Viserys III Targaryen

Prince Viserys Targaryen, is the heir of his father, King Aerys II Targaryen, following the death of his older brother, Prince Rhaegar, during Robert's Rebellion.The war turned Viserys and his younger sister, Daenerys, Princess of Dragonstone, into exiles from the Seven Kingdoms who can only plot to regain control of the Iron Throne.

He styles himself as "Viserys of the House Targaryen, the Third of his Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm", as he had been declared king on Dragonstone after his father's death. In the Free Cities, Viserys was mockingly dubbed the "Beggar King", a name which spread towards the Seven Kingdoms.

In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, Viserys is portrayed by Harry Lloyd.

Viserys possesses the classical Valyrian features: he has pale skin, silver-blond hair, and pale lilac eyes. He had been a small, robust, and healthy child, but in his early twenties, after more than a decade of living in exile, Viserys had become a gaunt young man with hard lines in his face and a feverish look in his eyes. He prefers to dress in silks and wool, keeps a sachet in the sleeve of his tunic to sniff, and wears a borrowed sword to look more "kingly". He was not as tall as his older brother Rhaegar had been.

Viserys is considered to be a cruel, weak, frightened, impatient, vain, greedy, stupid and foolish man. He is violent and abusive with many, including his sister Daenerys, whom he blames for their mother's death. The fifteen years Viserys spent in exile were hard on him. He kept lusting after his father'sthrone, and became obsessed with winning back the Seven Kingdoms. He became an angry and bitter man, and when he was forced to sell his mother'scrown, the last joy had gone from him, leaving only rage. His sister Daenerys considers his anger, which Viserys himself called "waking the dragon", to be "a terrible thing when roused". Daenerys believes that Viserys has been driven mad by his exile and the status of beggar it eventually gave him. However, according to Barristan Selmy, Viserys already often seemed to show signs of madness as a young child, like his father had.

Viserys loves to talk about dragons, and has a hatred for horse meat and fermented mare's milk.

he stands as a stark representation of a legacy gone awry. Clad often in flamboyant silks, there is a sense of decaying nobility about him, an air of a once-mighty dynasty now marred by desperation and downfall.

From the very beginning, Viserys’s fixation on reclaiming the Iron Throne, which he believes is his birthright, is evident. He perceives himself as the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms and is consumed by a sense of entitlement. Yet, as the series progresses, it becomes increasingly apparent that his claims to royalty are less about a sincere desire to rule and more about the power, prestige, and adulation he thinks he deserves. There's a tragic undertone to Viserys's tale: a young man, orphaned and displaced, clinging to the grand stories of his house's glory days, unable to move past the shimmering allure of what was lost.

Viserys’s interactions with his younger sister, Daenerys, underscore his deep-seated flaws. He claims to care for her, but repeatedly uses her as a pawn to further his ambitions. His willingness to sell her into a marriage with Khal Drogo, a powerful Dothraki warlord, purely for the promise of an army, lays bare his callousness. His treatment of Daenerys is marked by manipulation, emotional abuse, and at times, physical cruelty. It's through this prism of his distorted love and obsession with power that we understand just how far Viserys has strayed from the honor often associated with House Targaryen.

As Daenerys begins to find her place among the Dothraki and grow into her own power, Viserys’s inability to adapt becomes glaringly evident. He fails to understand or respect the Dothraki culture, stubbornly clinging to his perceived superiority as a Westerosi and a Targaryen. This cultural arrogance, combined with his short temper, leads to frequent clashes. Instead of winning allies, Viserys only deepens the chasm between himself and those who might have aided his cause.

His downfall is a culmination of his pride, impatience, and his lack of foresight. In a tragic twist of irony, his incessant demand for a golden crown is met in the most harrowing way, serving as a poetic end for a character who remained tragically blinded by his own ambition. As molten gold is poured over his head, sealing his fate, it's a poignant reflection on the dangers of unchecked desire and a haunting cautionary tale about the pitfalls of pride.

One of the most pronounced facets of Viserys's personality is his unshakable belief in his own entitlement. He firmly believes that the Iron Throne is his by birthright and that he is deserving of the respect, power, and loyalty that comes with it, regardless of his actions or behavior.

Hand in hand with his sense of entitlement is a pervasive delusion. His understanding of Westeros, the power dynamics at play, and even his family's own history seems distorted by wishful thinking and half-remembered tales of Targaryen greatness. This results in him making decisions that are not grounded in the reality of his situation.

Viserys often acts on whims, without thorough planning or consideration of the consequences. This impulsivity is particularly evident in his interactions with the Dothraki, where he fails to grasp the intricacies of their culture and consistently makes brash decisions that put both him and Daenerys in danger.

Beneath his bravado and grand proclamations, Viserys exhibits deep-seated insecurity. Having been ousted from his homeland and living in exile, he constantly seeks validation of his royal status. This insecurity also manifests in his jealousy towards Daenerys as she starts gaining respect and admiration, something he so desperately craves.

Especially towards Daenerys, Viserys can be manipulative, emotionally abusive, and at times, downright cruel. He sees her not as a sister to love and protect, but as a bargaining chip to achieve his goals.

Coupled with his entitlement and delusion is an overbearing arrogance. He often looks down on others, especially the Dothraki, viewing them as savages and beneath him, despite their obvious strength and numbers.

Rather than strategizing for the long-term, Viserys is often focused on immediate gains. This lack of foresight and inability to play the long game continually places him at a disadvantage.

His sarcasm often stems from a place of perceived superiority. By belittling and mocking others, especially those he considers beneath him, he attempts to elevate himself. This is evident in his interactions with the Dothraki. Despite being in a vulnerable position, he frequently mocks their customs and ways of life, emphasizing his view of himself as a sophisticated Westerosi royal among "savages."

When confronted with his inadequacies or the bleak reality of his situation, Viserys often resorts to sarcastic remarks. It's a way for him to deflect criticism and mask his own insecurities.

Viserys uses sarcasm laced with cruelty to manipulate and belittle Daenerys. By doing so, he aims to keep her subservient and remind her of her "place" in his grand plan. This is particularly evident when he sarcastically praises her for fulfilling her "duties" to him, which are often against her own wishes.

When the world doesn't align with his grandiose expectations, Viserys’s sarcasm comes forth. Whether it's mocking the gifts he receives (which are not up to his royal standards) or belittling the challenges ahead, sarcasm becomes his w