Who Was the Worst Targaryen to Rule Westeros?

House Targaryen ruled over Westeros for the best part of three centuries. They fundamentally shaped the seven kingdoms as we know them by the time of Game of Thrones, their rule defining so much of the realm’s traditions, borders, natures, and very existence. But 283 years is a very long time for one family to hold the reins. And many of them were far from perfect at doing so during that time. Eighteen monarchs (17 kings and one queen) ruled in those years, and… well, let’s be honest, there were a lot of them who were in fact very bad for the realm. Civil wars, cruel leadership, absent leadership, paranoia, and madness—the Targaryen rule of Westeros is as defined by malady as it is success after Aegon’s conquest. So, as we prepare for House of the Dragon to return and give us some updates on what’s going on with at least a couple of the candidates for Worst Targaryen in season three, let’s take a chronological look back at the candidates for the most terrible buttcheeks to have warmed the Iron Throne. Yes, almost immediately after Aegon the Conqueror things started going sideways for Targaryen kings. A frail man—it was widely believed at first that he was not the Conqueror’s true s