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Who was Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King, and his relationship with 'House of the Dragon'?
The second season of the HBO original series is set several centuries before Game of Thrones.
Ever since Aegon I the Conqueror set foot in Westeros, the Targaryens have ruled without interruption. Their legitimacy was based on the respect and fear inspired by the fact that they rode dragons. However, years of civil war and power struggles have taken their toll. In the second season of the HBO series ‘House of the Dragon’, the conflict of “The Dance of the Dragons” takes place. The reptilians killed each other, contributing to their future extinction. There were many more generations of Targaryen kings after the death of King Viserys, a dynastic line that survived until Aerys II, known as the Mad King.
The son of King Jaehaerys II Targaryen, Aerys came to the throne early, his father dying only three years after he first sat on the Iron Throne. Though charming, his character began to sour. He was prone to fits of rage and feared being poisoned, so he stopped eating. Famished, with a long and matted beard, Aerys II was fond of burning alive those who dared to question his word. For example, when Lord Qarlton Chelsted refused to accept the position of Hand of the King, the ruler ordered him to be burned.
The Last Targaryen King
Dissatisfaction with the Mad King spread among several noble houses, who agreed to dethrone the Targaryens. Armies led by Eddard Stark and Tywin Lannister arrived at King’s Landing, the realm’s capital. Enraged and knowing he could do nothing, Aerys II set in motion a plan to burn the city with Valyrian fire. Before that could happen, Jaime Lannister betrayed his oath as a member of the Kingsguard and assassinated the king.
Robert Baratheon was anointed King of the Seven Kingdoms. Every member of the Targaryen family was hunted down, but two of Aerys’ children were spared: Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen.
‘House of the Dragon’ chronicles the past of Aerys II’s dynasty, a time when dragons still flew across the skies of the Seven Kingdoms. Season 2 premiered on Max on June 17 and will receive new episodes each week. It has already been renewed for a third season. Here’s our opinion of the first episode of the Season, “A Son for a Son”.