Robert’s Rebellion — also known as the War of the Usurper — was a pivotal civil war in Westeros that ultimately led to the fall of House Targaryen after nearly 300 years of rule. The war was sparked by the alleged kidnapping of Lyanna Stark by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, though deeper tensions between the Targaryens and the powerful noble houses had been building for years. When King Aerys II, the "Mad King," brutally executed Rickard Stark and Brandon Stark — Lyanna’s father and brother — for demanding her return, several great houses rose in rebellion. Robert Baratheon, betrothed to Lyanna, led the revolt alongside Eddard Stark, Jon Arryn, and later supported by House Tully and House Baratheon of Storm’s End. The war culminated in Robert’s victory at the Battle of the Trident, where he slew Rhaegar. After the sack of King's Landing by House Lannister, Aerys was killed by Jaime Lannister, earning him the nickname “Kingslayer.” With the Targaryens dethroned and the remaining heirs either dead or in exile, Robert claimed the Iron Throne and began a new era of Baratheon rule.
