House of the Dragon has finished airing its first season, but fans still can’t get enough of the series. And so they now dive deep into the various characters and analyze their actions and arcs. One of the show’s most compelling characters is the late King Viserys I Targaryen. Many said he was just a kind king who couldn’t make tough decisions. Others said he was straight responsible for the Dance of the Dragons. We believe he was a man who suffered from cruel irony and karma in his life.
Here’s how:
Viserys I Targaryen and his longing for a son
King Aegon II Targaryen
From the first episode we see him badly wanting a son. With his wife Aemma, he has only one daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen. When his wife is in the bath, she talks about the miscarriages and stillbirths she has suffered. And it’s clear that Viserys’ desire for a son motivated her to keep going. In fact, he wanted a male heir so badly that he opened up Aemma just so he could potentially have one.
His son lived less than a day and he also lost his wife. But for someone who wanted a male heir so badly, when his second marriage to Alicent produced a son, Aegon II, he simply ignores it. What’s more ironic is that his son never wanted the throne in the first place.
He ignores Helaena Targaryen who was like him
Helaena Targaryen
Viserys Targaryen believed that certain members of his bloodline were blessed with prophetic dreams. He repeatedly evokes the dream of ice and fire of Aegon the Conqueror or the prince promised to his daughter Rhaenyra. One of his last words before succumbing to his illness concerns this prophecy.
In fact, he himself is very keen to believe that he is a dragon dreamer. But he fails to recognize that his other daughter, Helaena, is actually a dreamer who sees prophetic visions. And how is he still never speaks to her.
Viserys ignores the traditional and strict Aemond Targaryen
Aemond Targaryen
Throughout the season, Viserys teaches Rhaenyra about tradition and duty. He says there are rules on how an heir should act. But he ignores Aemond who is all he would have wanted in an heir. His second son with Alicent is a traditional and duty-oriented man.
One of the first dialogues we hear from Aemond is that he is ready to marry his sister Helaena as it will preserve their lineage even if Aegon II is not. It shows that he is inclined to do what is necessary. It should also be considered that for all his words about how an heir should act, he either forgives Rhaenyra for each of his sins or overlooks this one.
Speaking of the eye, there’s also a cruel irony in Viserys who doesn’t care that Aemond lost an eye when his cousins attacked him for taking Vhagar, and later he lost one of his eyes. because of the debilitating disease.
So Viserys had everything he wanted. He had a son to make an heir, a dragon dreamer daughter and a rule book follower son, but he ignored them all and eventually the kingdom and Rhaenyra paid the price. It is a most tragic case of irony and karma for him.
For him, there was only one child… Rhaenyra. And he considered her as his only child probably because he felt guilty for his barbaric actions towards Aemma during the delivery. So his grief and guilt blinded him to his children with Alicent, and it caused him to prioritize Rhaenyra over others.
What do you think of Viserys and him suffering from Karma? Let us know.
