A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summaries & Analyses
Quizzes
Reading Tools
Games
Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Gyldayn is an academic historian at the Citadel of Westeros. He compiles the history of the ruling dynasty from various primary sources and conflicting records. His personal biases, deference to noble authority, and preference for entertaining stories sometimes make his historical accounts questionable.
Reader of Mushroom
Aegon is the founder of the ruling dynasty in Westeros. He uses his military might and dragons to conquer the continent, forcing the petty kings to surrender. He establishes the capital at King's Landing and forges the Iron Throne from the melted swords of his enemies, relying on careful administration to maintain his newly won lands.
Husband and Brother of Visenya Targaryen
Husband and Brother of Rhaenys Targaryen
Father of Aenys I Targaryen
Father of Maegor I Targaryen
Visenya is the sister and wife to Aegon the Conqueror. She is a fierce warrior who carries the Valyrian steel blade Dark Sister into battle. She relies heavily on military strength and intimidation to secure her family's hold on the continent, eventually establishing the Kingsguard to protect the royal family.
Rhaenys is the sister and wife to Aegon the Conqueror. A patron of the arts, she focuses on diplomacy and cultural integration to stabilize her family's rule. She frequently rides her dragon Meraxes into battle alongside her siblings but dedicates her peacetime efforts to funding bards and establishing fair courts for women.
Jaehaerys is the son of Aenys I Targaryen. He works to stabilize the kingdom after a period of intense conflict and rebellion. He uses careful diplomacy and calculated displays of power to earn the respect of both the nobility and the common people, eventually becoming known as the Conciliator.
Son of Aenys I Targaryen
Husband and Brother of Alysanne Targaryen
Grandfather of Viserys I Targaryen
Political Opponent of Elissa Farman
Alysanne is the sister and wife of Jaehaerys I Targaryen. She leverages her position to advocate for legal reforms and protect vulnerable populations. Her charm and interpersonal skills help secure vital alliances for her family, making her an active participant in the governance of the continent.
Wife and Sister of Jaehaerys I Targaryen
Daughter of Aenys I Targaryen
Grandmother of Viserys I Targaryen
Viserys is the grandson of Jaehaerys I Targaryen. He rules during a period of relative peace and is known for his amiable disposition. His strong desire to avoid conflict causes him to delay addressing the brewing succession crisis within his own family, leading to bitter factional divides at court.
Father of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Husband of Alicent Targaryen
Brother of Daemon Targaryen
Father of Aegon II Targaryen
Father of Aemond Targaryen
Grandson of Jaehaerys I Targaryen
Daemon is the younger brother of Viserys I Targaryen. He is a hot-tempered warrior who commands the City Watch and actively seeks greater authority. His ambition, military skill, and unpredictable behavior frequently cause political headaches for his brother's administration.
Brother of Viserys I Targaryen
Husband and Uncle of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Father of Aegon III Targaryen
Father of Viserys II Targaryen
Alicent is the second wife of Viserys I Targaryen, originally hailing from House Hightower. She is deeply invested in securing the royal succession for her own children rather than her stepdaughter. She forms a powerful political faction at court known as the Greens to consolidate her influence.
Wife of Viserys I Targaryen
Mother of Aegon II Targaryen
Mother of Aemond Targaryen
Stepmother of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Political Ally of Larys Strong
Political Ally of Tyland Lannister
Rhaenyra is the eldest child of Viserys I Targaryen. Her father names her as his heir, a controversial decision that challenges the continent's strict patriarchal traditions. She builds a political faction known as the Blacks to defend her claim to the throne against her stepmother's family.
Daughter of Viserys I Targaryen
Stepdaughter of Alicent Targaryen
Wife and Niece of Daemon Targaryen
Half-Sister of Aegon II Targaryen
Half-Sister of Aemond Targaryen
Mother of Aegon III Targaryen
Mother of Viserys II Targaryen
Political Ally of Corlys Velaryon
Political Ally of Cregan Stark
Aegon is the eldest son of Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Targaryen. He frequently overindulges in alcohol and possesses a quick temper. His mother and her political allies aggressively promote his claim to the throne over his older half-sister, viewing male primogeniture as absolute.
Son of Viserys I Targaryen
Son of Alicent Targaryen
Brother of Aemond Targaryen
Half-Brother of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Advised by Larys Strong
Advised by Tyland Lannister
Aenys is the eldest son of Aegon the Conqueror and Rhaenys Targaryen. He ascends the throne after his father but struggles to maintain control. He lacks his father's decisive military instincts and prefers to appease his lords, which leads to early political instability and religious uprisings during his rule.
Son of Aegon I
Son of Rhaenys Targaryen
Half-Brother of Maegor I Targaryen
Father of Jaehaerys I Targaryen
Father of Alysanne Targaryen
Maegor is the son of Aegon the Conqueror and Visenya Targaryen. He is a formidable warrior who frequently resorts to extreme violence to achieve his goals. His brutal methods quickly earn him a fearsome reputation across the continent as he actively suppresses religious rebellions and challenges his own family for power.
Aemond is the second son of Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Targaryen. He is a highly skilled swordsman who holds deep grudges. An early childhood altercation leaves him permanently scarred and hungry for vengeance, traits he carries into adulthood as a fearsome dragonrider.
Son of Viserys I Targaryen
Son of Alicent Targaryen
Brother of Aegon II Targaryen
Half-Brother of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Aegon is the son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen. He grows up during a period of intense civil war, which leaves a lasting, dark mark on his personality. He strongly dislikes dragons and struggles to assert his authority while surrounded by ambitious regents.
Son of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Son of Daemon Targaryen
Brother of Viserys II Targaryen
Advised by Cregan Stark
Controlled by Unwin Peake
Advised by Tyland Lannister
Viserys is the younger son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen. He spends part of his youth as a captive in the Free City of Lys before returning home. He eventually serves as a trusted advisor to his older brother, bringing foreign customs and a wealthy wife back to the capital.
Son of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Son of Daemon Targaryen
Brother of Aegon III Targaryen
Husband of Larra Rogare
Corlys is the ambitious head of House Velaryon and a renowned sea explorer. He commands a powerful fleet and controls significant trade routes, making his family incredibly wealthy. He frequently aligns his house with the ruling family through political pacts but shifts his allegiances when necessary to protect his legacy.
Political Ally of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Political Ally of Daemon Targaryen
Mushroom is a court jester who observes the inner workings of the royal family for many years. He records a scandalous, highly entertaining version of historical events that frequently contradicts official accounts. He provides a unique perspective on the private lives of the nobility.
Source for Archmaester Gyldayn
Larra is a noblewoman from a powerful banking family in the Free City of Lys. Her foreign customs and close proximity to the royal family generate intense suspicion and rumors of sorcery among the local nobility. She finds the culture of Westeros isolating and hostile.
Wife of Viserys II Targaryen
Elissa is a noblewoman from Fair Isle who longs for freedom and maritime adventure. She spends time at court before setting out to explore the uncharted western oceans. She funds her ambitious voyage through highly controversial and risky means, angering the crown.
Political Opponent of Jaehaerys I Targaryen
Cregan is the stern and rigid Lord of Winterfell. He commands a large force of northern soldiers and briefly holds absolute power in the capital. He maintains a strict adherence to oaths and honor, making him a formidable and inflexible political player who demands justice regardless of faction.
Advisor to Aegon III Targaryen
Ally of Rhaenyra Targaryen
Larys is the castellan and later Lord of Harrenhal. He possesses a physical difference in one of his feet, which causes others to underestimate him. He uses whispers, rumors, and calculated betrayals to manipulate political factions from the shadows, making him a dangerous operator at court.
Political Ally of Alicent Targaryen
Advisor to Aegon II Targaryen
Tyland is a nobleman from Casterly Rock who aligns with the Green faction. He manages the royal treasury during a period of intense conflict and cleverly hides the crown's gold to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. He later wears a hood to cover extensive physical injuries sustained during the war.
Unwin is an ambitious lord who serves on the regency council. He actively works to isolate the young monarch and consolidate his own power by installing loyalists in key positions at court. He organizes political spectacles to manipulate the royal succession in his favor.
Advisor and Rival to Aegon III Targaryen