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{{Quote|Aegon was not called the Unworthy without cause|Arys Oakheart to Arianne Martell about Aegon IV}}[[File:Aegon the Unworthy.jpg|thumb|406x406px]]
'''Aegon IV Targaryen''' is a character from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' universe. He was the eleventh Targaryen king to sit on the Iron Throne. He is also known as '''Aegon the Unworthy''' and is widely considered to be the worst Targaryen king to sit on the Iron Throne.

Revision as of 22:00, July 22, 2019

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Aegon was not called the Unworthy without cause
~ Arys Oakheart to Arianne Martell about Aegon IV
Aegon the Unworthy

Aegon IV Targaryen is a character from the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. He was the eleventh Targaryen king to sit on the Iron Throne. He is also known as Aegon the Unworthy and is widely considered to be the worst Targaryen king to sit on the Iron Throne.

Like Maegor I Targaryen, Aegon does not physically appear in any ASOIAF media, and is only mentioned in two of the novels and in two of the Dunk and Egg novellas.


Aegon IV was the eldest son of the King's Hand, Viserys, and grew up whilst his cousins Daeron I and Baelor I ruled. Aegon's brother, Aemon, became a great knight and warrior during Daeron's invasion of Dorne, joining the Kingsguard. He was held captive after the war, until he was freed by Baelor's negotiations.


Baelor starved himself to death and Viserys only ruled for a single year before passing himself in 172 AC, so the throne passed to Aegon, Fourth of His Name. There were suspicions Aegon had poisoned his father.




Aegon IV's cruel and capricious nature was revealed when he caught one of his Kingsguard, Ser Terrence Toyne, abed with one of his mistresses. He had both killed immediately, along with his mistress' father Lord Bracken. Two of Toyne's brothers attempted to murder Aegon IV in vengeance, but instead killed his brother Aemon. Aegon IV had the house destroyed and its members outcast, but they would go on to trouble the realm for several generations until Ser Barristan Selmy put an end to their last descendant, Simon Toyne, almost a century later.

Aegon would often give out important positions and honors to nobles in exchange for them letting him sleep with their relatives. He gave Lord Butterwell a dragon's egg for letting him sleep with all three of their daughters, the position of Hand to Lord Bracken as their daughter bore him Aegor Rivers. When he had an affair with Melissa Blackwood, the Blackwoods and the Brackens having a terrible feud, he took some Bracken land and gave it to the Blackwoods. Melissa bore him Brynden Rivers, later known as Bloodraven.

As Aegon IV's children grew up, he became disinclined to pass the throne to his son Daeron, whom Baelor had wed to Princess Myriah Martell to shore up relationships with Dorne but had come to show signs of weakness, preferring the company of septons and maesters to warriors. Aegon IV's eldest natural-born son, Daemon, had instead grown up to be strong and charismatic, a true warrior without compare. On Daemon's twelfth birthday, Aegon IV openly acknowledged him as his natural-born son and presented him with the Valyrian steel blade Blackfyre as a gift, shocking the Seven Kingdoms for Blackfyre, the blade of Aegon the Conqueror, was arguably the greatest and strongest symbol of Targaryen rule and was traditionally given to the heir to the throne. Some saw this as Aegon acknowledging Daemon as his heir.

In his later life, Aegon IV seemed to often praise the accomplishments of Daemon and his other warrior bastard son, Aegor Rivers, also known as Bittersteel, but held silent on his heir Daeron's achievements. Some whispered that Aegon had heard the rumors that Daeron was actually the son of Naerys and Aemon, and was planning to formally disinherit Daeron in favor of Daemon. It is believed by many that Aegon was responsible for these rumours, which began about the time he was arguing with his son about invading Dorne.

In the event Aegon did not disinherit Daeron. Aegon IV had become immensely fat in later life and fell ill without warning. He died quickly in 184 AC, but before he did so he legitimized all his bastards, including the four Great Bastards, as they were known, on his deathbed.






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