Aegon I Targaryen, also known to history as Aegon the Conqueror, the Dragonlord of Dragonstone, and later as the First King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, stands as one of the most consequential figures in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. Revered, feared, and studied for generations, Aegon was not simply a conqueror; he was the founder of a new political reality, one forged in fire, bound in blood, and etched into the geography of Westeros. By unifying six of the seven kingdoms under his rule—through war, diplomacy, and the unmatched terror of dragons—Aegon reshaped the fate of a continent and established a dynasty that would rule for nearly three centuries. Yet Aegon himself remains in many ways an enigma. Though he burned kings alive, he rarely sought battle for its own sake. Though he ruled as an autocrat, he often delegated the intricacies of governance. Though a warlord, he chose a crown of simple Valyrian steel, not gold.
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| Aegon of House Targaryen, the First of His Name |
What Did Aegon I Targaryen Look Like and How Did He Behave?
Described by contemporaries as tall, broad-shouldered, and physically imposing, Aegon had the distinctive Valyrian features—silver-gold hair and penetrating purple eyes—that set him apart in the courts of Westeros. Yet where other Targaryens might wear their flamboyance openly, Aegon was austere. He kept his hair cut short, eschewed ornament, and wore black-scaled armor even in courtly environments. His signature weapon was Blackfyre, a Valyrian steel bastard sword whose dark sheen and razor edge matched the silent menace of its bearer.
Aegon’s personality was paradoxical. He was a solitary man who took no known lovers outside his marriages to his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys. He scorned tourneys and melees, preferring to ride Balerion the Black Dread only in matters of war or travel. Though he commanded absolute loyalty from his bannermen and small council, he was more observer than administrator, allowing his queens and advisors to handle day-to-day governance. And while he could be brutal—most infamously in the burning of Harrenhal—he was also merciful, offering leniency to those who bent the knee and honoring the laws and customs of conquered lands.
Where Was Aegon I Targaryen Born and What Was His Lineage?
Aegon was born in 27 BC on the island stronghold of Dragonstone, the Targaryen ancestral seat established after the Doom of Valyria. He was the son of Lord Aerion Targaryen and Lady Valaena Velaryon, making him one of the last surviving dragonlords of Valyrian descent. True to the incestuous customs of Old Valyria, Aegon married both of his sisters—Visenya, the elder, and Rhaenys, the younger. "He wed Visenya out of duty, Rhaenys out of desire," the maesters say. This dual marriage created an early political balance within the Targaryen household, with each queen embodying a different influence on the king—Visenya stern and martial, Rhaenys graceful and warm.
How Did Aegon Begin His Conquest of Westeros?
Though Aegon had flown over Westeros years earlier, visiting Oldtown, the Arbor, and perhaps Lannisport, it was only after spurning a marriage alliance with Storm King Argilac Durrandon that his conquest began in earnest. Argilac’s insult—sending Aegon’s envoy back with his hands chopped off—served as the casus belli. In response, Aegon summoned his bannermen and declared to every lord in Westeros his claim as the sole king of the continent.
He landed at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, establishing the Aegonfort on the site that would become King’s Landing. It was there, beneath the smoke of dragonfire and the oaths of newly-subjugated houses, that Aegon was crowned by his sisters and hailed as King of All Westeros.
What Were the Major Events of Aegon’s Conquest?
The Conquest unfolded in dramatic, coordinated strikes. Aegon moved northwest to challenge Harren the Black, whose colossal fortress Harrenhal was reduced to smoldering ruin by Balerion. Meanwhile, Rhaenys and Orys Baratheon defeated Argilac Durrandon at the Last Storm, while Visenya pressed into the Vale. After the climactic Field of Fire—where all three dragons incinerated the combined forces of the Reach and the Rock—King Loren Lannister submitted, and the Gardener line was extinguished.
When Torrhen Stark saw the fate of his southern peers, he chose diplomacy over death and became the last King in the North by bending the knee. Only Dorne resisted successfully, and though Rhaenys made the attempt, it would remain unconquered for the duration of Aegon's life.
By war’s end, Aegon had crowned new Lords Paramount in place of fallen kings, respecting regional customs while consolidating rule under the Iron Throne. He forged the infamous seat itself from the blades of his defeated foes—a jagged, uncomfortable throne to remind all who sat it that kingship was not meant to be easy.
What Was Aegon’s Style of Rule After the Wars?
Rather than settle in Oldtown or even Dragonstone, Aegon chose to build his capital on the site of his original landing. From King’s Landing, he reigned as a king who observed, delegated, and intervened only when necessary. The institutions we know from later books—the Small Council, the Hand of the King, the Faith’s uneasy peace with the crown—were pioneered under his watch.
Though not overtly pious, Aegon made careful political overtures to the Faith of the Seven. He built the Starry Sept, tolerated the customs of the Faith, and ensured the Faith Militant remained a tool, not a threat. His establishment of the King’s Peace created a legal framework for stability and defined the Iron Throne’s monopoly on sanctioned warfare.
What Role Did Aegon’s Queens Play?
Visenya and Rhaenys were not ornamental figures. Each wielded political and military power in her own right. Visenya, warrior-like and cold, carried the Valyrian blade Dark Sister and would later found the Kingsguard after a failed assassination attempt on Aegon. Rhaenys, elegant and beloved by the people, was the more politically engaging of the two and bore Aegon his first son, Aenys.
Rhaenys's death during the failed conquest of Dorne, when Meraxes was brought down by a scorpion bolt, deeply affected Aegon. In response, he unleashed what would be known as the Dragon’s Wroth—a campaign of brutal retribution marked by fire and death. Even so, Dorne never yielded.
Why Did Aegon End the War with Dorne?
Though vengeful in the immediate aftermath of Rhaenys’s death, Aegon eventually accepted the limits of force. When Princess Deria Martell of Dorne delivered the skull of Meraxes and a mysterious letter to King’s Landing, Aegon called off the war the very next day. The terms of that letter remain unknown, but the outcome was peace—an outcome Aegon would never violate again.
What Was Aegon’s Legacy After His Death?
Aegon ruled for 37 years. His last act was to instruct the construction of the Red Keep to replace the wooden Aegonfort, a task he left to Visenya. He died on Dragonstone in 37 AC, reportedly while recounting the tales of his Conquest to his grandsons. His body was cremated in Valyrian tradition, and Blackfyre, his sword, was briefly burned with him before being recovered by Maegor.
While his sons, Aenys and Maegor, would usher in eras of instability and bloodshed, Aegon’s reign became known to the maesters as the Dragon’s Peace—a fragile but unprecedented era of order. His memory persisted not only through the Targaryen line, but through the mythos of Westeros itself. His Iron Throne would become a symbol both of unity and tyranny. His name—Aegon—would echo across history, carried by kings and pretenders alike.
How Do the Books and Shows Treat Aegon I?
Though Aegon I does not appear directly in A Song of Ice and Fire or Game of Thrones, his legacy suffuses both works. His Conquest is recounted in The World of Ice & Fire and dramatized in House of the Dragon through ancestral memory and dynastic claims. Characters like Daenerys and Stannis invoke his name. His weapon, Blackfyre, becomes a dynastic icon. And the very concept of “breaking the wheel” is a philosophical echo of his vision: one realm, under one king, forged in dragonflame.
“When the sun sets, your line shall end.”
—Aegon, to Harren Hoare, before incinerating Harrenhal
In the end, Aegon the Conqueror was more than a man. He was a myth in the making, a lodestar for those who would build or break empires. He was fire made flesh—and it was through fire that he shaped the world.
Aegon I Targaryen's Raw Power
Aegon I Targaryen’s raw power places him in the upper echelons of fantasy rulers—not solely because of his personal martial skill, but because of his unique symbiosis with the black dread, Balerion, resulting in a rating of 8.0 out of 10. As a dragonlord of Valyria and wielder of the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre, Aegon commands an extraordinary combination of physical presence, magical magnitude (through draconic affinity), and unassailable combat effectiveness. He is not a god, not a reality-warping mage, nor a cosmic force—but within the scope of grounded mortal power augmented by primordial creatures, his potency is singular.
Strength
Though his legend is often defined by dragons and conquest, Aegon the Conqueror was physically imposing in his own right. Described as tall, broad-shouldered, and warlike in frame, he wore armor of black scales in battle and bore Blackfyre, a bastard sword forged of Valyrian steel, without complaint or impediment. Valyrian steel swords are not only rare but unusually heavy, and the fact that Aegon wielded one effectively in battle suggests exceptional physical capacity. That said, his feats of strength do not rise to the level of mythic heroism; he is no giant, titan, or berserker. His strength is grounded in the realm of peak human conditioning, perhaps enhanced slightly by draconic legacy. Within this subcategory, he ranks highly for a human but does not surpass truly supernatural figures.
Magical Ability
Aegon I does not cast spells, manipulate ley lines, or command magic in the conventional sense. However, his very bloodline is steeped in magic, and his claim to power is inextricable from his bond with Balerion. As a dragonlord of Valyria, Aegon had the capacity to communicate with and command dragons—creatures born of fire and magic, resistant to most conventional weapons, and capable of annihilating entire armies. The Valyrians were not mages in the traditional spellcasting sense, but their magical affinity was embedded in blood and bone. Aegon’s dominion over Balerion must be understood as an extension of this magical legacy. He never flaunted the overt use of magical rituals or abilities, but the power he wielded was fundamentally arcane. Still, compared to characters who can bend time, reality, or divine will, Aegon’s magical scope is narrow—immense in execution, but not diverse in expression.
Combat Prowess
Though not known for participating in tournaments or seeking out personal duels, Aegon was acknowledged by peers and enemies alike as one of the greatest warriors of his age. He slew Qhorin Volmark on Great Wyk during the pacification of the Iron Islands, and led multiple successful campaigns across vast regions of Westeros. His use of Blackfyre in battle reinforces a disciplined, lethal sword style, not showy but efficient. However, Aegon’s true combat supremacy lies in combined arms—the fusion of battlefield command with the annihilative might of Balerion. During the Field of Fire, the dragons under his command incinerated thousands in a matter of minutes. In this context, his combat prowess is not individualistic; it is fused with overwhelming tactical and elemental destruction. Still, because Balerion was the tool and not Aegon’s own body or skill alone, we scale this rating in proportion.
Aegon I Targaryen's Tactical Ability
Aegon I Targaryen’s tactical ability is one of the pillars of his enduring legend. Unlike characters whose dominance stems from brute force alone, Aegon fused overwhelming power with carefully constructed military and political strategies. His conquest of Westeros, unprecedented in both scale and longevity, reveals a mind attuned not just to battlefield victory, but to sustainable rule. This 8.5 score places him in the upper echelon of tacticians across fantasy universes—short of metaphysical warlords or reality-benders, but clearly among the greatest mortal conquerors.
Strategic Mind
Aegon’s strategic mind is perhaps best exemplified not by a single maneuver, but by the cohesion of his campaign. He did not conquer Westeros through indiscriminate fire, nor did he simply deploy dragons at will. He constructed a vision of unity before lifting his sword. His creation of the Painted Table—an unbordered map of Westeros in the shape of the land—reveals the core of his philosophy: the Seven Kingdoms should be one. Before setting foot on the mainland, he selected an initial landing zone at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, geographically central, defensible by sea, and proximate to multiple kingdoms. The site would later evolve into King’s Landing.
He consistently avoided unnecessary battles. At Harrenhal, he leveraged Balerion not just as a weapon, but as a psychological instrument, ending the line of House Hoare with a single conflagration. When Torrhen Stark marched south with a vast army, Aegon did not engage immediately; he allowed his legend to reach the North first. Torrhen yielded without bloodshed. At Oldtown, he let diplomacy—backed by unmistakable threat—achieve submission. These decisions reflect a strategic mind that understood not only how to win, but when not to fight.
Resourcefulness
Despite wielding dragons, Aegon did not rely solely on overwhelming power. He consistently adapted to setbacks. When Rhaenys was killed and Meraxes lost during the First Dornish War, Aegon did not collapse into blind vengeance—though he did unleash the Dragon’s Wroth. He ultimately accepted a peace offered by Dorne, recognizing that occupation was untenable. That realism in the face of emotion—pivoting from incineration to treaty—is a hallmark of resourceful leadership.
Similarly, his early campaign against the Storm King Argilac demonstrated creative problem-solving. Rather than accepting Argilac’s marriage alliance, Aegon deflected the insult by offering Orys Baratheon, consolidating power in a trusted lieutenant while provoking war on terms of his choosing. Even in the Iron Islands, a region culturally resistant to Targaryen rule, Aegon permitted the ironborn to elect their own Lord Paramount, preserving peace while claiming fealty.
Resource Arsenal
While other commanders rely on massed troops or noble alliances, Aegon wielded the apex tool of his era: dragons. Yet the genius lies not in having dragons, but in how he integrated them into a comprehensive tactical structure. Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar were devastating, but Aegon ensured they were used sparingly and with maximum psychological impact. His network of loyal houses—Tully, Tyrell, Arryn, Stark—emerged from a deliberate policy of rewarding cooperation rather than demanding blind obedience. His small council, the forerunner to the institution that would govern Westeros for generations, drew from multiple regions and reflected a multilateral approach to control.
Even after the Conquest, Aegon maintained his advantage through diplomatic marriages, symbolic acts (like the forging of the Iron Throne), and localized governance that honored existing customs. His arsenal was not merely weapons or dragons—it was an understanding of power’s legitimacy. That sophistication in tool use, from steel to ceremony, marks him as tactically elite.
Aegon I Targaryen's Influence
Aegon I Targaryen’s influence radiated far beyond the battlefield, across generations and institutions, embedding itself into the very language of power in Westeros. Though the dragons secured victory, it was Aegon’s personal gravity—his ability to shape the will and perception of others—that solidified his legacy as more than a warlord. He was the unifier, not merely of kingdoms, but of rivalries, religions, and reluctant vassals. His influence was not absolute—no mortal’s ever is—but it was undeniably vast, and for a fantasy character grounded in realism rather than divinity or metaphysics, he ranks near the top, with a rating of 9.0 out of 10.
Persuasion
Aegon’s power to persuade did not rest in flowery speeches or charismatic flamboyance. He was sparse with his words and austere in temperament. Yet it was precisely this restraint—paired with the silent implication of annihilation—that made his declarations potent. His early message to the lords of Westeros was not merely a threat: “Those who bent the knee would keep their lands and titles. Those who took up arms would be destroyed.” The clarity of purpose in that ultimatum persuaded many to submit without a fight. His interaction with Torrhen Stark, who surrendered the North without a battle, speaks not only to the fear of dragons but to Aegon's ability to frame submission as honorable and wise, rather than shameful. Even his decision to treat the defeated lords with dignity and maintain their regional laws was a form of persuasive governance—recasting conquest as stability.
Reverence
Few characters in fantasy command reverence across as many strata of society as Aegon. He was viewed by maesters, warriors, nobles, and peasants alike as a figure of mythic gravitas. His image became synonymous with authority. The Valyrian steel circlet set with rubies, the forging of the Iron Throne from the swords of his enemies, the silent power of his presence—these were more than symbols; they were tools of reverence, cultivated with intent. The Faith of the Seven, which had reason to oppose his polygamy and foreign bloodline, ultimately anointed him as King of All Westeros, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegon’s command of dragons may have made him formidable, but it was the way he embodied rulership—his restraint, his poise, his discipline—that made people speak of him with reverence long after his death.
Willpower
Aegon’s will was unyielding, but never erratic. He resisted political pressure to remarry after Rhaenys’s death, despite the temptation of new alliances. He maintained balance between his sister-wives, never favoring one to the detriment of royal cohesion. Even as rebellions flared and the conquest of Dorne collapsed, Aegon never lost control of his vision. His restraint after Meraxes’s death—accepting peace through Princess Deria Martell’s letter rather than resuming war indefinitely—demonstrated the capacity to master his own rage. That act alone spared untold lives and preserved the fragile union of the realm. At a personal level, Aegon also resisted the temptations of vanity and luxury, eschewing tournaments, avoiding the trappings of excessive court ceremony, and continuing royal progresses to connect directly with his people. These choices reflect not only discipline, but sovereign will: the ability to act on principle over impulse.
Aegon I Targaryen's Resilience
Aegon I Targaryen, though primarily known as a conqueror and unifier, demonstrated remarkable resilience across multiple dimensions—physical, magical, and existential, with a rating of 7.5 out of 10. While he did not possess the unnatural durability or regenerative magic found in the most fantastical entities, Aegon's ability to endure warfare, political resistance, and personal loss—and emerge not only intact but strengthened—places him firmly in the upper echelons of fantasy figures defined by enduring force of will and stability. His resilience is not godlike, but it is deeply human and unrelenting. He weathered not only the demands of empire-building but the emotional and existential toll of it across nearly four decades of rule.
Physical Resistance
While Aegon was not renowned for supernatural invulnerability, he was nonetheless a hardened warrior. He wore battle armor made of black-scaled Valyrian steel, and though no sources detail him receiving grievous wounds in combat, his presence at numerous battles—Harrenhal, the Field of Fire, and the storming of the Iron Islands—makes clear that he was no stranger to danger. Surviving the Battle of Seven Stars against two opposing kings while mounted on Balerion implies that he was not only physically capable but tactically cautious. However, his lack of participation in melees or tourneys may indicate he was less interested in tests of personal endurance for their own sake. His physical resistance is respectable but not mythic.
Magical Resistance
There is no evidence that Aegon was directly subject to magical attacks, nor that he possessed innate magical defenses. His exposure to the arcane came through Valyrian heritage, dragons, and the forging of the Iron Throne, but not through direct magical combat or curses. He neither wielded spellcraft nor warded himself against it, suggesting that if faced with direct sorcery, his resilience would depend largely on circumstance or the intervention of others. He survived in a magical world, but his durability in that regard appears more symbolic than literal.
Longevity
Aegon lived to the age of sixty-three and ruled for thirty-seven years—a monumental achievement in Westeros, particularly during the volatile era following the Century of Blood. He outlasted every monarch he fought and established a dynasty that endured for centuries. Importantly, Aegon continued to conduct royal progresses well into his sixties, suggesting not just longevity but active physical and political engagement late in life. His capacity to maintain legitimacy over seven fractious kingdoms was not just a tactical feat—it was an existential triumph in a land hostile to centralized rule. While not immortal or reincarnating, Aegon’s survival was purposeful, continuous, and legacy-shaping. His return to Dragonstone to oversee the construction of the Red Keep, even in old age, signals a king who remained present and functional until the end.
Aegon I Targaryen's Versatility
Aegon I Targaryen’s versatility is a product not of breadth for its own sake, but of a deeply calibrated set of attributes and responses to a volatile, multivalent world. His skills were not polymathic—he was not a bard, alchemist, or trickster—but he displayed remarkable dexterity in adapting to military, political, and social circumstances that differed wildly from one another. While his legacy is dominated by conquest and the terrifying image of Balerion the Black Dread, Aegon’s deeper versatility came from knowing when not to burn, when to delegate, and when to retreat. Though limited in supernatural toolkit diversity, Aegon’s political, symbolic, and tactical adaptiveness ensures a solid placement within the upper-middle tier of fantasy characters assessed solely on this category. We give Aegon a final versatility ranking of 7.5 out of 10.
Adaptability
Aegon’s conquests demanded a level of rapid situational adjustment. He did not impose a monolithic rule over the Seven Kingdoms but instead retained the native laws and customs of each region—a policy that required him to learn the distinct histories and power structures of the North, the Vale, the Reach, and others. His ability to move from fire and blood to diplomacy and integration was perhaps his most enduring adaptive trait. He chose King's Landing—a previously insignificant fishing village—as the seat of power rather than the more established cities of Oldtown or Dragonstone, recognizing the symbolic and logistical benefits of its central location. Even in military setbacks, such as the drawn-out Dornish campaign, Aegon shifted from outright conquest to negotiated peace, demonstrating flexibility rare among conquering warlords. These choices illustrate high-context adaptability rather than improvisation for its own sake.
Luck
There is a tension when rating luck, as one must distinguish between divine fortune and the effects of preparation meeting opportunity. That said, Aegon’s campaign benefited from numerous favorable developments outside of his direct control. The key players in the Seven Kingdoms were fractured at the time of his invasion, with no unifying threat on the horizon besides him. The Storm King’s insult gave Aegon pretext and moral clarity. His first major battle at Harrenhal ended in a spectacular show of force that decapitated the Ironborn threat in one stroke. Even Balerion himself—an ancient, nearly unrivaled dragon—was bonded to Aegon without recorded incident. However, his failure to conquer Dorne, the death of Rhaenys, and the complications that followed in succession suggest his good fortune was not universal.
Shaved Knuckle in the Hole
Aegon’s greatest hidden asset, or “shaved knuckle in the hole,” was not a secret spell, mystical blade, or arcane relic. It was his persistent deferral of glory to others. He let his sisters conquer independently, allowed Edmyn Tully and Torrhen Stark to maintain their titles, and elevated Harlan Tyrell instead of asserting personal control over the Reach. While this may not seem like a power in the traditional sense, it consistently enabled Aegon to circumvent resistance and create enduring loyalty. His greatest sleight of hand may have been the very idea of unity: by refusing to delineate borders on the Painted Table, he conjured an empire not by overwhelming every inch with force, but by presenting the illusion of inevitability. This abstract tool—vision turned policy—was a concealed weapon as potent as any flame.
Aegon I Targaryen's Alignment
Aegon I Targaryen, known to history as Aegon the Conqueror, is a Valyrian dragonlord and the founder of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros. By race, Aegon belongs to the Valyrians, a distinct ethnocultural group of dragonriders and sorcerers hailing from the now-destroyed Valyria. Although he was born at Dragonstone—well after the Doom—Aegon represented the final, concentrated legacy of Valyrian blood, customs, and power. There is no canon indication of further subracial classifications within the Valyrians, but the Targaryens’ unusually high tolerance for inbreeding and their closeness to dragons are often considered unique even within Valyrian lineage.
Factionally, Aegon is the undisputed founder of House Targaryen’s imperial identity, which makes his primary affiliation the unified monarchy of the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule. However, in practice, Aegon operated as the head of multiple nested factions: the royal family, the nascent institution of the Iron Throne, and the trio of dragonriders that included his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys. At times, his political alliances extended into distinct local domains—for example, House Tully in the Riverlands, House Tyrell in the Reach, and House Greyjoy in the Iron Islands—all of whom he elevated to positions of regional authority. These factions did not originate with Aegon, but his ability to co-opt them into his unified state was central to his legacy.
When assessing alignment across classical fantasy moral parameters, Aegon’s case is surprisingly complex but settles most clearly into Lawful Neutral.
From a lawfulness standpoint, Aegon was rigid in his insistence on hierarchy, structure, and legitimacy. Though he was a foreign conqueror, he did not destroy the institutions he overtook—he absorbed and reframed them. He allowed regional lords to retain their laws, customs, and even their punitive powers, such as the “first night” and local justice systems, rather than impose a single Targaryen code of law. He also established institutions like the small council and the Hand of the King, paving the way for long-term bureaucratic governance. He was never whimsical in his rulings. Where he was severe—burning Harrenhal, unleashing Balerion on Dorne—it was in response to insubordination rather than ideology. His sense of justice was procedural and self-reinforcing, not moralistic. Law came from order, not empathy.
On the good/evil axis, Aegon occupies the neutral center. While he brought about decades of peace and prosperity under the Targaryen banner, he did so through conquest and bloodshed, including the extinction of entire noble houses. His violence was never sadistic nor was it motivated by cruelty, but he also did little to alleviate systemic suffering beyond what was necessary to maintain stability. He was capable of mercy, as seen in his treatment of Torrhen Stark, and capable of brutality, as seen in the fiery destruction of Harrenhal and repeated punitive strikes during the Dornish campaign. His personal loyalties—to his wives, his dragons, and to Orys Baratheon—guided some of his decisions, but never in ways that disrupted the political order.
In sum, Aegon I Targaryen is best characterized as Lawful Neutral, a systemic thinker and ruler who built a dynasty not out of benevolence or malevolence, but out of discipline, efficiency, and ambition. His identity as a Valyrian dragonlord and Targaryen patriarch remains inseparable from his ethics: power should be wielded with structure, not passion. Pride and Prophecy keeps an updated character alignment matrix across all planes of existence.
Aegon I Targaryen's Trophy Case
Arena Results
Titles & Postseason Results
Halls of Legend Records
Overall Conclusion on Aegon I Targaryen and Position Across Planes of Existence
Aegon I Targaryen’s rating of 8.1 out of 10 places him firmly in the uppermost echelon of fantasy characters across universes—those who permanently shape the world around them through conquest, charisma, and command of rare, civilization-altering powers. While he does not quite reach the realm of reality-bending gods, unkillable lich-kings, or planet-cracking mages, Aegon stands as a paragon of what a mortal, even a supernatural one, can achieve through systemic domination, personal resolve, and mythic-scale assets—most notably, his dragon Balerion the Black Dread.
What holds him back from breaching the 9+ tier is not a lack of effectiveness, but rather the scope and modality of his power. Aegon did not exhibit significant magical ability in the traditional sense—no spellcasting, no direct manipulation of the elements, no known access to ancient rituals or necromancy. His power was more practical than arcane. His triumphs came from military supremacy and statecraft, not esoteric mastery of the metaphysical or divine. Even if we include his dragon Balerion as part of his Raw Power portfolio—as is correct, since he was bonded to and wielded Balerion like an extension of himself—his combat dominance was still geographically bounded to Westeros. Aegon was invincible in his setting, but not universally omnipotent.
That said, within the boundaries of his world, he was unstoppable. Aegon not only conquered six of seven kingdoms, but did so with precise coordination between air superiority, political diplomacy, and psychological warfare. The Field of Fire remains one of the clearest examples in fantasy literature of a single man using a weapon of mass destruction (in this case, three dragons) to shift the outcome of a multi-pronged civilizational war. The psychological impact of Balerion, the visual symbolism of the Iron Throne, and the strategic use of limited violence to compel mass surrender all indicate a character whose tactical aptitude matches his martial strength.
Furthermore, Aegon’s longevity in influence is a critical piece of this rating. He reigned for 37 years and forged the institutions of a realm that would last nearly three centuries, surviving assassination attempts, rebellions, and succession crises. His indirect presence looms even in narratives set hundreds of years later; characters invoke his name as the ultimate standard of rulership. That mythic persistence enhances his rating beyond what his raw magical or physical power alone would warrant.
Aegon is not omniscient, not unkillable, and not immortal. But he is a dragonlord who created an empire, mastered a living weapon that dwarfs castles, and reshaped a continent through the measured application of fire and diplomacy. He deserves to be ranked above nearly all monarchs and generals in fantasy fiction, and just beneath the reality-warping titans who transcend death, time, or dimensional bounds. Pride and Prophecy keeps an updated power ranking across all planes of existence. This will only be sortable on desktop viewing. The below table shows a summary within the same plane of existence of this article.
