Who is Vaegon Targaryen and will he be in House of the Dragon?

House of the Dragon explores the Dance of the Dragons, a Targaryen civil war detailed in George R. R. Martin’s Fire and Blood. Before King Viserys, his grandfather, King Jaehaerys the Conciliator, ruled the Seven Kingdoms.

The family and decisions of King Jaehaerys played a critical role in the events leading to the Targaryen civil war. One key figure in this process was Vaegon Targaryen, King Viserys’s uncle. Here is everything we know about Vaegon Targaryen.

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Quick Details

Who was Vaegon Targaryen?

Credits: wweskywalker

Vaegon Targaryen was the seventh child of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and Queen Alysanne, born in 63 AC. Unlike his siblings, Vaegon preferred books to combat. He wasn’t interested in swordplay or physical training and often immersed himself in the library.

Despite his Targaryen features, including silver-gold hair and purple eyes, people found him unattractive due to his long face and sour expression. He was quiet, cautious, and blunt, traits that made him unpopular. He showed no interest in marriage and declined attempts to arrange matches for him.

Vaegon insulted his sister Daella publicly at a feast in 73 AC, highlighting their strained relationship. Later, he abandoned combat training after being humiliated in a duel against his sister Alyssa. Eventually, his parents sent him to the Citadel, where he found his true calling as a scholar.

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Quick Facts

House of the Dragon

• Vaegon was King Viserys’s uncle.
• He advised King Jaehaerys during the Great Council of 101 AC.
• Vaegon was an Archmaester of the Citadel.
• He had no dragon and earned the title “The Dragonless.”
• House of the Dragon has not shown Vaegon yet.

Fire and Blood

• Vaegon was born in 63 AC to King Jaehaerys I and Queen Alysanne.
• He insulted his sister Daella, straining their relationship.
• He trained briefly in combat but abandoned it after a humiliating duel.
• Vaegon became an Archmaester, known for his blunt demeanor.
• He proposed the Great Council of 101 AC to resolve succession disputes.

In House of the Dragon

Credits: HBO

Vaegon’s role in the show

Vaegon has not been mentioned explicitly in House of the Dragon. However, the Great Council of 101 AC, an event he influenced, takes place in the show. As Archmaester of the Citadel during this time, Vaegon might receive a mention in future seasons.

Season 2 briefly referenced another Targaryen sibling, Saera, suggesting Vaegon might also be acknowledged. Since Oldtown is home to the Hightowers, more Citadel scenes could include Vaegon.

Read More: Who is King Jaehaerys I Targaryen in House of The Dragon?

In Fire and Blood

Credits: chillyravenart

Appearance and character

Vaegon had silver-gold hair and purple Targaryen eyes. People considered him unattractive, with a long face and round shoulders. His mouth often carried a sour expression, even as a child. He was frail and not physically strong. He preferred books over physical activities and avoided combat training whenever possible.

Vaegon was quiet, cautious, and not well-liked. He was blunt in speech but not intentionally cruel. People found his personality unappealing, and he performed courtesies only when required. Near the age of forty, he became pale and frail. He devoted himself to alchemy, astronomy, and other scholarly pursuits. At the Citadel, he held the ring, rod, and mask of yellow gold as an archmaester.

Vaegon had no interest in playful activities, preferring to spend hours in the library. Books were his only passion. His personality remained largely unchanged as he aged, and he never sought popularity.

Early life

Vaegon was born in 63 AC as the seventh child of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and Queen Alysanne Targaryen. His parents assumed he would marry his sister Daella. However, the siblings disliked each other. At age five, Vaegon considered Daella unintelligent, and Daella was frightened of Vaegon, considering him mean.

In 73 AC, Vaegon publicly insulted Daella during a feast. He claimed she would only bear “stupid children.” Daella fled in tears, and their sister Alyssa dumped wine on Vaegon’s head. Vaegon responded calmly, criticizing the waste of Arbor gold before leaving to change his clothes.

After this incident, their parents abandoned the idea of their marriage. Jaehaerys arranged for Vaegon to train in combat under his brother Baelon. The training lasted a year, leaving both miserable. Vaegon finally abandoned combat after Alyssa mocked him during a public duel.

Courtship and disinterest in marriage

Vaegon showed no interest in finding a bride as he grew older. Girls at court paid attention to him, but he remained indifferent. Grand Maester Elysar gifted Vaegon an erotic book to spark interest in women. Vaegon kept the book but showed no change in behavior.

Vaegon continued to focus on intellectual pursuits instead of relationships. His parents eventually stopped pushing him to marry. His disinterest in traditional courtly life isolated him further, and he became even more absorbed in his studies.

Time at the Citadel

On Vaegon’s fifteenth name day in 78 AC, Jaehaerys and Alysanne considered sending him to the Citadel. Grand Maester Elysar suggested he could become an archmaester rather than a regular maester. Three days later, Vaegon learned he would leave for Oldtown. When told, he curtly accepted the news, possibly smiling faintly.

At the Citadel, Vaegon became an archmaester, holding the ring, rod, and mask of yellow gold. He wrote occasional letters to his parents, but they were formal and lacked warmth. By the end of Jaehaerys’s reign, most of Westeros had forgotten about Vaegon. His life revolved around academic pursuits and scholarly research.

The Great Council of 101 AC

After Prince Baelon’s death, Jaehaerys summoned Vaegon back to King’s Landing. Some accounts suggest Jaehaerys offered him the throne, which Vaegon refused. Others claim Jaehaerys sought his counsel on the matter of succession. Vaegon proposed the idea of the Great Council of 101 AC to resolve the issue.

Following the council, Vaegon returned to the Citadel. He faded into obscurity, focusing on his studies. His ultimate fate remains unknown. He was 38 years old during the Great Council and would have been 66 at the start of the Dance of the Dragons in 129 AC. No records confirm his death during this period.

Quotes

“Vaegon is no maester…but he could well have the makings of an archmaester in him. The Citadel is the greatest repository of knowledge in the known world. Send him there. Mayhaps he will find himself in the library. That, or he’ll get so lost amongst the books that you never need to concern yourselves with him again.” – Grand Maester Elysar

Quick Answers

Was Vaegon Targaryen ever married?

No, Vaegon never married. He rejected attempts to find him a match. (Source: “Fire and Blood”)

Did Vaegon ride a dragon?

No, Vaegon did not ride a dragon. He was known as “The Dragonless.” (Source: “Fire and Blood”)

What role did Vaegon play in the Great Council of 101 AC?

Vaegon proposed the Great Council, which resolved the Targaryen succession crisis. (Source: “Fire and Blood”)

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01/02/2025 12:22 pm GMT