-grandfather Daeron the Good, Daeron the Daring or even King Daeron, The Young Dragon.
* IncompatibleOrientation: Despite being betrothed to the beautiful and rich Olenna Redwyne for an arranged marriage, he wasn't interested in her and asked his father to cancel it. If the rumors are true, it wasn't just her he wasn't interested in.
* RebelPrince: Rejected his betrothed, just like his other siblings. Unlike his siblings, it wasn't because he wanted to marry for love (though love [[AmbiguouslyGay may have been a factor.]])
* TogetherInDeath: Died in battle alongside his "close personal friend" Ser Jeremy Norridge.
* WarriorPrince: A prince who was also a badass fighter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Princess Rhaelle Targaryen]]
!!Princess Rhaelle Targaryen

-->''"Tell me, what right did my brother Robert ever have to the Iron Throne? Oh, there was talk of the blood ties between Baratheon and Targaryen, of weddings a hundred years past, of second sons and elder daughters. No one but the maesters care about any of it."''
--->--'''Renly Baratheon'''

Princess Rhaelle Targaryen was the youngest child of King Aegon V Targaryen and Queen Betha Blackwood. She was married to Lord Ormund Baratheon of Storm's End.
----
* AffectionateNickname: While reminiscing on his deathbed, Maester Aemon recalls that his niece used to call him "Uncle Maester" when she was a little girl.
* AltarDiplomacy: She was married to the Baratheon heir after her brother Duncan broke off his engagement.
* ArrangedMarriage: To Ormund Baratheon.
* TheDutifulDaughter: The only one of her siblings to marry who she was actually betrothed to.
* FamousAncestor: The current Baratheon trace their royal line to her, and Robert Baratheon's claim to the crown was legally justified by the fact that she was his grandmother.
* LadyInWaiting: Initially to Lady Baratheon.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Her marriage made her grandmother to the three Baratheon boys (contrary to Renly's claim of "hundred years past" it was around three and a half decades before he was born) which made them cousins of the Targaryens. This gave them a claim to the Crown that allowed Robert to claim it decades later.
[[/folder]]

!!Court of Jaehaerys II

[[folder:Jaehaerys II]]
!!King Jaehaerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name. r. 259-262
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c9bbc36233c496025913a7c900baf803.jpg]]

-->''"King Jaehaerys once told me that madness and greatness were two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen was born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land."''
--->--'''Ser Barristan Selmy'''

Second child of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood. Married his sister Shaera, with whom he had two children, Aerys II (the Mad King) and Rhaella. His short, three-year reign was hardly remarkable, save for the War of the Ninepenny Kings, which bore witness to the end of House Blackfyre when Ser Barristan Selmy slew Maelys the Monstrous. He wore his grandfather Maekar's crown.
----
* ArrangedMarriage: Was betrothed to Celia Tully, but refused the match to marry his sister Shaera.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: He and his siblings married for love, but he arranged the marriage of his children Aerys and Rhaella because the prophecy of [[TheChosenOne The Prince That Was Promised]] would be born of their line.
* BrotherSisterIncest: He and his sister Shaera had been in love since their childhood and married in secret against their parents' wishes.
* DisappointedInYou: Aegon V was not too pleased that Jaehaerys II was far more conservative than him, marrying his sister despite his intentions to end dynastic incest, and then forcing Aerys and Rhaella to marry as well. He was stated to have been quite frustrated over this turn of events.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Barristan is frustrated at King Hizdahr's indecision when dealing with Groleo's death and notes Jaehaerys (remembered for being weak) would have ordered the arrest of Groleo's murderers.
* TheGoodKing: Subverted; he tried to be this, but he lacked his dad's strength of will. Ser Barristan at least remembers him as ruling fairly well in his short reign, and that he rose to the occasion during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. In other words, he wasn't a bad king, but he wasn't an exceptional one either.
* HistoryRepeats: Eloped with his sister so they could escape having to marry other people, just like the first Jaehaerys.
* {{Hypocrite}}: He got married for love, albeit to his own sister, which his father (the first Targaryen to realize that incest is simply not worth it) discredited, but ordered his children Aerys and Rhaella to marry each other, despite neither loving the other.
* IronicName: A weak and forgettable king who ruled for only 3 years, has the same name as arguably the most brilliant of the Targaryen kings who ruled for 55.
* {{Irony}}: Jaehaerys' quote seems profound at first, then you realize that he was a Targaryen who was neither insane or brilliant and you have to wonder if he was lacking in self-awareness.
** He also chose to wear the crown of his grandfather Maekar Targaryen, a capable WarriorPrince who became King, despite lacking all of his martial prowess.
* {{Jerkass}}: Despite normally being considered a nice guy, his biggest jerk moment was forcing Aerys and Rhaella to wed one another despite neither wanting it, all on account of some prophetic material he heard from a woods witch.
* MarryForLove: As mentioned above, this was the case with him and his sister Shaera.
* NiceGuy: While he was a weak king, and a bad father, he was at the very least a rather pleasant person to be around.
* RebelPrince: Escaped his previous engagement to Celia Tully to MarryForLove.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: He was the second son of his father, but succeeded to the throne after his elder brother renounced his rights.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: He forced Aerys and Rhaella to marry, politely ignoring that they were more attracted to other people (Joanna Lannister for Aerys, Ser Bonifer Hasty for Rhaella) than to each other, and for that matter didn't like each other all that much. This forced marriage only fueled Aerys' abuse of Rhaella after his madness got even worse with time; as such, the family was decidedly fractured and were picked apart and nearly exterminated during Robert's Rebellion.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Queen Shaera Targaryen]]
!!Queen Shaera Targaryen

Third child and older daughter of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood. Married her brother Jaehaerys II and had two children by him, Aerys II and Rhaella.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* ArrangedMarriage: Was betrothed to Luthor Tyrell (who would end up marrying Olenna Redwyne, the "Queen of Thorns", originally betrothed to Shaera's brother Daeron), but ran away with Jaehaerys so that they could get married against their parents' wishes.
* BrotherSisterIncest: Said to have been in love with Jaehaerys since childhood, despite Aegon and Betha's best efforts to separate them. The two eventually got married as mentioned above.
* MarryForLove: Married her brother Jaehaerys despite being betrothed to another and their parents being against the relationship.
* RebelliousPrincess: She shared the willfulness of both her parents. Because of this, she married her brother against their wishes.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her eventual fate is unknown. We only know she was still alive when Jaehaerys became king from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''. She's not mentioned again past that point.
[[/folder]]

!!House Targaryen of Dragonstone
The ancestors of Aegon the Conqueror; a Valyrian dynasty that had settled on the western colony of the Island of Dragonstone before the Doom of Valyria, they became the only remaining dragonlords after the Doom.

Not much is known about the pre-Conquest Targaryens on Dragonstone, other than a brief family tree outlined in a single paragraph of ''The World of Ice and Fire''. In general, they spent the ensuing Century of Blood in isolation, slowly shepherding their strength until Aegon I's time. They actually brought five dragons with them from Valyria: one was Balerion, while the other four later died -- but they left behind eggs, from which hatched Meraxes and Vhagar. It's not stated ''how'' the unnamed four died, but it is also stated that the later fight between Balerion and Quicksilver during the reign of Maegor the Cruel was the first time dragon fought dragon since the Doom of Valyria, so these four didn't die fighting each other.

Seven generations of Targaryens lived on Dragonstone, with Aenar being the first and Aegon I being the seventh:

* 1 -- Aenar the Exile
* 2 -- Daenys the Dreamer & Gaemon the Glorious -- brother/sister incest couple who ruled Dragonstone together
* 3 -- Aegon & Elaena -- another brother-sister incest couple who co-ruled. Children of Daenys & Gaemon. The first Targaryen generation born on Dragonstone. This Aegon isn't included in the numbered count of Aegons because the Targaryens weren't kings of Westeros yet -- thus his descendant was known as "Aegon the First".
* 4 -- Maegon, son of Aegon & Elaena. Succeeded by his younger brother Aerys (through undescribed circumstances).
* 5 -- The three sons of Aerys (and an unnamed wife), all three of which ruled Dragonstone in turn: Aelyx, Baelon, and Daemion.
* 6 -- Aerion -- son of Daemion and an unnamed wife from House Velaryon. His wife was Velaena Velaryon, herself half-Targaryen on her mother's side -- apparently an unnamed daughter of Aerys or Maegon?
* 7 -- Aegon I, his older sister Visenya, and younger sister Rhaenys -- both sisters married Aegon I at the same time. All three were children of Aerion and Velaena. It was also strongly rumored Orys Baratheon was actually Aerion's bastard son, and Aegon I's half-brother.

[[folder:Lord Aenar Targaryen]]
!!Lord Aenar Targaryen
!!!The Exile

A dragonlord of the Valyrian Freehold who relocated the family to the backwater outpost of Dragonstone twelve year prior to the Doom of Valyria. He had two children, Gaemon and Daenys.
----
* TheExile: A self-imposed version, as he fled Valyria voluntarily.
* ImpoverishedPatrician: After his daughter had a vision of the Doom, he had his family pack whatever they and their slaves could carry and move to Dragonstone, giving up their power and influence in Valyria. They figured he was a fool, right until the Doom happened.
* OurFounder: While he might not be as remembered as his descendants, it's thanks to him they existed to conquer and change Westerosi history.
* ThePatriarch: He was the first Targaryen to settle in Westeros, and the ancestor of the entire royal line.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lord Gaemon Targaryen]]
!!Lord Gaemon Targaryen
!!!The Glorious
The son and eldest child of Aenar Targaryen. Married his sister Daenys, with whom he had two children, Aegon and Elaena.
----
* BrotherSisterIncest: With Daenys, per Valyrian custom.
* TheExile: He fled Valyria alongside his father and the rest of his family.
* TheMagnificent: The Glorious, although there's no explanation provided for the nickname.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lady Daenys Targaryen]]
!!Lady Daenys Targaryen
!!!The Dreamer
The daughter and younger child of Aenar Targaryen. She married her brother Gaemon, and they had two children together, Aegon and Elaena.
----
* BrotherSisterIncest: With Gaemon, per Valyrian custom.
* CassandraTruth: Her warnings about the Doom were this to the dragonlords of Valyria (save for her relatives).
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: She had visions of the Doom of Valyria twelve years before the event, prompting her father to relocate the whole family to the backwater outpost of Dragonstone.
* TheExile: She fled Valyria alongside her father and the rest of her family. Her visions were what prompted the Targaryens' departure.
* OracularUrchin: She saw the Doom of Valyria coming well in advance, allowing her family to save themselves by getting as far away as possible.
* TomesOfProphecyAndFate: She collected her visions in a book called ''Signs and Portents''. It's long-lost by the present day, although one maester claims to have recovered three pages.
* VirginPower: She had visions while a maiden.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lord Aerion Targaryen]]
!!Lord Aerion Targaryen

Son of Daemion (who was the grandson of Aegon and Elaena, Gaemon's and Daenys' children, by their son Aerys), and Lord of Dragonstone. Married to Valaena Velaryon, with whom he had three children, the future monarchs Visenya, Aegon I, and Rhaenys. Also had a bastard son, Orys Baratheon.
----
* DroitDuSeigneur: Him engaging in this practice resulted in the birth of Orys Baratheon
* KissingCousins: Married Lady Valaena Velaryon, who was half-Targaryen on her mother's side.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: When your three kids conquer most of a continent by themselves, you should be proud to count as a footnote in history.
[[/folder]]

!!King Daeron Targaryen, the Second of His Name; r. 184-209
!!!The Good, The Falseborn
[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/daeron_ii_targaryen.jpg]]
-->''"The whole realm knew that [[StarCrossedLovers the girl loved Daeron's bastard brother Daemon Blackfyre, and was loved by him in turn]], but the king was wise enough to see that [[TheNeedsOfTheMany the good of thousands must come before the desires of two]], even if those two were dear to him."''
--->-- '''Doran Martell'''

Son of Aegon IV (or Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, according to some) and Naerys. Married Princess Mariah Martell, with whom he had four sons (Baelor, Aerys I, Rhaegel and Maekar I). Succeeded where his predecessors failed by bringing Dorne into the realm not by war, but through marriage. Unfortunately, this brought in unwanted Dornish influence. This and his questionable paternity would lead to a rebellion raised by his half-brother Daemon Blackfyre. The steady and insightful kingship of Daeron the Good was desperately needed after the catastrophe that was his father's reign. It is arguable that he alone was responsible for prolonging the Targaryen dynasty by another century. Daeron died during the Great Spring Sickness in 209 AC along with his two eldest grandsons and most immediate heirs. He wore the crown of Aegon IV, as a statement that he was indeed his trueborn son. He also had the palace of Summerhall built along the Dornish Marches.

* AdiposeRex: Though not as fat as his father, Daeron did have a bit of a belly. Blackfyre supporters even used this against him, contrasting the soft, fat Daeron with Daemon's HeroicBuild.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Fulfilled his family's dream of unifying Dorne with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, but the unification would bring its own set of problems.
* {{Expy}}: While not so blatant an example as Robert Baratheon, Daeron II does bear some resemblance to Edward IV of England. His poltical policy of attempting to be merciful toward enemies but then finding that some just cannot be reconciled and must be dealt with ruthlessly mirrors Edward's own policy (especially when it came to his ne'er do well brother George).
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: He went out of his way to be conciliatory to Daemon Blackfyre and other bastards legitimized by his father and tried his best to reconcile lords to whom his father had recklessly granted favors. They still revolted and spat on his mercy. Daeron II was wise enough not to repeat that mistake.
* ForeignCultureFetish: According to the Blackfyre supporters, he had this for Dorne. Several Dornishmen and his wife's retinue became part of the royal court. It would not just explain why he approached Dorne the way he did, but also why he treated his father's bastards so fairly.
** Propaganda aside, it is likely that many lords within the realm (particularly Dorne's traditional rivals in the Reach and the Stormlands) felt that Daeron's deal with Dorne had been too favourable to Dorne. Dorne was allowed to retain many privileges (including the title of Prince/Princess for the rulers), and the casualties suffered by the Iron Throne and its vassals during the invasion of Dorne more than 30 years prior were not properly addressed (if at all) in the settlement. [[note]]It is also noteworthy that Daeron I was murdered while meeting the Dornish under a peace banner. This would have been a sore point to his supporters who were still active during Daeron II's time, as well as those who expected the laws of warfare to be respected.[[/note]]
* GenerationXerox: He was essentially Aenys with a spine. He was all for diplomacy and peace, but had more of an "iron fist in a velvet glove" kind of style to ruling. He took care of the administrative and negotiation side of ruling, while giving Baelor Breakspear and Maekar the power to lay down the law when talking was not an option. He was an amiable man, but woe be to any man who rose up in rebellion against him.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Took lands, castles and hostages from the lords that supported Daemon Blackfyre.
* TheGoodKing: For all his father didn't think he had the worth of his half-brother, this is how he actually went down in history. On balance, he probably sits comfortably in the top 5 Targaryen kings of the entire dynasty.
* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: Daeron was dutiful, principled and self-controlled unlike his father. This only increased rumors of his illegitimacy.
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: The (likely unfounded) suspicion that started the ball rolling. Considering his mother's piety and his uncle's chivalry, it does look very unlikely, and in-universe most people believe it to be untrue.
* NonActionGuy: Which is why several great knights and military-minded lords sided with Daemon Blackfyre in his rebellion. Daeron wasn't stupid, though; he knew he was neither a warrior nor a commander, but his sons Baelor and Maekar were, which is why he gave the title of Protector of the Realm (the supreme military commander of the Seven Kingdoms) to Baelor. Needless to say, it worked out well.
** Having said that, his NonActionGuy status might have played a part in him not understanding some vassals' grievances over Dorne seemingly being let off the hook for the invasion and subsequent rebellion more than 30 years prior, which cost 60,000 lives for the Iron Throne and its vassals.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: He outlives his eldest son Baelor and his grandsons, Baelor's sons Valarr and Matarys, leading to the succession of Aerys I.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: With Mariah Martell, which brought Dorne under the rule of the Iron Throne. It was a happy and fruitful one.
* TheSmartGuy: Very intelligent and an overall awesome ruler, by all accounts. Pity Westeros as a whole seems to think your jousting successes and curb-stomping your opposition make better metrics for rulership.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[UnreliableNarrator According to Daemon Blackfyre's supporters]], Aegon IV promised that Daemon was allowed to have [[{{Polyamory}} more than one wife]] as Aegon [[ArrangedMarriage wanted a marriage alliance]] with Tyrosh while Daemon wanted to marry Daenerys [[MarryForLove for love]]. When Daeron ascended to the throne, however, he forbid Daemon to have more than one wife, which is likely another reason why Daemon rebelled.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Invoked. He might have been a scholar, but Daeron was no pushover; he gave Daemon Blackfyre the war he wanted and won categorically (even though he didn't fight himself -- he did, however, know how to delegate like the pro you'd expect a decent king to be). Granted, he really tried the friendly way, but neither Daemon or Bittersteel had any of it. In the end, it earned Daeron a lasting reign, Daemon an early tomb, and Bittersteel an exile.
* TheUnfavorite: Given that his father openly doubted Daeron's paternity and celebrated Daemon in court and decided to legitimize his bastards in his will all scream of Aegon's low opinion of Daeron.
* WorkOffTheDebt: His father left him with some bills to pay, like fulfilling the betrothed of Daemon with Rohanne of Tyrosh. Though Aegon basically left him stuck with the bill, in an early attempt to endear Daemon, he paid for his half-brother's wedding out of his own pocket and good will. In the end, this and other efforts amounted to bupkis.

[[folder:Princess Daenerys Targaryen]]
!!Daenerys Targaryen, Princess of Dorne
[[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/64f86a8a846eb7436295c46ad920b451.jpg]]

-->''"Whether Daenerys loved Daemon, as those who rose for the Black Dragon later claimed, who could say? In the years afterward, Daenerys was never aught but a loyal wife to Prince Maron, and if she mourned Daemon Blackfyre, she left no record of it."''
--->-- '''Maester Yandel'''

Daughter of Aegon IV and Naerys, and only full sibling to Daeron II. It was said she was in love with her half-brother Daemon Blackfyre and he rose in rebellion when she was denied to him. She married Prince Maron Martell of Dorne, with whom she had several children (the current Martells are their direct descendants).

For Daenerys, daughter of King Aerys II, [[Characters/ASongOfIceAndFireDaenerysTargaryen see here]].

* ArrangedMarriage: To Maron Martell, the Prince of Dorne at the time.
* DidTheyOrDidntThey: The whole basis of her and Daemon's "relationship". The singers and Daemon's contemporary supporters say they were in love; later historians and maesters say that from all appearances, at the very most it was one-sided on Daemon's part.
* TheHighQueen: To the Dornish.
* LoveRuinsTheRealm: Being denied Daenerys' hand was purportedly one of the reasons Daemon Blackfyre rebelled against Daeron the Good -- although it's worth noting that Daemon himself had already been married to Rohanne of Tyrosh for three years before Daenerys wedded Maron, he revolted ''eight years'' after his half-sister's marriage rather in direct response to it, and Daenerys never openly mourned him after his death.
* MortonsFork: Under Targaryen custom she would have been married to Daeron himself. There might had not been a rebellion had this been the case, though Dorne wouldn't have finally come into the fold. Either way, there were an awful lot of people still pissed at Dorne for the assassination of Daeron I the Young Dragon.
* NiceToTheWaiter: Daenerys allowed the children of servants and guards to bathe in the Water Gardens--which Prince Maron had built for her -- starting a tradition that survives until the present.
* TheRashomon: Though it's said that Daemon Blackfyre rose in rebellion after being denied the hand of Daenerys...he did so nearly a decade after the wedding, ''and'' after both he and she had multiple children with their respective spouses. This version was most likely concocted by later historians or by Bittersteel, who was scorned himself by Shiera Seastar in favor of Bloodraven.
* TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: King Aegon IV was fat, bloated and corrupt, while his daughter Princess Daenerys was a lovely Valyrian beauty.
* WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: She is said to be one of the reasons Daemon Blackfyre went to war.

!!!Baelor's Family
[[folder:Prince Baelor Targaryen]]
!!Baelor Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone
!!!Baelor Breakspear, The Hammer
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7d1c3d8022815c845ea754d2be4cfc17.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"The realm needs good men"'']]

-->''"This man protected the weak, as every true knight must, let the gods determine if he was right or wrong."''

The eldest son of Daeron II and Mariah Martell. Married Jena Dondarrion, with whom he had two sons, Valarr and Matarys. Instead of inheriting the traditional Targaryen looks, he appeared more Dornish, with dark hair and eyes. He was accidentally killed by his brother Maekar in Duncan the Tall's Trial of Seven in 209 AC.

* TheAce: Regarded as the finest Knight and statesman of his generation.
* BadassBureaucrat: One of the few of his generation who seemed to have a clue what to do with the paperwork as well as on the field.
* BashBrothers: He and Maekar fought in conjunction at Redgrass Field, the "Hammer and the Anvil" there.
* CombatPragmatist: You wouldn't expect it with how kind and pleasant Baelor is, but he is a ruthless fighter. During the Trial of Seven he plays dirty as possible for victory, centering himself against the Kingsguard, knowing their oaths will hold them back and makes it clear chivalry is secondary to victory in this circumstance, despite [[KnightInShiningArmor Ser Lyonel Baratheon's]] questioning of it.
* DeadGuyJunior: Named after King Baelor I.
* GenerationXerox: Just like his namesake Baelor the Blessed, Baelor Breakspear is regarded as a martyr killed by his own kin. While foul play in The Blessed's death is still unclear, Breakspear's death really was an accident.
** Like his ancestor Baelon the Brave, he was a skilled warrior and administrator who served his father as Hand of the King and was beloved by the nobility and smallfolk. Like Baelon, Baelor died suddenly before he could inherit the crown, and many assert he would have been a superior king to the individual who sat on the Iron Throne instead of him.
* LoopholeAbuse: The Kingsguard are not going to harm a prince, even one on the opposing side, so Baelor takes advantage of it by keeping them away from people they have sworn no oaths to protect.
* MasterSwordsman: He's a brilliant warrior and probably would've wielded Blackfyre if Bittersteel hadn't taken it across to Essos.
* ModestRoyalty: Didn't dress like a prince, it was his demeanor that was truly impressive.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: While he was a generally quite affable and reasonable guy, there's a reason why his nicknames were "Breakspear" and "The Hammer".
* NiceGuy: Very much came across this way. He was quite reasonable, too: that was what got him into the whole mess that [[spoiler:wound up killing him]].
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Defending Ser Duncan during the Trial of Seven. He does this because the Kingsguard on the other side cannot harm him as he is their prince, and even seeks out his brother Maekar knowing he can keep him busy. [[spoiler:Tragically, Maekar lands an accidental lethal blow during their encounter, despite both parties likely holding back, though neither realize it until after the trial has ended.]]
* NumberTwo: Named Hand of the King and Protector of the Realm after the Blackfyre Rebellion.
* PostVictoryCollapse: [[spoiler:Because he didn't notice his head was smashed open.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's the crown prince and a swell guy with a good head on his shoulders. He's happy to sponsor Duncan in the lists out of simple charity and stands for Duncan as a true knight to fight alongside him.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Stood up and fought for Duncan the Tall against some rather trumped-up charges (OK -- they were kind of true, but there were huge mitigating factors that shouldn't have been ignored from the start, either).
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Due to taking after his Dornish mother.
* TimeDelayedDeath: [[spoiler:He's mortally wounded during the [[TrialByCombat Trial of Seven]] by his brother, though no one knows it until afterwards. Everything seems fine until his helmet is removed, when, to everyone's horror, a terrible head wound quickly bleeds out and kills him. Maekar can't even recall landing the killer blow during the melee.]]
* WarriorPrince: Even Dunk, who is a little allergic to great inherited power thanks to the dunces he usually sees get it, is impressed by him.
* TheWisePrince: Would have made a great king. Pity.

[[folder:Prince Valarr Targaryen]]
!!Prince Valarr Targaryen
!!!The Young Prince

-->''"My father was only nine-and-thirty. He had it in him to be a great king, the greatest since Aegon the Dragon. Why would the gods take him, and leave you? Begone with you, Ser Duncan. [[GetOut Begone]]."''

The eldest son of Baelor Breakspear and his wife Jena Dondarrion. Was married to Kiera of Tyrosh. His personal sigil was the Targaryen dragon, red on black, with a red border. He died during the Great Spring Sickness along with his grandfather and younger brother in 209 AC.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Died during the Great Spring Sickness, leaving no heirs as his two sons had recently been stillborn.
* JerkassHasAPoint: It's hard to blame him for being angry at Dunk following his father's death.
* JerkJock: Strongly implied--through Aegon and Dunk's eyes, at least. (Except he may not quite have been as good a jouster as it seemed on the surface. A lot of those he met in the jousts were second or third stringers.)
* OddNameOut: One of the few Targaryens who doesn't have an "ae" in his name.
* PetTheDog: He lets his father borrow his armor for the trial of seven. (This may be why he's so angry at Dunk; he's trying to avoid blaming himself).
* WarriorPrince: Like his father.
* YouShouldHaveDiedInstead: Look at his quote.

[[folder:Prince Matarys Targaryen]]
!!Prince Matarys Targaryen
!!!The Even Younger Prince

The second son of Baelor Breakspear and Jena Dondarrion. He was unmarried and had no offspring.

* AChildShallLeadThem: His youth is noted in his nickname.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Like his brother and grandfather, he died during the Great Spring Sickness in 209 AC.

!!!Rhaegel's Family

[[folder:Prince Rhaegel Targaryen]]
!!Prince Rhaegel Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone

The third son of Daeron II and Mariah Martell. Married Alys Arryn, with whom he had three children: twins Aelora and Aelor and Daenora. Died in 215 AC after choking on lamprey pie.

* AllThereInTheManual: His wife and children are only mentioned by name in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* ManChild: By repute, he was this. Sweet, gentle, uninterested in politics...maybe not entirely all there...
* NakedNutter: Rhaegel is believed to have succumbed to insanity during the reign of Aerys I, becoming known for dancing naked through the Red Keep.
* NiceGuy: Had a reputation for being gentle and meek.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: However, he also fell to Targaryen madness, and was prone to dancing naked through the halls of the Red Keep.
* UndignifiedDeath: Choking to death on your own meal is not exactly a princely way to go.

[[folder:Prince Aelor Targaryen]]
!!Prince Aelor Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone

The only son of Rhaegel and Alys Arryn, twin brother of Aelora. Became the heir to Aerys I after the death of his father Rhaegel, but died in 217 AC in a grotesque mishap at the hand of his own sister-wife Aelora.

* AllThereInTheManual: Only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* BrotherSisterIncest: Actually, {{Twincest}} in this case.
* TheGhost: Mentioned briefly in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]'' as said above.
* NoodleIncident: The details of his demise aren't expanded further than "grotesque mishap".
* {{Twincest}}: Naturally.

[[folder:Princess Aelora Targaryen]]
!!Princess Aelora Targaryen

The eldest daughter of Rhaegel and Alys Arryn, twin sister and wife of Aelor. Lost her mind after killing Aelor by accident and committed suicide after being attacked in a masked ball by three men known only as the Rat, the Hawk and the Pig.

* AllThereInTheManual: Like her brother, only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* BrotherSisterIncest: See her brother's entry above.
* ButtMonkey: Two unfortunate incidents defined her life.
* DrivenToSuicide: By the attack of the Rat, the Hawk and the Pig.
* TheGhost: Mentioned briefly in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]'' as said above.
* NoodleIncident: Aelor's death at her hands isn't exactly elaborated upon.
* SanitySlippage: After accidentally killing her husband/twin brother Aelor in whatever accident she helped cause.
* {{Twincest}}: Again, like her brother.

!!Court of Aerys I

[[folder:Aerys I]]
!!King Aerys Targaryen, the First of His Name; r. 209-221
-->"His Grace cares more for old scrolls and dusty prophecies than for lords and laws. He will not even bestir himself to sire an heir. Queen Aelinor prays daily at the Great Sept , beseeching the Mother Above to bless her with a child, yet she remains a maid. Aerys keeps his own apartments, and it is said he would sooner take a book to bed than any woman."
--->-- '''Septon Sefton Staunton'''

Second son of Daeron II and Mariah Martell. Was married to his cousin Aelinor Penrose, but died without issue. The monarchy reached a new low under his reign, as he was rather unconcerned about reigning and did not produce issue. He wore the crown of his grandfather Aegon IV.

%%* ArrangedMarriage: To Lady Aelinor Penrose.
* {{Bookworm}}: He devoted himself to the study of books and scrolls and left the actual ruling of the kingdom to his uncle, Brynden Rivers.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: After Bittersteel was captured in the Third Blackfyre Rebellion and brought in chains to the Red Keep, Aerys I (against the advice of Bloodraven) ordered to have him sent to the Wall. The ship was captured and Bittersteel escaped to plan further rebellions, spitting on his mercy. Downplayed to an extent, of course, because Bittersteel only managed one more rebellion and it was over in a single battle.
* KissingCousins: Averted, as he shunned Aelinor's bed.
* NonActionGuy: Like his father. Still, his short reign saw two of the Blackfyre Rebellions.
* PassedOverPromotion: Aerys should have been made Prince of Summerhall as the king's second son. It was instead given to his younger brother Maekar. To spite him (or so it is said), Aerys made their uncle Bloodraven his Hand of the King.
* PuppetKing: Aerys may have have worn the crown and sat the Iron Throne, but Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers was the true ruler of Westeros during his reign. In a slight subversion, he was quite content with this arrangement, as he preferred his scholarly pursuits over ruling the realm.
* SexlessMarriage: Deconstructed since he was supposed to produce heirs to the throne as part of his royal duties, only for him to shun his bride for his scholarly research. It caused a great deal of criticism directed his way.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler: Aerys discovered the prophecy of The Prince who was Promised which hoped to restore the Targaryens to true greatness.]]
* TheSmartGuy: Though perhaps TooCleverByHalf considering he cared for little else but knowledge. This was also the main reason he made Bloodraven his Hand, since they had similar interests in magic.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: He was the second son but became king after the premature deaths of his older brother and nephews.
* UnfitForGreatness: He was a great scholar but devoted more effort to his scholarly pursuits than to ruling his kingdom. Aerys probably should have refused the crown if he cared so little for its duties.
%%* WizardBeard: Had a long pointed beard.

!!Court of Maekar I

[[folder:Maekar I]]
!!King Maekar Targaryen, the First of His Name; r. 221-233
!!!The Anvil, Prince of Summerhall
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maekar_i.jpg]]
-->''"And my father... [[TheUnFavourite he never thought]] the throne would pass to him, and yet it did. He used to say that was [[LonelyAtTheTop his punishment]] for the blow that [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten slew his brother]]. I pray he found the peace in death that [[TraumaCongaLine he never knew in life]]."''

Fourth son of Daeron II and Mariah Martell. Married Dyanna Dayne, with whom he had six children: Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Aegon V and Rhae. Succeeded his brother Aerys I and was tragically killed in battle against a rebellious lord during the Peake uprising after 12 years of ruling. Maekar I was noteworthy for keeping his own personal sigil; the Targaryen dragon, red on black, quartered. He wore a crown of black iron and gold, with sharp points.

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: A downplayed example, at least before [[spoiler:accidentally killing Prince Baelor]]. He was an accomplished WarriorPrince who had earned the fear and respect of many, but the love and admiration of few. He also pushed his children hard to measure up to his example, which likely contributed to Daeron and Aerion's respective issues manifesting the way they did.
* BaitAndSwitchTyrant: Maekar seems to fit the textbook model of evil prince & heavy handed tyrant. But under a veneer of brusqueness & pride, he is actually a fair minded & generally decent person.
* BashBrothers: Very much. He and his brother Baelor were a right pair.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Despite being low in the line of succession and overshadowed his entire life, circumstance made it so that he inherited the Iron Throne, and the respect that becoming King merited. The sad irony is that he never wanted the Iron Throne, just to be respected and acknowledged for his accomplishments.
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:Kills his eldest brother Prince Baelor in a trial by combat, but accidentally. He notes people will call him a kinslayer for the rest of his days, and several years later Egg hears squires claiming Maekar means to murder his other brothers.]]
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Despite being a great warrior King, he dies a sudden and anticlimactic death when he is crushed by a boulder during the Peake Uprising.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: It is clear he suffered this often through his life, living in the shadow of his three more popular and beloved brothers, despite all his accomplishments for the family and a life of duty. And even more so when his brother did not name him Hand of the King, despite clearly being the best fit for the job and the duties it required, giving it to a sinister spymaster like Brynden Rivers with a one track mind, the Blackfyres, instead.
* TheDutifulSon: Even living in the shadow of his brothers, he was clearly this for House Targaryen, despite all the slights he recieved.
* EducationPapa: It's heavily implied that many of the problems faced by his children were, at root, caused by him trying to pressure them to exceed the feats of his brothers' children by getting the equivalent of As across the board, which is even noted by them all having the names of great Targaryens. They all were ''very'' literate and all the boys got training in arms to try turning them into perfect little knights (even if Daeron, Aemon and, to a small extent, Aegon, didn't really take well to that -- having said that, Aerion totally bungled the chivalry and logic parts of the course, for all he worked the Jock bit out).
** Though, according to Aemon, his father was opposed to sending him to the Citadel to earn his chain and it was his grandfather Daeron II who supported him in his decision because he felt there were too many Targaryens in the line of succession and wanted to diversify.
* FrontlineGeneral: Died during the Peake Uprising because he was close enough to the action to get caught in siege and anti-siege weapon crossfire.
* GenerationXerox: Has similarities to his great-great-grandson Stannis I Baratheon. They were both stern, socially-awkward younger sons with a penchant for grinding their jaws when irritated who are great military commanders that feel overlooked by their brothers, killed a more overtly charming and popular brother of theirs (though in Maekar's case it was accidental and in Stannis's case its unclear how aware he was), are very unpopular throughout Westeros and seen as The Evil Prince, and unexpectedly become King, when neither of them wanted to be. Both are deeply unhappy men who nevertheless continue to do their duty to the realm and their families. Also despite their image as stern and sticking to the law, both show a progressiveness in their treatment of a lowborn but decent Knight, Stannis knighting Davos and making them his Hand, and Maekar letting Dunk take his son Egg on as his squire. Ultimately Maekar seems to be the King Stannis would have been if he had won at the Blackwater, and as a result didn't suffer a humbling, character development inducing defeat.
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:After the tourney and the death of his brother, Maekar is quite remorseful about his ambitions and resentment. He also decides to spare Aegon from some of it by sending him out as the squire to a hedge knight]].
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: After [[spoiler:Baelor Breakspear]] dies saving Dunk, the latter ponders if this means destiny has something great in store for him. Maekar dismisses this as "not bloody likely". Guess who would go on to lead the Kingsguards and play an instrumental role in ending two separate rebellions? Along with saving the children of Jaehaerys II from the fire of Summerhall, setting into motion important events in the future.
* LargeAndInCharge: Even Dunk feels a little... intimidated near him. That's quite something.
* LaserGuidedKarma: One of his sons, Aemon, notes that Maekar felt his reign was a punishment for [[spoiler:his kinslaying]]. He never expected or wanted the crown to fall to him and yet, partly due to his own actions, it did.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: His issue: Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Aegon and Rhae.
* MoralityPet: His youngest son Aegon. For all his other faults and failures, his brusque personality, it's clear he loves his son, and as a widower father tries to do the best he can to raise him properly. In turn Aegon frequently defends him furiously whenever others insult Maekar in his presence, especially if they claim Maekar [[spoiler:killed his brother on purpose]].
* OldSoldier: He was a grandfather at the time of his death, but still fought and fell in battle despite his older age.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: The death of [[spoiler:his elder brother Baelor Breakspear]] haunts him for the rest of his life, especially as some falsely believe that [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident Maekar deliberately arranged it]] and means to murder other [[spoiler:relatives of his]].
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His oldest sons Daeron and Aerion both predeceased him, which was one of the reasons that led to the formation of a Great Council to choose his successor after his death.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Lived in the shadow of his brothers, all of whom he perceived as more popular.
-->'''Ser Raymun Fossoway:''' Poor Maekar. The King's fourth son. Not as bold as Prince Baelor, nor as clever as Prince Aerys nor as gentle as Prince Rhaegel, and now he must suffer seeing his own sons overshadowed by his brother's.
** This even happens in "The World of Ice and Fire", where despite ruling for 12 years he only gets one page and a lot of it is about the Great Council that followed his death.
* PapaWolf: Don't. Hit. His. Kids. (Even if they outright deserved it.) [[spoiler:It's also the same Papa Wolfness that allows him to finally realize what a screw-up trying to bring Aegon up the same sheltered way as his brothers would be, once he grudgingly admits it to himself. Needless to say, Dunk was left with no illusions as to what would happen to him if Egg suffered any real damage during their adventures together.]] It's implied the reason he was fighting his brother hard enough to kill during the trial of seven, and couldn't even recall the fatal blow, is because he was so focused on and desperate to reach Aerion as he received a vicious beating from Dunk. One could also reasonably conclude his change of attitude towards Dunk following the trial -- to the point of allowing Aegon to squire for him -- was partly out of gratitude for sparing his son.
* ParentalFavoritism:
** His youngest son Aegon ("Egg") was his favorite. Though considering that the eldest (Daeron) was an alcoholic, the second (Aerion) a psychopath and the third (Aemon) was effectively disinherited by becoming a maester, he hardly had any serious competition.
** When Dunk first meets him, it's mentioned he's been playing favorites with Aerion, though only because Aemon's studying, Aegon's gone walkabout, and Daeron is... Daeron, so that really only leaves Aerion to receive dad's attention (rather than, say, a smack upside the head or five).
* PassedOverPromotion: Despite how strong, capable and just a leader he was, his military accomplishments, and the realm's best military commander, his elder brother Aerys chose their sinister sorcerer uncle Brynden Rivers over him as Hand Of The King, on account of him and Aerys having a shared interest in magic, much to Maekar's anger. At the show of disrespect he promptly [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere packed up]] from King's Landing and [[AchillesInHisTent returned to Summerhall]]. Given how Brynden turned a blind eye to the problems that weren't related to the Blackfyres, like overlooking the reaving of the Greyjoys for a long time, it's not difficult to see why Maekar may have been the better choice.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: It is possible Maekar was given Summerhall (close to the Dornish border) as his seat to keep his unsavory sons Daeron the Drunken and Aerion the Monstrous away from the rest of the royal family.
* ResignedToTheCall: Maekar saw his reign as such. A duty he did not expect, nor particularly desire but one that fell upon his shoulders nonetheless. His son Aemon notes he never found peace in life and hoped he'd found it in death.
* SourOutsideSadInside: At least from the moment when he accidentally killed his brother Baelor. He could come off as a bit nasty, but he actually wasn't such a bad guy. He was really just rather sad.
* SpikesOfVillainy: The trope is played with thanks to Maekar's armor during the Trial of Seven instigated by his sons; while he’s much more of a PapaWolf who’s failed to have a HeelRealization about his family's role in the situation, he’s also wearing highly intimidating armor covered in black dragon’s teeth.
* TokenEvilTeammate: He is thought of as this among his brothers. [[spoiler: Many thought that his accidental killing of Baelor Breakspear was intentional, and when Aegon says he loved his brother someone comments Maekar means to love his other brothers the same way]].
* TheUnfavorite: Sees himself as this. [[spoiler:After accidentally killing his brother Prince Baelor, he notes bitterly that many will see him as a kinslayer for the rest of his days. He'll always be the guy who denied them King Baelor II.]]
* UnexpectedSuccessor: A fourth-born son but outlived his father, brothers and nephews to become king.

[[folder:Princess Daella Targaryen]]
!!Princess Daella Targaryen

Fourth child and older daughter of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne.

* ArrangedMarriage: To her brother Aegon at some point during their childhood, though he did end up marrying someone else.
* TheGhost: Only briefly mentioned in ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' and ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her brother Aemon mentioned her as having had children of her own, but that's the only thing we know of her adult life.

[[folder:Princess Rhae Targaryen]]
!!Princess Rhae Targaryen

Youngest child and second daughter of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne.

* DeadGuyJunior: Like many of her ancestors, she's likely named after Rhaenys Targaryen.
* TheGhost: Like her sister Daella, was only briefly mentioned in the published material.
* LovePotion: Slipped one on Aegon's drink so he would marry her instead of Daella. It didn't work as he refused to drink it.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her brother Aemon mentioned her as having had children of her own, but that's the only thing we know of her adult life.

!!!Daeron the Drunken's Family
[[folder:Prince Daeron Targaryen]]
!!Prince Daeron Targaryen
!!!Daeron the Drunken

-->''"I'm doomed to some hell, I know. Likely one without wine."''

The eldest child of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne. Married his cousin Valarr's widow, Kiera of Tyrosh, with whom he had one child, Vaella (said to be a "feeble-witted girl"). He eventually died from a pox caught from a whore.

* TheAlcoholic: Turned to alcohol to cope with his "dragon dreams"... and likely as a response to the pressure of having to measure up to his father's expectations, when that was the last thing he wanted to do.
* BlessedWithSuck: He'd argue that prescience isn't a blessing. Like, at all: his visions started young and never stopped terrifying him with their cryptic content and nightmare intensity.
* CrashIntoHello: Almost having this happen to him with Dunk while he was drunk in a tavern practically knocked years off his life. Even if it didn't, quite, manage to sober him up. [[spoiler:He recognized Dunk from some of his darker dreams, hence the panic.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: He could get in some pretty good zingers.
-->'''Daeron''': Aerion's quite the monster. He thinks he's a dragon in human form, you know. That's why he was so wroth at that puppet show. A pity he wasn't born a Fossoway, then he'd think himself an apple and we'd all be a deal safer, but there you are.
* DirtyCoward: Daeron knew this is how most people saw him... and he didn't much care. As he rather sarcastically puts it to Dunk, ''nobody'' is better at lying prone in the mud to avoid serious injury than he is. After being caught allowing Egg to run off with a hedge knight, rather than admitting to Maekar that he was too drunk to watch his brother, Daeron instead lied that the boy was kidnapped by Dunk, further landing the knight in hot water to save his own skin. Once said lie backfired and caused him to be dragged into a trial by Seven against the same man, [[spoiler:who turned out to be prophecied to kill a Targaryen]], Daeron did everything possible to avoid fighting him, including agreeing to throw the fight, withdrawing his accusation and practically begging the knight to kill his brother instead. One may argue that he was asking Dunk to kill Aerion because he didn't want [[spoiler:the prophecized victim to be his father]], but his wording made it very clear that he was concerned only with himself.
--> '''Daeron''': I don’t care to die today. The gods alone know why, but I don’t. So do me a kindness if you would, and make certain it is my brother Aerion you slay.
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: He dreamed that dragons would be reborn, as well as Baelor Breakspear's death.
* HiddenDepths: Who would guess in-universe that this waste of space was actually a man who could see the future?
* IronicName: The man known for drunkenness shares the name as that of The Daring, The Young Dragon and his own grandfather The Good.
* {{Irony}}: He was, perhaps, the strongest, most accurate seer of a trueborn Targaryen born in generations, but he ''didn't'' get hit with either the MysticalWhiteHair or TheBeautifulElite signs of it like most would expect him to with such a [[RoyaltySuperpower specific family trait]], so very few even guessed he had it. He did, however, get the [[{{Determinator}} strong determination]] ''not'' to try becoming TheAce by pushing his skill even near its limits in any size, shape or form, so was a... determined slacker. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Rank cowardice or rare non-Targaryen common sense]] to go with the non-Targaryen looks? You decide.
* KingIncognito: At the start of the novella, Daeron was ordered by his father to attend the tourney at Ashford, but instead he just ran off with Egg and drank himself stupid in some random tavern. Due to his unimpressive look and non-Targaryen features, no one there knew that this babbling drunken fool was a prince of the Seven Kingdoms.
* JerkAss: A bit of one, yes. Not in the same league as his evil bully of a brother, though. But wallowing in his problems didn't exactly sweeten his disposition any.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He comes around to Duncan's side during the trial of seven, warning him of whom he faces and promising to make no effort to actually fight him.
* MadOracle: Averted using a moat of booze and persistent, very deliberate [[TheSlacker under-achievement]]. However, he had the all the basic building blocks to become it, were it not for it being his personal nightmare.
* TheMadnessPlace: Deconstructed. He feared the nature of his dreams with the alternate thinking they fostered and had no idea how to understand or deal with the whole package. So he turned to drink to drown them all out and find a relatively "normal" niche. Well, "drunken wastrel, profligate and disappointment" was a label he much preferred to "crazy oracle of doom" or "Baelor the Befuddled Mk.II". As a coping strategy it left much to be desired.
* NearAndDearBabyNaming: He was named after his grandfather, King Daeron the Good.
* NonActionGuy: His default setting, by choice. His father pressured him to at least ''try'' to become worthy of the knighthood he scraped by getting, not all that successfully.
* TheNondescript: Well, as much as a Targaryen can get. He had sandy hair so plain-looking, it could make his eyes get easily mistaken for a more bog-standard blue. Add a medium height, medium build and normally plain face to that, plus take away his rich clothes with dragon insignias and replace them with plainer stuff, have him consciously drop the posh accent (or let him just get slurring drunk)... and most people would have a very hard time guessing they had a Prince among them. It's basically how he evades his father's searches so easily, at first, and why he made Egg shave his head (his hair color was too much of a giveaway for them ''both'' to get away with not being where they should have been).
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Implied he'd much rather be seen as a drunken fool than as a mad prophet. Also, did he really "lose" Egg that day, or did he actually know it was meant to be and, thus, make sure Egg was where Dunk could find him? If you're trying to indirectly set certain things in motion (or prevent others), it's perhaps better if strange words or actions are chalked up to drinking too much than to you seeing the future. And... if you fear messing things up if do you try too hard to then get labeled as just another crazy Targaryen, what better disguise or deflection than being a drunk nobody takes too seriously?
* ProphecyTwist: He had a vision of a Targaryen laying dead on top of Dunk, which he took to mean that Dunk would soon slay a Targaryen. This is implied to have influenced his decision to try and make peace with Dunk before the Trial by Seven, as he didn't want to be Dunk's fated victim. [[spoiler:In truth, the prophecy was much more literal than he had thought, with the Targaryen in question actually killed by someone else and merely fell on Dunk.]]
* TheSlacker: Oh, yeah. Something that annoyed his father beyond tolerance. Daeron, however, was hell bent on being this trope to the max for his own reasons.
* SelfDeprecation: He could get quite snarky, mainly when talking about himself. He raised this trope to an art form.
* UnhappyMedium: Having some really dark and downright terrifying dreams with, given Daenerys' version of the same ability, likely horrific and nightmarish cryptic imagery of the future (probably starting when very young) turned him ''right'' off the whole experience. His whole "nope-nope-nope, no thanks" attitude, sour disposition and the resulting tankard, goblet and shot solution become rather understandable once you get that he's ''miserable''.

[[folder:Princess Vaella Targaryen]]
!!Princess Vaella Targaryen
!!!The Simple

The only child of Prince Daeron and Kiera of Tyrosh.

* AllThereInTheManual: Her name and nickname are only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* TheGhost: Only passingly mentioned in the (so far) published material.
* PassedOverPromotion: After her grandfather Maekar's death, her claim was considered (as she was the only child of Maekar's firstborn son Daeron), but was quickly dismissed, with her uncle Aegon ending up as king.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: In this case, the generations of incest made Vaella a feeble-witted girl. Either that, or her father's years of trying to pickle himself thanks to the family "gift" hit her, too. Whichever or both.
* TakeAThirdOption: Inverted. She was basically filling the ballot for lack of candidates after Aemon stepped aside and took the black for the sake of Aegon, but she was so feeble that even Aenys Blackfyre would have had a chance at the candidacy [[spoiler:if Bloodraven had let him live]].
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Even those with mental challenges don't stop breathing the minute they are conveniently written off family rolls. However, nothing is known of Vaella from after the conclave. For all we know, she could have had a long life with a merchant husband happy to have a trophy princess-wife, or died early due to her issues.

!!!Aerion's Family
[[folder:Prince Aerion Targaryen]]
!!Prince Aerion Targaryen
[[quoteright:141:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wildfire_3970.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:141:This is not going to end well.]]
!!!Brightflame, the Monstrous, The Bright Prince, The Prince Who Thought He Was a Dragon

-->''"Are you not dead yet, hedge knight?"''

Second child of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne. Was married to his cousin Daenora, with whom he had a son, Maegor. He died in 232 AC by drinking a cup of wildfire (thinking it would turn him into a dragon). His personal sigil was the Targaryen three-headed dragon on a black field, with one head red, another orange, and the third yellow.

* AccidentalMisnaming: The first time Aerion is named in the main books (first by Lord Alester Florent, and then by Jaime, both in ''A Storm of Swords'', two years after ''The Hedge Knight'' was released) he was called "Aerion Bright''fire''".
* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: Wildfire? Not a ''particularly'' good choice for a chaser, as it happens...
* AssholeVictim: Ser Duncan's beatdown on Aerion is deserved many times over. And a large part of why Duncan survives attacking royalty is that most people, including many of his own family, wind up thinking he's an asshole too.
* AxCrazy: One of the most egregious and straightest examples of this trope in the Targaryen dynasty. The man had delusions of being a great dragon who would turn all his enemies to ash!
* BigBrotherBully: He threw Aegon's cat down a well and also broke into his bedroom during one night with a knife and threatened to castrate him... so he could have a sister to marry. Dude, that's not even a paper-thin excuse!
* TheCaligula: Started working on this early, like any good little Caligula should. Had he ever got any real power, things would have turned rather nasty very quickly.
* DissonantSerenity: [[https://awoiaf.westeros.org/images/4/4c/Aerion-and-Tanselle-THK-MikeSMiller.png Just look at his face when he brutalizes the puppeteer.]]
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Death by drinking wildfire is ''not'' a pleasant way to go. Not that he didn't deserve it.
* EvilPrince: Oh, he tried very hard to live up to this trope to the point of being StupidEvil about it. It got him exiled to ''attempt'' teaching him sense. Thankfully he predeceased his father.
* TheExile: Maekar sent him to the Free Cities to see if he would get better. It is known he joined the [[PrivateMilitaryContractor Second Sons]] for a while. As he never made it back home permanently (he did fight in the Seven Kingdoms on the Targaryen side during at least one Rebellion), the safe assumption is "nope: never really got better".
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: He was described (and depicted in official art) as a handsome and slender young prince who wore regal robes. Underneath that, he was a monster who was loathed by all who knew his true nature.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He was supposedly jovial and smiley to the respectable lords and ladies and was very courteous around his father and the small council, but behind their backs - and to those who he considered beneath him or he could torment - he was a cruel, arrogant and abusive maniac.
* InsaneTrollLogic: An old, well-known folk-tale involving a dragon that gets slain is enacted in puppetry during a festival with an innovative gimmick which gives the dragon its spectacular decapitation-and-sawdust-spilling scene the center of the stage as the dramatic climax? Obviously a subversive message against House Targaryen! Yeah... erm... in which reality, mate? The "flimsy excuses for sadistic urges" one, maybe. Even before that: "cutting my brother's penis off will make him close enough to a sister -- let's threaten him with that!". In short, ''normal'' logic was not strong with this one, despite his education: his drunker brother may not have been the only one with a touch of the dream stuff.
* JerkassHasAPoint: He supported Bloodraven's plan to cut Aenys Blackfyre off at the pass. Although not a move that would convince anybody that he wasn't still an enormous tool, the idea had some small merit, at least. [[spoiler: Supporting the [[PragmaticEvil surprise slaying of kin when under a flag of truce for a decisively cheap victory]] ''definitely'' wouldn't have won him any Brownie points, though.]]
** Aerion also supported Bloodraven's wish to execute Bittersteel after he was captured at the end of the Third Blackfyre Rebellion. Both of them were proved right when the ship transporting Bittersteel to the Wall was intercepted and the moment he was free, Bittersteel went back to plotting the next rebellion.
* JerkJock: Out of Maekar's sons, he was the closest to being a naturally martial, jousting knight like his father wanted. And the biggest, dumbest bully of them all with a sense of entitlement quite a bit too large for his boots, too. What a charmer.
* KickTheDog: During the Ashford Tourney, he drives his lance through the neck of a rival's horse ''on purpose''. He also attacks a puppeteer and breaks her fingers for performing a show in which a puppet dragon is slain by a puppet knight, on the grounds of such performance being treason.
* KissingCousins: As per the family tree in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]'', he married his cousin Daenora. Poor lass.
* TheMadnessPlace: One possible explanation for his moonbats approach to jerktasticness is that... he primarily channeled what he had of this into being a dick.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Shares his name with Aerion, father of Aegon the Conqueror. Unfortunately, he also saw fit to name is son Maegor. Yeah, that went down as well as you'd think.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever contribution Aerion made during the Third Blackfyre Rebellion. While Maester Yandel makes note of Maekar's leadership, Egg's courage, and Bloodraven's second duel with Bittersteel, all he says regarding Aerion is that he made "actions" that were "known well".
* RoyalBrat: Basically the Joffrey of this section of the family and/or "Aegon IV: Redux". Except, keeping him off the throne and well away from any other role of consequence. See? People ''can'' sometimes learn.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: Another example of [[ItRunsInTheFamily Targaryen madness.]] He thought he was a dragon in human form and accidentally killed himself drinking wildfire, believing it would turn him into a dragon. Although, to be fair, he was pretty drunk at that point.
* TheSociopath: Very likely. Aerion was bloodthirsty, manipulative, cruel, impulsive, had no real empathy for anyone (how else do you explain unironically naming your only son "Maegor"?) and was hungry for power.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Yup. Even if Daeron ''could'' be a bit of a prick to his family, at least he wasn't in Aerion's league of thoughtless douchebaggery. Despite this he's still nominally on Dunk's side in the Third Blackfyre Rebellion.
* TooDumbToLive: Died from drinking wildfire, which he believed would turn him into a dragon. He ''was'' atrociously drunk at the time, though, as a partly mitigating factor.
* WhatDidYouExpectWhenYouNamedIt: Seriously, Aerion? You wittingly clapped "Maegor" on your only bonny, bouncy baby boy? Unsure if logic-failure or deliberate trolling. Both?
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Well, he ''was'' both white-haired and decidedly "not good".

[[folder:Princess Daenora Targaryen]]
!!Princess Daenora Targaryen

The third child of Prince Rhaegel and Alys Arryn. Married her cousin Aerion and was the mother of his only child, Maegor.

* AllThereInTheManual: Only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* TheGhost: Nothing is known about her aside the little information we have from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* KissingCousins: Married to her cousin Aerion.

[[folder:Prince Maegor Targaryen]]
!!Prince Maegor Targaryen

The only child of Prince Aerion and Princess Daenora. He was one of the claimants of the Great Council of 233 AC.

* AllThereInTheManual: His name is revealed in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* TheGhost: Only passingly mentioned either in the novels, the ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' and ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: In-universe example. He's noted to be "ominously named," and rightly so: his namesake was none other than Maegor the Cruel.
* PassedOverPromotion: After his grandfather Maekar's death, the Great Council of 233 AC decided to pass over his claim to the Iron Throne because he was an infant ''and'' out of fear he would have inherited his late father's combo of [[TheCaligula madness and cruelty]]. His name certainly didn't help his case, either.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After getting turned down for the throne, his life is a blank, although it's presumed even in-world that he remained in Essos. Did he even survive to have kids, legitimate or otherwise? Enter EpilepticTrees, stage right. If he did have surviving sons and grandsons, they would be the senior heirs of Aegon the Conqueror in the male line, or perhaps the ''only'' male line heirs of King Aegon if Young Griff is not in fact who he says he is.

!!Court of Aegon V

[[folder:Aegon V]]
!!King Aegon Targaryen, the Fifth of His Name; r. 233-259
!!!Egg, The Unlikely, The Fortunate
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/13a0964b4521720e8b3db310a1c6688e.png]]

-->''"It takes a man to rule. An Aegon, not an Egg. Kill the boy and let the man be born."''
--->-- '''Maester Aemon Targaryen'''

Fifth child and youngest son of Maekar I and Dyanna Dayne. Was married to Betha Blackwood, with whom he had five children: Duncan, Jaehaerys II, Shaera, Daeron and Rhaelle. Deceased by the time of Robert's Rebellion, Aegon was called "the Unlikely", as he was the [[SpareToTheThrone fourth son of a fourth son]] and absolutely ''no one'' ever expected the throne to ever come to him. A wise and well-loved ruler, he eventually died at the [[NoodleIncident "Tragedy at Summerhall,"]] on the same day his granddaughter Rhaella gave birth to a son named Rhaegar; his best friend, Lord Commander Duncan the Tall of the Kingsguard, and his oldest son Duncan (called "the Small" to differentiate him from his namesake) perished along with him. His daughter Rhaelle wed [[Characters/ASongOfIceAndFireHouseBaratheon Ormund Baratheon]], which later provided her grandson Robert's claim to legitimacy after he won The War of the Usurper. He wore the crown of Aegon III.

Of course, readers of the prequels know King Aegon by another name: Egg, one of the main characters of the ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg''. Taking place about eighty years before the main series, these prequels cover the adventures of a seven-foot-tall hedge knight named Duncan who is persuaded to take on a bald kid named Egg as his squire. After discovering that Dunk was a genuine KnightInShiningArmor, Egg's father Maekar formally apprenticed him to Dunk as his squire, and the two began WalkingTheEarth.

* AllThereInTheManual: Much of what we know of his adult life and reign comes from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* ArrangedMarriage: To his sister Daella in their childhood. Ultimately averted, as he eventually married Betha Blackwood, with whom he was in love.
* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: He died in the Great Fire of Summerhall, the same time and place where his great-grandson Rhaegar was born.
* BrainsAndBrawn: Broadly his relationship with Dunk, wherein Dunk was street smart whereas Egg started out as a book-smart, sheltered prince (although further subverted in that Duncan was surprisingly naive, and Aegon already had some familiarity with court politics).
* CoolCrown: {{Averted}}. As he was a ModestRoyalty, he refused to wear his father's warlike crown or his grandfather's huge red gold one, but settled for Aegon III's slender gold band instead.
* DarkhorseVictory: Sort of. He was given the crown by a council that passed over both his niece Vaella (the feeble-witted daughter of the late Prince Daeron) and his infant nephew Maegor (the son of the insane and also late Prince Aerion) and wanted to crown his brother Aemon, who refused the crown due to taking their Maester's vows seriously.
* DoomedByCanon: His reign proves disastrous and he, Dunk and one of his sons die in a great fire.
* GenerationXerox: Daenerys is usually compared to the Aegon I. And, not without cause: she is a conqueror who has three dragons and who rides the Black Dread of the current day. However, her instincts to help the downtrodden and save slaves by imposing reform, damn what the nobility say? In this, she takes more after Aegon V -- albeit, an Egg who successfully hatched dragons.
** The [[spoiler: would-be-King Aegon VI's]] whole story arc is one enormously deliberate invocation of the life of Prince Egg, including a baseborn knight called "Duck" -- just add an N. [[spoiler: How close he'll actually be remains to be seen: already there are doubts.]]
* TheGoodKing: And this. Although without what Bloodraven did when he was a lad, he could have been up to his knees in Blackfyres instead of focusing on running the kingdom.
* GoodOldWays: Tried to change this, but failed.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: We've got a few windows into it. But only a few.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: In the Sworn Sword, he tells Dunk that his father taught him that all bastards are untrustworthy by nature. Dunk then explains to him that he (Dunk) is most likely a bastard, which makes him reconsider his prejudice.
* InternalReformist: He tried to be this for the Iron Throne and the Targaryen Dynasty. His actions, which favored the smallfolk by eroding the privileges of the nobility, earned him hostility and indeed [[AristocratsAreEvil Tywin Lannister]] made his reputation by completely removing all his reforms as Hand of the King.
* KindheartedCatLover: Was fond of his cat but Aerion threw it down a well.
* KingIncognito: Though was this long before he became King. He shaved his head to hide his signature Targaryen blondness.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Egg, the fourth son of King Maekar, fourth son of King Daeron II, had pretty much the same problems his father had: being a strong willed patriarch of an unmanageable brood of determined kids who defy their Dad's wishes and have a series of wildly different personalities.
* LostHimInACardGame: Egg's eldest brother, Daeron, known as Daeron the Drunk, once took him to a tavern and completely misplaced him. This is how he first stumbled across Dunk.
* LoveRuinsTheRealm: According to Ser Barristan Selmy (who was [[OldMaster around at the time]]), Egg married for love, and all three of his sons did the same. Duncan, Prince of Dragonflies, actually abdicated his status as heir to the throne to wed a commoner, Jenny of Oldstones. Unfortunately, the match Duncan spurned was one with the daughter of Lyonel "the Laughing Storm" Baratheon, who took this as a personal insult and rebelled against Aegon (though the two eventually reconciled). Fallout from this also supposedly led directly to the Tragedy at Summerhall.
** As per ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]'', Aegon V and his wife Betha Blackwood wanted to end the Targaryen dynastic incest and become [[GoingNative fully Westerosi]], while making major reforms to improve the lives of the smallfolk. To conciliate some of the high lords for taking their privileges away, Aegon V and his wife planned on marrying their older children to members of powerful Houses, which said children quickly abrogated by falling in love (one of his sons being gay) and refusing the arranged matches. He was too much of a softie to go full-Tywin on them.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: His children with Betha Blackwood: Duncan, Jaehaerys II, Shaera, Daeron and Rhaelle.
* ModestRoyalty: His adventures with Dunk made many people scoff about him being "more than half a peasant". As a King, he tried to make several reforms to improve the lives of smallfolk, whose living conditions he had seen first hand.
* MoralityPet: From what it's seen in ''[[Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg The Mystery Knight]], [[TheDreaded Bloodraven]], of all people, seemed to have been fond of that bright grandnephew of his. [[spoiler: So much that one could wonder if he didn't actually clear the way for him to the throne...]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Much like many other characters in the series, he tried to be a good man ''and'' a good ruler and found it harder than expected.
** He made several reforms to improve the lives of the smallfolk, which earned him the enmity of the highborn. The ArrangedMarriage contracts for his children he planned with his wife to counter the opposition backfired when his sons and older daughter decided to follow their parents' example and marry for love (or in the case of his son Daeron, who was gay, remaining unmarried in favor of his "friendship" with a knight with whom he died in battle). He got even more frustrated when his son Jaehaerys II and daughter Shaera proved more conservative than him in reviving dynastic incest, which he had wanted to put an end to.
** His obsession with trying to revive dragons led to the Tragedy of Summerhall, his death and those of Ser Duncan the Tall and his own son Duncan. The marriage between his daughter Rhaelle and Ormund Baratheon eventually led to Robert Baratheon deriving his claim to the Throne from his descent from Aegon. Tywin Lannister made his reputation by removing many of his reforms.
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: He resembles, in many aspects, Louis XVI. Both are intelligent young boys, who become king unexpectedly (Louis when his older brother died at a young age, Aegon when... a lot of his family died under various circumstances). Both attempt to reform archaic institutions, losing the support of the nobility, which sets off a chain of events that led to their deaths and, the fall of their dynasty and likely, [[spoiler:the end of the monarchy in their country]] (although Aegon at least did not live to see it).
* NoodleIncident: What exactly went down at Summerhall that resulted in a massive, out-of-control blaze and claimed the lives of Aegon V, his eldest son, Duncan the Tall and many others. According to [[ConvenientlyInterruptedDocument an ink-splattered letter by Maester Corso]], it involved seven dragon eggs to honor the seven gods, multiple pyromancers, wildfire, and sorcery.
* NotSoAboveItAll: In spite of his scorn towards the incestuous tendencies of his family later in his life, he did court his own sisters when he was young, admitting so much to Dunk. The towering knight does find weird how the boy talks about it as if it were second-nature to him, but he brushes it off because Targaryens are "special". This indicates that his grandfather King Daeron II, and his father Maekar were not so disinclined against incest in spite of their marriages to Dornish women. Having become king himself and denouncing incest, Aegon V was dismayed at his son Jaehaerys' return to the practice.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Maester Aemon points out that despite being a husband and father at the time of his accession, Aegon seemed more boyish and youthful than his years. Granted, he came to the throne at 33 which, even by Westerosi standards, is still relatively young. Still, Aegon's need to "kill the boy so the man could rule" was a major part of his arc.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: His sassy tongue more than once gets him and Dunk in trouble. Leading to Dunk's frequent threat to cloat him on the ear.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His youngest son Daeron predeceased him, being killed in battle years before Aegon's own demise.
* PragmaticVillainy: Failed to convince the nobles of the realm to do this. (Treating the peasantry better than absolute crap, even if said improvement would still be relatively slight, pushing for better working conditions and trying for improved social safety nets with accountability ''could'' have led to much less trouble and revolt down the line... and, say, a more robust economy maybe capable of surviving, say, a meddling Littlefinger or an overdue long winter.)
** At a personal level, he refused to strong-arm his children into accepting the arranged marriages he had planned for them. If those marriages had went ahead, it is likely that Egg would not have become desperate enough to think about reviving dragons to push through his reforms.
* RashomonStyle: The Tragedy of Summerhall was either caused by his disastrous attempt at hatching dragons or a sabotage by those resentful at Aegon allowing his son to marry a common girl.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Or, you know, try. ''Hard''. For a lot of his adventures, being a kid can be [[NotNowKiddo rather the roadblock]] to the instinct to Do Something, being a Targaryen notwithstanding. Particularly when being set against other, older Targaryens. [[spoiler:Or, you know, Blackfyres.]]
* ShootTheShaggyDog: How his life story seems to have played out in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''. His youthful adventures with Dunk showed him first hand what the lives of the smallfolk were actually like, and as a King he sought to relieve their plight by making reforms. The chief obstacle for those reforms were his own children, whose headstrong willfulness (which they inherited from both him and their mother) he couldn't control or stifle, leading him to dream of bringing back the dragons, which in turn led to the Tragedy of Summerhall and the beginning of the end of the Targaryen dynasty. In the end, Tywin Lannister reversed all his reforms, later rulers don't even bother ameliorating the lives of smallfolk and the dragons he wanted to bring back carry more ominous threats than ever.
* TheSquire: To Dunk.
* SpareToTheThrone: And then some. When he was born his grandfather Daeron II still sat the Iron Throne, with ''twelve other spares'' ready to step up to it. The years 209-233 AC were not good to House Targaryen.
* TagalongKid: Being Dunk's squire, they formed a BadassAndChildDuo.
* ThirteenIsUnlucky: Played with. Egg was thirteenth in line for the throne, but he himself seems to have been the last popular Targaryen ruler. So on the one hand, the Seven Kingdoms loved having him on the throne; but on the other, his rule was the sole HopeSpot in a century that ended with the War of TheUsurper, the [[CivilWar War of Five Kings]], and, eventually, [[spoiler:the return of the Others]]. There's also the fact that his life ended with the Tragedy at Summerhall, strongly hinted to be an attempt to hatch dragon eggs GoneHorriblyWrong.
* TragicHero: Egg came into the throne determined to make life better for the poor and oppressed but his idealism was crushed by real world politics. The Summerhall tragedy besmirched his name and he is now remembered as another mad Targaryen who got himself and others killed when he tried hatching dragon eggs.
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: It's understandable as Aerion is a bastard, but to scream for a stranger to kill him is still creepy.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Dunk and his Father. Routinely defends Maekar which occasionally gets him into fights. He also refuses to be anyone but Dunk's squire and is almost always by his side. He later names his first son Duncan.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: It's even in his nickname. Being the fourth son of a fourth son of a king, an awful lot of his relatives have to die for him to become the king.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Unlike other Targaryens, who wanted to return dragons to regain glory, adventure or power, Egg wanted to bring back the dragons so he can have more leg-room to radically alter the Seven Kingdoms society in favor of the smallfolk. It led to the Tragedy of Summerhall.
* TheWisePrince: He had his faults, but evens out as this. Particularly when compared to what his brothers could have done in similar circumstances. Well, two of them, at least.

[[folder:Prince Duncan Targaryen]]
!!Prince Duncan Targaryen
!!!The Prince of Dragonflies, The Small
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duncan_targaryen_woiaf_1144.jpg]]

-->''"The Prince of Dragonflies loved Jenny of Oldstones so much he cast aside a crown, and Westeros paid the price in corpses.''
--->-- '''Ser Barristan Selmy'''

The eldest child of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood, named after Ser Duncan the Tall. Married Jenny of Oldstones. Died during the Tragedy at Summerhall along with his father and his namesake Ser Duncan.

* AbdicateTheThrone: Despite being crown prince, Duncan so loved Jenny of Oldstones that he chose her over the realm. King Aegon thereafter styled him "Prince of Dragonflies" so that he could show up at the Red Keep and not look like a ''complete'' beggar.
* AllThereInTheManual: Some of the information about him (his original betrothal, for instance) comes from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* ArrangedMarriage: Duncan was originally betrothed to a daughter of Lyonel Baratheon. However, he refused that match to marry Jenny of Oldstones, a commoner, instead.
* DisasterDominoes: The history of Westeros would have been totally different had Prince Duncan kept his marriage vow. His brother Jaehaerys would not have been King, would perhaps have not followed his brother and choose to follow his heart, MarryForLove and revive Targaryen incest, as a result of which Aerys and Rhaegar would not have been born.
* GenerationXerox: He seems to have taken after his father quite a bit, which brought them both much sorrow as both proved to be rather strong-willed. He's also named after his dad's HeterosexualLifePartner.
* InSeriesNickname: "The Prince of Dragonflies", "Duncan the Small" (to contrast with Ser Duncan the Tall).
* InterClassRomance: To the point he gave up the crown for Jenny.
* LoveRuinsTheRealm: Ser Barristan mentions that when someone in his position marries for love rather than duty, it often brings about misery to the realm. The Prince of Dragonflies was just one example among many from the old knight's perspective.
* MarryForLove: Like his father, much to Aegon's own sorrow.
* ModestRoyalty: So modest he fell in love with a commonborn girl and abandoned his claim to the throne to marry her.
* NearAndDearBabyNaming: He was named after his father's best friend, Ser Duncan the Tall.
* NiceGuy: He was the only one gracious enough to accept kid Barristan's challenge at a tourney, even though Barristan was not even a knight & quite obviously not even in the same league, skill & experience wise. Even after unhorsing kid Barristan, Prince Duncan did not laugh at him but helped him to his feet & nicknamed him "The Bold".
* TheNicknamer: The reason why Barristan became "The Bold".
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: To Edward VIII of Britain, who abdicated the throne because he wanted to marry a divorced woman.
* OddNameOut: Is the only Targaryen without a Valyrian name, having been named after the commonborn Ser Duncan the Tall.
* RebelPrince: He inherited the willfulness of both his parents, and chose to give up his claim to marry a commoner (which also makes him something of a gender-flipped RebelliousPrincess.)
* StarCrossedLovers: With Jenny of Oldstones.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: As a direct consequence of Duncan [[AbdicateTheThrone giving up his claim to the throne]]:
** Jaehaerys II became the royal heir and his sister Rhaelle married a Baratheon Lord in compensation for a Rebellion sparked by Duncan breaking the engagement. Jaehaerys also cited Duncan's love marriage as justification for marrying his sister whom he was in love with. This essentially led to the Baratheons getting a claim for the Iron Throne (as a result of Rhaelle's marriage) and Jaehaerys II fathering Aerys who became the Mad King.
** Duncan's MarryForLove and rebellious attitude urged his siblings to FollowTheLeader and break their engagements as well. This led to their father, King Aegon V, to dream of bringing the dragons back, leading to the Tragedy of Summerhall, which Ser Barristan claims resulted from Duncan and Jenny's romance.

[[folder:Prince Daeron Targaryen]]
!!Prince Daeron Targaryen
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f3e20b4060b2a64c7170c924c563bbb1.png]]

The third son of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood. Rejected the betrothal his parents had arranged for him, remaining unmarried and leaving no issue. He was killed in battle against the Rat, the Hawk and the Pig in 251 AC.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Practically everything we know about him (including his own ''name'') comes from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Rejected a betrothal, showed no interest in women and was constantly in the company of Ser Jeremy Norridge, with whom he had been a squire at Highgarden.
* ArrangedMarriage: Betrothed to Olenna Redwyne, today called "the Queen of Thorns." He rejected the match, however.
* BitCharacter: Briefly touched upon in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* BloodKnight: He rejoiced in tournaments and battles.
* DeadGuyJunior: Likely named after his uncle Daeron the Drunken, his great-grandfather Daeron the Good, Daeron the Daring or even King Daeron, The Young Dragon.
* IncompatibleOrientation: Despite being betrothed to the beautiful and rich Olenna Redwyne for an arranged marriage, he wasn't interested in her and asked his father to cancel it. If the rumors are true, it wasn't just her he wasn't interested in.
* RebelPrince: Rejected his betrothed, just like his other siblings. Unlike his siblings, it wasn't because he wanted to marry for love (though love [[AmbiguouslyGay may have been a factor.]])
* TogetherInDeath: Died in battle alongside his "close personal friend" Ser Jeremy Norridge.
* WarriorPrince: A prince who was also a badass fighter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Princess Rhaelle Targaryen]]
!!Princess Rhaelle Targaryen

-->''"Tell me, what right did my brother Robert ever have to the Iron Throne? Oh, there was talk of the blood ties between Baratheon and Targaryen, of weddings a hundred years past, of second sons and elder daughters. No one but the maesters care about any of it."''
--->--'''Renly Baratheon'''

Princess Rhaelle Targaryen was the youngest child of King Aegon V Targaryen and Queen Betha Blackwood. She was married to Lord Ormund Baratheon of Storm's End.
----
* AffectionateNickname: While reminiscing on his deathbed, Maester Aemon recalls that his niece used to call him "Uncle Maester" when she was a little girl.
* AltarDiplomacy: She was married to the Baratheon heir after her brother Duncan broke off his engagement.
* ArrangedMarriage: To Ormund Baratheon.
* TheDutifulDaughter: The only one of her siblings to marry who she was actually betrothed to.
* FamousAncestor: The current Baratheon trace their royal line to her, and Robert Baratheon's claim to the crown was legally justified by the fact that she was his grandmother.
* LadyInWaiting: Initially to Lady Baratheon.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Her marriage made her grandmother to the three Baratheon boys (contrary to Renly's claim of "hundred years past" it was around three and a half decades before he was born) which made them cousins of the Targaryens. This gave them a claim to the Crown that allowed Robert to claim it decades later.
[[/folder]]

!!Court of Jaehaerys II

[[folder:Jaehaerys II]]
!!King Jaehaerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name. r. 259-262
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c9bbc36233c496025913a7c900baf803.jpg]]

-->''"King Jaehaerys once told me that madness and greatness were two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen was born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land."''
--->--'''Ser Barristan Selmy'''

Second child of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood. Married his sister Shaera, with whom he had two children, Aerys II (the Mad King) and Rhaella. His short, three-year reign was hardly remarkable, save for the War of the Ninepenny Kings, which bore witness to the end of House Blackfyre when Ser Barristan Selmy slew Maelys the Monstrous. He wore his grandfather Maekar's crown.
----
* ArrangedMarriage: Was betrothed to Celia Tully, but refused the match to marry his sister Shaera.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: He and his siblings married for love, but he arranged the marriage of his children Aerys and Rhaella because the prophecy of [[TheChosenOne The Prince That Was Promised]] would be born of their line.
* BrotherSisterIncest: He and his sister Shaera had been in love since their childhood and married in secret against their parents' wishes.
* DisappointedInYou: Aegon V was not too pleased that Jaehaerys II was far more conservative than him, marrying his sister despite his intentions to end dynastic incest, and then forcing Aerys and Rhaella to marry as well. He was stated to have been quite frustrated over this turn of events.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Barristan is frustrated at King Hizdahr's indecision when dealing with Groleo's death and notes Jaehaerys (remembered for being weak) would have ordered the arrest of Groleo's murderers.
* TheGoodKing: Subverted; he tried to be this, but he lacked his dad's strength of will. Ser Barristan at least remembers him as ruling fairly well in his short reign, and that he rose to the occasion during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. In other words, he wasn't a bad king, but he wasn't an exceptional one either.
* HistoryRepeats: Eloped with his sister so they could escape having to marry other people, just like the first Jaehaerys.
* {{Hypocrite}}: He got married for love, albeit to his own sister, which his father (the first Targaryen to realize that incest is simply not worth it) discredited, but ordered his children Aerys and Rhaella to marry each other, despite neither loving the other.
* IronicName: A weak and forgettable king who ruled for only 3 years, has the same name as arguably the most brilliant of the Targaryen kings who ruled for 55.
* {{Irony}}: Jaehaerys' quote seems profound at first, then you realize that he was a Targaryen who was neither insane or brilliant and you have to wonder if he was lacking in self-awareness.
** He also chose to wear the crown of his grandfather Maekar Targaryen, a capable WarriorPrince who became King, despite lacking all of his martial prowess.
* {{Jerkass}}: Despite normally being considered a nice guy, his biggest jerk moment was forcing Aerys and Rhaella to wed one another despite neither wanting it, all on account of some prophetic material he heard from a woods witch.
* MarryForLove: As mentioned above, this was the case with him and his sister Shaera.
* NiceGuy: While he was a weak king, and a bad father, he was at the very least a rather pleasant person to be around.
* RebelPrince: Escaped his previous engagement to Celia Tully to MarryForLove.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: He was the second son of his father, but succeeded to the throne after his elder brother renounced his rights.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: He forced Aerys and Rhaella to marry, politely ignoring that they were more attracted to other people (Joanna Lannister for Aerys, Ser Bonifer Hasty for Rhaella) than to each other, and for that matter didn't like each other all that much. This forced marriage only fueled Aerys' abuse of Rhaella after his madness got even worse with time; as such, the family was decidedly fractured and were picked apart and nearly exterminated during Robert's Rebellion.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Queen Shaera Targaryen]]
!!Queen Shaera Targaryen

Third child and older daughter of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood. Married her brother Jaehaerys II and had two children by him, Aerys II and Rhaella.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: Only mentioned in ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''.
* ArrangedMarriage: Was betrothed to Luthor Tyrell (who would end up marrying Olenna Redwyne, the "Queen of Thorns", originally betrothed to Shaera's brother Daeron), but ran away with Jaehaerys so that they could get married against their parents' wishes.
* BrotherSisterIncest: Said to have been in love with Jaehaerys since childhood, despite Aegon and Betha's best efforts to separate them. The two eventually got married as mentioned above.
* MarryForLove: Married her brother Jaehaerys despite being betrothed to another and their parents being against the relationship.
* RebelliousPrincess: She shared the willfulness of both her parents. Because of this, she married her brother against their wishes.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Her eventual fate is unknown. We only know she was still alive when Jaehaerys became king from ''[[Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire The World of Ice & Fire]]''. She's not mentioned again past that point.
[[/folder]]

!!House Targaryen of Dragonstone
The ancestors of Aegon the Conqueror; a Valyrian dynasty that had settled on the western colony of the Island of Dragonstone before the Doom of Valyria, they became the only remaining dragonlords after the Doom.

Not much is known about the pre-Conquest Targaryens on Dragonstone, other than a brief family tree outlined in a single paragraph of ''The World of Ice and Fire''. In general, they spent the ensuing Century of Blood in isolation, slowly shepherding their strength until Aegon I's time. They actually brought five dragons with them from Valyria: one was Balerion, while the other four later died -- but they left behind eggs, from which hatched Meraxes and Vhagar. It's not stated ''how'' the unnamed four died, but it is also stated that the later fight between Balerion and Quicksilver during the reign of Maegor the Cruel was the first time dragon fought dragon since the Doom of Valyria, so these four didn't die fighting each other.

Seven generations of Targaryens lived on Dragonstone, with Aenar being the first and Aegon I being the seventh:

* 1 -- Aenar the Exile
* 2 -- Daenys the Dreamer & Gaemon the Glorious -- brother/sister incest couple who ruled Dragonstone together
* 3 -- Aegon & Elaena -- another brother-sister incest couple who co-ruled. Children of Daenys & Gaemon. The first Targaryen generation born on Dragonstone. This Aegon isn't included in the numbered count of Aegons because the Targaryens weren't kings of Westeros yet -- thus his descendant was known as "Aegon the First".
* 4 -- Maegon, son of Aegon & Elaena. Succeeded by his younger brother Aerys (through undescribed circumstances).
* 5 -- The three sons of Aerys (and an unnamed wife), all three of which ruled Dragonstone in turn: Aelyx, Baelon, and Daemion.
* 6 -- Aerion -- son of Daemion and an unnamed wife from House Velaryon. His wife was Velaena Velaryon, herself half-Targaryen on her mother's side -- apparently an unnamed daughter of Aerys or Maegon?
* 7 -- Aegon I, his older sister Visenya, and younger sister Rhaenys -- both sisters married Aegon I at the same time. All three were children of Aerion and Velaena. It was also strongly rumored Orys Baratheon was actually Aerion's bastard son, and Aegon I's half-brother.

[[folder:Lord Aenar Targaryen]]
!!Lord Aenar Targaryen
!!!The Exile

A dragonlord of the Valyrian Freehold who relocated the family to the backwater outpost of Dragonstone twelve year prior to the Doom of Valyria. He had two children, Gaemon and Daenys.
----
* TheExile: A self-imposed version, as he fled Valyria voluntarily.
* ImpoverishedPatrician: After his daughter had a vision of the Doom, he had his family pack whatever they and their slaves could carry and move to Dragonstone, giving up their power and influence in Valyria. They figured he was a fool, right until the Doom happened.
* OurFounder: While he might not be as remembered as his descendants, it's thanks to him they existed to conquer and change Westerosi history.
* ThePatriarch: He was the first Targaryen to settle in Westeros, and the ancestor of the entire royal line.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lord Gaemon Targaryen]]
!!Lord Gaemon Targaryen
!!!The Glorious
The son and eldest child of Aenar Targaryen. Married his sister Daenys, with whom he had two children, Aegon and Elaena.
----
* BrotherSisterIncest: With Daenys, per Valyrian custom.
* TheExile: He fled Valyria alongside his father and the rest of his family.
* TheMagnificent: The Glorious, although there's no explanation provided for the nickname.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lady Daenys Targaryen]]
!!Lady Daenys Targaryen
!!!The Dreamer
The daughter and younger child of Aenar Targaryen. She married her brother Gaemon, and they had two children together, Aegon and Elaena.
----
* BrotherSisterIncest: With Gaemon, per Valyrian custom.
* CassandraTruth: Her warnings about the Doom were this to the dragonlords of Valyria (save for her relatives).
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: She had visions of the Doom of Valyria twelve years before the event, prompting her father to relocate the whole family to the backwater outpost of Dragonstone.
* TheExile: She fled Valyria alongside her father and the rest of her family. Her visions were what prompted the Targaryens' departure.
* OracularUrchin: She saw the Doom of Valyria coming well in advance, allowing her family to save themselves by getting as far away as possible.
* TomesOfProphecyAndFate: She collected her visions in a book called ''Signs and Portents''. It's long-lost by the present day, although one maester claims to have recovered three pages.
* VirginPower: She had visions while a maiden.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lord Aerion Targaryen]]
!!Lord Aerion Targaryen

Son of Daemion (who was the grandson of Aegon and Elaena, Gaemon's and Daenys' children, by their son Aerys), and Lord of Dragonstone. Married to Valaena Velaryon, with whom he had three children, the future monarchs Visenya, Aegon I, and Rhaenys. Also had a bastard son, Orys Baratheon.
----
* DroitDuSeigneur: Him engaging in this practice resulted in the birth of Orys Baratheon
* KissingCousins: Married Lady Valaena Velaryon, who was half-Targaryen on her mother's side.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: When your three kids conquer most of a continent by themselves, you should be proud to count as a footnote in history.
[[/folder]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Maegor was a tyrannical and brutal king, using torture, murder, and mass slaughter to oppress his enemies. He had no qualms about ordering the deaths of innocent smallfolk, other nobles, his wives, or even members of his family. Eventually, his cruelty made him despised by his entire kingdom, who stood behind his nephew Jaehaerys in rebellion against him. When Maegor called his banners in defense, only a few minor lords replied, giving him a paltry army of barely four thousand men.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: A dashing, handsome young prince launches a rebellion to free the kingdom that is rightfully his from an EvilUncle who rules with an iron fist. Sounds like the making of a classic fantasy epic, right? Sadly, the standard tropes and story beats mean jack when the aforementioned evil uncle is a battle-hardened general with a bigger army and dragon to boot.

* TokenEvilTeammate: Yup. Even if Daeron ''could'' be a bit of a prick to his family, at least he wasn't in Aerion's league of thoughtless douchebaggery.

* ProphecyTwist: He had a vision of a Targaryen laying dead on top of Dunk, which he took to mean that Dunk would soon slay a Targaryen. [[spoiler:In truth, the prophecy was much more literal than he had thought, with the Targaryen in question actually killed by someone else and merely fell on Dunk.]]

* DirtyCoward: Daeron knew this is how most people saw him... and he didn't much care. As he rather sarcastically puts it to Dunk, ''nobody'' is better at lying prone in the mud to avoid serious injury than he is. After being caught allowing Egg to run off with a hedge knight, rather than admitting to Maekar that he was too drunk to watch his brother, Daeron instead lied that the boy was kidnapped by Dunk, further landing the knight in hot water to save his own skin. Once said lie backfired and caused him to be dragged into a trial by Seven against the man he had framed, [[spoiler:who was prophecied to soon slay a Targaryen]], Daeron did everything possible to avoid fighting him, including agreeing to throw the fight, withdrawing his accusation and practically begging the knight to kill his brother instead. One could argue that he was asking Dunk to kill Aerion because he didn't want [[spoiler:the prophecized victim to be his father]], but his wording made it very clear that he was concerned only with himself.

* DirtyCoward: How most people saw him during his life... and how he's gone down in history after his death. And he even cultivated it, as he rather sarcastically puts it to Dunk, ''nobody'' is better at lying prone in the mud to avoid serious injury than he is. However, there's a lot more to him than just that: it wasn't a cowardly act to go up to somebody you'd accused as being responsible for an upcoming death to not only (backhandedly) apologize, but to ''try'' helping them strategize ways around the problem. [[spoiler:Despite knowing full well they were about to be responsible for the death of ''some'' Targaryen, perhaps even yourself: even if you were busy trying to make light of it, eh, Daeron?]]
** All of that being said, it cannot be denied that Daeron does everything possible to avoid consequences for his actions, including throwing his own brother under the bus. Instead of telling the truth to Maekar that he was too drunk to watch Aegon and allowed him to leave with a strange man, Daeron instead lied that Dunk had kidnapped him, further worsening Dunk's already bad situation. Later, when the whole thing escalated into a trial by combat, one where Daeron was told in a dragon dream that a Targaryen would be killed by Dunk, he came to Dunk flat out asking him to kill his brother Aerion instead of him and agreeing to throw the fight.

* NoodleIncident: What exactly went down at Summerhall that resulted in a massive, out-of-control blaze and claimed the lives of Aegon V, his eldest son, Duncan the Tall and many others. According to an ink-splattered letter by Maester Corso, it involved seven dragon eggs to honor the seven gods, multiple pyromancers, wildfire, and sorcery.

* PassedOverPromotion: Despite how strong, capable and just a leader he was, his military accomplishments, and the realm's best military commander, his elder brother Aerys chose their sinister sorcerer uncle Brynden Rivers over him as Hand Of The King, on account of him and Aerys having a shared interest in magic, much to Maekar's anger. At the show of disrespect he promptly [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere packed up]] from King's Landing and [[AchillesInHisTent returned to Summerhall]]. Given how Brynden turned a [[JustForPun blind eye]] to the problems that weren't related to the Blackfyres, like overlooking the reaving of the Greyjoys for a long time, it's not difficult to see why Maekar may have been the better choice.

* PetTheDog: He lets his father borrow his armor for the trial of seven. (This may be why he's so angry at Dunk; he's trying to avoid blaming himself)

* ForWantOfANail: The History of Westeros would have been totally different had Prince Duncan kept his marriage vow. His brother Jaehaerys would not have been King, would perhaps have not followed his brother and choose to follow his heart, MarryForLove and revive Targaryen incest, as a result of which Aerys and Rhaegar would not have been born.

* NotSoHarmlessVillain: To people who never met him, Aegon IV was a clown. Let him bed one of your female relatives and he'll grant you any favors you want. To the rest of the court, he was the devil himself who would stop at nothing to fulfil his desires and whose spiteful decisions would tear the kingdom apart for years to come.