Portrayed by Paddy Considine

Current Status: Deceased

Age: approx 60 (in his final season)

Date of Birth: 63-72 AC

Origin: King's Landing

Episode Appearances: 9

First Seen: ‘The Heirs of the Dragon’

Last Seen: ‘The Green Council’

BACKGROUND

King Viserys I Targaryen is the fifth king of the Targaryen dynasty to rule the Seven Kingdoms. He briefly rode Balerion the Black Dread in his youth before the dragon's death of old age. Viserys is the grandson of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and he immediately succeeded his grandfather as king because Jaehaerys ruled for so long that his children predeceased him. Viserys inherited the realm after an unprecedented fifty years of peace and prosperity under his grandfather, a golden age that Viserys strives not to disrupt. He is an amiable and peaceful king who is opposed to dealing with conflict, though Viserys is also decisive and unwavering in his convictions.

All is not stable within his house, however, as Viserys' first cousin Rhaenys Targaryen contested their grandfather's succession. Rhaenys was the only child of Jaehaerys's first son, while Viserys was the eldest son of Jaehaerys's second son, but the relatively young dynasty did not have firmly established succession laws. To address the issue, all the lords of gathered in the Great Council of 101 AC: Viserys won the final vote by a wide margin, and Rhaenys grudgingly accepted the result. Nonetheless, this left a major rift between Viserys' royal court and House Velaryon, led by Rhaenys' husband Corlys Velaryon, admiral of the royal fleets and the wealthiest man in Westeros. King Jaehaerys died and was succeeded by Viserys in 103 AC.

Viserys has yet to produce a male heir with his beloved wife, Queen Aemma Arryn. Their only living child is Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, but according to the precedent set by the Great Council, Viserys' heir should be his closest male relative - his younger brother Daemon Targaryen. Yet the lords of Westeros and even Viserys himself consider Daemon too wild and hot-headed to ever be a suitable heir to the throne. The question of Viserys' succession leads to factions forming in the realm as ambitious lords compete for his favor, particularly the Velaryons trying to regain the throne they see as rightfully theirs, and House Hightower - the powerful family of Viserys' Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower.