Why HOtD's Viserys Neglected (Almost) All Of His Kids, Explained
Nothing shows the duality of his character better than that.
King Viserys I has to be one of the most controversial characters in the House of the Dragon, which says a lot considering the show has not shied away from showing the true cruelty and violence that anyone is capable of.
Viserys, who was introduced and pushed as a man of peace throughout Season 1, has some crimes to his name that some might consider worse than manslaughter.
Although the King, perfectly portrayed on screen by Paddy Considine, was always the one character who tried to keep the peace within the family on the surface, many fans believe that he was the cause of the split in the first place. With his constant favoritism towards Rhaenyra, his firstborn child, and his neglect of the others, it was only a matter of time before this conflict arose.
The last signs of affection that Aegon saw from his father would probably be the events of the royal hunt in episode 3. But he would be too young to remember them anyway. Instead, what he remembers is never enough for either Viserys, who simply didn't care about his upbringing, or Alicent, who pushed her agenda a little too hard.
While Alicent's attitude stems from her own deep-seated trauma, enforced by her father Otto, Viserys came to realize in the years after his first wife's tragic death that no promised son would bring him happiness.
His obsession with bringing a future savior into the realm once drove him to murder his own wife, so his mind went into a completely opposite state. He made sure that Alicent gave birth to several more heirs to the Targaryen throne out of duty, not joy, which is why none of those children ever felt his true love. The king's failing health did not help either.
After all, even Rhaenyra, who must’ve had more time in peace with her father than anybody else among her siblings, wasn’t too sure about him not breaking his promise to switch her over. This kind of insecurity is not what comes out of a truly loving and caring relationship between a kid and their parent.
If you want to see what chaos all poor decisions by King Viserys I will lead to in season 2 of House of The Dragon, make sure to keep an eye out for more news and updates!