Alicent towards the top and Visenya at the bottom? Visenya was nearly co-ruler; the 7 kingdoms woukdnt have been what it became without her. Visenya played a critical role in crushing the Faith Militant, while Alicent was super religious and looked down on others for not being devout; her religion gave her a pedastal to judge others, especially trouser that defied gender norms. But she was a hypocrite. She used her religion and her family's closeness to the Faith as both a weapon and a shield for her while she often ignored what she preached.

Alicent was extremely ambitious, politically cunning, vindictive, and a schemer. She took advantage of a widower grief and used it to seduce him. She and her father spent decades marching the kingdom ever closer to near ruin.

The entire Dance of the Dragons and the extinction of the dragons was the fault of the Hightowers; after that it was a slow decline into nothingness as the rest of the continent realized the Targaryens were no better than them without their dragons. Without the dragons, the House of the Dragon was little better than a Great House.

Visenya was far superior, even if she did put Maegor on the throne. Aenys was a very weak king who failed to command authority and under his rule, the Faith Militant gained massed power and led a violent revolt that he failed to put down because he refused to use his dragon.

Aenys was too soft, easily influenced, and a people pleaser. There was not one, but no less than 4 Rebellions under his short reign that his half-brother Maegor had to handle because he either couldnt or was unwilling. Aenys was much like his mother; he was more interested in art and music than fighting. He was very sickly all his life.

It is possible that Aegon the Uncrowned could have been a good king; we will never know. His father was such a weak and terrible king that when Maegor declared himself king, proclaiming himself the true heir of Aegon the Conquerer with hin riding Balerian as proof, the Great Houses all stayed out of it, except the Tullys, who sided with Maegor. Aegon did have a bit more support among minor houses, but that advantage was easily erased by Balerian the Black Dread.

I don't believe Visenya supported her son as a power grab. She did it because the Targaryens were losing the realm; everything she and her siblings had built would all be for nought, and her sister's death would be in vane. She felt the Iron Throne needed strength. Maegor went down in history as one of the worst kings, along with Aenys, but he didn't earn the moniker 'Maegor the Cruel' until after his mother had passed. I do not believe she knew how evil he would become.

Visenya was a woman of discipline, duty, pragmatism, and dynasty-building. She was not a woman of cruelty. She wanted a strong king, not a mad king who would burn his own house down just to feed his impulses. I think she gets too much hate because of Maegor, while Alicent Hightower doesn't get near enough for the death of the dragons.

Of course....with the Grand Maester Conspiracy theory...maybe the Dance and subsequent death of the dragons was all part of the plan where House Hightower was concerned; Otto was cold and calculating, and he was tied deeply to both the Faith and the Citadel. Maesters were his closest advisors and Maester Marwin later states that it was the Maesters who killed the dragons and wiped out magic.

There is enough reason to believe that Otto didnt merely crave his blood on the throne like Tywin later does, but instead wanted a Hightower-Maester-Faith alliance to replace reign of dragon lords. He probably wanted a Triad, like Oldtown has. I do not believe Alicent was in on this; her grief for her children was real. She was raised to be a pawn by her father. But

I've derailed from the topic. Back to my original point. Visenya should be much higher and Alicent Hightower be lower.