10 Worst Kings In Game Of Thrones

5. Maegor I Targaryen

Now we come to the first of the old Targaryen kings not featured in the show. There'd be too many atrocious kings to name them all, but some of the lowlights are simply too horrific to leave out. Maegor I wasn't referred to as 'the Cruel' for no reason. You'll recognise his name from Maegor's Holdfast, a castle within a castle, the strongest part of the Red Keep in King's Landing. He oversaw construction of the enormous fortress and once it was finished, he invited all of the builders for a celebration where he proceeded to have every one of them killed to protect the secrets of the many passages and tunnels. Maegor also took flight on Balerion the Black Dread and used to dragon to torch vast swathes of King's Landing, without warning, burning countless of the smallfolk, while he was even more cruel to his enemies. Tales suggest that nearby rivers ran red for 20 leagues due to the bodies and blood discarded in it. He was merciless, cold, and generally horrifying, but he still wasn't the most incompetent.