So the hit series Game of Thrones has
come to an end and the fans are up in arms to the point one starts to question
if they actually liked the show. I have
to admit the end was kind of disappointing. I thought it was either going to be
Jon kills Daenerys and takes the Iron Throne to rule as King Aegon VI returning
the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to their glory days or Daenerys was going to kill Jon
and rule as a Queen of the Kingdom of Ashes.
The first is the ending I wanted but the second I thought we were going
to get and deserved. Of course I
thought when Ned Stark went to the scaffold I was about to witness a dramatic
rescue scene.
The ending we got something I was
completely not expecting. The most important part involved the two
primary charters that the series seemed to have centered around. Daenerys still
died at Jon’s hands but instead of assuming the Iron Throne Jon went the back
to what was left of the Wall and then, as far as I can tell, went to go live
with the free folk north of the Wall.
For the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros the North breaks away and the remaining
six are suddenly transformed into the Holy Roman Empire. Yes, I did not see that last part happening.
On this blog I normally review
history books and every now and again give a political opinion about
something. However since George R.R.
Martin bases so much of his fictional world, stories, and characters on real
historical events and people it might be fun to take a look at Game of Thrones
from that perspective. Throughout the
series several characters laid claim to have been a king or a queen, the
question I thought to answer would be how many of those characters would actual history
books view as having been such? Who
would make the official list of monarchs of their various kingdoms when professional historians, students, and armatures looked back at events centuries later?
With that said let’s take a look.
Robert Baratheon
First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start
Historically
recognized: Yes
Robert Baratheon was first born son of the Lord of Storms
End, a position that was one of the great lords paramount of Westeros. As a Baratheon he was closely related to the
Targaryens. Robert’s ancestor Orys Baratheon was the bastard
brother of Aegon the Conqueror and more recently his paternal grandmother was a
daughter of King Aegon V. Robert
inherited his father’s title while he was still a boy when his parents were
killed in a shipwreck. Lord Robert then
went to live with the Jon Arryan, the Lord of the Vale, as a ward to learn from
him how to be a great lord. There he met
Eddard Stark, second son of the Lord of Winterfell, who became his lifelong
best friend.
When his attended Lyanna Stark ran off with Rhaegar Targaryen, Lord Robert believing that she had been kidnapped, or refusing to believe the truth, rebelled against King Ares II. Known as the Mad King, Aerys II had killed Rickard and Brandon Stark making Ned Stark the Lord of Winterfell. Jon Aryyan joined an alliance with his former wards against their King. Robert never gets Lyanna back but he kills Rhaegar and wins his rebellion. With the Mad King dead by Jamie Lannister and the Mountain killing Rhaegar’s family Robert ascends to the Iron Throne.
Robert’s claim is one of the greatest. It is even superior to that a king’s
first-born son. It is the claim my big
army beat your big army. What was won by
King Aegon I can by lost by King Aerys II.
Although King Robert did not like to see it that way, in his mind the rebellion was not his fault
but a natural reaction to events where he as the victim. King Aerys II and the rest of the Targaryens
fell from power naturally and he was the rightful heir being a great-grandson
of Aegon V. Of course discovering
Aerys’s other two children were still alive killed that narrative and he started
to plot murder.
A good real life example is England’s King Henry IV. He overthrew his tyrant cousin King Richard
II and claimed the throne for himself.
Like Robert, Henry saw the rebellion as being not his fault but rather
he was the victim of events. And also
like the fictional Robert, the real Henry tried to pretend that he was the
natural heir to the throne, but in the end he really ruled by right of
conquest.
King Henry IV of England the real life Robert |
In the entire series Robert is the strongest and most secure
king. He reigns for almost two decades;
he successfully puts down counter rebellions or secessionists, and all former
houses that stood for House Targaryen have had to make their peace with
him. At the time of his death King
Robert I was the undisputed ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and clearly on any
historians list.
Viserys Targaryen
First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start
Old Pretender by rights should have been the King of England and who Viserys reminded me the most of. |
This one might surprise people and I myself had to wait to
very last episode before making this call. Now the first reaction might be “but
this guy never really ruled how can he possibly be on any list”? True many would/should have been kings typically do not make any official list just look at the Old and Young Pretenders. However history has seen some would-be rulers
recognized as legitimate monarchs; a great example is France’s King Louis
XVII. Louis XVII was a child whose
parents, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, were overthrown and killed during the French Revolution. He himself never ruled and died in the
custody of the revolutionaries. After
the fall of Napoleon the dead child’s uncle re-claimed the French crown. The new King called himself Louis XVIII, thus
recognizing his nephew’s legitimacy.
King Louis XVII of France, never on the Throne but on the list |
Born the second son of King Aerys II, Viserys spent his
early childhood as a prince and the spare heir to the Kingdoms. When his brother fell before Robert and King’s Landing was about to fall, his father the King declared Viserys his heir
and sent him with his mother, Queen Rhalle, to be smuggled out of Westeros. The Queen crowned Viserys when they heard of the death of his father. She died giving
birth to his sister Daenerys, and the two children lived as beggars on in off in
Essos. Viserys survives, makes friends, and even has allies strong enough to arrange a marriage alliance for his sister. However time in exile causes him to crack and become abusive towards his
sister. In the end he is murdered by his own brother-in-law.
Like little Louis, it the success and the establishment of another relative, in this case his sister (see Daenerys section), that keeps Viserys III on a historians list of Westeros monarchs.
Like little Louis, it the success and the establishment of another relative, in this case his sister (see Daenerys section), that keeps Viserys III on a historians list of Westeros monarchs.
Balon Greyjoy
First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start
Historically
recognized: No
First the Greyjoys were never kings. Even back when the Iron Islands had their own
independent monarch it was not the Greyjoys.
The last true King of the Iron Islands burnt in castle he built in Riverlands
when Aegon the Conqueror torched it.
That wiped out the last ruling family and the Targaryens eventually allowed the
Iron Islanders to select a new lord. They chose the Greyjoys.
Balon Greyjoy, first in line a losers |
When Robert Baratheon overthrew the Targaryens, Balon
wondered whether they should be loyal to the Iron Throne with a different
family now controlling it. Balon
declared independence for the Iron Islands and crowned himself king. Then Robert Baratheon showed up with his army
and navy and kicked the snot out of him.
Towers were torn down and his older sons were killed and his youngest
sent to live with Ned Stark. Balon survived because he bent the knee to King Robert reestablishing the Iron Islands' connection of the Iron Throne.
As civil war breaks out among Lord Balon sees this as an
opportunity to assert his independence again. Once more proclaiming himself King of the Iron
Islands he is approached by his long lost son Theon. Theon offers him an alliance with Robb Stark
against the Iron Throne. Balon wants to
pay the iron price for his independence and learning nothing from his previous
mistakes he convinces Theon if he truly wants to be iron born he must turn on
the North. He sends his last son on a
mission that was pointless where Theon got captured and his dick was cut
off. That ended the ability for Balon to
continue the family through a male line.
He still had his daughter Yara who he liked better anyway, but she left
to go find her brother.
After the war Balon is somewhat independent but that is just
because no one is paying attention. His own
brother shows up and throws Balon's worthless self of a bridge. At the end of the series Yara Greyjoy is in left in
charge of Iron Islands but not as an independent queen but a lieutenant for a
greater ruler. Without the ability to
establish his own independent kingdom, Balon goes down in history as a petty
lord who thought he was a king.
Mance Rayder
First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start
Historically
recognized: Maybe
Mance Rayder, one of history's great kings if Wildlings learn to read and write |
I hate to sound really mean here but this one totally
depends on how literate the free folk are.
Mance Rayder a former member of the Night’s Watch who defected to the
wildlings and ultimately united the tribes to earn himself the title “King
Beyond the Wall.” The thing is though
does anyone know how many Kings beyond the Wall they have had? It seems the only ones who may ever recognize
Mance as a king may be the descendants of his adversaries to south. Maybe Jon Snow taking the title at the end
might help change some things up north of the Wall in regards to literacy? Sam is not there though, so I doubt it.
Daenerys Targaryen
First claimed to be
Queen: Season 1 Episode 6
For eight years the fans of Game of Thrones got to watch
Daenerys Targaryen go from scared exiled princess to young kalessi to strong
queen to mad tyrant. That last one was a
little hard for most of us to take. I
did not mind the result just the execution at the end was far too rushed. However was she a true queen? The
answer is yes. For one she was
indisputably the Queen of Meereen. A
second harder question is should she have been recognized as a Queen of Seven
Kingdoms? There is an argument for her
not to be. You can point out that she
died so shortly after winning everything that she never had time to really be
the queen. However there are two things
one needs to consider. The first is she
did, however briefly, rule it all. The
second is she made a couple of appointments that would outlive her reign: Yara
Greyjoy and Gendry Baratheon.
After losing the Iron Islands to her uncle Yara Greyjoy
bends the knee to form an alliance with Daenerys in order to win them
back. With House Baratheon now extinct Daenerys
decides to legitimatize King Robert’s bastard and give him the family
titles. Houses Targaryen and Baratheon
were very close in the beginning and marrying in a number of times after. Yet Baratheons betrayed the Targaryens usurping them and depriving them of the Iron Throne they had built and sat on for centuries. Ironically Daenerys death and Jon Snow not accepting his legacy the Targaryens are now extinct
but the Baratheons were saved by one the two acts of Daenerys.
Appointed Lord of Stroms End |
When the Great Lords met at the end of the series Lord
Gendry and Lady Yara were both among and recognized by them. And by acknowledging the legitimacy of those two they were by
default acknowledging the legitimacy of Daenerys Targaryen.
Joffrey Baratheon
First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 7
As much as it may pain me to say it yes Joffrey would be
historically recognized. I know I can
hear the cry “but he is an incestuous bastard.”
However some facts need to be taken into consideration. First legally speaking he is the son of
Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister for a husband always has presumed
paternity over his wife’s children.
During his lifetime King Robert never challenged his presumed paternity
over Joffrey and his siblings. Also
there is no way to really prove it short of public confession from Cersei or
Jamie. There is no such thing as a DNA test in Westeros. Ned Stark’s recognition
that “Joffrey is a blond Baratheon” may have been right but only a broken clock
sense seeing it is actually a stupid argument.
His mother’s family is predominately blond.
After his ascension Westeros plunged into civil war. However that war was won and when the dust
settled Joffrey was left sole ruler.
Despite his mother’s so called “Queen Regent” title Joffrey did
primarily as he pleased as one could see with Ned Stark’s execution. In the end the only way he could be removed
was with an assassin’s poison.
Stannis Baratheon
First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 8
Yes I know he didn’t show up on screen to season 2. But he been calling himself king the moment
he got the raven from Ned Stark. However
he never really becomes king. He has an
army and he tries to become king but he never does. Stannis never controls any part of Westeros
outside of Dragonstone was far as I can tell.
He just keeps losing men and resources until he doesn’t have any anymore
and Brienne of Tarth does him a favor and puts him out of his misery.
It is a good thing that he did not become king because
Stannis wouldn’t have been a good one considering he is religious nut who
lights people for not having the same religion, even his allies and
relatives. And since his is a minority
religion he would be burning a lot of people.
Some might consider him a rightful king considering the true
parentage of Cersei’s children, however as I said there was no way to really
prove that. Also being the rightful heir
doesn’t really mean much just ask the Bonnie Prince Charlie or Viserys
Targaryen.
The Young Pretender AKA The Bonnie Prince Charlie could tell Stannis how useful it was to be the rightful heir |
Renly Baratheon
First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 7
Renly was the only one of his brothers who had the right
head to be a good moral king.
Unfortunately he lacked the ruthlessness of his brothers to succeed in
the world of Game of Thrones. Lord Renly
should have arranged an assassination of his older brother Stannis the moment he
heard that King Robert was dying.
Without such ruthlessness he looked like a fool who had no real claim to
the Iron Throne as he was trying to seize it.
Nevertheless it almost worked out for him, he kind or
reminded me of gay version of England King Henry I, the youngest son of William
the Conqueror who through great political skill ended up in control of his all
the dominions of his father. However
Renly was killed by a shadow creature before he could really rule
anything.
King Henry I of England like Renly without being fictional, gay, and killed by shadow creature |
Robb Stark
First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 10
Despite the untimely end to a fan favorite character I have
to stay he would be historical recognized.
This is true even though his bid for the Northern Independence ended in
betrayal and his murder as well as several more murders. King Robb certainly earned the right to be
historically recognized through his great military prowess, but in the end that
was not what did it. Like Viserys
Targaryen, a man who earned no braids[i],
it was actually they success of little sister who gets him on the list. Since Sansa is an independent Queen in the
North at the end of the series Robb status as a historical King in the North is
secured.
Tommen Baratheon
First claimed to be
King: Season 4 Episode 2
After we happily saw Joffrey die we never thought we would
miss him. But then this weak loser made
it clear that removing Joffrey was such a mistake. As bad as Joffrey was he would not have
allowed his fear of violence, as he had none so long as he was in control, to prevent him from crushing a
fanatical religious movement that ultimately kidnapped his brother -in-law,
wife, and mother. Stand by and do
nothing while they are tortured and humiliated.
Nor would Joffrey had given in to said movement like Tommen even though
it continued to harm those he cares for and put his mother in a desperate
position. When Cersei finally struck
back it killed more people than would have died if King Tommen had just crushed
them the moment the sparrows first tried to block his path.
Best thing this loser ever did was throw himself out a
window.
Yara Greyjoy
First claimed to be
Queen: Season 6 Episode 5
When we first meet Yara we do not know who she is and Theon
hits on her before being told she was his sister. When he meets his father it is clear to Theon
that Yara has replaced him as heir in his father’s eyes. To earn it back Theon betrays the Starks and
goes on a mission for his father that ends in his literal emasculation.
Theon returns to partial recovered and more mature chooses to
support his sister’s claim, only to watch his sister hit the iron island glass
ceiling. Despite everything that happened
the Ironborn were willing to have Theon as their leader over his sister, which
means everything he went through was completely pointless! When
Theon throws his support to Yara their uncle Euron shows up, and despite him
having murdered the previous leader, is elected ruler.
Yara does eventually does get the Iron Islands. However she does so not as an independent
power but rather an agent of Queen Daenerys Targaryen and after her King Bran
Stark. So Yara goes down in history as
the Lady of the Iron Islands not a queen.
Euron Greyjoy
First claimed to be
King: Season 6 Episode 5
This is one is rather easy.
After taking control of the Iron Islands and proposing a possible
marriage alliance with Cersei Lannister he could have possibly become a real
king. However the winners write history
and Euron, like all the Greyjoys, was a loser.
Granted he was the most impressive member of his family and had some high
moments but, like a Greyjoy, a failure in the end.
Cersei Lannister
First claimed to be
Queen: Season 6 Episode 10
During the course of this series I often said that Cersei
Lannister could be considered the greatest political player in the game of
thrones if the world ended at the gates of Kings Landing. Unfortunately for her Westeros was a
continent.
Now Cersei is undoubtedly a queen consort as she was married to King Robert for number of years. She played the role of queen mother for both Joffrey and Tommen. Although she called herself “Queen Regent” that was a joke, she was never Regent over anyone seeing as Joffrey did whatever he wanted and Tommen did whatever other people wanted. Now was she truly a Queen Regnant that is a queen who rules in her own right?
Now Cersei is undoubtedly a queen consort as she was married to King Robert for number of years. She played the role of queen mother for both Joffrey and Tommen. Although she called herself “Queen Regent” that was a joke, she was never Regent over anyone seeing as Joffrey did whatever he wanted and Tommen did whatever other people wanted. Now was she truly a Queen Regnant that is a queen who rules in her own right?
Succeeding Tommen on the Iron Throne was somewhat
questionable to begin with because I am not sure what lawful claim she had to
it. Also I am not sure how widely it was
recognized. After Tommen’s death
Highgarden, Dorne, and the North were in full rebellion. Daenerys controlled Dragonstone and also the
Stormlands it would appear. So it seems
just the Crown Lands and Casterly Rock recognized Queen Cersei. Eventually the Iron Islands when Euron came
to town. Jamie took Highgarden but they
had to trade Casterly Rock, which may have been a good trade but then Daenerys
took Highgarden right back. Yara also took back
the Iron Islands. So where was Cersei
queen but Kings Landing?
Jon Snow
First claimed to be
King: Season 6 Episode 10
Well we didn’t get to see Jon publicly recognize his lost
heritage and become King Aegon VI of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. However, as Jon Snow, he was proclaimed by
his people to be the King in the North.
Granted it was a title he only held for a minute before bending the knee
to Queen Daenerys, but with young sister/cousin becoming Queen in the end he
will be recognized in the Northern Kingdom as one of their kings. Also he might also now be King Beyond the
Wall, again historical recognition for that may dependent on the Wildlings
ability to read.
Sansa Stark
First claimed to be
Queen: Season 8 Episode 6
Historically
recognized: Yes
Sansa Stark, winner in the end |
Once upon a time Sansa was the one Stark I could not stand. Yet watching grow from pawn to queen was one of the great arcs of the series. I did think it was odd that the moment they made her brother king she decides that the North is seceding. I would have thought the one thing to keep the North in their royal union would be Stark on melted throne. But as Eddard Stark’s last son ascends Sansa says “we are out”? However at the end of the series we see Sansa on her throne the established Queen in the North.
Bran Stark
First claimed to be
King: Season 8 Episode 6
Who has a better story than Bran the Broken? Someone whose story does not involve riding
on the back of Hodor whose running through a forest as they search for a
tree. A story so exciting that it was
left out of an entire season. Which is okay is because know everything that happened to him that season.
I cannot think of another character whose storyline was more boring. If given the choice between going over Bran’s story again or reading his uncle Edmure Tully’s autobiography A Search for Respect: One Lord’s Journey, with a forward written by the late Theon Greyjoy, I would learn more than I ever wanted to know about the Lord of the Riverlands.
"Hodor"
"No, that is not the right tree."
"Hodor"
"No, that is not the right tree, either."
"Hodor"
"I know this is forest but we need the right tree not just any tree!"
I cannot think of another character whose storyline was more boring. If given the choice between going over Bran’s story again or reading his uncle Edmure Tully’s autobiography A Search for Respect: One Lord’s Journey, with a forward written by the late Theon Greyjoy, I would learn more than I ever wanted to know about the Lord of the Riverlands.
Brandon Stark AKA King Bran the Broken gets a reduced union
of kingdoms, demoted from seven to six.
The broken king gets a broken nation when his own homeland shows it's faith by leaving. Since we are told Bran cannot have children the remaining Kingdoms transform into a Westeros version of the Holy Roman Empire,
with Bran as the first elected monarch.
HONORABLE MENTION
He won’t count historically because I am quite certain
zombies do not count their kings, despite that he grew his own crown. However you do have to hand it this guy. Think of all great moments the Night King
had.
The time where after defeating Jon Snow and the Wildlings on their retreat he takes all the enemy dead and raises them.
The time where he took down a dragon with a single spear shot that he threw and later used that same dragon to bring down the Wall.
The time where it looked like Daenerys was going to turn him into the Night Ashes but showed not only was he immune to fire but could stand in it and remain fully dressed. (It was that last one that actually drove Queen Daenerys in sane. Realizing that after all this time she did not have to go streaking though the fire was too much. She burned Kings Landing just to see any clothing survived the onslaught and if so to make her into her new outfit.)
The time where after defeating Jon Snow and the Wildlings on their retreat he takes all the enemy dead and raises them.
The time where he took down a dragon with a single spear shot that he threw and later used that same dragon to bring down the Wall.
The time where it looked like Daenerys was going to turn him into the Night Ashes but showed not only was he immune to fire but could stand in it and remain fully dressed. (It was that last one that actually drove Queen Daenerys in sane. Realizing that after all this time she did not have to go streaking though the fire was too much. She burned Kings Landing just to see any clothing survived the onslaught and if so to make her into her new outfit.)
It is true that he had terrible end but really who on show had a good one?