It’s tempting to look at the new characters in HBO’s House of the Dragon through a Game of Thrones lens, to see dragon-riding Princess Rhaenyra (played by Millie Alcock as a teenager) as the new Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). There are other parallels between the two shows, although they are perhaps less obvious.
Take, for example, Hightowers, a minor presence on Thrones; based on the Sunday premiere of The Dragon, set almost 200 years ago, the family was clearly once a major player in the innermost sanctuaries of power in Westeros. Could they be our new Lannisters?
Much can already be gleaned from the first episode of The Dragon, from Thrones, and from the books of George R.R. Martin without spoiling the new series. Let’s take a deeper look.
Who are the Hightowers?
While House Hightower may seem unfamiliar, we are already familiar with this ancient noble family in passing: in Thrones, one of the Royal Guards during Bran Stark’s Tower of Joy flashback was Ser Herold Hightower (Eddie Eyre), and two of the Tyrells, Margaery ( Natalie Dormer) and Loras (Finn Jones) shared Hightower’s mother.
Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) is a lot like Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance). Like Tywin, he is a widower of the Hand of the King, and just as Tywin used his daughter Cersei (Lena Headey), Otto uses his daughter Alycent (played as young Emily Carey) as bait for the king.
More about “Dragon House”
The long-awaited first spin-off of HBO’s Game of Thrones debuted on August 21.
But the uptight, opportunistic Otto is stronger than Tywin ever was. He is richer. He has more influence over the key institutions of Westeros, in what some call the Old City Triad (Citadel, Faith, and House Hightower). And he convinced the king that he was a noble man – “the unshakable and faithful Hand,” as King Viserys (Paddy Considine) calls him.
By the end of the series premiere, Viserys’ brother, Damon (Matt Smith), seems poised to become the king’s main antagonist. The demon is certainly formidable—and mean. But the king should probably also keep an eye on his Hand, who has a superior spy network. To whom does the maester whisper first? When Damon makes an unintelligent comment at the brothel, who hears it from the three corroborating witnesses?
What about the mysterious letter that Otto sends to Oldtown? From what we’ve seen so far, Otto seems like our Littlefinger, Varys, and Tywin, all rolled into one delightfully devious character.
Otto, however, is not the lord of Hightower. It was his older brother Hobert (Steffan Rodri) who first caught a glimpse of the oath of allegiance to King Viserys’ daughter, Rhaenyra.
Lead meisters?
House Hightower helped found the Citadel, the center of science in Westeros, and provides ongoing financial support, earning the head of the family the title of “Defender of the Citadel”. This is an honorary title, and the role is more like a patron than a protector. Maesters who must renounce familial loyalty will likely feel some gratitude. Or more.
There are already conspiracy theories about Grand Maester Mellos (David Gorovich) suggesting that he, like Grand Maester Pycelle in Thrones, will allow or even cause those under his care to die if it furthers Hightower’s agenda. Stretching? Maybe. But, as we learn from the A Song of Ice and Fire books, there may be some kind of corruption in the Citadel. It could be that the maesters, who control most of the information in Westeros and are found in noble houses everywhere, are compromised. Otto could benefit from their eyes and ears.
have faith
The period of Westeros history described in The House of the Dragon takes place before the construction of the sept of Baelor, the great cathedral where Cersei began her shameful procession; then the Starry Sept was the center of religious power, and the city of Oldtown was considered holy. In addition to bringing many sons into the ranks of the clergy, the Hightowers also built the Starry Sept.
The Church has a long and complicated history with the Targaryens worshiping different gods when they came to conquer. In the premiere, Otto warns that Daemon could be “a second Maegor or worse”, reminiscent of the religious war started by Maegor the Cruel, the third Targaryen king, when Hightower was head of the church.
Money speaks
Just as the Lannisters and Tyrells were among the richest families of their era, the Hightowers and Velaryons were among the wealthiest of their era. However, the Hightowers, ruling the center of commerce in one of the richest agricultural regions, represent the old money, while the Velaryons wield the new wealth. This makes Lord Corlis Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) a threat to Otto.
However, Otto’s alliances are strong among the other members of the Small Council: Mellos, part of the Citadel faction; LLL and Lord of Harrenhal Lionel Strong (Gavin Spox), who also studied at the Citadel; and Master of Money and Lord of Honeyholt, Lyman Bisbury (Bill Paterson), sworn vassal of House Hightower.
One day heir
In the first episode, Otto appears fixated on eliminating any lineage candidates he cannot control. He rejects the idea that King Viserys’ cousin Rhaenys (Eve Best), who is married to Lord Corlis, should become queen, but suggests that Rhaenyra be named heir. (Obviously, it’s not just about the field.) He’s also campaigning against Damon, who was the heir presumptive, a conflict that isn’t likely to die down anytime soon.
But Otto wages war by shedding ink, not blood. This is the Hightower way. And in a war of words, Otto, like the cunning wedding planner Tywin, could wield a more powerful sword.