Quick answer: This Daeron II Targaryen family tree follows “Daeron the Good,” the Targaryen king (184–209 AC) who brought Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms by treaty and marriage instead of war, then defeated the First Blackfyre Rebellion at the Redgrass Field in 196 AC. He was the grandfather of Aegon V, and you can find him on the interactive Targaryen family tree.
Who Was Daeron the Good?
Daeron II Targaryen was born on the last day of 153 AC and died of the Great Spring Sickness at King’s Landing in 209 AC, aged 55. He was the son of Aegon IV “the Unworthy” and Naerys Targaryen, and he reigned for 25 years. Where his father was known for debauchery and bastards, Daeron was wise, scholarly, and just, and the realm called him “the Good.” Some thought him too peaceful for a king.
Known: Daeron is officially the son of Aegon IV. Unknown: Rumor in the books (a story the maesters report but do not confirm) says his real father was Aegon IV’s brother, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight.
The Dornish Marriage That Changed the Dynasty
Dorne had never been conquered by dragons. Aegon the Conqueror failed to take it, and the Targaryen kings who tried afterward only won temporary victories. Daeron II solved it with diplomacy. His own wife, Myriah Martell, tied him to Sunspear, and in 187 AC his sister Daenerys married Maron Martell, Prince of Dorne. Dorne joined the realm peacefully, with Maron swearing fealty to the Iron Throne. It is the achievement behind the nickname.
The marriages also reshaped the family. Daeron and Myriah’s children, including Baelor Breakspear and Maekar I, carried Dornish blood forward, and Maekar’s son became Aegon V. For the generations that followed, see the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms family tree.
Aegon IV ═ Naerys
│
├─ Daeron II ═ Myriah Martell
│ ├─ Baelor Breakspear
│ ├─ Aerys I
│ ├─ Rhaegel
│ └─ Maekar I
│ └─ Aegon V ("Egg")
│
├─ Daenerys ═ Maron Martell (Dorne)
└─ Daemon Blackfyre (legitimized bastard)The Cost of Mercy
Daeron’s reign is defined as much by a controversial decision as by his diplomacy. His father fathered several illegitimate children, the “Great Bastards,” and legitimized them on his deathbed. Rather than have his half-siblings executed or exiled, as many kings would have, Daeron let them remain part of the royal family. It was an act of mercy that backfired badly.
The First Blackfyre Rebellion
One of those legitimized half-brothers, Daemon Blackfyre, claimed a stronger right to the throne and rose against Daeron in 196 AC. The decisive battle was the Redgrass Field, where the royal army defeated the rebels. Daemon died there with his sons Aegon and Aemon, while Bittersteel escaped across the Narrow Sea with Daemon’s surviving sons. On the king’s side, Brynden Rivers, later known as Bloodraven, supported Daeron. Afterward, Daeron seized lands, castles, and hostages from the rebel lords.
It did not end the problem. Further Blackfyre Rebellions followed in the decades afterward and kept troubling the realm well into the Dunk and Egg era. Daeron won the battle, but his family would spend generations fighting the claim he had refused to bury. See our Dance of the Dragons explainer for an earlier Targaryen civil war.
After the Redgrass Field: Bittersteel and the Golden Company
The rebellion’s biggest consequence happened across the Narrow Sea. Bittersteel, Daemon Blackfyre’s loyal friend and a bastard son of Aegon IV himself, escaped to Essos and, in exile, founded the Golden Company, the sellsword army that later appears in Game of Thrones. The exiled Blackfyres kept their claim alive for generations, which means the war Daeron II won in 196 AC kept producing pretenders and invasions long after he was dead.
Daeron and His Sons
Daeron II’s eldest son, Baelor Breakspear, was the family’s great warrior and the realm’s most admired prince, and he served as Hand of the King. His reputation as a fighter was the opposite of his father’s peaceful image, and many remembered him as the best the dynasty had to offer. Baelor’s death at Ashford in 209 AC, from a blow struck by his own brother Maekar, shook the family and the realm and set Maekar’s line on the path to the throne. Their younger brother Aerys I took the crown when Daeron died of the Great Spring Sickness, but it was Maekar’s son who eventually became king in 233 AC as Aegon V.
Daeron II’s Legacy
Daeron’s union of Dorne with the Seven Kingdoms held. His eldest son, Baelor Breakspear, was killed accidentally by his brother Maekar at the Ashford Meadow tourney in 209 AC, the same year Daeron died. The throne passed to his second son, Aerys I, and later to Maekar’s line through his grandson Aegon V, which connects Daeron II directly to the Targaryen kings who lead into the Game of Thrones era. For the family around him, read about Maekar I and Baelor Targaryen.
FAQ
Why is Daeron II called “the Good”?
He was a wise, just, and scholarly king who brought Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms peacefully by treaty and marriage. He showed mercy to his father’s bastards even when it was risky.
Was Daeron II a good king?
Mostly, yes. He united Dorne, defeated the Blackfyre Rebellion, and ruled for 25 years. His critics said he was too peaceful, and his mercy toward the Great Bastards left a long-term problem for his heirs.
Who won the Redgrass Field?
Daeron II’s royal army won in 196 AC. Daemon Blackfyre and his sons Aegon and Aemon died in the battle, and Bittersteel fled across the Narrow Sea with the surviving Blackfyres.
How is Daeron II related to Egg?
He is Egg’s grandfather. Daeron’s youngest son, Maekar I, was the father of Aegon V, known as Egg.
How did Daeron II die?
He died of the Great Spring Sickness in 209 AC at King’s Landing, aged 55.