House of the Dragon - Viserys Targaryen / Characters

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King Viserys I Targaryen "The Peaceful"

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"That I am forever doomed to anger one person in the pleasing of another."

^{Click here to see him towards the end of his life}

Played By: Paddy Considine

Dubbed By: ^noteXavier Béja (European French)

"It is mine [duty] to hold the realm together, not sow it with further division."

The fifth King of the Seven Kingdoms at the start of the series and father of Rhaenyra, Aegon II, Aemond, Helaena and Daeron. He's the grandson of King Jaehaerys Targaryen and was chosen to succeed him at the Great Council.

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Abusive Parents: It's certainly unintentional on Viserys's part, but he neglects his children by Alicent in favor of Rhaenyra. Aegon firmly believes that Viserys hated him, while Aemond and Helaena have little reaction when he dies. The interactions we do get are usually because they happen to be present when drama and fights break out, and more often than not it's just him shouting at them.
Adaptational Angst Upgrade: This version of Viserys carries the burden of knowing about Aegon the Conqueror's dream of the "second Long Night" and consequently is far more dedicated to ensuring that the Seven Kingdoms are united and continuing the Targaryen line. His desperation for a son eventually leads to him choosing to inflict an agonizing death on his beloved wife in the hope that this son will live. After the much-desired baby also dies, he's practically catatonic at the funeral. His guilt over essentially killing Aemma makes him ever more determined that Rhaenyra will be his heir, despite the disapproval of several lords and having three sons with Alicent.
Adaptational Attractiveness: In the source material, Viserys was described as being schlubby with a pot belly, a pretty far cry from the slim and more traditionally handsome Paddy Considine.
Adaptational Curves: His book counterpart started out fat, and by the end of his life, was so obese he couldn't even sit on the Iron Throne. The show inverts this with Viserys starting out in shape until his sickness causes him to become borderline skeletal.
Adaptational Heroism: His worst act from the books—removing the tongues of five relatives of Vaemond Velaryon—is omitted.
Adaptational Jerkass: While the books never delve into his relationship with his children apart from Rhaenyra, he's implied to have been on good enough terms that he acted as a Doting Grandparent to Haelaena's children even in his final days. In the show, he's more openly neglectful of his other children, with one scene showing him more angry about the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's sons being questioned than the fact that his son Aemond had just lost an eye.
Adaptational Personality Change: The Viserys of the books is usually presented as a Big Fun person, someone who always aims to please even at the expense of his own dignity (cementing into the Fatal Flaw of the latter half of his reign). The show's Viserys, despite being a generally pleasant person, is far more authoritative, duty-bound, and desirous of respect than his literary counterpart. At the same time, these nevertheless translate into the king's general desire to avoid confrontation in the name of keeping the peace, sometimes to the detriment of decisive leadership.
The Alcoholic: Starting from episode three, he is rarely seen without a wine cup in his hand, and his demeanour has become that of a semi-functional alcoholic, such as exhibiting mood swings and carefully enunciating his words to avoid slurring.
All for Nothing:
- All his efforts to maintain a united Targaryen family and a stable realm are undone when Alicent misunderstands Viserys rambling on his deathbed about the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy and thinks that Viserys has designated Aegon as The Chosen One, which makes her determined to press her son's claim and makes the succession war practically unavoidable. Worse still, it turns out that his own Small Council has been planning to depose Rhaenyra for a long time. No matter how he died, Viserys' efforts at peace would all have been dashed regardless.
- His last act as king in "Lord of the Tides" is settling the succession of Driftmark, advocating for Rhaenyra's (bastard) son Lucerys Velaryon. By the end of Season One, Lucerys is dead, leaving Viserys's Last Dance as nothing but a footnote in the histories.
Ancestral Name: Over a century and a half after his reign, the brother of Daenerys would also be named Viserys. There is also a Viserys II in between them (the baby grandson he meets in "Lord of the Tides"). He himself is named after his grandfather's older brother who was tortured to death by Maegor the Cruel (and never claimed the throne, hence no number).
An Arm and a Leg: He loses his entire left arm over the course of a decade due to necrosis.
The Atoner: The reason he keeps Rhaenyra as heir, despite all the chaos this decision causes, is his way of trying to make amends for being directly responsible for his wife Aemma's death in his vain pursuit of a son.
Awful Wedded Life: His marriage to Alicent Hightower turns increasingly sour over the course of about 20 years. As his physical condition deteriorates, she treats their lovemaking as an onerous chore and also increasingly resents the fact that he passed over their children as heirs to the throne. For his part, he's aware that their marriage is to some degree a product of her father's manipulations. He's also clearly never gotten over the death of his first wife. However, they do at least get along with each other on a platonic level and Alicent does seem to genuinely care for him as a person, with Viserys noting that she has a gentler touch than his Maesters when she tends to his ailments personally.
Be Careful What You Wish For: Viserys wanted a boy during most of his reign, but finally decided to keep Rhaenyra as his designated heir after his son Aegon was born. This conflicts with the male-preference primogeniture customary law that many lords support, so the mere existence of Aegon creates a Succession Crisis that could tear the realm asunder.
Berserk Button:
- After his son by Alicent is born and lords start pestering him to name him heir instead of Rhaenyra, such politicking becomes a major sore spot, and just about the only matter upon which Viserys becomes assertive and commanding in his anger (at least until the below issue with Rhaenyra's children comes to be).
- He threatens to cut off the tongue of anyone daring to call the children Rhaenyra officially had with Laenor Velaryon "bastards" (while it's an Open Secret that they are actual bastards sired by Harwin Strong, Viserys continually looks the other way to avoid dealing with the fallout of publicly acknowledging it). Even as he's crippled and nearing the end of his life, he's very willing to cut out Vaemond Velaryon's tongue himself for saying just that (and calling Rhaenyra a "whore" on top of this). A similarly pissed-off Daemon spares Viserys the tremendous effort of doing the deed by performing a Clean Cut on the upper part of Vaemond's head instead.
Body Horror: The last days of his life are not kind to him with the decay afflicting his body. He's practically a walking skeleton with skin barely attached, there's a hole where his right cheek once was, his teeth are rotten and one of his eye sockets is empty. It gets to the point where he wears a golden mask on half of his face to conceal the horrific sight.
Born in the Wrong Century: He has no problem appointing his daughter as his successor, will defend his grandsons to the death while knowing full well they're bastards sired by a man not said daughter's husband, and prefers resolving conflicts with diplomacy. The man would have made a decent head of state in modern times. A shame he reigns in a patriarchal, martial medieval time.
The Chains of Commanding: He gets no particular satisfaction from ruling and isn't inclined to use his power or the perks of the position for his own benefit, acting instead with great reluctance most of the time. He believes it is his duty to ensure a firm legacy to keep a strong realm that will have to face a prophesied deadly cold threat that will descend upon Westeros from the North. After his passing, Alicent acknowledges that Viserys would have been a much happier man if he had been able to live out his days as a lesser Targaryen prince, Happily Married to his first wife and free to focus on his studies.
Viserys: The responsibility I have handed to you, the burden of this knowledge... it is larger than the throne, the king. It is larger than you and your desires.
Closet Geek: As King, Viserys is expected to be a very public and nobility-pleasing persona, sponsoring bloodsports like the tourney and hunting, as any medieval king (both in fantasy and Real Life) is expected to do. In private, however, he seems to be far more occupied with the histories of the Targaryen dynasty and that of Old Valyria—as evidenced by Alicent's initial choice of entertainment for him (a history book), the fact that he spends a lot of time playing with a model of Old Valyria's capital city/citadel and dragon figurines, as well as spending time reflecting in front of the skull of Balerion.
Contrasting Sequel Main Character:
- With King Robert Baratheon, the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms at the beginning of Game of Thrones over a century and a half later. The two couldn't be any more different. Unlike Robert, Viserys didn't start an uprising that ended in kingslaying and instead succeeded his grandfather. Viserys also loves his first wife whereas Robert doesn't care and spends time whoring and impregnating mistresses. Robert was a former warrior while Viserys is a Non-Action Guy. Viserys actively attends his Small Council meetings and takes his duties seriously, while Robert openly disdained the duties of a king and only attended three Small Council meetings. Viserys is lean where Robert is fat from spending time feasting and drinking. Viserys survives The Grand Hunt without a scratch while Robert dies from wounds sustained in one.
- A dash of Eddard "Ned" Stark is in there too. Both want to do right by the realm they serve in their top position (Viserys as a king, Ned as a Hand of the King) but are ultimately powerless to stop the events that spiral towards a Civil War that will engulf the whole realm and their children. Both have a Valyrian steel sword (Blackfyre for Viserys, Ice for Ned) and a distant younger brother (Daemon for Viserys, Benjen for Ned^note). Neither of them survives the first season (Viserys dies from a leprosy-like illness, Ned is executed by beheading). Viserys became king after a peaceful event to choose a successor to Jaehaerys I (who was a textbook example of The Good King) while Ned was one of the leaders of a violent rebellion that put an end to the Reign of Terror of the Mad King Aerys II.
Cool Crown: Wears a gold crown with small spikes along the top and the sigil of House Targaryen prominently displayed. In the books, he wore Jaehaerys's crown of seven jewels representing the Seven Kingdoms.
Cool Sword: Wields his family’s famous heirloom, the Valyrian Steel sword Blackfyre—though mostly as a symbol of office.
Covered in Scars: While it's not so visible while he's fully clothed, Viserys' body is covered in wounds and he loses increasingly large portions of his arm due to gangrene. The cuts themselves are just the Surprisingly Realistic Outcome of sitting on a throne made of swords—throughout the books, most people who sit on the throne mention getting cut. However, those other characters seem to heal up just fine afterwards. Viserys's wounds perpetually getting infected is a mark of physical and metaphorical weakness.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: His conflict-avoidance personality makes him appear wussy and irresolute, but the few times he's moved to exert his royal authority, usually for the benefit of Rhaenyra, he shows he's a fine example of the regal might of the Targaryens and an unquestionable leader, even on his last legs.
Cultural Rebel: In contrast with Daemon and Rhaenyra, Viserys is less stereotypically Valyrian. They're fiery; he's not. They're dragon-riders; he's not (anymore; he didn't claim any other dragons after riding Balerion when he was younger). They conduct their private conversations in High Valyrian; he speaks to them in the Common Tongue. They want to incestuously marry each other; he chose an unrelated, non-Valyrian second wife. However, it's a Zig-Zagging Trope because Viserys isn't uninterested in their Valyrian ancestry. He has a model of a Valyrian citadel in his room, and he's very interested in the histories. His view on their heritage is more cynical—but arguably more realistic—than theirs.
Viserys: The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion. They're a power man should never have trifled with. One that brought Valyria its doom. If we don't mind our own histories, it will do the same to us.
Death Seeker: According to Paddy Considine, Viserys effectively becomes this after Aemma's death, constantly downplaying his failing health to the Maesters and refusing treatments that might have cured him because he believes he deserves it for what he put his wife through. He finally gets his wish in "The Lord of the Tides".
Determinator: In his final days, his condition has escalated to such an extent, that he can barely even walk, and is left in constant pain without being given milk of the poppy. However, when Rhaenyra all but begs him for his help, he forces himself out of bed, into the throne room, and up the steps of the dais (though he does end up needing Daemon's help), declining his treatment to keep himself lucid, and forcing through the pain so as to support her. So let it be known to all: his body was frail, but he had the inner strength of a dragon and a will made of Valyrian steel.
Died Happily Ever After: After his heartfelt speech at their last family dinner and seeing everyone's mostly positive attitude to it, Viserys dies believing that he's finally managed to reconcile his dysfunctional family in his last moments. Tragically, his last words to Alicent while in a delirious state practically undo every good thing he has achieved before (not that it would have mattered, as Otto was already planning to usurp Rhaenyra long beforehand).
Disabled in the Adaptation: While the book only has Viserys lose some of his fingers, here, he loses his entire left arm. This later escalates as the season progresses, until he's barely able to so much as walk. He also loses his right eye.
Disease by Any Other Name: The disease that Viserys contracts from cutting himself on the Throne is never given a name, but the symptoms (open sores, skin discoloration, necrosis, loss of body parts, etc) are similar to leprosy. It was later confirmed by Word of God that Viserys has this world's equivalent of leprosy, so it's basically a fictionalized version of the disease.
A Doormat to His Men: Played with but ultimately subverted. King Viserys's reign consisted mainly of his own family repeatedly going behind his back to start wars and undermine his rule, only for him to forgive their transgressions and invite them back to court time and time again. While this sounds like a recipe for disaster ( and indeed, the conflicts kindled in this period would ultimately end up plunging the realm into a bloody civil war), it actually does work out for him in his lifetime. When he dies of natural causes, he bears the epithet "the Peaceful" and is remembered fondly by most of his dysfunctional family.
Doting Grandparent: It's clear that he's overjoyed with becoming a grandfather in the ten years since Rhaenyra's marriage to Laenor, showing love and care for all of his grandsons and wishing to protect them from the more slanderous side of King's Landing. The only downside to this is that he's willfully ignorant of their parentage even when it is plain to the eye Rhaenyra's children do not belong to Laenor (not that Laenor himself really cares), which is the cause of much friction among the smallfolk and the Small Council. In the books when Jacaerys was born, Viserys sat on the throne with the child and told him that the throne would be his someday. Even in his severely deteriorated state in "Lord of the Tides", he's delighted when Rhaenyra and Daemon introduce him to Viserys II, their young son named after him and he even musters the strength to hold the boy.
Dragon Rider: In his youth, he rode Balerion, the legendary black dragon of Aegon the Conqueror. We see him visit the skull of the enormous creature in the first episode. He has not bonded with another dragon since Balerion passed away during Jaehaerys's reign.
Dying Alone: He dies in his bed, delirious with pain, with nobody present to witness his passing. Alicent was the last person to see him, but since the King and Queen sleep in separate quarters, she left him by himself.
Dying for Symbolism: Though his actual death symbolizes the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, Viserys's slow rotting affliction can be seen to symbolize both his weakness as a king and the state of House Targaryen, whereupon in "We Light the Way", it becomes obvious that the illness cannot be cured around the same time House Targaryen is undoubtedly divided. Also in a broad sense, the illness can represent the reality of being King/Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, as it is practically a glorified death sentence for whoever holds the title.
Dying as Yourself:
- A variant; on the last dinner he has with his family before dying, Viserys takes off his mask so his family can see him as he is now, Facial Horror notwithstanding. He does that to symbolize that he wants to die as a father, grandfather, and husband and not as the King.
- After Rhaenyra's exit to Dragonstone, Alicent keeps Viserys on a daily intake of milk of the poppy, which relieves the terrible pain of his disease at the cost of his lucidity; when Rhaenyra and Daemon try to speak to him in this state, he is almost entirely non-responsive and seems almost insane. But for his final day on earth, he refuses the medicine, which gives him a clear enough head to arbitrate the Driftmark succession dispute and make an inspiring speech that (temporarily) mends the rifts in his family.
Establishing Character Moment: Viserys's first scene involves him joking around with his daughter and councilors while also brushing aside a possible threat to his realm without taking it seriously and preferring to talk about his upcoming tournament, showing him to be an amiable man but a fairly lightweight king and lending credence to Daemon's later accusations that he's weak.
Everyone Has Standards: He's aware of the trouble in the Stepstones and (contrary to what the council thought) he took active steps to aid the people. He's also very visibly uncomfortable with the idea of marrying his 12-year-old niece for political gain, especially when she starts reciting installed speeches about bearing his children.
Eye Scream: His steadily advancing disease eventually cost him his right eye during the time skip before "The Lord of the Tides", leaving only an empty and dark eye socket which he covers up with a golden half mask.
Famous Ancestor: Is one to the Targaryens after him, such as Daenerys, her brothers Rhaegar and Viserys (the latter of whom was named after him), and Jon Snow, as well as the Martells and Baratheons living at the time of Game of Thrones.
Fatal Flaw:
- Tragically, his love for his wife Aemma. Viserys is never able to overcome her loss or the guilt he felt for allowing a Traumatic C-Section to be forced on her, which, according to actor Paddy Considine, eventually drove him to his death. This also made him obsessively protective of and indulgent towards Rhaenyra far beyond the point of reason, as well as making him neglectful of his second wife Alicent and his children by her, taking little interest in them; talking to Rhaenyra in his delirium on the last day of his life, he even called her "my only child", completely forgetting that Aegon, Helaena and Aemon even existed because they weren't Aemma's children. Grieving for The Lost Lenore is to be expected, but Viserys allowed it to dominate the rest of his life, eventually ending up undermining his reign because of his favoritism for Rhaenyra.
- His inability to be decisive. Viserys is hardly a fool and can stand his ground when needed, but his inability to deal with the inner turmoil of his family in a decisive manner, aside from telling them all to get along, is ultimately what sets the story into motion and helps foster the conflict between the Greens and the Blacks. It also doesn't help when dealing with a group of opportunistic manipulators who are only out for themselves. Daemon was right when he pointed out that Viserys' weakness will ultimately lead to him getting hurt, even if he told him this to his face in a blunt and tactless manner. Ultimately, Daemon's fears are proven correct as he falls under the sway of Otto Hightower and keeps flip flopping on issues where decisiveness is needed.
- Lastly, there is his obsession with the Targaryen gift of prophecy. Viserys had always wanted to be a Dragon Deamer, and once had a vision that a son of his would fulfil the Song of Ice and Fire. His obsession prompts him to push Aemma to conceive a son despite said efforts only resulting in stillbirths, not to mention the physical and mental toll it has taken on her, which finally culminates in her death. Had Viserys reined in his obsession and kept Rhaenyra as his heir, his beloved wife would still be alive and he would not have to remarry, thereby preventing the Dance of the Dragons.
Fingore: In the span of three years, he loses two of his fingers to necrosis after cutting himself on the Iron Throne.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The responsible one to the foolish Daemon. In light of Daemon's violent ways and debauchery, Viserys wisely kept him out of the higher power positions.
Good Is Impotent: Despite his noble aim of maintaining a peaceful and prosperous realm, Viserys doesn't have a real policy beyond "conciliation", letting everybody around him scheme at will behind his back, and as a consequence, he just bumbles around reacting to events and crises fabricated by his family members and subjects and their growing antagonism.
The Good King: Subverted. Though he definitely tried, his Parental Favouritism towards Rhaenyra and neglect towards his children with Alicent have caused many big problems, eventually leading to war, undoing his legacy. Tragically, despite his best efforts, Viserys ultimately highlights the difference between being a good man and a good king.
Good Is Not Dumb: As Otto quickly learns in Episode 4, Viserys is not blind to his machinations as he would like to think, having figured out that the marriage to Alicent was a part of his manipulations to get closer to the throne and knowing he's had Rhaenyra followed to find anything that'll discredit her claim to the throne. Viserys actually displays this trait from the very first episode during the scene with the Small Council discussing who shall inherit the Iron Throne after him, refusing to put up with all of the blatant scheming and power-grabbing occurring right in front of him.
Viserys: My wife and son are dead! I will not sit here and suffer crows that come to feast on their corpses!
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: While he starts out the series with a full head of hair, it gradually gets thinner through the Time Skips and deterioration of his health, and by the time of his death, it’s been reduced to a few wispy strands.
Happily Married:
- He loved his first wife Aemma deeply; he's affectionate towards her, never holds it against her for being unable to give him a son, and reassures her they will have a healthy son this time. He's distressed by her suffering during her labor, asking if there's nothing the Maester can do to ease it and staying by her side. When faced with the prospect of losing both Aemma and their unborn child, Viserys does choose to sacrifice Aemma in a horrific manner, though it clearly distresses him. Following her death, he's reluctant to remarry despite it being seen as his duty and tells Rhaenyra that no one would ever replace her.
- Played With in regards to his second marriage. On a platonic level, he and Alicent do get along very well and express care for one another, bonding over a shared love of history and grief of losing loved ones. However, there's always going to be a Mal Mariée aspect in a union with a much older man she did not choose. As the fourth episode makes very clear, being politically arranged to serve as a Baby Factory to an increasingly decrepit man has left Alicent deeply unhappy and the sex between them has no trace of love or passion. And when Alicent and Rhaenyra's relationship deteriorates beyond repair (both because of Rhaenyra's lies but also Alicent's paranoia for the safety of her children and her own father's manipulations), his wife progressively becomes colder towards both his daughter and him (due to Viserys looking the other way with any misconduct by Rhaenyra). Everything gets worse over the years as Alicent now is so alienated and disillusioned with her marital situation, and her husband's Parental Favoritism for Rhaenyra, that she often vents it in a passive-aggressive way against an increasingly older, weak, and tired Viserys, due to his numerous illnesses and infections. However, just before Viserys' final moments, Alicent has a sad expression as she tenderly strokes his face and hands before leaving him to rest, implying that despite the tension over Rhaenyra, Alicent and Viserys still were fond of each other until the end.
The Heart: Viserys actively works to keep the family together in harmony and is the one factor that prevents his kin from being at each other's throats. Enforced further when news breaks of his death. All who were close to him, especially his lady wife Alicent, his children (none more so than Rhaenyra), his cousin Rhaenys and his brother Daemon all deeply mourn his loss. Lord Corlys, whom he'd been estranged from for years, grieves for him and remembers him fondly. Even Otto Hightower gives him the moniker "the Peaceful" out of respect for him. He was not just a king, but a man whose final act of his life is spent appealing to filial and fraternal love. Tragically, it only lasts for as long as he's in the room, but it speaks volumes that he was this close to stopping the fall of House Targaryen with only a heartfelt speech to his loved ones.
Viserys: I wish you to see me as I am. Not just a king but your father, your brother, your husband, and your grandsire. Who may not, it seems... walk for much longer among you. Let us no longer hold ill feelings in our hearts. The crown cannot stand strong if the House of the Dragon remains divided. But set aside your grievances. If not for the sake of the crown... then for the sake of this old man, who loves you all, so dearly.
Heroic B So D: He looks positively catatonic during the funeral of Aemma and Baelon. It is made very clear that he never fully recovered from their deaths.
Heroic R Ro D:
- He passes out from his sickness after returning from Driftmark in "We Light the Way" courtesy of his worsening wounds and a left arm that's now rotting away, revealing the sickness has spread too far for it to be cured and is now hindering Viserys's ability to rule. He still goes through with the royal wedding, operating seemingly on pure willpower, until he ultimately collapses again after Rhaenyra and Laenor are hastily wed following Joffrey Lonmouth's murder.
- Him refusing his medicine and physically pushing himself in a final, desperate attempt to reconcile the two halves of his family is ultimately what kills him.
Hidden Depths: The members of the Small Council may see him as something of a vacillating and ingratiating weakling, but, as Rhaenys points out, he is no fool. Viserys is quite academic, being well-versed in Targaryen and Valyrian history which influences his sense of duty to the realm in a way that others do not understand. In his youth, he rode the most feared dragon ever to fly over Westeros, and despite no longer being a dragonrider, he was ready to lead a party to arrest Daemon, indicating both bravery and martial skills that he has not shown on camera. While he does not always consult all members of his Small Council, he does take action to address active threats to his Kingdom and does so cautiously with the entire Kingdom's needs in mind. He also clearly sees through the politicking and scheming of his councilors, but generally lets it slide in the name of efficiency. And as he proves on the last day of his life, when he walks down to the throne room unaided and in incredible pain to support Rhaenyra, contrary to popular misconception he has a will of iron.
Horrible Judge of Character: Downplayed. Viserys does have a good sense of it when it comes to his family and relatives—although he does tend to be swayed by his biases even at the expense of strategic choices. He is however very bad at reading the character of his Small Council advisers.
- He has shown himself well-keeled when it comes to Daemon and Rhaenyra, seeing them for what they are as a family: the former a brother who has been resentful for not being allowed to apply himself, and a daughter who is being put upon by so many responsibilities even against her dreams. While he does genuinely love them, his being King (and what he sees as his dignity) prevents him from always doing what is genuinely the best for them.
- He is not foolish to assume that the Velaryons resent his pre-eminence as King (especially since Rhaenys was spurned and Corlys, her husband, remains resentful about it even politically). However, he seems to rely solely on his position as king to keep them under his authority, not knowing they can and will be led by Honor Before Reason.
- He seems to have a soft spot for Otto Hightower (especially since he does owe his reign's prosperity to his service as Hand of the King), and has developed one as well for the latter's daughter Alicent (enough to marry her and make her queen). He seems very oblivious to the fact that they are becoming the conduits of House Hightower's growing overmighty status, at the expense of the other noble houses. However, Episode 4 shows that Viserys is indeed aware of Otto's motives but overlooked them because of his loyal service. Only when Otto informs him of Rhaenyra and Daemon's activities does he renounce him as Hand. And even then, after Ser Lyonel Strong - Otto's replacement as Viserys's Hand - is killed in a fire at Harrenhal caused by his son Larys, Viserys ends up taking Otto as his Hand once more, who proceeds to gain more and more influence in the court as Viserys grows weaker by the day. Before Viserys makes his final hurrah near the end of his life, Otto is basically running the realm in his place.
Hypocrite:
- He was put on the throne because of a Great Council vote that confirmed male-preference primogeniture in the succession to the Iron Throne, but is adamant in keeping Rhaenyra as his heir even after his second wife bore him several sons. His contention that the king can make — and unmake — as he likes whenever he likes, without any consideration of the sociopolitical consensus that first placed the crown on his head, is controversial and plays a big part in the Greens attracting influential supporters among the nobility. At one point, he chastises Rhaenyra for not wanting to get married by saying even he is not above tradition and duty, yet his commitment to keeping her as heir shows he believes he very much is above it.
- Despite being dead-set on making Rhaenyra his heir against everyone else's advice, he does very little to prepare her for the role. Aside from having her be his cupbearer, he tended to exclude his daughter from the realm's affairs for most of her youth. The most notable example is when she tries to give her input regarding the conflict with the Free Cities, to which Viserys responds by assigning her the mundane task of selecting the new Kingsguard. In fairness, this can be partially attributed to Otto Hightower's deliberate efforts to undermine Rhaenyra's influence in court so he could place his own blood on the Iron Throne.
I Just Want to Be Special: Viserys became obsessed with the idea he might be a Dreamer, a Valyrian power even more rare and special than dragonriders, after he had a very lucid dream about him having a son who succeed him and become a mighty king. He admits to Alicent that he spent years trying to have another vision but it never happened.
Viserys: Many in my line have been dragon riders. Very few among us have been dreamers. What is the power of a dragon next to the power of prophecy? […] I so wanted it to be true, to be a dreamer myself. I sought that vision again, night after night… but it never came again. I poured all my thought and will into it. And my obsession killed Rhaenyra's mother.
I Reject Your Reality: He seemed utterly incapable of recognizing the evidence of Rhaenyra's secret personal life, even when it's literally staring him in the face, but it is likely he knew the consequence of the truth and is forcing everyone to accept the lie for the sake of keeping peace in the Kingdoms.
Inadequate Inheritor: He is considered this by many compared to his cousin, Rhaenys, who comes off as more personally formidable versus Viserys' somewhat feckless and indecisive nature. There's also the matter that the king he succeeded, his grandfather Jaehaerys I, practically set the gold standard for Targaryen monarchical rule pretty high.
Ignored Expert:
- When Rhaenyra suggests that they send dragons to help deal with Corlys's conflict with the Free Cities, Viserys dismisses her by saying that the situation is more complicated than that. While Viserys's tone has shades of Not Now, Kiddo, he's eventually proven right. Even with Caraxes and Seasmoke on their side, the Velaryon forces end up being bogged down in a war of attrition with the Triarchy for three years, as the corsairs will simply retreat into the caves whenever the dragons show up.
- He delivers some sage-like warning to Rhaenyra lamenting that dragons are an uncontrollable power that man should never have trifled with. He's manifestly proven right in the Season 1 finale when the usage of dragons begins to show how deadly uncontrollable they can be.
Innocently Insensitive: As much as he really wants to be both a good king and a good father and tries to work hard to respect that purpose, Viserys is sadly guilty of this when it comes to his marriage to Alicent. Although he had clearly become attached to her during their early years, he does not notice and almost minimizes the problems stemming from the enormous social pressures, the age gap, the general gender disparity, and, above all, the alienation that Alicent constantly feels on being literally used as Baby Factory by him. The fact that after so many years of marriage the children she had from him clearly live in the shadows of Rhaenyra and her illegitimate offspring is one of the major causes of the psychological breakdown that Alicent has when Aemond is permanently mutilated by Luke, and Viserys not only does not punish his grandson but forces his wife (in a threatening tone) to let it go.
Ironic Echo: Viserys tells Rhaenyra that the notion of the family being in control of the dragons is an illusion. Targaryens themselves are often referred to as "dragons", so Viserys' control over his Targaryen family is tenuous at best, and just as big an illusion to him as he had said.
Irony: Viserys, so obsessed with becoming a Dreamer, has a daughter from his second marriage with the ability to vaguely predict future events. And yet Viserys neglects her and her siblings in favor of Rhaenyra.
Just Ignore It: Whether it's his feud with Daemon, the Triarchy, or controversy surrounding Rhaenyra and her children, Viserys's go-to strategy when faced with heavy political adversity is to simply wait it out until either the situation resolves itself or until intervention is unavoidable. It mostly serves as a detriment to himself and everyone around him, with resentment and long-term consequences subtly brewing as the years tick away. It's also implied this was how he saw his disease, which may have contributed to his health deteriorating so quickly.
Kissing Cousins: Aemma, his first wife, is also his first cousin since her mother is a sister to Viserys’ parents (yes, ‘’both’’ parents).
The Last Dance: Viserys gathers all his remaining waned strength to exert and command his royal authority one last time to settle another family conflict during the crisis of the Velaryon succession.
Living on Borrowed Time: At some point, it's become clear that the infection afflicting him can't be cured, but the death of Grand Maester Mellos and the better treatments Mellos's successor Orwyle give to Viserys allow him to live at least 16 more years.
Lousy Lovers Are Losers: He's portrayed as a selfish and poor lover in his marriage with Alicent, as seen in a sex scene where he dispassionately humps away on top of her while she has a Thousand-Yard Stare, clearly not enjoying laying with him and only doing it out of duty. He's either ignorant or uncaring about her lack of satisfaction. This makes sense since he never truly loved Alicent and only married her to ensure the survival of the Targaryen dynasty. Any passion he might have had in the bedroom probably died with Aemma. That said, all the effort and skill in the world probably couldn't overcome the more essential problem here - that Alicent is obligated to have sex with a much older man she does not desire and who has infected wounds all over his body. She probably wouldn't be into it no matter what Viserys did.

M-Y

The Magnificent: After his death, Ser Otto Hightower proclaims the epithet history will know him as from now on - "King Viserys the Peaceful". It's an appropriate title, as above all else, Viserys strove to maintain harmony in the realm right to the end, even at the cost of personally appearing weak.
Manchild: At his worst, Viserys can become this; Otto knows how to manipulate him into acting like an obedient schoolboy, and part of the way Alicent grows close to him is by pretending to share an interest in his model city and dragons. Rhaenyra being Wise Beyond Their Years clashes with this, since she's much more capable of keeping a cool head than him both in public and in private.
Masking the Deformity: Over the course of the first season, King Viserys gradually becomes more disfigured from an unnamed leprosy-like illness. In the eighth episode of the season, he wears a golden mask that covers half his face while presiding over the royal court. Later that evening during a private dinner with his family, he removes the mask, revealing that one of his eyes and part of his cheek have rotted away.^note At this moment, he shows his true vulnerability to his loved ones as he begs them to set aside their mutual hatred and come together as a family for his sake.
My Girl Is Not a Slut: He is not pleased to hear that Daemon took Rhaenyra out to a pleasure house, especially the rumors that she could have been deflowered there by her own uncle. Daemon points out to him among his drunken mumbling that they both used to visit every pleasure house in King’s Landing when they were of Rhaenyra's age, and he sees nothing wrong with her getting to experience the same thing. Viserys points out that Rhaenyra is a girl who cannot just do the same things as they used to, worried that nobody will wed her for that. Notably, though, there is also a subversion here, as when Otto told him about Rhaenyra going to a pleasure house, he did not seem to actually care until the elaboration of who with and what they were allegedly doing together specifically.
My Greatest Failure: Viserys never forgave himself for sacrificing Aemma.
My Greatest Second Chance: He is finally given the male child he always wanted when Aegon is born, but he maintains his decision to keep Rhaenyra as his heir.
Mystical White Hair: A definitive feature of his family's ancestry and one of his most notable physical features.
Nice Guy: Everything we see of Viserys indicates that he's fundamentally a good man. Viserys is acutely concerned with the well-being of the commonfolk and Daemon's potential abuses of them (preventing Daemon from abusing the people of the Seven Kingdoms is Viserys' primary motivation for naming Rhaenyra as heir). He deeply loved his wife Aemma and it destroyed him emotionally to have to order her death to try to save their son. He tries his best to get all of the lords to be amicable. Alicent is genuinely fond of Viserys, even if she doesn't love him. Viserys very nobly avails to uphold his promise to Rhaenyra not to replace her as heir, and in the end only wants her happiness. Viserys is a great father by our modern standards, but this unfortunately causes huge problems for him as a king. Even his neglect of his children by Alicent seems to stem from ignorance rather than malice.
Never My Fault: Doesn't take any responsibility for how it's his less-than-stellar political decisions and blatant Parental Favoritism that are the main cause of the division in his family. During his big speech in "Driftmark", he demands his family set aside their grievances while never admitting that he is the cause of those grievances.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed:
- By virtue of presiding over a decade of peace and plenty (as well as being served by advisers who are comparatively Self-Made Man compared to the other noble houses), Viserys I appropriately invokes King Henry I of The House of Normandy. Henry I's later reign was subsequently plagued by succession worries and heavily insisted on the succession of his daughter Matilda (who in turn became the template for Rhaenyra). Notably, however, Henry I did not manage to breed new princes with his second wife—which Viserys I succeeded in, to the detriment of the Succession Crisis within House Targaryen. In particular, his last words, which Alicent takes as affirmative that Aegon should inherit are clearly based on Henry I allegedly disinheriting his daughter Matilda on his deathbed, due to her taking up arms against him to seize the dowry he promised her.
- Characterization-wise, more modern parallels could be drawn with Viserys and George VI of England (AKA the father of Queen Elizabeth II). Both men were put on the throne unexpectedly despite being further down the line of succession, and the stress of ruling caused both severe (and ultimately fatal) health problems in later life (Viserys' various wounds, and in the case of George VI, lung cancer brought on by excessive smoking). Both also had first-born female heirs, though Elizabeth II's naming as heir wasn't questioned, as he had no sons. The key difference between the two is that George VI ruled during a war (specifically, World War II) while Viserys rules over an era of relative peace (family infighting notwithstanding).^note
- Visually, the dying Viserys seen in "Lord of the Tides" bears a remarkable resemblance to Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, (with his Facial Horror-hiding mask, in particular, resembling his portrayal from Kingdom of Heaven). Baldwin also had the unenviable task of holding his squabbling lords together due to a series of Succession Crisis, even disinheriting an heir in favor of another (much like Viserys did to Daemon and Rhaenyra). The difference at least is that while Baldwin's illness is explicitly leprosy, Viserys's is a vague manifestation of the ravages of time and the stresses of kingship on him.
Old Man Marrying a Child: Not that he had much of a choice, but after Aemma's death, he was pressured by the other lords into remarrying, with the only two viable options presented to him being Laena Velaryon, a 12-year-old, or Alicent Hightower, who's in her late teens. He shows no interest in either of them but ultimately caves into announcing a marriage to Alicent to fulfill his duty to the realm, and because he had forged a friendship with Alicent over their shared experiences of loss.
Only Sane Man: Often seems like he's astounded by the depravity, recklessness, and ambition of the noblemen around him, whether it's offering up their 12-year-old daughters or 2-year-old grandsons up for marriage or trying to start an intercontinental war.
Outliving One's Offspring: He and Aemma have lost all their children but Rhaenyra, either through stillbirths, miscarriages, or deaths in the cradle. Baelon, their final son, dies mere hours after his birth.
Papa Wolf: If there's one thing that can make Viserys go from meek to mighty, it's the safety of his children, especially when it comes to Princess Rhaenyra.
- He was prepared to deal with Daemon within the court out of both obligation and brotherly love, but when he mocks Viserys' final son as "heir for a day", Viserys personally exiles Daemon. Later on, when he discovers Daemon stole Dreamfyre's egg from his son's grave, he was ready to march to Dragonstone himself and drag Daemon back to King's Landing by the throat.
- He was absolutely frantic when Rhaenyra rode Syrax to Dragonstone without his permission and berates her for doing so, saying she is not only his heir, but his only daughter. She may be almost a grown woman, but she's still his little girl and he will not lose her too.
- When he hears of Daemon taking Rhaenyra to a brothel (and potentially taking her virginity), he actively has a badly hungover Daemon dragged before him in an outright vicious manner. When his brother (falsely) confesses to the crime of deflowering her, he threatens to slit his throat then and there. Probably the only reason he didn't is because Daemon is family.
- "Driftmark" proves how protective he is of not only Rhaenyra and his grandchildren but even his nieces. One of the only times in the series he screams in a kingly fashion is after Aemond loses his eye. Not only is he absolutely fuming that his nieces/grandchildren and son assaulted each other and that the incident occurred even with the Kingsguard so well-manned (not that it was their fault), but when Alicent attempts to harm Luke for cutting Aemond's eye out, he puts his foot down and demands she stay her hand with a tone that suggests had she not, he'd kill her himself. He's also furious that Alicent allowed the rumors to spread and that his own children openly decry their nephews as bastards (even if it is true) and orders them to never speak it again.
- Finally, there is "Lord of the Tides". Viserys looks like he has Stage IV... everything cancer and is clearly on his last legs. Vaemond Velaryon comes to court to petition to become the next lord of House Velaryon, as his brother Corlys might be dying. Rhaenyra is looking to keep Lucerys as Corlys' heir. Rhaenyra and Daemon ask the dying Viserys for help. When Rhaenyra is about to make her case for her son, Viserys comes stumbling into the throne room, struggling mightily to make it to the throne. Finally, with some help from Daemon, he makes it to his seat and proclaims Lucerys as the rightful heir. Vaemond calls Rhaenyra a whore and her three oldest sons bastards and yet, despite barely being able to stand on his own two feet, Viserys brandishes his dagger and is ready to personally take out Vaemond's tongue. All of this for his little girl and grandsons.
Parental Favoritism: Clearly favors Rhaenyra the most of all of his children and refuses to accept or even acknowledge any of her faults or misdeeds, no matter how obvious they are, to the point that he refers to her as his only child in a drug-induced delirium in Episode 8. This is one of the biggest factors fueling the anger his wife Alicent harbors against Rhaenyra. The fact that Rhaenyra is the only surviving child of his first and deceased wife Aemma (whom Viserys still loves very much even years after marrying Alicent) and looks a lot like her mother as an adult◊ (as he implies when he tries to console Daemon for the loss of Laena) is a major contributing factor.
Parental Neglect: He doesn't seem to pay much attention to the children born of his second marriage with Alicent. A particularly galling example is after Aemond loses an eye - Viserys doesn't give his son so much as a comforting word, and instead begins harshly interrogating him about where he heard that Rhaenyra's sons were bastards while Aemond's face is still covered in blood from his eye being cut out!
Parents as People: Viserys loves his daughter Rhaenyra and wants to do right by her, but this desire often conflicts with his duties to the realm, and Viserys himself is susceptible to the politicking of King's Landing. He also struggles with the children of his second marriage. He does love them but his obvious favoritism to Rhaenyra as well as his advanced age and how sickly he has been while they were growing up has left him as a somewhat distant figure in their lives, with the task of raising them seemingly left to Alicent and the servants.
The Patriarch: On some occasions when the extended Targaryen family is reunited, he tries to reassert his authority on them and calls for peace, but it never lasts. The last attempt happens shortly before his death when the tension between the Targaryen-Hightower side and the Targaryen-Velaryon side is at its peak and nearing open conflict.
Plot-Triggering Death: His death causes the Greens to usurp Rhaenyra and install Aegon as the "true" king, and every event henceforth in the following two episodes help fuel the flame of war.
Post-Support Regret: Feels this way to Daemon, pointing out that despite his supporting his younger brother and covering for his actions despite most of his Small Council's misgivings, the latter repaid him by throwing it in his face with his reckless, disrespectful actions and insubordination with the "Heir For a Day" stunt being the straw that broke the camel's back.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He certainly tries:
- His insistence Rhaenyra wed so she can have support for taking the throne and continue the royal line are completely reasonable. He's even willing to give her the same freedom he had to choose her spouse at least until she rejects all her suitors and spends a night out with Daemon. And even then, he's willing to agree to Rhaenyra's demand he sack Otto Hightower as Hand in exchange for her marrying Laenor Velaryon.
- He shrugs off thinly-veiled suggestions that he shouldn't be on the throne, knowing it's just leftover bitterness as opposed to true sedition.
- He (admittedly belatedly) sends envoys to the Free Cities prior to engaging in any military action against the Triarchy, attempting to resolve the issue diplomatically instead of dragging the Kingdom into a war it is unprepared for. Viserys is ultimately proven correct when Corlys and Daemon almost die fighting in the Stepstones, and even the dragons were unable to quickly defeat the Crabfeeder's forces.
- Viserys's willingness to acquiesce to the whims of his subordinates makes him appear weak to someone like Daemon, but Viserys is aware that dragons alone cannot control the Kingdom and that he only came to inherit the throne because of a popular vote.
- He is remembered posthumously as Viserys "the Peaceful", not a bad way to go down in history at all- especially considering what befalls the realm immediately following his death...
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Viserys and Daemon are almost totally different in temperament; where Viserys is calm, mild, and peaceful but a bit of a pushover, Daemon is passionate, wild, and violent but a bit too unyielding.
Royal Inbreeding: He follows the Valyrian tradition of incestuous marriages; Viserys married Princess Aemma Arryn, his cousin, sometime prior to the Great Council of 101 AC (though cousin marriages aren’t considered incest in Westeros). They have a daughter named Rhaenyra.
Sadistic Choice:
- After Aemma labors for hours with no progress and her strength begins to fail, Maester Mellos tells Viserys she's unlikely to survive, but that if they cut her open, they could potentially save the baby. However, this will guarantee Aemma's death. Viserys reluctantly chooses to sacrifice his wife to save their son rather than lose both. Unfortunately, the baby dies anyway soon after.
- In a downplayed example (at least compared to the above), after the death of Aemma, he is pressured by the other lords into remarrying, with both Corlys and Otto Hightower offering up their younger daughters as marriage candidates to him. While Otto is happy for Alicent to be married off to Viserys and even pressures his daughter into "comforting" him, choosing her would not only piss off Corlys, it would also upset Rhaenyra, who is Alicent's childhood friend. Corlys offers up his daughter Laena to strengthen the Valyrian bloodline as well as gain more power, and he also poses a much bigger threat to Viserys if scorned as shown by the end of episode 2 showing that he immediately ran off to conspire with Daemon Targaryen after Viserys chooses Alicent over Laena.
- It gets to the point where Viserys lampshades this in Episode 3, telling Alicent that he's "forever doomed to anger one person in the pleasing of another".
Secret-Keeper: Before Aegon's death, the last of the Valyrian pyromancers hid his song in the steel: "From my blood come the Prince That Was Promised and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire." He is the only one with this knowledge, until he transmits it to his heir Rhaenyra when she is old enough.
Shoot the Dog: To defuse a crisis and minimize the rumors, he decrees that anyone who claims that his grandchildren by Rhaenyra are bastards are to have their tongues cut out. The trouble is that those allegations are true, he knows it, and basically everyone else knows it, making his favoritism and commitment toward Rhaenyra outright tyrannical.
Skewed Priorities: When Aemond loses an eye during a scuffle, Viserys is more concerned about the allegations Aemond made about Rhaenyra's children being bastards and proceeds to question the boy harshly.
Thicker Than Water: He repeatedly lets Daemon's affronts slide into bygones and tolerates his uninvited presence in the royal court because, after all, they are brothers. He develops a similar blind spot for his daughter Rhaenyra, actively ignoring her flouting of the rules.
Tragic Hero: He's a sympathetic ruler with a great desire for peace and concord. His days end in complete failure as his lifetime goal of upholding the legacy of Aegon the Conqueror is undone by his Deathbed Confession to Alicent, where she fatally misunderstands the prophecy, marking their son Aegon as the Chosen One. Also, his efforts over the years in ensuring House Targaryen remains a united superpower ironically only ensure the inevitability of the Dance of the Dragons.
Trauma Button: Viserys is willing to overlook a lot in the name of the love he bears for his brother. Yet when Daemon does something that invokes Viserys's dead baby son Baelon and by extension his deceased wife Aemma, that triggers him to get much harsher with his brother.
- In "Heirs of the Dragon", he lets Daemon stay at court despite other people's urging him not to, up until he gives a toast calling Baelon the "heir for a day". Then Viserys orders him to leave.
- In "The Rogue Prince", when Daemon goes and sets up on Dragonstone, Viserys lets him, even as his advisors tell him to act. But after he steals the dragon egg meant for Baelon, then Viserys is finally ready to move against him.
- In "King of the Narrow Sea", he nearly kills and finally exiles Daemon for potentially deflowering Rhaenyra.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: With Alicent. When they get married, he's middle-aged and not particularly handsome, while she is much younger than him and very beautiful. As time goes by, they become an even stronger example, because Viserys becomes prematurely haggard and then outright disfigured by a leprosy-like illness.
Unexpected Successor: He was the son of King Jaehaerys' second eldest son and so was fourth in line for the throne if you counted his cousin Rhaenys (at this point, there was no official precedent for a male heir being chosen over a female). As mentioned in the opening scene of the show, Jaehaerys had the misfortune to outlive both his sons, resulting in a Great Council being called to decide who should be the heir. Despite being the son of a second son, Viserys was chosen over Rhaenys mostly because she's the daughter of a first son.
Unfit for Greatness: Viserys is a decent person, but a weak and indecisive king who avoids confrontation.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom:
- His refusal of Daemon's request to take Rhaenyra as a bride due to already being married to Rhea Royce spurs his brother to kill his wife to get her out of the way.
- This is actually subverted with his final moments. Delirious from pain and fever, he mistakes Alicent for Rhaenyra and confirms that the dream Aegon had was the truth. Alicent completely misinterprets this, believing that he is saying that their Aegon should be put on the throne in Rhaenyra's place. However, the next episode reveals that Otto was already planning on usurping Rhaenyra's crown by making Aegon king, and most people don't believe Viserys changed his mind at the last minute anyway.
- His poor decisions, weak style of ruling and stubbornness ultimately caused a catastrophic civil war to break out the moment he died.
Unwitting Pawn: At his weakest, Viserys can be easily manipulated into almost any decision by those closest to him: Otto, Alicent, and even Rhaenyra. About the only exception is his loyalty to keeping Rhaenyra as his heir, where he surprises people like Jason Lannister and Otto when it’s revealed as a Berserk Button.
Wound That Will Not Heal: Played with. Viserys accumulates a number of wounds that never seem to heal in spite of all his Maesters' best (or worst) efforts. Word of God says that he has an illness similar to leprosy.
- On one hand it's implied that the Maesters handling his care deliberately withheld appropriate treatment for his wounds and let them fester so that he became increasingly incapable of ruling all for the sake of House Hightower assuming the rule of the realm on his behest (the Hightowers being the main patrons and historical creators of the Order of the Maesters in the first place). These festering wounds would lead them to gradually amputate parts of his arm throughout the years until there was no arm left, the infection eventually reaching his body and ravaging through until it killed him. Adding insult to injury, it's further shown that alternative treatments that may have been effective were shut down for the sake of making him "comfortable".
- On the other hand, it's further implied that Viserys may have partly allowed this to happen due to his Death Seeker pursuit for atonement, as his reckless want of a male heir led to the death of his beloved Aemma at childbirth, deeming himself deserving of the pain.
Younger Than They Look: He starts the series looking his age, but his disease deteriorates him rapidly. By "Lord of the Tides", he looks like in his nineties while being canonically 52.

Characters / House of the Dragon - Viserys Targaryen

King Viserys I Targaryen "The Peaceful"

Played By: Paddy Considine

Dubbed By: ^noteXavier Béja (European French)

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Characters / House of the Dragon - Viserys Targaryen

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King Viserys I Targaryen "The Peaceful"

Played By: Paddy Considine

Dubbed By: note Xavier Béja (European French)

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Dubbed By: ^noteXavier Béja (European French)