Robert Baratheon shows himself in the series as Game of Thrones at his worst and not exactly like a dignified king. But before the crown, he was one of the best and most legendary fighters in the history of Westeros.
For a long time, the kings of the Seven Kingdoms were solely members of the Targaryen family, which led to problems multiple times – just look at House of the Dragon.
With Robert Baratheon, however, this tradition changed. Although in Game of Thrones he appears more like an unsuitable, lazy king, he was once a legendary warrior to be feared.
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The Start of a Legendary Rebellion
Why did Robert want to overthrow the Targaryens from the throne? It all began in 281 AC (years after Aegon’s Conquest) at a tournament in Harrenhal. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen participated and publicly confessed his love for Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark’s sister, even though he was already married to Elia Martell. Robert was also in love with Lyanna and they were betrothed.
A year later, Rhaegar allegedly kidnapped Lyanna, which started the rebellion against the current king, Aerys II Targaryen. This kidnapping was further fueled by the execution of Lyanna’s brother Brandon and her father Rickard Stark, who had traveled to the king to demand Lyanna’s return.
Basing on this, other lords also sided with Robert. Among them was Jon Arryn, who defied the king’s command. However, not everyone supported the rebellion, which is why several battles took place on various fronts. One of the most important battles occurred at Summerhall.
Supporters of the king wanted to unite and conquer Storm’s End, the seat of the Baratheons. Robert learned of this, rode out with his knights, and defeated the troops of Lords Cafferen, Grandison, and Fell consecutively – an impressive feat. In battles, he wielded his great war hammer and the strength of a giant
, as Ned noted in the first book. The leader of the Starks can barely lift the hammer himself.
The most crucial moment for Robert’s rebellion was the Battle of the Trident.
Robert’s Path to the Throne
How did Robert ultimately come to the throne? The Battle of the Trident was the grand finale of the rebellion, where Robert’s supporters fought against the Targaryen loyalists. There was also a fight between Robert and Rhaegar. With his hammer, Robert struck the Targaryen right in the chest and killed him. However, Rhaegar managed to wound Robert.
The battle was won by the rebels, and the remaining Targaryen supporters fled to King’s Landing. But Tywin was already at work, opposing the royal family just before the end of the Targaryen dynasty. Just under a year after the Battle of the Trident, Jaime also killed King Aerys II.
In 283 AC, Robert became king of the Seven Kingdoms. Ironically, he was even related to the Targaryens. His grandmother was Rhaella Targaryen. However, he initially had no reason to fear a rebellion from the family. Tywin Lannister killed Rhaegar’s children and even his wife Elia Martell. Only Rhaella, the then-queen, fled with her son Viserys. Before she died, she gave birth to Daenerys.
Although there were still people in the kingdoms who did not want Robert as king, such as Oberyn Martell, there was initially peace after the overthrow of the mad Targaryen king. But the throne likely sealed Robert’s fate.
The End of Robert Baratheon
Why was the throne Robert’s downfall? Robert was one of the most powerful warriors in all of Westeros before the throne, defeating several armies in succession. But during the time of peace, he let himself go as a king. He ate and drank excessively and slept with countless women, fathering bastards.
He had no desire to deal with royal matters. A trait that Ned Stark himself experiences after being appointed Hand of the King. Important things like money or the administration of the realm he delegated to his council, which he often did not attend.
Add to that the marriage to Cersei Lannister, which was completed to solidify the Lannister alliance with the king. But Robert loved Lyanna till his death, leading to a growing distance between him and his queen. He also had little relationship with his apparent children such as Joffrey (actually Jaime’s son).
This even led to the initiation of Jon Arryn’s death and ultimately Robert’s death, igniting the next war for the throne.
Which character from Westeros would you like to learn more about? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Robert will likely go down in the history books of Westeros as a rather unimpressive king despite his successful rebellion. You can find the best kings here: The 10 best kings from the Game of Thrones universe in the ranking
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