Aegon III Targaryen

Aegon III Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Younger, and later as Aegon the Unlucky, Aegon the Unhappy, the Broken King, and most famously as Aegon the Dragonbane, was the seventh Targaryen king to sit the Iron Throne.[11] He succeeded his uncle, Aegon II Targaryen, at the conclusion of the Dance of the Dragons, which saw the victorious supporters of his late mother Rhaenyra Targaryen install him on the throne.

When he was a child, his dragon was Stormcloud.[12] Aegon kept the kingdoms united following the divisions of the civil war with the aid of his brother, Prince Viserys, whom he eventually named Hand of the King.[5]

Aegon was a handsome boy[13] with dark purple eyes which looked almost black, and silver hair which was so pale that it was almost white.[14][7] He was lean of face and body.[13] By the age of ten, Aegon was considered tall for his age.[7] According to a semi-canon source, Aegon wore a short beard.[15]

Aegon dressed simply, and in black (always, according to Maester Yandel,[5]most oft according to Archmaester Gyldayn).[7] Under his velvets and satins, he would wear a hair shirt.[7] He wore a circlet of yellow gold, simple and unadorned.[13] Aegon was a joyless man,[7] severely marked by his experiences during the Dance of the Dragons. Mushroom's accounts state that Aegon seldom smiled and laughed even less, even as a boy. According to the dwarf, Aegon could be graceful and courtly when it was required, but at the same time had a darkness within him that never went away.[7] The guilt he felt over having abandoned his younger brother Viserys when their ships were attacked during the Dance of the Dragons, caused him to become somber.[16] Grand Maester Munkuncalled Aegon "broken" after having lost his brothers and having watched his mother being eaten by his uncle's dragon, and described him as "dead inside";[13] Aegon showed little interest in women, did not ride (except for travel), hawk, hunt, or joust, nor attended tourneys. He did not enjoy reading, dancing, or singing, and was not interested in wine or food, so much so that he often had to be reminded to eat.[7][13] Similarly, he had little interest in swordplay or the arts of war.[17] Aegon rarely displayed emotions, although the mere mention of dragons would send him into a rage,[13] nor was he willing to go near one.[7][18] Although clever, he was an overall silent person, who never started a conversation, and answered questions as curtly as possible.[13] He was regarded as solemn,[13] dour, and gloomy.[17] He spoke little, and often retreated into silence, solitude, and a brooding passivity.[17]

Aegon had few friends, and during the early years of his reign seldom slept a full night.[13][17]He rarely left the Red Keep after his coronation.[13] Following his second marriage, Aegon's gloom was lifted for a short while.[18] Although some joy returned to Aegon following the return of his brother Viserys,[18] he would always remain a melancholy man who found pleasure in almost nothing, who disliked being touched, and who would retreat to his chambers for days on end, brooding alone.[5]

Aegon III inherited a fractured realm and a legacy of loss. The scars of war ran deep, and the young king faced the daunting task of rebuilding and healing a realm in turmoil. His reign was characterized by a somber and melancholic nature, shaped by the traumatic experiences he endured during the Dance of the Dragons. Throughout his reign, Aegon III's aversion to dragons remained evident, and he took little interest in preserving the last remaining dragons in Westeros. As a result, by the time of his death, the last dragon perished, leading to the extinction of the once-mighty dragons of House Targaryen.

Throughout his rule, Aegon III displayed a preference for solitude and brooding over the responsibilities of the throne. His distant demeanor and lack of a strong presence made him a somewhat controversial figure among the lords and smallfolk alike. Many saw him as weak-willed and easily influenced by those around him. However, his melancholic nature and silent determination hinted at a depth of character and inner strength.

In summary, Aegon III Targaryen was a complex and brooding character, haunted by the traumatic events of the Dance of the Dragons. His reign was characterized by grief, dragon-slaying, and a somber determination to rebuild a fractured kingdom. Despite his flaws and the challenges he faced, Aegon III left a lasting impact on Westeros, marking the end of the dragon-riding Targaryen era and setting the stage for further intrigue and upheaval in the realm.