Horemheb succeeded Ay as pharaoh upon the old man's death. Again little is known of his origins, although he was commander of the army under Akhenaten and possibly a claimant to the throne when Ay became Pharaoh. He portrayed himself as the restorer of the old order, usurping monuments of Tutankhamun and Ay.
In later king lists Horemheb is given as the successor to Amenhophis III missing out the Amarna bloodline completely.