Every Person Who Killed a King—and What Happened to Them

Throughout the bloody history of Westeros and beyond, the iron price for wearing a crown often involves a brutal and treacherous death at the hands of allies or family members. Jaime Lannister earned his infamous moniker by driving a sword through the Mad King Aerys to save the capital from wildfire, while Cersei Lannister quietly orchestrated Robert Baratheon's fatal boar hunt to secure the throne for her children. Political weddings proved equally lethal, with Roose Bolton plunging a dagger into Robb Stark's heart at the Twins and Olenna Tyrell slipping poison into Joffrey's wine to protect her granddaughter. Even familial bonds offered no protection against ruthless ambition, as Stannis Baratheon deployed a blood-magic shadow assassin to kill his brother Renly, and Euron Greyjoy threw Balon off a rope bridge to claim the Iron Islands. Other monarchs met their violent ends not through political scheming, but as a result of battlefield mercy, ancient grudges, or the desperate fight for human survival. Across the Narrow Sea, Khal Drogo delivered a fatal golden crown to an impatient Viserys Targaryen, setting Daenerys on her path to becoming a conqueror. In the frozen North, Jon Snow defied a living king to grant Mance Rayder a merciful death by arrow, while Brienne of Tarth righteously executed a broken Stannis Baratheon with Oathkeeper to avenge Renly's murder. Ultimately, the most significant regicide in history required no army at all, as Arya Stark leaped from the shadows with a Valyrian steel dagger to shatter the Night King and instantly end the apocalyptic war against the dead. Covered in this video: Jaime Lannister, Mad King Aerys II Targaryen, Robert Baratheon, Rossart, Tywin Lannister, Ned Stark, Brienne of Tarth, Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Khal Drogo, Viserys Targaryen, Vaes Dothrak, Mirri Maz Duur, Lancel Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon, Tommen Baratheon, Margaery Tyrell, Great Sept of Baelor, Stannis Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Melisandre, Catelyn Stark, Shireen Baratheon, Lord of Light, Oathkeeper, Roose Bolton, Robb Stark, King in the North, Walder Frey, Red Wedding, Talisa, Grey Wind, Black Walder Rivers, Ramsay Bolton, Olenna Tyrell, Purple Wedding, Petyr Baelish, Sansa Stark, Ellaria Sand, Highgarden, Jon Snow, Mance Rayder, King-Beyond-the-Wall, Castle Black, Night's Watch, Olly, Euron Greyjoy, Balon Greyjoy, Iron Islands, Pyke, Yara Greyjoy, Rhaegal, Arya Stark, Night King, Children of the Forest, Winterfell, The Long Night, Viserion, Lyanna Mormont, Faceless Men, Kingslayer, Iron Throne, Westeros #GameOfThrones #Westeros #Kingslayer #JaimeLannister #MadKingAerys #RobertBaratheon #CerseiLannister #KhalDrogo #ViserysTargaryen #DaenerysTargaryen #StannisBaratheon #RenlyBaratheon #Melisandre #RooseBolton #RobbStark #RedWedding #OlennaTyrell #JoffreyBaratheon #PurpleWedding #JonSnow #ManceRayder #NightsWatch #BrienneOfTarth #Oathkeeper #EuronGreyjoy #BalonGreyjoy #IronIslands #AryaStark #NightKing #TheLongNight #Winterfell #IronThrone #GeorgeRRMartin #ASOIAF #ASongOfIceAndFire #TywinLannister #NedStark #VaesDothrak #LancelLannister #TommenBaratheon #MargaeryTyrell #CatelynStark #RamsayBolton #SansaStark #PetyrBaelish #CastleBlack #FacelessMen #ValyrianSteel #KingInTheNorth #GameOfThronesLore #GOTHistory #WesterosLore #Targaryen #Lannister #Stark #Baratheon #Tyrell #Bolton #Greyjoy #KingSlayer