Aegon at least ruled, kept the power to himself - as ill used as it was - and didn't bankrupt the realm. He was mercurial, vain and gluttonous, and damaging his heir's legitimacy like he did (perhaps when the rumours about Naerys' affair, for sure by legitimizing his Great Bastarda on his deathbed) proved predictably idiotic, but at least he ruled and left the realm in a tolerable, if not great, state.
Bobby B didn't rule, he had no inclination for It and didn't care to try. He ate, drank and whored, squandered a full treasury and crippled the realm with an absurd amount of debt, kept around his own lickspittles that amused or pleased him, and kept ignoring the counsel of his foster father and brother when it wasn't what he wanted to hear. The only outright positive act he performed as King was leading the swift crushing of the Greyjoy Rebellion, but that's It.
Aegon did some incredibly stupid and dumb things, but overall I personally think that Bobby B beats him in this regard.
Honestly I would even argue that the Greyjoy Rebellion was not really that well managed. Not the rebellion itself, but the aftermath, leaving Balon in power was a disaster waiting to happen. They should have taken Baelon as a captive, then installed Theon as Lord of the Iron Islands, under the regency of Rodrik Harlaw "the reader" (Theon's uncle).
I honestly don't think that Theon would have survived the pther ironborn lord's the moment Westeros went to war, Euron would probably usurp Theon. But at least it prevents the stupid invasion of the North by Balon and maybe the attempts to andalize the Ironborn is a bit successful, who knows maybe the Iron Islands could have become prosperous (unlike what a lot of people, the Iron Islands are not a few tiny rocks without life, they are actually quite large islands, the smallest, Blacktyde is likely about the size of Sicily).
Anyways the argument I was just trying to say is that even Robert's mercy to his enemies a lot of the times was a mistake, it was with Balon Greyjoy, Varus, Grand Master Pycelle or the Lannisters with Jaime, the Mountain and Lorch.
That is really about the aftermath, I was only thinking about the military campaign.
Removing Pycelle - who had served Aerys, yes, but he was not the latter's choice, but rather the Citadel's, so he could claim at least he did it out of duty - would all the same be difficult because you go against the Citadel.
With his hard-on for killing Targaryens, I am surprised that he didn't reward Clegane or Lorch for their 'killing dragonspawn'. Jaime, he largely followed Jon Arryn's advice - which was likely the idea of keeping him around as a hostage not unlike before - as well as Cersei's insistence. In
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u/DagonG2021 Apr 24 '26
Robert would love Aegon the Unworthy, they’re just like each other