Who is Aegon the Conqueror? Game of Thrones’ First Targaryen King Explained

Aegon the Conqueror is one of the most famous names in Game of Thrones History, so There is a lot to know about the first Targaryen king. At the time of Game of Thrones Season 1, Daenerys and her older brother Viserys are believed to be the last survivors of the Targaryen dynasty, a noble family that was usurped from the Iron Throne of Westeros after a civil war called Robert’s Rebellion. The history of House Targaryen is essentially the history of Westeros in the era leading up to Game of ThronesAnd there’s a ton of fascinating lore to break down.

Much of what is known about Aegon the Conqueror, or Aegon I Targaryen comes from George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the book series on that Game of Thrones is based. The companion book Fire & Blood Also contains a lot of information about Aegon the ConquerorAs it details the reigns of the first batch of Targaryen kings in Westeros, explaining how they came to power in the first place. He will be the subject of the Aegon’s conquest Prequel TV series at HBO, which is currently in development.

Aegon I Targaryen was the conqueror and the first Lord of the Seven Kingdoms

Aegon flew to Westeros and united the Seven Kingdoms

To understand Aegon I, it is important to quickly understand where he comes from. House Targaryen was a noble house of the Valyrian Freehold, a massive empire in Essos that accomplished wonders with the help of dragonsWith whom they were close. centuries before Game of ThronesAegon 1’s ancestors had a dream that predicted the destruction of Valyria, and the Targaryen family fled to the fortress island, Drongstown, off the coast of Westeros. Years later, Valyria was destroyed by a cataclysmic event.

Just under a century later, Aegon was born on Dragonstone. He claimed one of the greatest dragons remaining in the world, Balerion the Black Dread, and Fled to Westeros with the help of his sister wives and their dragons, forcing the divided continent to surrender to him, making him its first unified king.. Before Aegon’s arrival, Westeros was a land of seven divided kingdoms with a long history of war between them. Under Egan, the continent was finally united, and he established King’s Landing and the Red Heads as its official capital.

Why and how Aegon Targaryen conquered the Seven Kingdoms

Aegon foresaw the end of the world in the Long Night

In Martin’s books, the reason for Aegon’s conquest is unclear, however House of the Dragon Adds motivation to his character in the form of “Aegon’s dream.” Like his ancestor who foresaw the doom of Valyria, Aegon the Conqueror allegedly predicted an event called the Long Night, where White Walkers would invade Westeros from the North To bring an endless winter and the end of human civilization. Aegon believed that only by uniting Westeros under a unified Targaryen banner could the continent withstand such a threat.

The conquest of Westeros relied mainly on Aegon’s strength in dragonfire. He had a small army compared to the massive forces controlled by the likes of House Lannister, but with three huge dragons at his disposal the Westerosi soldiers were obsolete. While some houses died fighting, others, like the Starks of Winterfell, led by Torren Stark, surrendered to the Targaryen Dragonlord and received positions of honor in the new Westeros.

Who Aegon Targaryen’s sisters were and what happened to them

Visenya & Rhaenys are Aegon’s dragon riding sister wives

Aegon flew to Westeros to Unite the continent together with his two sisters, Vicenia and Raenis, whom he also married. Visenia was the elder sister and first rider of the dragon Vagar, whom Aegon married out of duty. Rhaenys was the younger sister who rode Meraxes, whom Aegon allegedly married out of love. Rhaenys died in the Conquest of Dorne, after she and her dragon were killed by a scorpion ballista bolt. Visenia outlived her brother, continuing to oversee her son Maegor’s ascension to the Iron Throne years later.

When Aegon Targaryen’s Conquest Occurred Compared to HOTD & Game Of Thrones

Aegon’s conquest took place approximately 300 years before Game of Thrones

Aegon’s Conquest is actually an important date to know in the world of Game of ThronesAs it establishes the year count for the in-world calendar. so, The events of Game of Thrones Take place approximately 300 years after Aegon’s conquestMeaning they occur roughly around 300 AC (after conquest). Events before the conquest use the backward counting BC (before conquest), similar to how real-world historical dates are recorded. Therefore, Aegon’s conquest found in 1 AC.

House of the Dragon Begins around 105 AC, with Viserys I Targaryen recently beginning his reign as king. The House of the Dragon Timeline covers decades, though, and The Dance of the Dragons civil war that begins in season 2 is set to 129 AC. The Targaryen dynasty officially ends in 283 AC, at the end of Robert’s Rebellion, meaning the dance occurs a little less than halfway through the Targaryen reign.

How long Aegon Targaryen I’s reign last and what happened to him

Aegon had a long reign as the first Targaryen king

Aegon the Conqueror Lived for 37 years after he conquered the seven kingdomsmaking him one of the longest rulers in his dynasty. His early acts included the establishment of King’s Landing, the Red Keep, the Iron Throne, the Small Council, and the custom of having a hand of the king, establishing the landscape that world audiences are familiar with in Game of Thrones. Aegon named Lord Orys Baratheon his first hand, which is quite ironic as Robert Baratheon would overthrow his dynasty centuries later.

He spent years of his reign trying to get used to various Westerosi cultures and was a pretty decent monarch in the grand scheme of things. Dorne, the last part of Westeros to resist his invasion, still refused to surrender, and He spent years of his reign against them in the first Dornish war. The conflict ended in peace, but Dorne still would not join the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros for a long time yet.

The last decades of Aegon the Conqueror’s reign were peaceful, with him giving birth to his sons Aenys and Maegor, who would both become kings with vastly different reputations after their father’s death. He eventually died of a stroke on Dragonstone at age 63. He was succeeded by Aenys I, who was succeeded by Maegor I, with Aegon’s line eventually passing down to Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.