Marrying "Abducting" Lyanna Stark Wasn't Rhaegar's Biggest Mistake, This Was

Rhaegar Targaryen (left) and Lyanna Stark (right)

We all know how Rhaegar Targaryen lost the Iron Throne to Robert Baratheon in the Battle of Trident. House Targaryen, which ruled for almost 300 years, the greatest dynasty the world had ever known was overthrown by Robert and other allied rebels including the Starks and the Arryns. House Targaryen lost half of its strength at the time of the Civil War and the death of dragons that followed, but it still would have won against the rebels if Rhaegar hadn't made this mistake.

Most people think marrying Lyanna was Rhaegar's biggest mistake, and it is logical as Lyanna's "alleged" abduction is what started the war in the first place. However, Targaryens are known to have survived and won multiple wars against powerful enemies, both with and without dragons. So if you think about it, although it was a mistake, it definitely wasn't the biggest one. The biggest mistake that actually led to House Targaryen's fall were the choices Rhaegar made on the battlefield: more precisely, Rhaegar choosing to engage Robert "Beast of Trident" Baratheon himself. He should have sent Ser Arthur Dayne or other loyal and powerful King's guards to fight Robert who would have succeeded; Robert was only a human after all and fighting against the King's guards of Aerys II would have given him a terrible time.

Loving Lyanna so much as to sending the best men to protect her was not his wise decision when thinking about his House and legacy. He should have let the best ones fight for him rather than engaging the armies himself. He went mad in love and his House suffered because of it. Lyanna died anyway. Rhaegar himself was killed by Robert Baratheon. Aerys II was murdered by Jaime Lannister. Rhaegar's children were killed and wrapped in Lannister cloaks. His Ex-Wife, Elia Martell was raped and brutally murdered by The Mountain. The War led to no good but despair and pain, for both sides. If the King's guards had killed Robert, his army would have lost hope and would have become easier to defeat; Rhaegar would have won. But it's Game of Thrones :[

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HBO has planned 6 GoT spin-offs of which the first, House of the Dragon shows the Targaryen Civil War and will be out next year. House of the Dragon follows the story of legendary House Targaryen, their rise and their fall due to the Civil war fought between Rhaenyra and Aegon II Targaryen, two heirs to the Iron Throne. Valar Morghulis.