The last emperor of the Roman Empire in the West was Romulus Augustulus, who reigned from 475 to 476 AD. His deposition by the Germanic king Odoacer is often marked as the end of the Western Roman Empire. Romulus was a figurehead and held limited power, as the Empire faced significant decline and instability due to internal strife and external invasions. His removal not only symbolized the fall of Roman authority in the West but also marked the beginning of a transition into the Middle Ages in Europe, leading to the rise of various Germanic kingdoms.