This article contains spoilers for season 1 of The House of the Dragon.Despite all the tension and issues within the Targaryen household, King Viserys I Targaryen did what he thought was best for the future of Westeros in House of the Dragon. There was merit to many of his decisions as the realm remained generally peaceful and didn’t descend into war during his reign.
However, despite his best intentions, Viserys also made numerous costly mistakes during his reign, many of which hurt those he loved and hurt Westeros. From his marriage to Alicent Hightower to making Otto the Hand of the King again, his decisions further instigated the Targaryen Civil War known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Marrying Alicent Hightower
In the aftermath of Aemma’s death, Viserys was pressured to remarry to further strengthen the royal line, with many encouraging him to marry Laena Velaryon. In the end, Viserys chose to marry Alicent Hightower, and this decision alienated both Rhaenyra Targaryen and the Velaryons.
Rhaenyra was understandably upset that her father was marrying her best friend since she felt betrayed by their secrecy, which complicated Viserys and Rhaenyra’s relationship. Meanwhile, Viserys angered and alienated Corlys Velaryon by not accepting the proposal to marry Laena. Viserys decided to remarry out of a sense of duty, yet he chose to marry someone he liked instead of marrying the person that would best help his family or the realm.
Should’ve Offered To Send Aid To The Stepstones Sooner
Daemon Targaryen and the Velaryons fought against the Crabfeeder and the Triarchy in the Stepstones for three years until Viserys finally decided to send reinforcements and aid.
The extended absence of the formidable Daemon allowed House Targaryen to become more vulnerable and allowed their enemies to grow bolder. In terms of the war itself, Viserys’ offer is what gave Daemon (with help from the Velaryons) the impetus needed to finally end the war. Sending aid sooner could’ve given Daemon the impulse he needed earlier on and allowed him to return home much sooner.
Forcing Rhaenyra To Marry Laenor
After years of Rhaenyra refusing to marry the myriad of suitors thrown her way, Viserys forced his daughter to marry Laenor Velaryon. While Rhaenyra and Laenor were likable characters who knew and enjoyed each other, it was a marriage neither of them wanted. The marriage was all about the power and political advantages it would bring to Viserys and Corlys.
Viserys got to remarry the person of his choice, yet he forced his daughter to marry someone against her will, largely to forge an alliance with the Velaryons and to make up for rejecting the proposal to marry Laena years ago. Forcing the marriage between Rhaenyra and Laenor was also problematic as it was well-known that Laenor was gay, making it harder for either to fulfill their duties. She was expected to produce heirs that looked like him, which didn’t happen and caused many problems down the line.
Not Dismissing Criston Cole From The Kingsguard
Even though Criston Cole beat a man to death during the festivities for Rhaenyra and Laenor’s marriage, Viserys didn’t dismiss Criston from the Kingsguard. Viserys didn’t have the full story surrounding Criston’s actions, but at the very least, he should’ve recognized how dangerous Criston was and that he no longer deserved to wear the white cloak of the Kingsguard.
Instead, Criston became Alicent’s lapdog and was only loyal to her and her children, and no longer had any loyalty to King Viserys or his chosen heir Rhaenyra. Leaving Criston in this position led to Lord Beesbury’s death, the only Small Council member after Viserys’ death who refused to install Aegon on the throne over Rhaenyra. Moreover, Criston became the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in the aftermath of Viserys’ death, becoming a greater threat to Rhaenyra.
Not Sending Forces To Hold The Stepstones
Despite Daemon and the Velaryons’ hard-fought victory, the Triarchy rose again and reclaimed the Stepstones. This was able to happen because Viserys didn’t send forces to hold the Stepstones after the initial success.
This mistake sent Corlys back into fighting for the Stepstones. The grievous injuries he sustained in the fighting led to the future Velaryon heir and Lord of the Tides being contested, further adding to the schism in the house of the dragon. Losing the Stepstones will also be a costly mistake that will play a role in the Dance of Dragons.
Making Otto Hightower Hand Of The King Again
Rhaenyra agreed to her father’s wish that she marry Laenor Velaryon, but only on the condition that Viserys expel Otto Hightower from his powerful position as Hand of the King. Viserys did this and made Lyonel Strong Hand of the King instead. After Lyonel was killed at the hands of his son Larys a decade later, Viserys named Otto Hand of the King again.
This was a critical mistake as Viserys knew how conniving and self-serving Otto was, yet he renamed Otto as one of the most powerful men in Westeros. This allowed Otto and Alicent to rule the realm as they liked when Viserys was too ill to do so and allowed Otto to be in a better position to put Aegon on the throne instead of Rhaenyra.
Should’ve Pushed Harder For A Jacaerys And Helaena Marriage
Recognizing the conflict between her family and Alicent’s family, Rhaenyra suggested that her eldest son and heir Jacaerys marry Alicent’s daughter Helaena Targaryen. Rhaenyra even offered that if her dragon Syrax produced more eggs, Alicent’s son Aemond could choose one of them for his own (this was before Aemond claimed Vhagar).
Viserys liked this proposal and how it would make the families closer, but Alicent refused the proposal, and Viserys didn’t push hard enough for it. Instead, Helaena was married to her brother Aegon, a miserable marriage that made neither of them happy. Helaena’s dance with Jacaerys in “The Lord of the Tides” proved how happy they could’ve been together, a marriage that would’ve been good for them personally and a marriage that could’ve saved the realm from war.
Not Raising His Children Well
Much like Robert Baratheon and the children he had with Cersei Lannister, Viserys never took much interest spending time with or playing an active role in raising the children he had with Alicent. In “The Green Council,” Aegon even shared that he was under the impression his father never liked him.
Viserys never loved or saw them as his children in the same way he loved and saw Rhaenyra as his child. Nevertheless, Viserys should’ve played a more active role as a parent and raised them better. This might’ve prevented Aegon and Aemond from becoming such cruel and entitled individuals and prevented Helaena from feeling like a prisoner in her own family.
His Last Words To Alicent
Earlier in “The Lord of the Tides,” Viserys and Rhaenyra spoke about Aegon’s dream and the Song of Ice and Fire. At the end of the episode, the dying Viserys thought he was continuing the conversation with Rhaenyra, only now he was talking to Alicent. Alicent took Viserys’ words to mean that he wanted their son Aegon on the throne, even though Viserys didn’t want this and was actually talking about the dream of Aegon the Conqueror.
Alicent used the final words Viserys shared with her to strengthen her son Aegon’s claim and that it was Viserys’ last wish that his son be on the Iron Throne instead of Rhaenyra. The greens would’ve tried to crown Aegon regardless of what Viserys said, but Alicent’s interpretation of his final words only made the situation worse.
