While Game of Thrones. By the end of the second season of the show, so many new kings popped up that it started the so-called War of the Five Kings.
The five kings in question were Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, and Balon Greyjoy. Each king had their own level of success within the war and each man had his own set of strengths that made them a contender as well as weaknesses that led to their downfall.
Renly's Strength: Likability
The Baratheon men are not always the easiest people to like. Robert was a drunken fool and Stannis is too stern to be loved by those under his rule. However, Renly was much more likable than his brothers and seemed to genuinely care about the people.
When Robert died, Renly saw an opportunity to take power, and because he was so popular, he managed to get a lot of very important despite having no legitimate claim to the throne.
Balon's Strength: Boldness
The Iron Islands seem like a very forgotten part of Westeros, which actually worked in Balon Greyjoy's favor. As Robb Stark went North to fight the Lannisters, Balon named himself as king of the Iron Islands and began a campaign to seize Northern castles.
The main reason Balon was able to get away with this was that it seemed too crazy to even consider. Robb was certainly not expecting an attack from the Ironborn but Balon's boldness allowed him to win some early victories and make himself a real threat.
Stannis's Strength: Unbending
Stannis is not someone who really cares about glory or power. But when he learns that Robert had no true heirs, the law was clear that Stannis should be king, and the law is something that Stannis cares about.
For Stannis, the world is black and white, which guides all of his think. He is the rightful heir and it is, therefore, his duty to take the throne. It is that simple yet strong sense of unbending duty that forces Stannis on by sheer force of will and allows him to outlast nearly all the other kings.
Joffrey's Strength: The Iron Throne
Joffrey likely has the biggest advantage out of all of the kings simply because he was the one sitting on the Iron Throne. While the others could make their claim for the throne, raise their own armies, and declare Joffrey a bastard, the fact that he was already on the throne made it much harder to remove him.
It also helped that his family, the Lannisters, had also established themselves as the real rulers of Westeros even when Robert was still alive. Joffrey was able to sit back on the throne while the others had an uphill climb.
Robb's Strength: Battle Commander
When Robb Stark started marching his army south to take on the Lannisters, few people took him seriously. He was a young man with no battle experience, so Tywin Lannister saw him as a foolish boy who would be easily defeated.
But the eldest Stark son soon showed everyone how wrong they were about him, becoming the most successful battle commander in the war. Robb had a keen eye for strategy and was particularly good at luring enemies into traps. In the end, he did not lose a single battle.
Renly's Weakness: Unprepared
It seems as though the thought of being king comes to Renly all of the sudden and he really gets carried away with the idea. Once he gains some important allies, he starts thinking that he is destined to win the throne, but he is totally unprepared to have to fight for it.
Renly is not like Stannis. He is not someone who is used to battle and thinks the wars will be won for him. He is also unprepared for what Stannis is willing to do to take the throne for himself.
Balon's Weakness: Short-Sighted
When Balon first starts invading the North with his army, he manages to use the element of surprise to gain some quick victories. However, it seems as though he failed to consider what should be done after capturing a few castles.
With Robb and his army gone, the castles are easily taken, but Balon doesn't have a plan for keeping them. As soon as Robb hears of these attacks, he sends parts of his army back to retake what was stolen. Quite quickly, all of Balon's progress is undone and it is like he never mattered in the first place.
Stannis's Weakness: Melisandre
Early on in the war, one could argue that Melisandre was Stannis' advantage. Though he is not a religious man himself, Stannis embraces the Lord of Light, and Melisandre uses her black magic to make him a more powerful force in the war.
However, those early examples of her powerful magic make Stannis rely too heavily on her. Her hold over him causes him to make dumb decisions and her influence eventually leads to his downfall.
Joffrey's Weakness: Despised
Every other king had people who believed in them and thought they would be the right rulers. No one thought the Joffrey would have been a good king other than perhaps Joffrey himself. He quickly established himself as the most hated man in Westeros.
Joffrey seemed to think he was owed loyalty and obedience just because he was king, but he never considered that his bad behavior meant that a lot of people, including supposed allies, wanted him dead. In the end, the fact that he was poisoned at his own wedding proves how little he was loved.
Robb's Weakness: Too Trusting
In many ways, Robb Stark was a lot like his father Ned. They were both honorable men, good leaders, and skilled fighters. However, they also had poor judgment when it came to the political schemes of this world.
Despite being well-liked by his own people, Robb fails to realize that his allies like Walder Frey and Roose Bolton are not to be trusted. His poor judgment ends up costing him his life and puts an end to the Northern uprising.