Making a Case for Viserys Being the Worst Person in House of the Dragon
To be fair, it’s an easy case to make.
Otto Hightower is often cited as the worst person in House of the Dragon. And there's no doubt that he's a manipulative schemer out to further his own ambitions. Others might argue that Daemon or Alicent are the worst. But the truth is, it was Viserys.
Here's why:
1. He was a terrible father
He had no time for any of his children, and even neglected Rhaenyra after naming her heir. Instead of bringing her into the fold and teaching her how to be a monarch, Viserys continued to ignore her opinions and made it clear that he would have preferred a male heir.
2. He was a terrible leader
A king who won't make a decision is not a true king. Allowing an illegal war to take place in the Stepstones was a massive failure and showed him to be weak. And making no attempt to resolve the infighting in his family led to the thing he feared most - the end of Targaryen rule. Whether you put it down to cowardice or indecision, it's hard to argue with that point of view.
3. He sacrificed his own wife
In his desperation for a son and an heir, he willingly gave up Aemma's life. When she pleaded with him, he simply ignored her cries and ploughed on with his own selfish agenda. Nothing else mattered but what he wanted. And his grief was more for his son than for the woman he had essentially killed.
4. He was a hypocrite
After Aemma's death, and still in search for a son, the king allowed himself to be seduced and coerced into marrying Alicent. On the one hand, this was naive. On the other, it was Viserys doing exactly what Daemon had accused him of.
When news of his younger brother's visit to the brothel with a young Rhaenyra reached his ears, Daemon was summoned, kicked around and then dismissed. But it was apparently okay for Viserys to carry on with a girl so much younger than himself.
5. His dislike for his brother clouded his judgement
There was no reason for Viserys to refuse to dissolve Daemon's marriage to Rhea. If anything, it would have created more beneficial marriage options for the family. But he was so close-minded in his relationship with his brother that Viserys failed to see that.
Keeping Daemon at arm's length also allowed Otto to gain far too much influence over the Small Council.