Warning: This article contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon!Dragon HouseEpisode 8 “Lord of the Tide” marked the end of King Viserys Targaryen’s reign, but it didn’t stop audiences from loving him. And if not as lovable as Game of thronesNed Stark, fans soon reached out to King, who wanted nothing more than a happy family.
With that said, fans were well aware of how poorly Viserys had dealt with the passage of time. His injuries and poor health worsened with each episode, and he seemed unable to take a break when it came to family drama. Whether it was Rhaenyra, Daemon, or Alicent going into battle, he rarely had any time to be satisfied. But looking at his journey in pictures, fans can relive Viserys’ most important moments and see his transformations in appearance and family loyalties.
heir named
in Dragon HouseFirst scene, Viserys is named heir to the throne over the Rhaenys. While he seemed sympathetic to her plight, he also seemed really happy with the decision. By his side was Emma the love of his life and was honored with the responsibility of carrying on his family’s legacy.
Dragon House It covers decades of history, but at this moment, he was as optimistic as the audience saw it. He had a daughter, who was known as “the joy of the kingdom”, and his wife was pregnant, and he was chosen as the best option to be king. In general, his life was full of possibilities.
It was broken by the death of Emma and Baylon
By the end of Episode One, Viserys was completely broke due to the struggles he faced. Aemma suffered two miscarriages, two stillbirths, and (by the end of the episode) gave birth to a son who died shortly after birth. Viserys chose his child over his wife’s comfort and had to watch her scream in pain and horror, begging him for her help.
The man of hope had lost from the beginning of the episode the family joy he had previously enjoyed, and above all his guilt for his part in it. More than that, Reinera resented him, and the most severely burned demon ridiculed his deceased son. As the photo shows, he was at his lowest, feeling tired and broken, questioning his decisions all the time.
I decided to marry Aliscent Hightower
While Viserys is often criticized for his inability to make a decision, he has remained resolute in his choice to marry Alicent, regardless of the complications he raised. Having lost everything, Viserys made the shocking decision to make something that would make him happy. He was not happy with the decision, but he was confident in it and seemed strong and regal.
While he lacked the optimism that prevailed in the past years, he was recovering from his grief as best he could. He had Rhaenyra’s blessing to marry again (although he didn’t think to warn her who he would marry), Daemon was put in line, and his council would finally stop pushing him forward.
happy new dad
Despite Corlys’ loss of affection, Viserys was largely happy with his choices. Aliscent gave him a son shortly after their marriage and soon became pregnant again. Although he had given up his need for a son, he was thrilled that he had one, and proudly flaunted Aegon in celebration.
The first two years are the most dangerous, so by that point, he probably felt safe bonding with Egon. Reinera was conservative and shunned her father, but it could just as easily have been a classic teenage rebellion. In general, his problems were typical family matters, and he was able to correct them by assuring Rhaenyra that he would not replace them.
Make peace with the devil
After resolving his conflicts with Rhaenyra, Viserys seemed in place to find stability and happiness again. It was unclear how a demon would act upon his return, but his humility allowed Viserys to welcome him back with a hug.
Viserys never wanted to fight with his brother, so the hug between them seemed to be a sign that happy times were on the horizon. For the first time, House Targaryen seemed properly united, which made Viserys happy both personally and politically.
Angry with the devil and the renera
Peace did not last long when Daemon attempted to seduce Rhaenyra, which irreparably broke all of Viserys’ major relationships. Viserys attacked Daemon, showing a sinister side he had never hinted before. In addition, he began to treat Rainera as a political figure, rather than as his daughter, which included ordering her to marry Lenore and offering tea to ensure that she would not become pregnant.
The only time Viserys let his nerves get to him, everything seemed to fall apart. His health gradually worsened from that moment on, and his relationship with Aliscent soured when she turned on Rhinera. While it was Daemon who caused the trouble, this was a sign of Viserys’ descent.
Happy Grandpa (oblivious to the truth)
While tensions were incredibly high between Aliscent and Rinera, Viserys took the perspective of voluntary ignorance. He has cast the political fallout aside and focused almost entirely on the family. When Alicent used her power to summon infant Joffrey, Viserys acted as if he was getting a chance to meet his grandson.
Viserys refused to hear anyone mention that the children were illegitimate, forming features that the children might share with Laenor. He was also convinced that pushing his sons and Rhinera’s children together would make them close friends, ignoring the ways in which children mirror their parents.
Broken by years of family strife
When the audience saw him in the Driftmark movie, Viserys was as weak as ever. His physical health was rapidly deteriorating, and he seemed to have broken his relations with both his wife and daughter due to his refusal to choose one over the other.
When Rhaenyra’s sons become responsible for Aegon’s loss of his eye, Viserys no longer has the luxury of ignoring the problem in hopes that it will go away. He chose a side – Rhaenyra’s side – and immediately knew where the strength lay in the room when Kriston Cole responded to Aliscent’s orders, not his. The family he was so desperate to obtain had been damaged irreparably, and they withdrew his power as king in the process.
The king is bedridden
Rhaenyra (and the audience) hadn’t seen Viserys in years by the time “The Lord of the Tides” started, at which time everyone was shocked by how deteriorating his health had been. While he was injured in Episode 1 and continued to suffer for years, that was nothing compared to his situation in Episode 8.
As a prominent figure in Dragon HouseViserys was constantly in pain, and thus was sedated most of the time, and could hardly get out of bed. Because of that, Aliscent and Otto Heitor administered most of the governance in Westeros. Despite his long reign, Viserys’ body eventually betrayed him, turning the family man into a shell of his character.
a brief moment of peace
When Viserys learned that everyone was coming to the castle, he announced that they were going to have a family dinner. Politically, he continued to support Rinera, but when he arrived for dinner, he took off his mask and spoke clearly, begging his family to live for him.
Most of the time, they were listening. Rainera and Aliscent apologize, make compensation, and Jess asks Helena to dance. When Viserys looks around, he sees his entire family together, laughing and playing as he always wanted. Everyone could sense the coming war, but at this moment, just before his death, Viserys was able to find peace.