It has been several years since Game of Thrones first premiered, and the series continues to captivate fans. The release of the prequel series, House of the Dragon, has also prompted many to revisit the original series or to watch it for the first time. House of the Dragon features the end of the reign of one of the kings of House Targaryen, King Viserys I Targaryen, who was responsible for the Targaryen civil war, the Dance of the Dragons.
Meanwhile, Game of Thrones introduced us to another Targaryen named Viserys, though he was far from a monarch. Often referred to as the “Beggar King,” Viserys was a cruel and entitled man, the brother of Daenerys Targaryen. Though he called himself a dragon, Ser Jorah Mormont once remarked that he was less than a “shadow of a snake.” George R.R. Martin, the author of the original books, has spoken extensively about Viserys’ flaws and his ultimate downfall.
The rise and fall of House Targaryen
Viserys’ story is a reflection of the larger struggles within House Targaryen. His ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, united the Seven Kingdoms and established the Targaryen dynasty from the Red Keep in King’s Landing. However, by the time of Viserys, the glory of the Targaryens had faded. All of House Targaryen’s dragons had perished during the Dance of the Dragons centuries earlier. The Red Keep, once a symbol of their power, had become a distant memory for the exiled prince.
Viserys: the reluctant heir
As the second son of the Mad King, Viserys was never meant to rule, but the death of his older brother, Rhaegar Targaryen, at the hands of Robert Baratheon during the rebellion left him as the last male heir. After Robert overthrew their father, Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King, Viserys and his sister Daenerys fled to the Free Cities, constantly on the run from assassins. Daenerys, was still a young child when they fled King’s Landing with the help of Ser Willem Darry, a loyal servant of the Targaryens.
The Sack of King’s Landing
During the Sack of King’s Landing, Elia Martell, the sister of Doran Martell and Oberyn Martell, was brutally murdered alongside her children. Elia was the wife of Rhaegar Targaryen, the older brother of Viserys Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen, making her their sister-in-law. Her death at the hands of Gregor Clegane, under orders from Tywin Lannister, left a lasting scar on House Martell and fueled their hatred for the Lannisters and their allies.
Doran and Oberyn Martell, her brothers, vowed to seek justice for her murder, which became a driving force behind their political maneuvers in the years to come. Ser Barristan Selmy, who had served loyally under Aerys II, switched his allegiance to Robert Baratheon after the rebellion. However, years later, after Joffrey Baratheon dismissed him from the Kingsguard due to his old age, Selmy would seek out Daenerys Targaryen, pledging his loyalty to her as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
Viserys’ desperate pursuit of power
However, during his days spent fleeing the assassins of King’s Landing, Viserys was left with a scarcity of allies. He believed he was destined to reclaim his father’s throne and rule the realm as the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.
Viserys’ biggest mistake according to George R. R. Martin
In a 2015 HBO interview, Martin explained Viserys’ biggest mistake, which stemmed from his arrogance and inability to adapt. You can watch the full video below:
Viserys’ first mistake
Viserys’ obsession with reclaiming the Iron Throne led him to make desperate decisions, such as selling his sister to Khal Drogo at the wedding feast in Pentos. This decision not only sealed his fate but also set the stage for Daenerys’ rise to power. The dragon eggs she received as a wedding gift would later hatch, marking the return of dragons to the world. However, when he entered into this deal, he did not fully understand what he was getting into. As Martin put it:
“Viserys, in a deal brokered by one of the magisters of Pentos, Illyrio Mopatis, gives up his sister in marriage to this horse lord in return for promise of an army. The problem is that Viserys doesn’t understand the Dothraki. Also, he’s arrogant, he has this sense of entitlement. He doesn’t understand the Dothraki culture, you know, and the Dothraki are not merchants. They do not buy and sell. They trade favors, and they do it in their own time. So, they look at it as if Dany was given to Khal Drogo as a gift, and in return he will give a gift, of this golden crown that he has promised Viserys.”
Viserys saw the arrangement as a transaction, but the Dothraki viewed it as an exchange of gifts. To them, Daenerys was a gift to Khal Drogo, and in return, Drogo would eventually give Viserys the “golden crown” he so desperately desired.
Viserys’ second mistake
Viserys’ arrogance and refusal to adapt to Dothraki culture sealed his fate. While Daenerys embraced their ways, Viserys clung to his sense of entitlement. He expected respect as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, but the Dothraki saw only weakness and contempt in him. They mockingly named Viserys “Khal Rhae Mhar”, or the “Sorefoot King”. As Martin noted:
“Dany adjusts to their culture, Dany, you know, rides, and starts wearing Dothraki clothing, and learns their language. Viserys doesn’t do any of this. He’s the king of Westeros; he expects deference and all that, and it becomes more and more a problem.”
Viserys’ final mistake
Viserys’ final mistake came when he accompanied Daenerys and Khal Drogo to Vaes Dothrak, the sacred city of the Dothraki. There, Daenerys was presented to the Dosh Khaleen, the crones who held power in Dothraki society. Viserys’ presence was a violation of their customs, and his behavior only worsened the situation. He threatened Daenerys, demanded his crown, and even drew a sword in the sacred city—a grave offense. As Martin explained:
“Drogo, by the customs of his people, is obliged to return to Vaes Dothrak and to present his new bride to the Dosh Khaleen, the crones who are at the heart of the Dothraki culture. And Viserys tags along with him, which is a mistake on a whole number of levels. The horse people come to have great contempt for Viserys.”
In the end, Khal Drogo fulfilled Viserys’ wish for a crown in the most brutal way possible—by pouring molten gold over his head. Viserys’ death was a direct result of his arrogance, entitlement, and failure to understand the culture of the people he sought to use for his own gain. As George R.R. Martin’s world reminds us, the game of thrones is won not by those who demand power, but by those who earn it.
