HBO's House of the Dragon has repeatedly shown that it is a worthy successor to Game of Thrones. Like its predecessor, it dives deep into the world of politics, showing how desire and human frailty can bring an otherwise strong realm to its knees.

A key player in all of those is Viserys Targaryen, who is played by Paddy Considine. When he made his appearance in the first episode, it became obvious that Considine was going to be able to uniquely capture the mannerisms of this most contradictory of Targaryen monarchs, and this has shown to be true in every episode of the series.

His Love For Rhaenyra

Viserys and Rhaenyra talking in the skull room on House fo the Dragon

Though he might not be the best king the realm has ever seen, Viserys Targaryen is still someone who loves his daughter Rhaenyra and is determined to make her into a fitting heir to the Iron Throne. Considine’s skill as an actor allows him to convey this particular element of Viserys’ personality.

The way he looks at his on-screen daughter shows that he really does love her, even as he is also very frustrated by her unwillingness (or inability) to modify her behavior. Like many parents, he feels mingled affection and anger, and Considine repeatedly conveys this duality.

His Loyalty To Daemon

Viserys and Daemon Targaryen standing in front of the Iron Throne on House of the Dragon

Daemon is one of Matt Smith’s best roles, and he brings out the bratty element of the younger Targaryen brother. For his part, Considine also shows the viewer just how loyal Viserys is to his brother. At the same time, he also demonstrates how angry the king often gets, particularly when faced with his brother’s increasingly dangerous and disruptive behavior.

It’s to Considine’s considerable credit that he manages to not let either element completely overwhelm the other. Even when Daemon is truly livid, underneath it all, he still feels loyal to Daemon.

His Jollity

Alicent, Aegon, and Viserys Targaryen in HOTD

One of the most notable aspects of Viserys’ personality in Fire and Blood is his jolly nature. He is the type of person that it was very easy for both his subjects and his courtiers to like. Time and again, Considine brings out this element of Viserys’ personality.

Whenever someone in his court encounters him, he has a smile for them. This has an impact on the viewer just as much as it does on the character in the show. As a result, Viserys becomes one of the series’ most likable characters, even if some of his choices are a little questionable.

His Hatred Of Conflict

Viserys wearing his crown in the Throne room in House of the Dragon.

Part of what makes characters in the world of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon rank highly in terms of likability is how much they try to avoid conflict. Anyone who knows the lore of the Seven Kingdoms knows that one of Viserys’ key mannerisms is his fervent desire to avoid conflict of any kind.

Time and again in the series, this is something that Considine conveys. His Viserys is someone who is desperate to keep conflict from breaking out, even as this desire sometimes leads him to make some very politically foolish decisions.

His Occasional Rage

King Viserys standing in front of the Iron Throne while sending his brother Daemon away in House of the Dragon

Though he was often a very kind-hearted and jovial person, the book version of Viserys could become quite angry at times. This was most notable when he reacted in fury to Daemon’s jape about his short-lived son. Paddy Considine manages to nail this particular scene.

Everything about his characterization is true to the sequence as it unfolds in the book, and everything about Viserys’ body language–including his face–demonstrates that he is in one of his famous rages. Though Daemon is bold, it’s a reminder to the viewer that there truly is a dragon beneath the king’s normally placid exterior.

His (Occasional) Decisiveness

Paddy Considine as King Viserys on House of the Dragon

Part of what makes Game of Thrones such a great fantasy series is its ability to bring out the complexity of its characters. Even Viserys, for all of his ability to vacillate, can occasionally be decisive. When, for example, he decides that Rhaenyra shall be the one to succeed him, Considine makes it evident that nothing will change his mind.

This is a key moment for the character, and it’s to the actor’s credit that he allows both the viewer and the characters to understand what a major development it is for Viserys to take this particular action.

His Health Trouble

Did Viserys have a disease, sickness, condition, affliction, illness, infection in the book?

In the novel, Viserys is plagued with a variety of health conditions, particularly later in his reign. Paddy Considine makes the most out of the changes the series makes to this storyline, as he has been wounded by the Iron Throne itself.

Like his book counterpart, there are times when his bodily infirmities seem almost too much for the poor king. It’s for this reason that it’s very easy for the viewer to sympathize with the toll that being a king has taken on him, both in terms of body and soul.

His Largesse

Jason Lannister talking to Rhaenyra Targaryen on House of the Dragon

In Fire and Blood, one of the most notable things about King Viserys is his willingness to create a lavish court, one where it is easy to have fun. This is something that Paddy Considine demonstrates in the episode in which the court goes on a major hunting expedition.

Considine allows the viewer to see how much the monarch wants to provide the court with something to enjoy, even in the midst of the uncertainty provoked by competing heirs in the forms of Rhaenyra and Aegon. For a man like Considine’s Viserys, the appearance of stability means more than actual stability.

His Desperation For A Son

King Viserys and Prince Aegon Targaryen Toddler

Given the fraught politics of Westeros, it makes sense that Viserys would yearn for a son. This is something that becomes very clear in the text of Fire and Blood, and it is also an element of the character that Considine repeatedly brings out in the first episode.

His relationship with Aemma is both deeply poignant and deeply disturbing, particularly once Viserys makes the decision to sacrifice her life for an heir who doesn’t live very long. More than anything else, Considine manages to capture the essence of Viserys: a tragic man, one who is undone by his own supposed virtues.

His Desire To Create A Stable Realm

House of the Dragon Small Council

Given the way that the various powerful houses of Westeros are willing to do almost anything for power, it makes sense that Viserys would be especially concerned with making sure that the realm is stable even when he is no longer around to wield power.

In each episode, Considine makes it clear just how much Viserys yearns to keep conflict from breaking out. Whether it’s during a meeting of the small council or elsewhere, his vexed facial expressions reveal the king’s essential desires. And, as each effort fails, the actor also illustrates how much of a toll this takes on him.

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