Targaryens gathered from a long line of conquerors and rulers, all with the swoop sprang with their dynasty, all with madness and greatness, meaning that from the time that Targaryen came born, the gods spin a coin. However, perhaps no Targaryen appears at the same time as the Mad King. Though he’s already deceased in both books, the Mad King remains subject of whispers and fears and is based on a large part of both iterations lore. With House of the Dragon situated right in the corner, to know the Targaryen who literally played with fire, and who happens to be the dynasty’s last king, Aerys II.
Appearance
As well as the Targaryens (save Jon Snow, obviously, if you subscribe to Game of Thrones’ final season), Aerys has silver hair and purple eyes. He was young and was industrious, both as well. As a result of the kidnapping, he became paranoid and began to grow in madness slowly. From there, Aerys began refusing to wash and trim his beard and nails. His long hair sank matted while his nails were bent. He was very thin and humiliated. But he became extremely thin and often lost his own life while sat atop the Iron Throne. You have a good eye for Targaryen.
Early life
When Aerys grandfather was Aegon V, a term known more in the name of Aegon who is unable to ascend to the thrown, despite being the fourth son of a king, was born strangely and cheerfully threw himself away from his children. Nonetheless, he opposed incestuous marriages and encouraged his children to marry for love. Despite that, Aery’s father Jaehaerys requested that he marry his sister Rhaella, because she heard a prophecy from a woods witch saying that the product of their union would bring forth the legendary Prince That Was Promised. (For the millionth time, don’t listen to witches who leave the woods to give a prophecy to you. I don’t care how nice they look, I think it’ll never turn out! And then the match was made and the sibling heirs were miserable.
Before then, Aerys will befriend the enemy – Tiwin Lannister and Steffon Baratheon, who are gods for the ‘Stand) – and eventually his neighbor. Tywin was a successful pager for the royal court, before becoming friends with the prince. In fact, after the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Aerys opted not to be knighted by anyone else except Tywin. Sweet.
Summerhall’s Tragedy and His Ascension and the straig of the Fairmont.
Now, bear with me, because that one is a little bit a doozy. The Tragedy at Summerhall is important to Aerys backstory because it would have never occurred to him. But before that, the book remains full. Then it’s revealed that it was a tragedy after Aegon V was attempting to hatch a dragon egg at Summerhall with his son and heir, Duncan. A great fire broke out (although some theories of life have predicted a place for anybody to have set a fire without knowing it), and father and son died. Jaehaerys, who was with his sister-wife when the throne rose while Aerys rose the throne; his son Rhaegar died on the same day (as the book references his grave connection with the tragedy).
Jaehaerys was at the mercy of an illness, two years after the death of an emperor and waved the throne to Aerys and signals the end of the throne of the Targaryen kings.
Tywin and Aerys are both married.
HBO
To be completely honest, Aerys started to work well. Remember that he wasn’t always the Mad King. By the end of the month he became a throne, he replaced many old faces in the court with younger men like himself. What a charm! Tywin Lannister. By then, Tywin had a reputation for placing his family and other enemies into their rightful places (the Rains of Castamere one?). Given his relationship and his history, it only made sense for him to be named Hand. He settled the crown problem with the Iron Bank, lauded the high lords and ladies, built important structures and, together, kept everyone happy. As in Westeros, what the king dreams, the hand lands. And Tywin did that, so he was the perfect man for that job. There might be as many times as some would say that is perfect. We have rumors swirling, and eventually take hold of Tywin as the true king, not Aerys. Naturally, this story did not sit well with the latter, causing a bitter bond in her relationship. This was not helped by the fact that Aerys closedly lusted after Timory’s wife Joanna, his refusal to marry off his son, Prince Viserys (the dude Khal Drogo gives a molten gold in the HBO show, although you probably already know), or the decision of his heir, Prince Rhaegar, to Cersei, and ultimately, his decision to give Tywins favorite son the honor of becoming a member of the Kingsguard, but more on it
Throughout his years as a director of Aerys, Tywin did everything he could to make up his mind. He kept doing that despite the deliberate attempt to make his job harder than it was already. When Tywin advised him to do something, Aerys would act the opposite, so we go towards defiance of Duskendale.
The defiance of Duskendale failed to do the job.
The defiance of Duskendale is in essence the principal reason for Hisaery’s madness, and a significant turning point, because if things had gone the other way, as Ser Barristan Selmy once said, history wouldn’t have hanned it out the way it did.
Lord Denys Darklyn of Duskendale had ambition. He commissioned the crown to request that a charter for Duskendale be made. The bill was refused by Lord Tywin. At this point, the whole realm began to learn the bad ties between Tywin and Aerys and began to gain access to this in parallel. However, Lord Denys took advantage of this by relying on the direct message from the Aerys. Initially, he was too much in favour of rejecting the proposal but then as soon as he became a client of the tywin, he decided to go to Duskendale and then go to Duskendale with an escort. To long story short, it was a trap, and he was given six months of torture. Naturally, Tywin Lannister didn’t take this sitting down and busted his boss out. All that involved was obviously executed cruelly and Aerys was never the same.
His descent turned a woman into madness.
After his rescue, Aerys refused to leave the Red Keep and was skewing to everyone his courtiers, most of all Tywin and his son and heir, Rhaegar. Steffon Baratheon was called to return to court, joining his small council, as well as everyone’s favorite master of whispering, Varys. At this point he grew interested in wildfires, as well as the marriage of Rhaegar with the princess Elia of Dorne, whose love was marked as a lavish ceremony, refusing to attend because he was afraid of being assassinated.
It was a surprise to everyone in the realm that Aerys wouldn’t walk afoot outside the Red Keep until the Great Tourney at Harrenhal. The decision came after growing factions pitting him against Rhaegar seized power slowly. It was also made to remember the support and the love of his people, which was a big order considering the fact that he was a living corpse of the man he was a once-eyed man and usually scared everyone who saw him at the event would, for now, see him. Although everyone loved Rhaegar, and Aerys thought all the cheers for his son were actually for him (they weren’t). In his tenure, Jaime Lannister was officially inducted into the Kingsguard, severing his ties with Tywin, who resigned and left for Casterly Rock. The Kingsguard is an order, and they serve the rest of their lives (not their kings) and so, by taking Jaime part in that order, Aery stripped Tywin of its heirs essentially. Remember, this man hates Tyrion for not being able-bodied and Cersei for being a woman. Tywin sucks in that regard.
Following the defeat of this ring, Rhaegar and Lyanna stark became the Queen of Love and Beauty and the two disappeared, causing what will become the War of the Usurpor or Roberts Rebellion, whichever it appears as a supper.
Roberts Rebellion and the Sack of Kings Landing.
HBO
Because of the disappearance of Lyanna Stark, her brother, Brandon, walked to Kings Landing with several companions and demanded that Rhaegar come out. Aerys met her, and said that their fathers should take their fathers south and respond to what he felt was a crime against the crown. As soon as he got through, Lord Rickard Stark had been demanding a war trial, to which Aerys agreed outrageously and declared fire to be his champion. At the same time, he was forced to watch the television, which was hooked on his neck with a spindle, while his father burned the flames out and the wind sank in the air. After that, Aerys spoke to the Eyrie and demanded the heads of Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon, the next brother of Lyannas and his fiance respectively. The Lord of the Valley, Jon Arryn, refused to give up his wards, but instead called his banners and marched up to Kings Landing.
One of his hand and a handful of times after Tywin left, Aerys changed his hand and, later, his pyromancer Rossart became a problem. After Rhaegar fell in the Trident to Roberts warhammer, the Mad King sent her wife and Viserys to Dragonstone (Rhaella was pregnant with Daenerys at this time), while Rhaegars’ wife and children were kept in the Red Keep and kept in keeping Dorne loyal to him. Fortunately, we all know how to end.
As the rebels pity in the mighty kingdom of Antis in the sky, Tywin Lannister returns and arrives the capital first, asking for a visit to the gates. Both Varys and no less than Jaime Lannister himself, tell the king not to admit Tywin. Pycelle disagrees and says Tywin can be trusted. As soon as the aerys decides to believe Pycelle, the sacking of Kings Landing began.
Seeing that the tide was already on him, Aerys tells Rossart to burn down the city and then ask Jaime to leave his fathers. And again, we all know how it ended: an outcry made by the knight, who thought he would keep him safe.
Are you in your last words? Burn. Them. All.
Television features (Hydney).