What was the age of Viserys Targaryen at the time he died in House of the Dragon

*WARNING: Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon*

House of the Dragon’s central figure has been Viserys Targaryen, as the question of his successor to the Iron Throne has dominated the discourse since the series’ beginning.

Each episode has brought Viserys’s death slightly closer as his condition has notably worsened as the years have passed which has only been accentuated with the use of lengthy time jumps.

In episode 8, Viserys Targaryen dies. This triggered the events that led to the Targaryen Civil war. However, one question House of the Dragon fan have left is how old the king died.

Viserys’s worsening state in House of the Dragon

From the opening moments of House of the Dragon’s first episode, there has been constant talk about the line of succession and who shall ascend the Iron Throne once Viserys dies.

The lingering worry about the king’s death has only been made worse by Viserys’s increasingly worsening health condition.

Episode 1 features a healthy Viserys undergoing treatment for a severe wound to his back. Then, later in the chapter, he suffers a serious cut to his finger.

As the years went by, the infection grew more severe and he was forced to wear gloves to conceal the fact that he had lost two fingers from his left hand.

After a 10 year time jump, episode 6 arrived. Viserys had lost his left arm completely, the most obvious sign yet of his decline.

After another time jump, episode 8 showed Viserys in his most severe condition to date. He was almost completely bedbound and in constant pain. This added an additional eye and chunk of his cheeks to his long list of ailments.

Episode 8: Viserys finally passes away

We know that King Viserys’s days have been numbered for some time but the fact that he made it all the way to episode 8 is quite the achievement.

This episode is six years later than episode 7. He has experienced a significant decline since episode 7.

Viserys is clearly at death’s door throughout the episode but he somehow manages to muster up enough strength for one final effort to support Rhaenyra and attempt to mend the bonds between his fractured family.

His efforts almost seem to work as Rhaenyra and Alicent look set to make amends with each other, until their children’s resentment boils over after the king is taken back to his chambers.

Viserys dies in bed alone that night after exhausting all his energy.

What was the age of Viserys Targaryen at his death?

Viserys Targaryen, according to the books is only 52 years old at his death.

Even more surprising is the fact that Daemon’s brother is only four years older than him, yet they appear worlds apart.

Viserys’s wizened appearance is courtesy of the various stresses and strains he has been under since ascending the throne and also thanks to the illness he has been fighting for years after suffering several cuts by sitting on the Iron Throne.

Coincidentally, Viserys’s age at the time of his death is not far off the real-life age of actor Paddy Considine as he’s currently 49.

House of the Dragon airs weekly on HBO In the USA and on Sky After premiering on August 21st, 22 and 22, respectively, in the UK

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