King Aerys II Targaryen: Family Tree, Lineage, and Key Relationships

King Aerys II Targaryen: An Overview

King Aerys II Targaryen, the "Mad King," ruled the Seven Kingdoms from 262 AC to 283 AC. This verified family profile outlines his place within House Targaryen, his parents, marriage to Queen Rhaella, and his children Viserys and Daenerys. Aerys’s reign ended with Robert’s Rebellion, a definitive break in the family’s dynastic continuity. Understanding his relationships clarifies the genealogical fork that leads to the last Targaryen king and the claimants who followed.

House Targaryen Ancestry and Lineage

The Targaryen dynasty originates from Valyria and survives the Doom through Aenar Targaryen’s migration to Dragonstone. By Aerys’s time, the family has ruled Westeros for roughly three centuries. Aerys represents the pinnacle of that lineage in its later, increasingly isolated phase, marrying within the historic house to preserve bloodlines. His ancestry directly links to the last dragons and the subsequent claimants in exile.

Immediate Family Structure

Aerys’s immediate family centers on his spouse and two children. His marriage to Rhaella established the core unit through which the Targaryen name passes to the next generation. The structure is simple in outline but consequential in its implications for succession, exile, and legacy across continents and decades.

Parentage and Consanguinity

Aerys is the son of King Jaehaerys II Targaryen and Queen Shaera Targaryen. Jaehaerys is the son of King Aemon Targaryen, making Aerys a grandson of a respected king. The marriage reaffirms the tradition of close kinship within the family, a practice that shapes perceptions of stability and decline in the later Targaryen era.

Queen Consort and Heir

Queen Rhaella, Aerys’s wife, is his second cousin, further tightening the familial circle. Their firstborn, Crown Prince Viserys, is heir until his death in 283 AC. Their second child, Princess Daenerys, survives infancy and becomes a focal point for exiled Targaryen hopes. The queen’s role anchors the family during the collapse of royal authority in King’s Landing.

Children and Succession Line

Aerys’s children embody the fractured future of House Targaryen. Viserys inherits the claim but dies young, leaving his sister Daenerys as the last surviving heir in the direct male-female line. Their safety in exile contrasts with the fate of the main branch in Westeros, highlighting how rebellion severs dynastic continuity across generations.

Extended Kin and Political Alliances

Aerys’s broader family includes siblings, cousins, and in-laws threaded through Westerosi nobility. Key relatives such as Lord Tywin Lannister and Queen Cersei reshape regional power during his rule. These connections, once stabilizing, become sources of tension as Aerys’s distrust grows, culminating in the imprisonment of Joanna Lannister and the slight to House Stark.

Downfall and Dynastic Consequences

Robert’s Rebellion ends Aerys’s reign and nearly extinguishes his line. His death at the hands of Ser Jaime Lannister removes the ruling monarch, while the sack of King’s Landing scatters his heirs. The execution of his brother and the flight of his children redefine the Targaryen legacy from rulers in the capital to aspirants beyond the sea.

Aerys II Family Tree at a Glance

Notable Relatives and Their Fates

• Tywin Lannister: Former Hand and father-in-law through Cersei, illustrating the fraying of mutual trust.
• Jaime and Cersei Lannister: Children of Aerys’s Hand, central to the rebellion that topples him.
• Eddard Stark: His trust in Aerys deteriorates, leading to the execution of Rickard Stark and shaping later enmity.
• Rhaegar Targaryen: Aerys’s eldest son and Crown Prince until his death at the Trident, reshaping succession.

Aerys II’s Lasting Influence on Targaryen Identity

Aerys’s paranoia and detachment become defining features of the dynasty’s late period, coloring how later generations view Targaryen rule. His legacy persists in the exile narrative, where Daenerys’s quest for the throne is framed as restoration after the mad king’s collapse. The family tree that begins with Aegon I converges and fractures in Aerys, making his line a pivotal reference for understanding Targaryen continuity, symbolism, and political mythology.

References and Scope Notes

This overview reflects information established in the published works of George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” and their television adaptation. Relationships, dates, and roles are drawn from canon sources as they stand within the primary narrative material. This guide is intended as a durable reference for understanding the structure and significance of King Aerys II’s family connections.

Quick Reference: Immediate Lineage

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