Viserys Wasn't Mad - Tumblr Posts
What bothers me is the saying that when a Targaryen is born, god flips a coin on whether they’re good or mad. So how many known mad Targaryens are there? Is it truly 50/50 or is it heavily inflated?
Short answer: Very heavily inflated.
Long answer: There are a few things to clear up before I start compiling the list. ‘Madness’ is classified as ‘the state of being mentally ill’:
So, those who make my ‘mad’ list are going to fit this definition, whereas Targaryens who, say, took lives due to participation in medieval wars or battles, will not fall into the 'mad’ category.
So what’s the quote, exactly?
“King Jaehaerys once told me that madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born, he said, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land.”
Now, let’s bust that ‘Targaryen Madness’ myth!
Depending on the type of coin used, the probability of a coin flip differs. It’s either 50/50, 51/49, and in some more extreme estimations, as high as 55/45. Which, according to the above quote, means Targaryen madness has a roughly 45-55% chance of occurring.
Even in the Wiki of Ice and Fire, Targaryen Madness has its own entry, stating that:
“It must be observed that of the Targaryen kings who ruled Westeros for almost 300 years, only Aerys could be considered truly mad.”
List of 'Mad’ Targaryens (6):
Maegor I 'the Cruel’ Targaryen
Baelor I 'the Blessed’ Targaryen (this one is debatable)
Prince Rhaegel Targaryen
Aerion 'the Monstrous’ 'Brightflame’ Targaryen
Aerys II 'the Mad King’ Targaryen
Viserys 'the Beggar King’ Targaryen (this one is debatable)
(To better understand why these Targaryens are classified as mad, visit the Villains Wiki for a nice description for each character)
Possible ’Mad’ Targaryens (4):
Helaena Targaryen (became depressed and descended into madness, committed suicide)
Aelora Targaryen (driven mad with grief after losing her husband, committed suicide)
Daenerys 'Stormborn’ Targaryen (no madness in books, yet show made her 'go mad’ from grief and ‘bells’, apparently)
Maelys I 'the Monstrous’ Blackfyre (not actually a Targaryen. Ruthless and cruel, not necessarily mad, did possess a physical deformity)
List of non-Mad Targaryens (80):
Aenar Targaryen
Gaemon 'the Glorious’ Targaryen
Daenys 'the Dreamer’ Targaryen
Aegon Targaryen
Elaena Targaryen
Maegon Targaryen
Aerys Targaryen
Aelyx Targaryen
Baelon Targaryen
Daemion Targaryen
Aerion Targaryen
Visenya Targaryen
Aegon I Targaryen
Rhaenys Targaryen
Aenys I Targaryen
Rhaena Targaryen
Aegon 'the Uncrowned’ Targaryen
Viserys Targaryen
Jaehaerys I 'the Wise’ Targaryen
'Good Queen’ Alysanne Targaryen
Rhaella Targaryen
Aerea Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen
Vaegon 'the Dragonless’ Targaryen
Maegelle Targaryen
Viserra Targaryen
Saera Targaryen
Gael Targaryen
Aemon Targaryen
Daella Targaryen* (maybe had anxiety?)
Baelon 'the Brave’ Targaryen
Alyssa Targaryen
Rhaenys 'the Queen Who Never Was’ Targaryen
Viserys I Targaryen
Daemon 'the Rogue Prince’ Targaryen* (maybe suffered narcissism?)
Baela Targaryen
Rhaena Targaryen 'of Pentos’
Viserys II Targaryen
Aegon III 'the Younger’ Targaryen* (Had a temper, I guess?)
Jaehaera Targaryen (committed suicide, maybe? probably murdered)
Jaehaerys Targaryen (born with six fingers and toes?)
Aegon II 'the Elder’ Targaryen (Was cruel?)
Aemond 'One-Eye’ Targaryen (Was a shitty person, I guess?)
Daeron 'the Daring’ Targaryen
Elaena Targaryen
Septa Rhaena Targaryen
Daeron I 'the Young Dragon’ Targaryen
Daena 'the Defiant’ Targaryen
Aegon IV 'the Unworthy’ Targaryen (Was a shitty person, I guess?)
Naerys Targaryen
Aemon 'the Dragonknight’ Targaryen
Daemon I Blackfyre
Daeron II ’ the Good’ Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen of Dorne
Maekar I Targaryen (Had a temper I guess?)
Aerys I Targaryen
Baelor 'Breakspear’ Targaryen
Matarys Targaryen
Valarr 'the Young Prince’ Targaryen
Brynden 'Lord Bloodraven’ Rivers (Was kind of a shitty person, I guess?)
Shiera Seastar (Was rumored to be a murdery sorceress?)
Aegor 'Bittersteel’ Rivers (Had a temper, I guess?)
Rhae Targaryen
Aegon V 'the Unlikely’ Targaryen
Daella Targaryen
Maester Aemon Targaryen
Daenora Targaryen
Aelor Targaryen
Maegor Targaryen (fears that he would inherit his father’s madness, I guess?)
Daeron 'the Drunken’ Targaryen
Vaella Targaryen (simple-minded or low IQ, I guess?)
Prince Duncan 'the Small’ Targaryen
Jaehaerys II Targaryen
Shaera Targaryen
Rhaelle Targaryen
Daeron Targaryen
Queen Rhaella Targaryen
Rhaegar 'the Silver Prince’ Targaryen
Rhaenys Targaryen
Aegon Targaryen (👶?) (or… may be Young Griff?)
Non-'Mad’ Offspring from Targaryen Mothers (11):
Laena Velaryon (gave birth to a deformed son, I guess?)
Jacaerys Velaryon
Lucerys Velaryon
Joffrey Velaryon
Joy Penrose
Jon Waters
Jeyne Waters
Viserys Plumm
Robin Penrose
Laena Penrose
Jocelyn Penrose
Targaryens who died as babies (11):
Vaella Targaryen 👶
Aegon Targaryen 👶
Gaemon Targaryen 👶
Valerion Targaryen 👶
Aegon Targaryen 👶
Maelor Targaryen 👶
Baelon Targaryen 👶
Jaehaerys Targaryen 👶
Aegon Targaryen 👶
Daeron Targaryen 👶
Shaena Targaryen 👶
Targaryen babies born with physical deformities (2):
Visenya Targaryen 👶 (twisted and malformed)
Rhaego 👶 (born deformed… likely the result of magic)
Equations and Conclusion:
If we want to get VERY generous and say that EVERY Targaryen baby who died young would end up mad, we’d be at 23 Targaryens out of 114 known Targaryens, or a madness rate of about 16%. That’s nowhere near the 45% chance of a coin toss.
Still being a generous, we’ll lump together all the mad Targaryens, possibly mad Targaryens, all the non-mad ones with footnotes, and the deformed babies - we get 27 total, which would be about 24% - but this is including people who just have bad attitudes, anxiety, rumors spread about them, or FEARS of madness… is that fair? No, it’s not. Then literally every character in Westeros or Essos would be classified as mad.
If we aim to be a little fairer, including only the known 'mad’ Targaryens, the four debatably 'mad’ Targaryens, and the two babies who were born deformed but died young… then we’d be at a whopping 12 cases of madness out of 114 Targaryens, or about 9%.
However, provable cases of genetic madness? Fuck, I’ll even throw in Daenerys! That brings us up to SEVEN cases of madness out of 114 Targaryens.
…SEVEN ‘MAD’ TARGARYENS.
OUT OF ONE-HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN.
Which means that about *SIX PERCENT* of Targaryens have shown any actual 'madness’ in the hundreds of years they’ve inhabited Westeros.
