Every Viserys Targaryen, told apart
4 of them across three hundred years, 2 of whom ruled. This is the single biggest reason the Targaryen family tree confuses people.
All 4, in order of birth
-
Viserys Targaryen
29 to 44 ACSecond son of Aenys, kept at court as Maegor’s squire and hostage. His death is the reason his mother fled with Jaehaerys and Alysanne.
- Parents
- Aenys I Targaryen and Alyssa Velaryon
- Remember them as
- son of Aenys I, 29 to 44 AC
-
Viserys I
77 to 129 ACthe Peaceful
Chosen king at the Great Council of 101 AC. He named his daughter Rhaenyra his heir, then fathered sons by a second wife and never resolved which claim stood.
- Reigned
- 103 to 129 AC
- Dragon
- Balerion
- Parents
- Baelon Targaryen and Alyssa Targaryen
- Remember them as
- the Peaceful
-
Viserys II
122 to 172 ACHand of the King to three kings before ruling for barely a year. Every Targaryen after him, Daenerys and Jon Snow included, descends from this man.
- Reigned
- 171 to 172 AC
- Parents
- Daemon Targaryen and Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Remember them as
- Viserys II Targaryen, 122 AC
-
Viserys III (self-styled)
276 to 298 ACthe Beggar King
Called himself king from exile and never held a foot of Westeros. He sold his sister to a khal for an army he did not live to use.
- Parents
- Aerys II Targaryen and Rhaella Targaryen
- Remember them as
- the Beggar King
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 Viseryses
How many Targaryens were named Viserys?
At least 4 appear on this family tree, of whom 2 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 Viserys?
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.