Aerys II Targaryen

Aerys II Targaryen, remembered as the Mad King, was the last of the dragon kings in the account of the Targaryen dynasty’s fall. The only son of Jaehaerys II, he ruled from 262 to 283 before being dethroned and killed; the death of his heir, Rhaegar Targaryen, in the same struggle marked the end of the line.

Identity and Lineage

Aerys II was the only son of Jaehaerys II. The surrounding royal genealogy identifies Jaehaerys as a son of Aegon V Targaryen, placing Aerys in the dynasty’s final generations. He is also identified by the epithet the Mad King, the name under which the account recalls him at the close of the line of dragon kings.

Reign and Downfall

Aerys’s reign is dated 262–283. Its decisive end came with his dethronement and death. The account gives no further detail about the events of his rule or the circumstances of his death, but presents his removal from the throne as the turning point that closed the Targaryen line.

The End of the Dragon Kings

Aerys’s fall coincided with the death of his heir, Rhaegar Targaryen, who was slain by Robert Baratheon on the Trident. The paired deaths of king and heir left the dynasty without the figures who embodied its rule and succession. The account therefore treats Aerys’s overthrow not simply as the end of an individual reign, but as the end of the line of dragon kings.