Every Baelon Targaryen, told apart
3 of them across three hundred years, 0 of whom ruled. This is the single biggest reason the Targaryen family tree confuses people.
All 3, in order of birth
-
Second son of Aerys. He followed his brother Aelyx on Dragonstone and, like him, left no children.
- Parents
- Aerys Targaryen
- Remember them as
- son of Aerys, Lord of Dragonstone before the Conquest
-
Baelon Targaryen
57 to 101 ACthe Brave
Named heir over his niece Rhaenys in 92 AC. That choice established that the throne would pass through sons, and it is the legal root of the Dance of the Dragons.
- Dragon
- Vhagar
- Parents
- Jaehaerys I Targaryen and Alysanne Targaryen
- Remember them as
- the Brave
-
Baelon Targaryen
105 to 105 ACThe son Viserys wanted so badly that Aemma died giving him. He lived a day, and Rhaenyra was named heir in his place.
- Parents
- Viserys I Targaryen and Aemma Arryn
- Remember them as
- son of Viserys I and Aemma, heir for a day
Why they kept reusing the same names
Naming a Targaryen child was a political act. Calling a son Aegon invoked the Conqueror. Calling him Jaehaerys invoked the Old King and fifty five years of peace. Calling him Daeron invoked either the boy who conquered Dorne or the man who married it into the realm, depending on which one you needed.
The cost of that habit is a family tree where the first name tells you almost nothing. The chart on this site labels every person with their dates and their epithet for exactly that reason. If you are trying to work out which one you are looking at, the year is the fastest way in.
Questions about the Baelons
How many Targaryens were named Baelon?
At least 3 appear on this family tree, of whom 0 ruled from the Iron Throne. The Targaryens reused a small pool of names deliberately, to tie each new child to an ancestor worth invoking.
Why are there so many Targaryens named Baelon?
Naming a child after a celebrated ancestor was a claim on that ancestor’s reputation. Aegon invoked the Conqueror, Jaehaerys invoked the Old King, Daeron invoked the Good. The result is a family tree where a first name tells you almost nothing.
How do you tell them apart?
By their dates and their epithet. Every Targaryen who mattered picked up a nickname, and where they did not, the reign years do the work. This site labels every node on the chart with both.