The conversations between Varys and Littlefinger were new, for instance, as were many of Olenna’s barbs. On the screen, however, they often proved Thrones’ most compelling characters when they went beyond book-only material. If readers had been in Tywin Lannister’s head throughout A Storm of Swords, the Red Wedding would not have been such a momentous shock. There’s an obvious reason Martin never shared these characters’ direct thoughts-they know too much about the surprises to come. Neither did Tywin or Olenna or Doran Martell, or second-tier schemers like Margaery or Walder Frey or Illyrio Mopatis. Tyrion, one of the best (at least until late-stage Thrones neutered his intelligence), is Martin’s favorite character to write, and he’s received more point-of-view chapters than any other character in the series.īut Tyrion is an exception, because Varys and Littlefinger never received a point-of-view chapter. Otto should prove one of the series’ most important side characters because, as the first episode displayed, he’s quite a schemer (or a plotter they’re the same thing). That was a smart move: In the battle later called the Field of Fire, the three Targaryen dragons destroyed the Gardener force so thoroughly that the house went extinct-but the Hightowers were spared, and just needed to transfer their allegiance to House Tyrell, the new rulers of the Reach.įast-forward a century to the time of House of the Dragon. Yet when the Gardeners marched against Aegon, the Hightowers remained neutral in the conflict. Back in the days of Aegon’s conquest, they were pledged to House Gardener, which ruled the Reach. The Hightowers have a history of savvy political operation, as well. Wealth and influence naturally flow for the town’s chief patrons, who rule from Battle Isle in the center of the city, where they live in the Hightower-the tallest structure in Westeros, even higher than the Wall. And just as the Lannisters benefit from gold found beneath their ancestral castle, Casterly Rock, the Hightowers also thrive because of geographic fortune: Their home of Oldtown in the Reach-Westeros’s most fertile and populous region-is the continent’s busiest port city, as well as the central hub for its education (via the Citadel) and religious practices (via the Starry Sept). That makes them sound a lot like the Lannisters. Otto is a member of the Hightower family, which ranks among the Seven Kingdoms’ oldest, richest, and most powerful houses. So what do we know about the second-most-powerful man in the realm? Given Jaehaerys’s declining health, Otto effectively ruled the Seven Kingdoms for that time. Otto Hightower serves as hand for King Viserys, after previously serving as Jaehaerys’s hand for the final two years of the Old King’s life. Jaime asks: “How do you feel about Otto Hightower? Do you get a Tywin Lannister vibe like I do?” So let’s dive into the first House of the Dragon mailbag.
As long as your questions keep coming to on Twitter each Sunday night after the episodes air, our (spoiler-free) answers will keep coming, too. What do we need to know about King Viserys’s hand and Small Council? Do the Starks hate the Targaryens yet? And what were the dragonlords of Valyria up to before the Targaryens decamped for Dragonstone?Īfter the premiere of House of the Dragon, HBO’s prequel to Game of Thrones, Ringer readers had plenty of questions about the new show’s time period, characters, and focus.