The Mad King is one of the characters most referred to on Game of Thrones who we've never actually seen. Aerys II would set towns and villages ablaze for no apparent reason, he'd butcher children in front of their parents, he'd slaughter the masses like cattle. He actually began his reign fairly well, but after being held captive in The Defiance Of Duskendale, his temper could not be tamed. Aerys' descent into sheer madness led to hallucinations, wild ideas, and insane voices inside his head that caused him to become obsessed by fire. He would even go as far as roasting women and their babies on spits in the Throne Room... You're starting to like Jaime 'Kingslayer' Lannister now, right? Aerys II was infamously betrayed and hacked down by Jaime after he discovered the Mad King's plan to store up wildfire in every corner of King's Landing before obliterating the entire city and everyone in it. That would've been one of the most colossal moments in Westeros' history, but Jaime's actions prevented it. The Mad King's title certainly isn't an exaggeration.
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