Viserys: The One House of the Dragon Character You Shouldn't Root For
King Viserys started off as one of the least favorite characters on House of the Dragon, but gained fan love closer to the finale. But how fair is that?
House Targaryen is not exactly an example of a decent family with good values, but some of their ways are still a subject of heated debates between fans, a month after the first season came to an end.
Take King Viserys Targaryen. For some reason, fans were ready to forgive him for basically greenlighting his wife's murder and marrying his daughter's teenage best friend. Probably it was because of how Viserys himself understood that he was not really a great king, and clearly doubted whether he was a good father and a good husband as well.
It turns out that a big part of the HotD fandom is not eager to defend Viserys. On the contrary, people seem to be increasingly not okay with Viserys, arguing that he basically forced Alicent to bear his children only to ignore them later in favor of his Westeros "lego set".
One Reddit hot take claims that Viserys is "an old pervert" who "sacrificed the stability of the kingdom" only to have sex with a teenager. Others hit back with the fact that marital rape and forced marriage were a norm in medieval times (and, consequently, in Westeros), so it's not something to judge Viserys for.
However, there are many other sins HotD fans are ready to blast Viserys for. The fact that he even kept trying to have a son after naming Rhaenyra his heir proves Viserys to be a "misogynist" to many fans, no matter whether it was or wasn't a norm in Westeros.
"Just because it was a norm at the time doesn't change the fact that it was gross and wrong," Redditor thecavalieryouth explained.
Even those who like Viserys as a character cannot deny that the Dance of the Dragons is entirely his fault. The way he basically ruined his own efforts to make peace between Alicent and Rhaenyra in the final episodes was really frustrating to watch to many fans, even though Viserys was on the verge of dying.
It's pretty tough to have a favorite character in House of the Dragon, as everyone is notoriously "morally gray". It's unlikely it will get any better in the second season, as it will focus on the Dance of the Dragons, and all characters are expected to be involved in something even worse than what has already happened in season 1.
HBO Max is yet to announce the premiere date for House of the Dragon season 2, but the shooting is expected to start in early 2023.