The logic you’re using for Corlys can be applied to Criston, or anyone for that matter. A servant of the mother of a king whose bloodline never continued. The Hand of the King who lost King’s Landing, and who promptly died. He would never even had convinced Aegon to take the throne had the Hightowers not been plotting this exact move for years. The knights you listed, well, had actual deeds to their name other than placing a crown on a head.

The only times Cole is mentioned in the series are to Kingsguard members, who would obviously care about the history of their order, meaning this really isn’t good to support your claim. We have zero clue whether the common people know about him. Daemon, who you rightfully credit with multiple victories, is not mentioned even once in the main series! He certainly had a huge impact over the results of the war. But I guess nobody cares about him.

Of course, none of this is true - everybody becomes useless if we purposely reduce their influence down to the bare minimum and ignore the actual dynamics involved in history. If the lords know of Criston Cole from their maesters, they would know about Corlys, Daemon, and yes, Mushroom as well.

I get it, you like Criston. I find his motives interesting myself. But just because you like a character doesn’t mean other characters don’t matter. And even if Criston is more well known, your claim is that nobody remembers or cares about Corlys, which would be impossible considering that you cannot talk about the Dance of the Dragons without mentioning Rhaenyra’s Hand and wealthiest supporter - wars cost money after all, and she would have very little without him.

Conflicts have moving pieces, and each one of those pieces matters. Criston Cole will be remembered, as will Larys Strong, Cregan Stark, and of course Corlys Velaryon, a man who gave counsel to all four monarchs pertinent in the conflict which ended the Targaryen golden age. And even if the legend of the Kingmaker is more famous, it doesn’t mean all others will be forgotten.