Rhaegar Targaryen

Struck down by Bran Stark whilst warged into Robert Baratheon, using his warhammer during the Battle of the Trident

## Political information

### Title(s)

Ser
Prince of Dragonstone

## Personal information

### Also known as

The Last Dragon
The Prince That Was Promised

### Religion

Old Gods of the Forest (secretly)
Faith of the Seven (formerly)

### Spouse(s)

Elia Martell (1st wife, annulled)
Lyanna Stark (2nd wife)

### Child(ren)

**With Elia Martell:**
Rhaenys Targaryen
Aegon Targaryen

**With Lyanna Stark:**
Jon Snow

### Sibling(s)

Viserys Targaryen
Daenerys I Targaryen

## Behind the scenes information

### Died in

"The Last of the Starks" (flashback)
"The Iron Throne" (flashback)

### Portrayed by

Wilf Scolding

"*Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly. And Rhaegar died.*"
―Jorah Mormont
Prince **Rhaegar Targaryen** was the eldest son of King Aerys II Targaryen and his wife, Queen Rhaella Targaryen, and the older brother of Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen. He was the last formally annointed Prince of Dragonstone during the Targaryen Dynasty of the Seven Kingdoms, and was thus expected to eventually succeed his father to the Iron Throne.

His disappearance with Lyanna Stark triggered Robert's Rebellion, eventually resulting in Rhaegar's death by the hand of Robert Baratheon during the Battle of the Trident, and the subsequent deposition of House Targaryen. Unbeknownst to all, his actions in the lead-up to and during the Rebellion had been driven by his obsession with a prophecised 'second Long Night'. Rhaegar, whilst preparing to face the oncoming threat, inadvertantly forged a strong magical connection between himself and the Night King beyond the Wall (which the Night King hoped to channel to take over Rhaegar's body), and was only cut off by Rhaegar's death.

A generation later, the Night King led an invasion of the Seven Kingdoms. The Night King was only able to be defeated at the Battle of King's Landing after Bran Stark, using his powers of warging and greensight, travelled back in time to complete the connection between Rhaegar and the Night King, and forcibly warged the Night King into Rhaegar just prior to his death. As with Rhaegar, the Night King was crippled by the strike from Robert's warhammer, before being dealt a final killing blow in the present by Rhaegar's son, Jon Snow.

## Biography

### Background

TBR

Born during the infamous Tragedy at Summerhall, an odour of tragedy, melancholy and mystery hung over Rhaegar all his life. Rhaegar grew to become an immensely popular figure among the nobles of Westeros, in stark contrast to his increasingly erratic and violent father. Rhaegar was eventually married to Princess Elia Martell of Dorne, siring two children on her, Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon Targaryen.

Behind closed doors, Rhaegar was growing increasingly obsessed with the prophesised 'second Long Night', believing himself to be the so-called 'Prince That Was Promised' that would lead the fight to end it. Rhaegar began making secret trips to the Isle of Faces, forging a strong connection with the Old Gods. During the Great Tourney at Harrenhal, Rhaegar met Lyanna Stark, eventually confiding in her his beliefs and falling in love. Despite Lyanna being the only daughter of the Lord of Winterfell, Rickard Stark and betrothed of the Lord of Storm's End, Robert Baratheon, the two secretly absconded together shortly after they met. Rhaegar would later come to believe he needed a new trueborn heir by Lyanna, in case he fell in the Great War to come. The suspicious circumstances under which Lyanna disappeared led to the public belief she had been kidnapped by Rhaegar, setting in motion a chain of events that would lead to the outbreak of Robert's Rebellion.

During the rebellion, Rhaegar, still pursuing his obsession with prophecy, secretly had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled and remarried to Lyanna Stark, getting her pregnant with a son, before returning to the fold to fight against the rebel Baratheon, Stark, Arryn and Tully forces. Rhaegar led a large host against the bulk of the rebel army at the Battle of the Trident, but was killed in single combat by Lyanna's intended, Robert Baratheon, effectively losing the war for House Targaryen.

In the months before his death, Rhaegar had become increasingly plagued by visions and hallucinations of shadowy figures of ice. Unbeknownst to Rhaegar, his visions and many of his subsequent actions were in fact brought on by the Night King, who was attempting to take control of his body from beyond the Wall, in order to facilitate an effortless conquest of Westeros. The Night King came close to accomplishing this, but was stopped short by Rhaegar's death.

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 1

See Rhaegar Targaryen/*Game of Thrones*: Season 1 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 3

See Rhaegar Targaryen/*Game of Thrones*: Season 3 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 4

See Rhaegar Targaryen/*Game of Thrones*: Season 4 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 5

See Rhaegar Targaryen/*Game of Thrones*: Season 5 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 6

See Rhaegar Targaryen/*Game of Thrones*: Season 6 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 7

See Rhaegar Targaryen/*Game of Thrones*: Season 7 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 8

TBR

In the last moments before Rhaegar's death, Bran Stark, warging backwards in time from twenty-four years in the future during the climax of the Battle of King's Landing, completed the connection between Rhaegar and the Night King, forcibly warging the Night King into Rhaegar as well as warging himself into Robert Baratheon. The action of "Robert" killing "Rhaegar" was mirrored in the present, with the Night King being hurled backwards mortally wounded. The Night King was subsequently dealt a killing blow by Rhaegar's son, Jon Snow, after he stabbed the crippled Night King with Longclaw. The Night King shattered to pieces, followed by all of the White Walkers and wights across Westeros.

In many ways, Rhaegar was the closest person to being the prophecised "Prince that Was Promised", as it was only through his direct and prophetic actions and off-spring by Lyanna, that the Night King could be defeated and the Great War ended some twenty-four years after his death.

## See also

* Rhaegar Targaryen on Wiki of Westeros
* Rhaegar Targaryen on A Wiki of Ice and Fire