How is Daemon Targaryen related to the Mad King? The fantasy series House of the Dragon has taken us back in time to a Westeros free from war and violence. OK, that’s a bit of a stretch, there’s still an awful lot of murder and bloodshed, but for the most part, things are pretty peaceful with the Targaryen family on the throne and certainly a lot quieter than they were under Robert Baratheon.
All that’s set to change, though. Otto Hightower, Alicent Hightower, and the Greens have conspired to put Aegon II Targaryen on the Throne and disinherited Rhaenyra Targaryen. This treason will plunge the realm into civil war and lay the seeds that will ultimately destroy the House of the Dragon.
As there’s a century or two separating the events of the new TV series from the original show, many fans want to know how these Targaryens of a bygone era are related to the Game of Thrones characters we all know and love. Well, translating the Targaryen family tree is difficult (it’s more of a circle than a tree), but we think we’ve figured it out. So here’s how Daemon Targaryen is related to the Mad King.
How is Daemon Targaryen related to the Mad King?
Daemon Targaryen is a direct ancestor of the Mad King, specifically his great, great, great, great, great grandfather. If you want to trace the exact lineage, the Mad King, aka Aerys II Targaryen, was the son of Jaehaerys II Targaryen. Jaehaerys was Aegon V Targaryen’s son, and his grandfather was Maekar I Targaryen.
Maekar was the son of Daeron II, who was, in turn, the son of Aegon IV, better known as Aegon the Unworthy. Aegon IV’s father was Viserys II, the son of Daemon Targaryen, who we last saw in the TV series as a baby. Phew, that’s a lot of Targaryens.
If you want to know more about the coming Targaryen civil war, check out our guide to House of the Dragon season 2, or we have guides to some of the best House of the Dragon characters, including Ser Criston Cole, Otto Hightower, The White Worm, King Viserys Targaryen, and Larys Strong.