Bran is not the first "broken" king

Game of thrones finished with a king that few fans would have predicted: Bran Stark, the three-eyed crow, on the iron throne. Or, technically, king without the throne – while Drogon decided to melt the throne of swords in anything before leaving King's Landing. Bran was elected by the lords and ladies representing the seven kingdoms (now six kingdoms, thanks to the Sansa North Queen), after an enthusiastic speech by Tyrion on the need for a leader with a good story to capture the Imagination of the people. and protect Westeros.

Tyrion also names Bran King, thus calling it "Bran The Broken", a title that feeds the story of the new king. It's also a name that has caused some hilarity among fans because people are wondering why Bran would agree to be named because of his disability, rather than his actions (or any other part of it). his history).

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However, the most dedicated fans of the A song of ice and fire The novels know that this is not really the first time a king is called "The Broken One", King Aegon Targaryen III being also called the Broken King.

The broken reign of the broken king

The companion books of George R.R. Martin (The world of ice and fire and Fire and blood) immerse yourself in the history of the Targaryen in a way that A song of ice and fire series does not include – including the reign of King Aegon III. Aegon III ruled from 131 to 157AC, although he ascended the throne at the age of 11, which means that a regency was in place for the first years of it. . Son of King Aegon II, this king was a child throughout the Dragon Dance, the gigantic battle opposing various Targaryen factions to the throne. As such, he had a childhood away from being nice; he was sent to Essos with his brother to protect himself, but their ships were attacked. Aegon was able to escape with his dragon (the first and only time he climbed a dragon), but his brother was left behind and he spent many years believing him dead and blame for not saving him.

Although his mother was able to take King's Landing for a time, their reign did not last. Aegon watched as the city went wild and his half-brother fell from his dragon and died. They fled to Duskendale, where they were safe (even though miserable and scared) for a while, but returned to Dragonstone for perhaps the worst event in Aegon's life. There, they discovered too late that the fortress had been overthrown and, under Aegon's gaze, their enemies had a dragon devouring his mother in front of him. Aegon was taken prisoner and eventually betrothed to a princess from the other Targaryen faction, bringing this house back again.

The reign of Aegon, first with a regency and then alone, was not easy – although he managed to retain power until the natural death of the consumption, it has largely been devoted to dealing with the consequences of dance and various dissensions. As king, he wanted to bring peace and prosperity to the kingdoms, but his early years marked him. He was retired, miserable and largely silent. He hated dragons and the last one of them went extinct during his reign, which earned him the name of "Dragonbane". He did not engage with his court or with his people, wore a large share of black and also called Aegon the Unfortunate and Aegon the Unfortunate.

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Bran Vs. Aegon III: similarities and differences

These two broken kings, despite hundreds of years apart, have in common a surprising number of commonalities. Both are known as the Broken King, albeit for very different reasons. The title of Bran seems to directly refer to the paralysis that he suffered when he was pushed off the tower, while Aegon was described as "broken" because he had been emotionally destroyed by everything that he had seen during the dance. Whatever the reason for being Broken Kings, these two leaders are described in a very similar way. Aegon is described as dressed in black, cold, dark and dark. He often avoided talking to anyone or taking part in court affairs if he did not have to, and he closed the plans for his sixteenth day and his royal progress, not wanting to to occupy pleasures. The image of a king dressed in black, almost silent, constantly covering and indifferent to the court celebrations could certainly describe Bran too – though it's thanks to his three-eyed crow, not to a miserable childhood.

Of course, that does not mean that Bran had a purely happy childhood either! Like Aegon, he grew up in wartime and many factions fought for the throne (and of course, he was pushed out of a tower and maimed). He saw his brothers and sisters die terribly and had to abandon his younger brother on a dangerous journey. He even lost his mother and, although he is not physically present to watch her brutally killed by an enemy faction, he will certainly have seen her through the woods. It is therefore not surprising that Bran, like the first broken king, is often silent, traumatized, and seriously ill from the war. It is also interesting to note that the dragons came to Westeros twice and that (presumably), the dragons will leave Westeros twice, during the reign of a broken king – baduming that Bran finds Drogon somewhere in using his visions, to bring him home.

What does this mean for the future of Westeros?

There are so many clear parallels between the stories of the Broken Kings that it's hard to imagine that history does not repeat at a certain level … even though Bran's ability to see all the History means that it could prevent this from happening. (Not that he seems too anxious to reveal his magical knowledge to anyone.) There are some essential differences, of course; Bran has no regency to worry about and it seems that the Six Kingdoms will probably settle in peace with a little more ease. There is also a very different approach to succession in the new Westeros, Bran being unable to father children, and it is likely that he will live very long (like the three-eyed Raven before he), he will not marry. or seeking to appoint an heir of his own blood.

However, one of the biggest problems with the reign of Egon III was his refusal to take part in the court and royalty celebrations, which meant that despite the peace he was not liked as a leader. Bran, with a similar personality, and an apparent willingness to step back from the kingdom's daily rule and leave it to his little council, might have to face the same problems. Since the main reason for his elevation to leadership was that his story could inspire the little people and unite people by his captivating story, having a king who can no longer continue to inspire them with pleasure, as well as peace, seems a bit problematic for the future. Again, maybe that's not a bad thing – many of the leaders proposed in the course of Game of thrones were motivated by the desire to be loved by the common people, no more than Daenerys herself, and this has seldom been good. Perhaps the best future for Westeros is that of a king whose Brokenness means he does not really care, except to keep the peace … for once.

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