Westeros has dealt with many great heroes and terrible tyrants over the years, most of them hailing from House Targaryen. After watching all the drama play out in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, fans were curious to know who the greatest hero in Westeros was, and thus, the debate began. Many fans suggested more prominent characters, like Jon Snow. Still, a few went for almost unheard-of characters who made decisions that were vitally important to the survival of their people and, therefore, Westeros. And, of course, it’s between a Stark and a Targaryen.
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Torrhen Stark, The King who Knelt
Torrhen was King of the North during the reign of Aegon, the conqueror and one of the wisest kings who ever crossed paths with the Targaryen warlord. After Aegon burnt thousands of soldiers with no trouble during the Field of Fire, Torrhen recognised that there would be no winning against this tyrant king, no weapons that would take down his beast of a dragon.
He did the only thing that would keep his people from being destroyed and, as a result, when down in history as a coward: he knelt. He sacrificed his pride, honour and the Stark legacy to protect his people (some of which left their homes in disgust) from the Targaryen’s warpath.
A ruler who puts the interest and safety of their subjects before their pride is worthy of the title of hero. His sacrifice proved beneficial for the North as the Targaryen’s mostly left them alone after this, making fans believe that he was the greatest hero in Westeros.
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Daenys Targaryen, The Dreamer
When Daenys was still young, she had a prophetic dream in which she saw the Doom of Valyria. Her family, and those that heeded the warning of her dream, travelled to Dragonstone, where they remained safe from one of the most devastating events in the history of Game of Thrones.
Her descendants would go on to conquer the Seven Kingdoms and rule for 300 years bringing vast improvements to infrastructure and law. In addition, they brought control to the kingdoms that had constantly been at war.
While the Targaryens had many problems, including civil wars that led to the extinction of dragons and the loss of entire lines, they were vital for the survival of Westeros. If the Targaryens had never travelled to Westeros, Jon Snow and Daenerys would never have existed, and the Night King wouldn’t have been faced with much of a fight.
The Free Folk would have long fallen to the Night King, and the heirs of House Stark would never have survived without the forces that Jon and Daenerys mounted. Westeros would have frozen over while Cersei Lannister lounged on the Iron Throne, refusing to help because of her pride and stupidity.
If it hadn’t been for Daenys and her dreams, Westeros would never have stood a chance, and Game of Thrones would have been a much shorter story, which makes many fans believe that she is the greatest hero in Westeros.
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TL;DR
- Fans were debating over the greatest hero in Westeros.
- Some agree that Torrhen Stark was the greatest because he gave up his crown and sacrificed all the ideals his house stood for to protect his people.
- Others said Daenys Targaryen, who was the reason the Targaryens travelled to Westeros.
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