Warning! Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon and the Fire and Blood novel!The Game of Thrones kings and queens that sat on the Iron Throne ranged from fair rulers with legitimate claims to despots who ruled Westeros with a blood-soaked fist. Game of Thrones remains a monumental piece of television, captivating audiences across eight seasons with its sweeping narrative about who ultimately wins the game of thrones and is crowned king or queen of Westeros. While the final monarch to sit on the Iron Throne in the end was controversial for the show’s viewers, the journey was exciting to keep watching, and there were multiple kings and queens throughout Game of Thrones.
Some of the kings and queens in Game of Thrones covet the Iron Throne, the seat of power for the whole Seven Kingdoms, while others seek to rule just over their own territory. Before being melted by the dragon Drogon in the series’ final episode, the Iron Throne saw several members of the Game of Thrones cast ascend, but they aren’t the only characters who ruled over territory in Westeros. House of the Dragon has revealed even more rulers from Westeros’ winding past, showing the good and the bad who have sat on the various thrones of the Seven Kingdoms.
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Jaehaerys I Targaryen
Played By Michael Carter
With House of the Dragon set around 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen was born, Jaehaerys is the oldest king shown within the television universe. He is only seen briefly in the prologue of the first episode, which shows how Viserys became king. While both Viserys and Rhaenys were claimants to the throne, Jaehaerys decided to hold a vote for who would be the successor when he died as a way of avoiding a possible civil war.
This prudent approach was something that highlighted the kind of ruler Jaehaerys was known as. Though not seen in the series, Jaehaerys was known as Jaehaerys the Conciliator for reconciling with the Faith and the Faith Militant Uprising. He was also known as The Old King as he was the longest-reigning king in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. He brought stability to the throne and was a wise king.
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Viserys Targaryen
Played By Paddy Considine
Viserys is the prominent king in the first season of House of the Dragon. He also happens to be one of the best rulers Westeros had, with his rule known as an extended period of peace only for his death to ignite one of the bloodiest eras in the kingdom’s history. Viserys was an intelligent and just ruler who had to combat the ill feelings within his own household.
He sought to name his daughter Rhaenyra as his heir, but the idea that her sons were rumored to be illegitimate meant that she was a controversial choice from the beginning. However, Viserys was able to keep the peace relatively well throughout his reign, insisting that he would not see his inner circle crumble because of in-fighting and distrust. Following his death, the small folk remember him warmly as a ruler who looked out for them and maintained peace.
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Aegon II Targaryen
Played By Tom Glynn-Carney
Aegon is the oldest son of Viserys Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, but he was never meant to be king. Viserys ignored the critics of his choice to name Rhaenyra as his heir, seeing her as the more suitable choice. However, while on the verge of death, Viserys talks of Aegon the Conqueror which Alicent misinterprets as his desire to have his son Aegon take the throne instead. This misunderstanding puts Aegon II on the Iron Throne and kicks off the Dance of the Dragons.
Aegon II is shown to be a king similar to Joffrey. He likes to inspire fear in people and thinks that cruelty is the same thing as strength. He is also incredibly insecure, always worried that he is seen as a puppet ruler or weak. His insecurities cause him to rush into the Battle of Rook’s Rest hastily, which ends with him nearly being killed and being injured so badly that he is unable to lead and his brother Aemond Targaryen takes over as Prince Regent, though not an official king.
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Rhaenyra Targaryen
Played By Emma D’Arcy
Viserys Targaryen likely named his daughter Rhaenyra as his successor because he felt she would be able to carry on the peace that he ruled over in his time. However, Rhaenyra is immediately thrust into war as her claim to the throne is challenged by Aegon II and she is forced to crown herself as queen at Dragonstone while waging a war on the rest of her family. As a wartime ruler, Rhaenyra has mixed results.
Following the early death of her son, Rhaenyra is consumed with grief and rage, but she ultimately does not let those emotions rule her. She is indecisive at times and has to contend with her husband, Daemon Targaryen, who would prefer to see himself sitting on the Iron Throne. However, a lot of her hesitancy comes from the fact that she wants to see the conflict resolved peacefully. Once she finally admits that is impossible, she takes bold steps to secure the Blacks’ footing in the war.
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Aerys Targaryen II
Played By David Rintoul
Aerys II is the last Targaryen king in Game of Thrones to rule the Seven Kingdoms and is better known to most as The Mad King. He is the father of Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys. Aerys II’s claim to the Iron Throne is backed up by generations of previous rulers within the Targaryen family, beginning with Aegon I. It is thanks to Aerys II that audiences learned early on why the Targaryens were so feared, and how dangerous having “Targaryen Madness” so close to the Iron Throne justified a wholesale rebellion.
Aerys II’s reign comes to an end during Robert’s Rebellion when he’s killed by Jaime Lannister, a member of his Kingsguard, during the Sack of King’s Landing. This is where Jaime’s nickname “kingslayer” comes from. On Game of Thrones, Aerys II only ever appears in flashbacks, frequently shown screaming for his men to “Burn them all!” before being stabbed in the back. However, his reputation is a looming presence over the rest of the series as a king so sadistic that even Daenerys herself condemned him and expressed fear she would become him.
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Robert Baratheon
Played By Mark Addy
The first king on the Iron Throne audiences were introduced to in Game of Thrones, Robert usurped the throne from Aerys II and established the Baratheon royal house. Beyond winning the throne through the war known as Robert’s Rebellion before the events of the show, he also lays claim through House Baratheon’s Targaryen connections, with its founder, Orys, believed to be the bastard half-brother of Aegon I.
Once crowned, Robert marries Cersei Lannister and the couple have three children, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. Unknown to Robert, Cersei’s children are actually fathered by her brother, Jaime. Robert’s reign lasts for 15 years, coming to an end when Robert dies in Game of Thrones season 1 from a wound received during a boar hunt. The injury, however, isn’t simply an accident and was instead orchestrated by Cersei.
Robert was seen as a king who was better at winning the throne than ruling from it. When it came time to actually be king, Robert became bored and uninterested. He preferred to spend his time drinking and womanizing, allowing the Lannisters to plant themselves all around him. While Robert’s rule was a time of peace, his ineffectiveness as a king helped set up the chaos that followed.
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Joffrey Baratheon
Played By Jackie Gleason
Following the death of his father, Game of Thrones season 1 sees Joffrey become the next king of Westeros — though that hadn’t been Robert’s plan. On his deathbed, Robert signed a decree naming his Hand and friend, fellow rebel Eddard “Ned” Stark, as Protector of the Realm and regent until his heir came of age. Upon learning this, Cersei destroys the royal decree and has Joffrey crowned anyway, cementing his position as the rightful king.
Obviously, this decision isn’t universally accepted by the courts of Kings Landing. For his attempt at overthrowing Joffrey by declaring him illegitimate, Ned is arrested for treason and later executed. Joffrey rules for several years in Game of Thrones, until he dies in Season 4 during the reception following his wedding to Margaery Tyrell with Olenna Tyrell behind Joffrey’s murder.
Joffrey is a sadistic young king who kills innocent people on a whim and likes to present himself as a conqueror even though he has proven cowardly when met with actual battle. He is a foolish strategist as the murder of Ned Stark ignites the war, and he is only able to hold onto the throne because his grandfather Tywin Lannister is the one who is really in control.
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Tommen Baratheon
Played By Dean-Charles Chapman
Having not lived long enough to produce an heir of his own, Joffrey is succeeded by his younger brother, Tommen, as king in Game of Thrones season 4. He also takes Margaery as his wife, since a union between Houses Baratheon and Tyrell is still favorable, and Joffrey and Margaery never consummated their marriage.
Tommen’s reign as King of the Seven Kingdoms is even shorter than his brother’s, only ruling for three years before Tommen kills himself in Game of Thrones season 6. He dies when he throws himself from the Red Keep after witnessing the Sept of Baelor’s destruction and knowing that his wife has died in the blast — and that his mother, Cersei, is the one responsible.
Tommen’s time on the Iron Throne is marked by him being controlled by one person after another. Tywin quickly makes movies to use him as a puppet, Margaery begins manipulating him, and Cersei tries her own influence over Tommen. However, when the High Sparrow is given too much power, he basically takes over, making Tommen do whatever he says. In the end, Tommen never made one decision on his own while king.
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Cersei Lannister
Played By Lena Headey
Having previously sought power by ruling through her children, Cersei finally has herself crowned as queen following Tommen’s death in Game of Thrones season 6. Her claim lies not in any lineage or tradition, but simply because most of her enemies die when the Sept of Baelor explodes (an event she puts into motion), leaving no one to stop Cersei from taking the Iron Throne.
Though many will dispute her claim, she manages to reign for two years. The end for Cersei comes when Daenerys Targaryen’s forces a sack on King’s Landing in Game of Thrones season 8. While Drogon is laying waste to the Red Keep, sections of the castle collapse and crush both Cersei and her brother-lover, Jaime.
Of all the kings and queens in Game of Thrones, it’s Cersei who exemplifies how ambition and power-lust drive the nobility of Westeros to commit unspeakable acts in pursuit of the Iron Throne. However, there is no denying the cunningness of her winning the throne and keeping it for as long as she did. Cersei knew how to play her enemies and she let them underestimate her ruthlessness. From blowing up the Sept of Baelor to abandoning the rest of Westeros to fight the White Walkers, Cersei allowed evilness to be her greatest strength.
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Renly Baratheon
Played By Gethin Anthony
Robert’s death in Game of Thrones season 1 is one of the events that kicks off the War of the Five Kings. The conflict sees Robert’s two younger brothers, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, vying to take the Iron Throne from Joffrey, while Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy fight to secede from the Seven Kingdoms and rule their respective territories. Believing Ned’s declaration that Joffrey isn’t Robert’s trueborn son and, therefore, not the legitimate king, Renly is quick to declare himself king in Game of Thrones following his brother’s death.
Unbothered by the fact he’s actually the younger of the two remaining Baratheons, Renly gains the allegiance of practically every southern lord and builds a massive army, but it’s ultimately all for naught. In Game of Thrones season 2, Renly is killed by a shadow creature sent by Lady Melisandre on Stannis’ orders.
There was a sense that Renly would have been a just king as he had kindness for others and was willing to strike up alliances, as with Robb Stark. However, he was also not someone who was built for war, no matter how large of an army he was able to amass. The fact that he is the first king of the War of the Five Kings to die speaks to that fact.