Who was the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire?

The last emperor of the Western Roman Empire was Romulus Augustulus, who reigned from 475 to 476 AD. His rule marked the conclusion of the Roman Empire in the West, as he was deposed by Odoacer, a Germanic chieftain, which ultimately led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The significance of Romulus Augustulus lies not only in being the final emperor recognized in the Western realm but also in how his deposition symbolized the shifting power dynamics and the transformation of Roman influence into the governance structure of the emerging Middle Ages.

In contrast, the other figures mentioned had different roles and timelines within Roman history. Nero was known for his notorious reign, which began in 54 AD and ended in 68 AD, long before the Western Empire's fall. Julius Caesar played a pivotal role in the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire but was assassinated in 44 BC, making him far removed from the period of the Western Empire's decline. Tiberius, who ruled from 14 to 37 AD, was the second emperor of Rome and did not directly relate to the end of the Western Empire either. Thus, Romulus Augustulus stands out as the definitive answer for the last