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| “ | When they write the history of my reign, sweet sister, they will say it began today. | „ |
| ~ Viserys talking to his sister about the start of his reign when he reclaims the Iron Throne. |
Prince Viserys Targaryen, self-styled as King Viserys III Targaryen and mockingly known far and wide as The Beggar King, is a major antagonist in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones, serving as the main antagonist of Daenerys' storyline in the first book and first season.
He is the surviving youngest son of the "Mad King" Aerys II Targaryen and his wife Queen Rhaella Targaryen, the younger brother of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and the older brother of Daenerys Targaryen. Viserys is also his father's legal heir after his brother Rhaegar was killed during Robert's Rebellion, having been named such over Rhaegar's son. Because the rebellion had ended the Targaryen dynasty, this turned him into an exile who plotted to regain control of the Iron Throne.
He was portrayed by Harry Lloyd, who also portrayed Viktor in Arcane, Son of Mine of the Family of Blood in the Doctor Who episodes "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood," Z in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Ultima in Final Fantasy XVI.
Appearance[]
Viserys has the silver-blonde hair and purple eyes (blue in the TV series) common in House Targaryen. His face was hard and gaunt, a result of years of bitterness, hardship, and rage. In the books he wore his hair in a ponytail.
Personality[]
Viserys was ambitious, arrogant, dimwitted, temperamental, abusive and impatient. He believed strongly in the superiority of House Targaryen and that they were beyond ordinary men. He was cruel and quick to anger. In his youth, Daenerys remembered him as kind and compassionate, but as he grew older, his instances of compassion and tenderness grew few. Viserys was a kind boy in their youth, but years of crushing disappointment, constant persecution, and hard living turned him bitter, angry, cruel, and delusional. Viserys's vicious personality is considered part of the "Targaryen madness," which is said to be result of the long generations of incest in House Targaryen in order to "keep the bloodlines pure," being the last family of Valyrian dragonriders left in the world. By the beginning of the series, virtually all of Viserys' redeeming traits have faded away, seeing his sister only as a tool to reclaim his crown. He was horrifically abusive towards her, hurting emotionally and physically for even the slightest provocation, whether it was real or not.
Biography[]
Background[]
Viserys was born in 276 AC in King's Landing to King Aerys II and Queen Rhaella. He was the first son in 17 years, right after Rhaegar, to survive, as his mother had suffered multiple miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths. While Viserys was small in size when he was born, he was beautiful and robust. However, even if he survived, his father still feared for his safety due to his paranoia. As a result, his Kingsguard watched the young prince day and night, and Queen Rhaella was even not allowed to be alone with him. In addition, to prevent his son from being poisoned, the Mad King ridiculously had his food taster drink the milk from the breasts of the wet nurse to ensure that her nipples were not smeared with poison. When lords would deliver gifts for Viserys, King Aerys burned them, as he believed that they were cursed.
In 280 AC, Lord Tywin Lannister, Aerys' hand, hosted a tournament in Lannisport to honor Viserys' birth, but only King Aerys and Prince Rhaegar attended the tourney, leaving Queen Rhaella and Viserys in the safety of King's Landing. In the year 280 AC, Prince Viserys was forbidden by his paranoid father to attend the wedding of Rhaegar and Princess Elia Martell at the Great Sept of Baelor.
Viserys was seven years old at the time of Robert's Rebellion, and Queen Rhaella did her best to hide her son from his father's madness. After his brother Rhaegar was killed by Lord Robert Baratheon on the Trident, King Aerys passed over Prince Aegon, Rhaegar and Elia's baby son, and named Viserys as his heir, which was recorded in official legal documents, before sending him and his mother, who is now pregnant, to the island of Dragonstone, where they would remain for nine months. During that time, when news reached Dragonstone that Aerys was killed and King's Landing was sacked, Viserys was declared king and was crowned by Queen Rhaella.
Queen Rhaella died giving birth to Daenerys Targaryen during a fierce storm that destroyed the royal fleet anchored at Dragonstone. Meanwhile, Lord Stannis Baratheon, King Robert's younger brother, took it as an opportunity to attack the island and deal with Viserys and Daenerys, but before he even set sail with the Baratheon fleet, the Targaryen children were smuggled to Braavos by the loyalist Ser Willem Darry. There they lived under Ser Willem's protection in the house with the red door until his death five years later. During Viserys and Daenerys' stay in Braavos
After Ser Willem's death, his servants stole what little money Viserys and Daenerys had, and the two were soon kicked out of the house with the red door, forcing them to wander the Free Cities as guests of powerful citizens. However, their stay wouldn't last for a long time, and their welcome eventually faded, forcing them to sell off their possessions to survive, even their mother's crown. When Viserys sold his mother's crown, the last joy left in his heart was entirely gone, leaving only rage and bitterness. Men started calling him The Beggar King, which would then spread throughout all the Free Cities and eventually to Westeros as well. At some point, Viserys feasted with the captains of the Golden Company, the best sellsword company in Essos, in an attempt to win them to his cause. Unfortunately for Viserys, while the captains ate his food and heard his pleas, they just laughed at him.
While he was warm towards Daenerys, Viserys grew to resent his sister for killing their mother during her birth and began abusing her. He would even hurt Daenerys when she disobeyed him and frequently warn her not to "wake the dragon" and incite his anger.
Viserys is ambitious but also impatient, delusional, and blind to reality. He sees himself as the rightful King, wanting instant respect and admiration, and he takes anything less as an insult. He refuses to accept the reality of his family's situation since when Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne. Viserys believes that among the houses that would rise for him upon his landing would be the Tyrells, Redwynes, Darrys, Greyjoys, and Martells.
While there is no question that Viserys is blind to the desperate reality of his situation, the Darrys were still displaying Targaryen tapestries fifteen years after Robert's Rebellion, and even a peasant spoke of better days in the past under King Aerys during the march of captives to Harrenhal. Also unbeknownst to him, the Dornish princess Arianne Martell was betrothed to him, meaning that Dorne would have risen for him had he managed an invasion.
In Pentos, Viserys meets Illyrio Mopatis, who takes an interest in returning Viserys to the Iron Throne in return for rewards upon his ascension. In Illyrio's manse in Pentos, Viserys and Daenerys stayed there for half a year as his guests. To prevent the former from taking his sister's maidenhead, Ilyrio bought a young Lyseni servant girl for Viserys so he could stay pleased.
A Game of Thrones[]
Illyrio and Viserys arrange a marriage between Daenerys and Khal Drogo, a powerful and undefeated Dothraki warlord, who promises Viserys an army of 10,000 men to conquer Westeros. Viserys, while willing to wed Daenerys to Drogo, is also resentful of having to give her up, and the night before the wedding, he tries to enter her room and at least claim her virginity. Illyrio, however, had the foresight to post guards in her room so this would not happen and ensure the impetuous Viserys didn't undo years of planning on Illyrio's part.
When Viserys insists on traveling with Drogo to ensure the Khal honors the agreement, Illyrio tries to stop him by offering him the use of his manse, but Viserys declines the offer. Viserys believes that Drogo is delaying the fulfilment of his promise, and Viserys grows increasingly insistent on making a start to the invasion. He believes he sold Dany to Drogo and that the Khal has not paid him for her. As Ser Jorah Mormont explains, the Dothraki do not buy or sell but rather receive gifts and give gifts back eventually in return. Being foolish and impatient, he refuses to listen to Illyrio and Ser Jorah, who tell him repeatedly that the Khal sees Daenerys as a gift and would give Viserys a gift (an army) in return.
He tries to browbeat Daenerys into persuading Drogo, but with her new position of authority as khaleesi, she begins standing up for herself. After he tried to assault Daenerys, he was subdued by her bodyguard, Jhogo, who offered to kill him, but Daenerys spares Viserys, and she instead had his horse taken away, forcing Viserys to walk. This is taboo amongst Dothraki, as a man who is not on horseback is no man at all, which earns him the mocking nickname Khal Rhae Mhar, "The Sorefoot King." Khal Drogo later offers him a place in a cart, which Viserys foolishly accepts, ignorantly believing it to be Khal Drogo's way of apologizing to him for the wrong Dany did to him. However, unbeknownst to Viserys, this proved to be nothing but an even greater insult than walking on foot, as carts are for cripples, eunuchs, and the very old or very young, earning Viserys the new mocking nickname Khal Rhaggat, "The Cart King." At Vaes Dothrak, Viserys gets drunk and again insists that Drogo give him his crown, only for Drogo to tell him that he is no king. Viserys draws a sword—banned in the sacred city of Vaes Dothrak as it is forbidden to shed a free man's blood there—and threatens Daenerys's unborn child. In response, Drogo announces that he is giving Viserys his crown. Believing himself victorious, Viserys is horrified when he is instead seized by Drogo's men, and he melts down his belt of golden medallions and, after pleading for an indifferent Daenerys to have his life spared, upends the pot over Viserys's head, fatally "crowning" him, though not one drop of blood is split in doing so. Daenerys curiously thought to herself that Viserys was no dragon because fire can't kill a dragon.
She later names one of her dragons, Viserion, after him in his memory, though only for keeping her alive for years.
Quotes[]
About Viserys[]
| “ | He blamed me for letting Willem Darry steal away Viserys and the babe, as if I could have stopped it. | „ |
| ~ Stannis Baratheon to Maester Cressen. |
| “ | Joffrey: Have you heard? The Beggar King is dead. Sansa: Who? Joffrey: Viserys. The last son of Mad King Aerys. He's been going about the Free Cities since before I was born, calling himself a king. Well, Mother says the Dothraki finally crowned him. With molten gold. [laughs] That's funny, don't you think? The dragon was their sigil. It's almost as good as if some wolf killed your traitor brother. Maybe I'll feed him to wolves after I've caught him. |
„ |
| ~ Joffrey I and Sansa Stark talking about Viserys' fate. |
| “ | Viserys was cruel and weak and frightened, yet he was my brother still. His dragon will do what he could not. | „ |
| ~ Daenerys Targaryen. |
| “ | Viserys had believed that the realm would rise for its rightful king ... but Viserys had been a fool, and fools believe in foolish things. | „ |
| ~ Thoughts of Daenerys. |
| “ | Dothraki neither buy nor sell. Say rather that her brother Viserys gave her to Drogo to win the khal's friendship. A vain young man, and greedy. Viserys lusted for his father's throne, but he lusted for Daenerys too, and was loath to give her up. The night before the princess wed he tried to steal into her bed, insisting that if he could not have her hand, he would claim her maidenhead. Had I not taken the precaution of posting guards upon her door, Viserys might have undone years of planning. | „ |
| ~ Illyrio Mopatis to Tyrion Lannister. |
| “ | Meereen was never your city, her brother's voice seemed to whisper. Your cities are across the sea. Your Seven Kingdoms, where your enemies await you. You were born to serve them blood and fire. | „ |
| ~ Daenerys imagining Viserys scolding her for choosing to be Queen of Meereen, instead of carrying on his quest. |
| “ | I am the blood of the dragon. Have you ever seen a dragon with the flux? [in her mind: Viserys had oft claimed that Targaryens were untroubled by the pestilences that afflicted common men, and so far as she could tell, it was true. She could remember being cold and hungry and afraid, but never sick.] | „ |
| ~ Daenerys recalling her brother's (not completely incorrect) "teachings" and thinking she is immune to the bloody flux (dysentery), before eventually getting infected and sick. |
| “ | In return for Dorne's help overthrowing the Usurper, my brother Viserys is to take Prince Doran's daughter Arianne for his queen. | „ |
| ~ Daenerys and Barristan find out from Quentyn Martell about the secret marriage pact between Viserys and Arianne Martell, signed by Ser Willem Darry and Oberyn many years ago, without the knowledge of the two betrothed. |
| “ | Daenerys: You are dead. Viserys: [always whispering, his lips never moving] Murdered. You never mourned me, sister. It is hard to die unmourned. Daenerys: I loved you once. Viserys: [angry and bitter] Once. You were supposed to be my wife, to bear me children with silver hair and purple eyes, to keep the blood of the dragon pure. I took care of you. I taught you who you were. I fed you. I sold our mother's crown to keep you fed. Daenerys: [terrified and shuddering] You hurt me. You frightened me. Viserys: Only when you woke the dragon. I loved you. Daenerys: You sold me. You betrayed me. Viserys: No. You were the betrayer. You turned against me, against your own blood. They cheated me. Your horsey husband and his stinking savages. They were cheats and liars. They promised me a golden crown and gave me this. [touches the molten gold creeping down his face] Daenerys: You could have had your crown. My sun-and-stars would have won it for you if only you had waited. Viserys: I waited long enough. I waited my whole life. I was their king, their rightful king. They laughed at me. Daenerys: You should have stayed in Pentos with Magister Illyrio. Khal Drogo had to present me to the dosh khaleen, but you did not have to ride with us. That was your choice. Your mistake. Viserys: Do you want to wake the dragon, you stupid little whore? Drogo's khalasar was mine. I bought them from him, a hundred thousand screamers. I paid for them with your maidenhead. Daenerys: You never understood. Dothraki do not buy and sell. They give gifts and receive them. If you had waited— Viserys: I did wait. For my crown, for my throne, for you. All those years, and all I ever got was a pot of molten gold. Why did they give the dragon's eggs to you? They should have been mine. If I'd had a dragon, I would have taught the world the meaning of our words. [laughs until his jaw falls away from his face, with blood and molten gold running from his mouth, until Daenerys wakes up]. |
„ |
| ~ Daenerys's nightmare/hallucination while sick of bloody flux in the Dothraki Sea. |
| “ | Stannis: Do not prate at me of history, ser. Daemon Blackfyre was a rebel and usurper, Bittersteel a bastard. When he fled, he swore he would return to place a son of Daemon's up on the Iron Throne. He never did. Words are wind, and the wind that blows exiles across the narrow sea seldom blows them back. That boy Viserys Targaryen spoke of return as well. He slipped through my fingers at Dragonstone, only to spend his life wheedling after sellswords. 'The Beggar King,' they called him in the Free Cities. Well, I do not beg, nor will I flee again. | „ |
| ~ Stannis Baratheon to Justin Massey. |
| “ | Ser Daemon Sand: The Beggar King? Everyone says that Prince Rhaegar was beautiful. Was Viserys beautiful as well? Arianne Martell: I suppose. He was Targaryen. I never saw the man. He was killed by a Dothraki khal, the dragon queen's own husband. Daemon: So I've heard. What of it? Arianne: Just... why did Daenerys let it happen? Viserys was her brother. All that remained of her own blood. Daemon: The Dothraki are a savage folk. Who can know why they kill? Perhaps Viserys wiped his arse with the wrong hand. Thoughts of Arianne: [Perhaps, or perhaps Daenerys realized that once her brother was crowned and wed to me, she would be doomed to spend the rest of her life sleeping in a tent and smelling like a horse.] |
„ |
| ~ Arianne Martell and Daemon Sand discussing Viserys, Arianne fearing Daenerys might be as insane as the Mad King, unaware she didn't know about the secret marriage pact. |
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Viserys Targaryen on the A Wiki of Ice and Fire.
- Viserys Targaryen on the Wiki of Westeros.
