Summary

• Game of Thrones had a total of 18 characters who claimed to be king or queen, with some having better claims than others.
• Aerys II, also known as The Mad King, had a strong claim to the Iron Throne as the last Targaryen king.
• Cersei Lannister's claim to the Iron Throne was based on her seizing power after the death of her son, Tommen, and eliminating her enemies.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon and the Fire and Blood novel!The Game of Thrones kings and queens that sat on the Iron Throne ranged from fair rulers with legitimate claims to despots who ruled Westeros with a blood-soaked fist. Game of Thrones remains a monumental piece of television, captivating audiences across eight seasons with its sweeping narrative about who ultimately wins the game of thrones and is crowned king or queen of Westeros. While the final monarch to sit on the Iron Throne in the end was controversial, the journey was exciting, and there were multiple kings and queens throughout Game of Thrones.

Some of the kings and queens in Game of Thrones covet the Iron Throne, the seat of power for the whole Seven Kingdoms, while others seek to rule just over their own territory. Before being melted by the dragon Drogon in the series' final episode, the Iron Throne saw several members of the Game of Thrones cast ascend, but they aren't the only characters who claimed to rule over territory in Westeros. A total of 18 characters called themselves king or queen throughout Game of Thrones, some with a better claim than others.

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18 Aerys Targaryen II

Played By David Rintoul

Aerys II is the last Targaryen king in Game of Thrones to rule the Seven Kingdoms and is better known to most as The Mad King. He is the father of Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys. Aerys II's claim to the Iron Throne is backed up by generations of previous rulers within the Targaryen family, beginning with Aegon I. It is thanks to Aerys II that audiences learned early on why the Targaryens were so feared, and how dangerous having "Targaryen Madness" so close to the Iron Throne justified a wholesale rebellion.

Aerys II's reign comes to an end during Robert's Rebellion when he's killed by Jaime Lannister, a member of his Kingsguard, during the Sack of King's Landing. This is where Jaime's nickname of "kingslayer" comes from. On Game of Thrones, Aerys II only ever appears in flashbacks, frequently shown screaming for his men to "Burn them all!" before being stabbed in the back.

17 Robert Baratheon

Played By Mark Addy

The first king on the Iron Throne audiences were introduced to in Game of Thrones, Robert usurpes the throne from Aerys II and establishes the Baratheon royal house. Beyond winning the throne through the war known as Robert's Rebellion before the events of the show, he also lays claim through House Baratheon's Targaryen connections, with its founder, Orys, believed to be the bastard half-brother of Aegon I.

Once crowned, Robert marries Cersei Lannister and the couple have three children, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. Unknown to Robert, Cersei's children are actually fathered by her brother, Jaime. Robert's reign lasts for 15 years, coming to an end when Robert dies in Game of Thrones season 1 from a wound received during a boar hunt. The injury, however, isn't simply an accident and was instead orchestrated by Cersei.

16 Joffrey Baratheon

Played By Jackie Gleason

Following the death of his father, Game of Thrones season 1 sees Joffrey become the next king of Westeros — though that hadn't been Robert's plan. On his deathbed, Robert signed a decree naming his Hand and friend, fellow rebel Eddard "Ned" Stark, as Protector of the Realm and regent until his heir came of age. Upon learning this, Cersei destroys the royal decree and has Joffrey crowned anyway, cementing his position as the rightful king.

Obviously, this decision isn't universally accepted by the courts of Kings Landing. For his attempt at overthrowing Joffrey by declaring him illegitimate, Ned is arrested for treason and later executed. Joffrey rules for four years in Game of Thrones, until he dies in Season 4 during the reception following his wedding to Margaery Tyrell with Olenna Tyrell behind Joffrey's murder.

15 Tommen Baratheon

Played By Dean-Charles Chapman

Having not lived long enough to produce an heir of his own, Joffrey is succeeded by his younger brother, Tommen, as king in Game of Thrones season 4. He also takes Margaery as his wife, since a union between Houses Baratheon and Tyrell is still favorable, and Joffrey and Margaery never consummated their marriage.

Tommen's reign as King of the Seven Kingdoms is even shorter than his brother's, only ruling for three years before Tommen kills himself in Game of Thrones season 6. He dies when he throws himself from the Red Keep after witnessing the Sept of Baelor's destruction and knowing that his wife has died in the blast — and that his mother, Cersei, is the one responsible.

14 Cersei Lannister

Played By Lena Headey

Having previously sought power by ruling through her children, Cersei finally has herself crowned as queen following Tommen's death in Game of Thrones season 6. Her claim lies not in any lineage or tradition, but simply because most of her enemies die when the Sept of Baelor explodes (an event she puts into motion), leaving no one to stop Cersei from taking the Iron Throne.

Though many will dispute her claim, she manages to reign for two years. The end for Cersei comes when Daenerys Targaryen's forces sack King's Landing in Game of Thrones season 8. While Drogon is laying waste to the Red Keep, sections of the castle collapse and crush both Cersei and her brother-lover, Jaime. Of all the kings and queens in Game of Thrones, it's arguably Cersei who exemplifies how ambition and power-lust drive the nobility of Westeros to commit unspeakable acts in pursuit of the Iron Throne.

13 Renly Baratheon

Played By Gethin Anthony

Robert's death in Game of Thrones season 1 is one of the events that kicks off the War of the Five Kings. The conflict sees Robert's two younger brothers, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, vying to take the Iron Throne from Joffrey, while Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy fight to secede from the Seven Kingdoms and rule their respective territories. Believing Ned's declaration that Joffrey isn't Robert's trueborn son and, therefore, not the legitimate king, Renly is quick to declare himself king in Game of Thrones following his brother's death.

Unbothered by the fact he's actually the younger of the two remaining Baratheons, Renly gains the allegiance of practically every southern lord and builds a massive army, but it's ultimately all for naught. In Game of Thrones season 2, Renly is killed by a shadow creature sent by Lady Melisandre on Stannis' orders.

12 Stannis Baratheon

Played By Stephen Dillane

Stannis declares himself king in Game of Thrones around the same time Renly does, and as the older brother, his claim as Robert's successor is much stronger. However, Stannis is not well-liked, and he struggles to build support. He does have Lady Melisandre on his side, and as evidenced by how she dispatches Renly, she's a valuable ally, but her magic cannot win him the throne.

Stannis makes little headway in taking the Iron Throne, remaining a king without a kingdom for four years. In the Game of Thrones season 5 finale, Stannis' army is decimated outside of Winterfell following an attempt to oust Ramsey Bolton from the castle, and he is later discovered on the battlefield by Brienne of Tarth, who kills Stannis for his part in murdering Renly.

11 Viserys Targaryen

Played By Harry Lloyd

When Aerys II is killed, House Targaryen does not die out. Two of his children, Viserys and Daenerys, survive and are sent across the Narrow Sea to Essos for safety. Drifting from one free city to the next, they're occasionally taken in by those loyal to House Targaryen, but just as often, the two children must beg on the street. During this time, Viserys, the rightful king, earns the title The Beggar King.

After trying and failing to gather support for his claim to the Iron Throne for almost two decades, Viserys exchanges his sister in marriage to Khal Drogo for the promise of a Dothraki army. However, Viserys' entitled behavior earns him no friends among the Dothraki, and when he threatens his pregnant sister, now a Khaleesi, Viserys is killed by Khal Drogo midway through Game of Thrones season 1.

10 Daenerys Targaryen

Played By Emilia Clarke

Following Viserys' death, his sister, Daenerys Targaryen, becomes the last known surviving member of House Targaryen and the rightful queen. Her claim to the Iron Throne is among the strongest of any king or queen in Game of Thrones, but beginning her quest to rule while on another continent puts her at an early disadvantage. Daenerys' dragons, however, give her the power to fight for her claim to the throne, and during Game of Thrones season 7, she arrives in Westeros like her conqueror ancestor, Aegon I.

Daenerys allies herself with Jon Snow, King in the North, and together they defeat The Night King and Cersei. With her enemies all destroyed, Daenerys is the presumptive queen, but her campaign to rule the Seven Kingdoms has turned her cruel and Daenerys burned King's Landing in retribution. Unable to let Daenerys take her place on the Iron Throne, Jon stabs and kills her in the Game of Thrones finale.

9 Mance Rayder

Played By Ciaran Hinds

Not every king or queen in Game of Thrones is interested in the Iron Throne. Mance Rayder, for instance, is a former member of the Night's Watch who deserts the order to live among the Wildlings north of The Wall. In response to the growing threat of White Walkers, he manages the impossible and unites the different Wildling clans, leading them south and earning himself the title, King-Beyond-The-Wall.

Unlike most, Mance's title as king is bestowed on him out of respect rather than tradition, giving him perhaps the strongest claim of any to rule over his chosen people. In Game of Thrones' season 4 finale, though, Mance is captured when Stannis' army arrives at The Wall, and in the Game of Thrones season 5 premiere, he is set to be burned at the stake. Instead, Mance is killed by Jon Snow who takes pity on his suffering and shoots him through the heart with an arrow.

8 Balon Greyjoy

Played By Patrick Malahide

The Seven Kingdoms comprised seven different regions in Westeros that were ruled as separate, sovereign kingdoms until the Targaryens invaded and united them all under a single ruler. One of these earlier kingdoms is the Iron Islands, which once ruled over their own islands as well as much of the Riverlands. Following the death of Robert in Game of Thrones season 1, Balon declares himself king as head of the Iron Islands (for the second time).

Balon declaring himself king of the Iron Islands was strategic, as he hopes to use the ensuing chaos to break away from the Seven Kingdoms and rule from the Salt Throne. Balon manages to rule as King of the Iron Islands for five years and claim some territory in the North, though all of these gains are eventually lost. In Game of Thrones season 6, Balon is killed by his younger brother, Euron Greyjoy, who returns home to claim the Salt Throne for himself.

7 Euron Greyjoy

Played By Pilou Asbæk

Only arriving on the scene in Game of Thrones season 6, Euron had previously been living in exile following his older brother Balon's first rebellion against the crown. When he returns, Euron kills his brother but cannot simply declare himself the next King of the Iron Islands because doing so goes against Ironborn tradition. On the Iron Islands, the right to rule must be won in the Kingsmoot — a ceremony in which claimants to the Salt Throne present their case, and it's left to the assembled Ironborn to choose their king.

The Kingsmoot ultimately picks Euron as king, and he rules the Iron Islands for two years, but he spends most of that time chasing after his niece and nephew and entering a poorly thought-out alliance with Cersei. Euron dies in the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones season 8 when he is killed by Jaime during a brawl.

6 Yara Greyjoy

Played By Gemma Whelan

In the event of his death, Balon had hoped for his daughter, Yara, to be a queen, but such wishes go against Ironborn tradition. Instead, Yara makes an effort to win the crown via the Kingsmoot, but her uncle Euron proves too convincing and wins the crown instead. Yara and Theon must then flee or be killed. They sail to Meereen where they seek out Daenerys and the two desperate queens form an alliance.

Yara is able to retake the Iron Islands in Game of Thrones season 8. Following the death of Euron and Theon, her claim as Queen of the Iron Islands is undisputed. However, Yara chooses to remain loyal to the Seven Kingdoms and gives up her crown, settling for the title of Lady of the Iron Islands and taking part in the election of Bran as king.

5 Robb Stark

Played By Richard Madden

The North's involvement in the War of the Five Kings begins with Robb declaring war on the Lannisters following the arrest and execution of his father, Ned. While on the march south, the northern bannermen swear fealty to Robb and crown him King of the North during season 1's finale. This action transforms Robb's campaign from winning justice for his father into one of northern succession.

The North no longer recognizes Joffrey as their king, and they wish to become an independent kingdom ruled by the Starks as they had been prior to the Targaryens' conquering. Though Robb wins every battle, his reign as king ends when he is killed at the Red Wedding, betrayed by Walder Frey and murdered by Roose Bolton.

4 Sansa Stark

Played By Sophie Turner

For much of Game of Thrones, Sansa is merely a pawn in the plans of more powerful people. During season 6, though, she reunites with Jon Snow, and together, they defeat Ramsey Bolton and win back Winterfell. Once again in her ancestral home, Sansa takes on the role of Lady of Winterfell while the northern bannermen declare Jon their new King in the North. But when Daenerys arrives in Westeros, Jon chooses to swear fealty to her, upsetting a great many of the northern lords — including Sansa.

Instead, the northern lords choose Sansa – Ned's oldest living child and the only Stark remaining at Winterfell — to be crowned Queen in the North in Game of Thrones season 8's finale, and the show ends with her ruling over the newly independent kingdom.

3 Bran Stark

Played By Isaac Hempstead Wright

After Jon kills Daenerys and renounces his claim, there is no clear heir to the Iron Throne. In fact, there's no longer an Iron Throne. With the lords of Westeros assembled to decide the fates of Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister, a proposal is put forward by Tyrion that this council should choose a new king in Game of Thrones.

Following some deliberation, Tyrion gives a passionate speech for Bran Stark to be crowned king, arguing that he'd be a just king seeing as he's also the Three Eyed-Raven and holds all the world's memories. The council agrees, and in the first election of its kind, Westeros elects Bran the Broken as King of the (newly formed) Six Kingdoms.

2 The Night King

Played By Vladimir Furdik

The supernatural threat facing every king and kingdom in Westeros is the White Walkers, led by the frightening Night King in Game of Thrones. Season 6 reveals that the Night King was originally human — one of the First Men who inhabited Westeros — until he was transformed by the Children into the very first White Walker. The White Walkers were created to defeat the invading First Men, but The Children could not control their own creation.

The Night King waged war on Westeros, blanketing the continent in darkness during an age known as The Long Night. The Night King's army was eventually driven north by the First Men and The Children, and The Wall was built to keep them from invading again. During Game of Thrones season 8, the Night King successfully breaches The Wall and leads his forces south. A great battle ensues at Winterfell between the armies of the living and the dead, during which the Night King is destroyed by Arya Stark using a Valyrian steel dagger, ending his reign of terror.

1 Jon Snow

Played By Kit Harrington

Though he begins Games of Thrones as the bastard son of Ned Stark, it is ultimately revealed that Jon Snow is actually the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. As such, Jon — whose real name is Aegon — is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, supplanting the claim of even his aunt, Daenerys. Of course, though he begrudgingly accepts the title of King in the North from the Northern lords, Jon's not interested in becoming king.

He fights to place Daenerys on the throne instead, but upon witnessing how ruthless she's become, he kills her for the good of the realm and all those she hoped to conquer. Jon is arrested for regicide, but rather than being executed, the newly crowned Bran the Broken sends him to The Wall to again take the black and join the Night's Watch.

Who Is On The Iron Throne In House Of The Dragon?

House of the Dragon is set 200 years before Game of Thrones, 129 years after the Targaryens first conquered Westeros), and when it starts, King Viserys I occupies the Iron Throne — but that's set to change as events play out. Portrayed by Paddy Considine, the first Viserys Targaryen is very different from Daenerys' brother, Viserys III, in Game of Thrones. He is an old and respected leader, and he commands as much loyalty as a King can in the Seven Kingdoms.

House of the Dragon starts towards the end of his rule though, and before the first season finishes, he dies. This leaves a power vacuum that leads to the Targaryen Civil War, also known as the War of Greens and Blacks, or the Dance of Dragons. His brother Daemon (Matt Smith) also briefly took the title of King of the Stepstone Islands in House of the Dragon episode 4, "King of the Narrow Sea."

This shows that even early on in Westerosi history, when the Targaryens were at the height of their power centuries prior to Game of Thrones, the authority that comes with the title of King or Queen in Game of Thrones wasn't universally recognized.

Who Succeeds Viserys In The Books?

House of the Dragon saw King Viserys' death towards the final episode of season 1. Alicent falsely believed that he said he wanted Aegon on the throne shortly before his passing, and so she and her father had him crowned while Rhaenyra was in Dragonstone. What will come in season 2 will be the beginnings of the Targaryen civil war, known as the "Dance of the Dragons" as Rhaenyra attempts to be the next true Queen.

In the books, there's already a winner, and that's Aegon III. In the end, Aegon II has Rhaenyra burned and eaten by his dragon Sunfyre. However, Cregan Stark and his forces from the north poison Aegon II, leading to Aegon III (Rhaenyra and Daemon's son) taking the Iron Throne. All of that being said, House of the Dragon has already made changes to Targaryen history. Though it sticks close enough to the books, certain elements have been changed for dramatic impact, such as Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship, as well as some name changes and missing offspring.

For those not well-versed in Fire & Blood, these changes are wholly accepted by audiences, as the history of Westeros is unfolding before them in the context that showrunners have created. Therefore, it's very possible that the final events of the Dance of the Dragons could be changed. It's highly possible that they could make Rhaenyra the next queen in Game of Thrones' universe, which would make sense to have Aegon III succeed her.

While many die in the Dance of Dragons, humans and dragons alike, Rhaenyra and Aegon II are both left standing to the very end. It's unknown if House of the Dragon will change the outcome of Fire & Blood, if not, then Aegon III will be the next king in Game of Thrones' already long roster.

Who Precedes Viserys In The Books?

Though House of the Dragon is set more than 1000 years before the events of Game of Thrones, there is still a lot of Westeros history that precedes it. This includes the kings who sat on the Iron Throne before Viserys which all started with the first, Aegon I Targaryen also known as Aegon the Conqueror. After conquering all of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and uniting them under his rule, Aegon created the Iron Throne out of the blades of his enemies. Aegon held the throne for over 30 years before dying of natural causes.

Following Aegon I's death, the throne passed to his eldest son Aenys I Targaryen. Aenys' reign was short-lived, only five years, as he contended with frequent rebellions. After marrying his son and daughter to each other, he ignited a rebellion by the Faith of the Seven which drove him to fee King's Landing for Dragonstone where he died.

Aenys' brother Maegor I Targaryen then took the throne and dealt with the rebellion of the Faith of the Seven in a way that earned him the name Maegor the Cruel. He also built the Red Keep with secret passageways and had the builders killed to avoid the secrets getting out.

Maegor ruled for six years before dying on the throne under suspicious circumstances. He was followed by Aenys' youngest son Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Jaehaerys had a much more successful reign than his father and uncle, holding the throne for 45 years and becoming known as Jaehaerys the Conciliator, credited with truly uniting the Seven Kingdoms into one functioning realm. When Jaehaerys' first choice of heir, Baelon Targaryen, died, he had his council choose a new heir with Viserys being named, thus bringing about the beginning of House of the Dragon's storyline.

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  Game Of Thrones

  Release Date:

  2011-04-11

  Cast:

  Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Richard Madden, Michelle Fairley, Kit Harington, Maisie Williams, Alfie Allen, Peter Dinklage

  Writers:

  D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff

  Genres:

  Drama, Action, Adventure

  Seasons:

  8

  Story By:

  George R.R. Martin

  Streaming Service(s):

  HBO Max

  Directors:

  David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff

  Showrunner:

  David Benioff, D.B. Weiss

  Franchise(s):

  Game of Thrones