Whether you are a devoted reader or avid watcher, you should probably have your facts straight about this bookworm turned warrior turned fanatical prophet. That is unless you are only here for the gratuitous violence and wanton nudity. Still, when you're checking out Khaleesi's dragon or crying over Hodor's brutal demise, it pays to know who her brother is and what plans he has for those responsible for the latter's door holding death. That way you won't be lost the next time some random baby's birth ends up changing your world forever.

Here are the 16 Things You Need to Know About Rhaegar Targaryen.

His birth was as epic as they come

Rhaegar Targaryen was born in 259 AC (short for pull off a Khaleesi and hatch fossilized dragon eggs, killing a whole bunch of major players in the resulting inferno.

One life did rise from the ashes, however. Amidst all that smoke and salt, baby Rhaegar popped out. The legends swirling around this deadly day only fueled his later belief that he was The Prince That Was Promised - but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Dany's Brother and The Rightful Heir

Rhaegar was the eldest son of King Aerys II Targaryen, aka the Mad King, and his sister turned wife, Queen Rhaella. As the heir-apparent to his father's crown, he was the Prince of Dragonstone and next in line to sit on the Iron Throne.

Rhaegar wasn't the only by-product of his parents' incestual romps. He had two younger siblings, Viserys and Dany. You may the former as the d-bag that got his head turned into a golden molten paperweight by Khal Drogo. Of course, the latter is none other than Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons and frontrunner to win the game of spiky seats.

A Book Changed His Life Forever

Despite having a legacy of being one of the greatest fighters of his time, Rhaegar Targaryen originally wanted no part of all the bloodthirsty urges that run rampant throughout Westeros. In fact, he grew up with no inclination towards fighting at all, and instead was rather bookish. So how did someone so nerdy become the coolest dude in Westeros? By reading a book, of course.

Not just any book, mind you. A book to end all books. One that altered his entire outlook on the world and changed the course of his life's pursuit. Page after page, its ages got him to thinking about the value of stabbing people, so he busted his ass and became one of the finest warriors the Seven Kingdoms had ever known. What was in this awesome book that had the power to turn Rhaeger Targaryen from a solitary bookworm into a gallant warrior? Glad you asked...

He Believed That He Was the Promised Prince of Prophecy

As we mentioned earlier, Rhaegar had felt a deep-rooted connection to Summerhall. That was because his blazing beginnings symbolically recalled a prophecy of a hero that would save the world. While reading some ancient books written five thousand years prior in Asshai, a prophecy too good to be ignored.

As the story goes, Azor Ahai, a legendary warrior wielding the burning blade Lightbringer, would be reborn again as a champion sent by the Lord of Light to defeat a great darkness. Rhaegar was a strong believer in this prophecy and even surmised that he was “The Prince That Was Promised.” You can see how he might have gotten there given the age:

When the red star bleeds and darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.

Perhaps King Aegon V hatched a dragon at Summerhall after all.

He Turned Down Marrying Cersei

With his silver-gold hair, tall lean physique, dark lilac eyes, and constant brooding over being the next messiah, who wouldn't want to be by Rhaegar Targaryen's side? Certainly not Cersei Lannister. She was so infatuated with Rhaegar that as a little girl would do drawings of him doing manly tings like riding dragons. Even to this day, she re him as the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

Given Rhaegar's bloodline and claim to the throne, the ambitious Tywin Lannister was crushing just as hard on the young Targaryen, wanting desperately for his daughter to marry the young prince. At the time, Tywin had worked his way up the military ranks to become Hand of the King. Despite this prominent role, Rhaegar's father, King Aerys, refused the offer of betrothal, claiming, “No servant's daughter was fit to marry a prince of royal blood.” Tywin was left scorned, Rhaegar remained free for a more suitable bride, and Cersei settled for her brother, naturally.

He Was Married to Oberyn Martell's Sister

When Rhaegar finally did tie the knot, he heeded his father's words and married a Dornish princess. Though if his dad had his way, Rhaegar would probably have ended up marrying within the family. Alas, Rhaeger had no siblings at the time to get his incest on with, so to Dorne he went.

When you couldn't marry your sister, the next best thing was furthering alliances with other nobilities. Likewise, Rhaegar's father arranged for his son to get hitched to Elia Martell, the sibling of the current head of House Martell. While Rhaegar was supposedly “fond” of his wife, their marriage wasn't exactly a match made in the Seven Heavens. His later actions involving Lyanna Stark didn't help much either. Actions that Elia's brother, Oberyn Martell, took serious offense to. That is until he got his skull imploded by the Mountain.

Speaking of whom...

His Wife and Children Were Murdered by the Mountain

Rhaegar and Elia had a daughter and son named Rhaenys and Aegon, respectively. Sadly, both children died in the most horrific of ways during the closing chapter of Robert's Rebellion, better known as the Sack of King's Landing. Famous for being the battle put Robert Baratheon on the Iron Throne, and saw Jamie Lannister earn his name as a kingslayer, it also resulted in Rhaegar's immediate family being snuffed out for good.

The Mountain, Ser Gregor Clegane, was in particularly terrible form that fateful day. During the siege, he murdered both the three-year-old Rhaenys and her infant brother Aegon in front of their mother. Then, still drenched in their blood, he raped Elia before killing her too. The story differs slightly in the books, with the Mountain bashing little Aegon against a wall and ravaging Elia, while Ser Amory Lorch killed Rhaenys by stabbing her fifty times. Either way, horrible things all around and a very sad day for House Targaryen.

He Single Handedly Sparked Robert's Rebellion

On the outside, Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell was a happy one. That was why it was such a shock when during the tournament at Harrenhal, he gave the winning winter rose crown to another woman. When Rhaegar won the tournament, most naturally assumed he would offer his winnings to his wife Elia. But when he rode right past her and laid the crown for the Queen of Love and Beauty on Lyanna Stark's lap, who was already betrothed to Robert Baratheon, it was particularly scandalous.

As Ned Stark recalled, that was the moment “when all the smiles died.” A little while later, Rhaegar broke the camel's back when he apparently kidnapped Lyanna. Ned's father and brother protested the abduction, and in turn were executed by the Mad King. All together, this prompted Ned and Robert to team up with several other households to take down the Targaryens once and for all.

He Was Either a Rapist, Hopeless Romantic, or Fanatical Zealot (Depending On Who You Talk To)

Many a Westerosi citizen have long followed the view of Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark that Rhaegar raped Lyanna Stark out of pure lust because he was a dick. Others believe they loved one another. Knowing what little we do about Rhaeger, it doesn't make sense that such a seemingly kind hearted and generous spirit would all of a sudden become a rapey kidnapper, but then again, who saw the Red Wedding coming? Of course recent revelations care of a curious wildling have all but proven this theory. Or has it?

The third possibility is that he neither cared for Lyanna Stark nor was acting out of malice. Rather, Rhaegar was seeking to fulfill the prophesy of The Prince That Was Promised, and saw Lyanna as the perfect vessel to make that happen. Of course, no one really knows for sure what Rhaegar was thinking, but it is said that he died with a last breath whispering Lyanna's name.

He Was Killed by Robert Baratheon

Regardless of Rhaegar Targaryen's true motives in stashing Lyanna Stark at the Tower of Joy, it all ended with his bones getting crushed in at the Battle of the Trident. Initially, Rhaegar was able to avoid the uprising due to his living far away from the action in Dorne. But eventually, he was summoned to fight, and he finally squared off at the Trident with the man that hated him so much - followed by 40,000 loyalist troops.

In the ensuing brawl, Robert Baratheon's rage is too much for the Dragon Prince, and the Usurper lands a decisive blow with his massive warhammer to Rhaegar's chest. So hard does Robert smash Rhaegar that the rubies encrusted on his armored breastplate pop off, scattering into a nearby river, an area known today as Ruby Ford. With Rhaegar gone, the beginning of the end was marked for House Targaryen.