Characters / House of the Dragon - Greens

House of the Dragon Main Character Index
The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros | Blacks (Rhaenyra Targaryen | Daemon Targaryen) | Greens (Alicent Hightower) | Houses of Westeros (House Targaryen [Viserys Targaryen] | House Velaryon) | Others | Dragons

Only spoilers from the current season will be hidden, so beware spoilers if you're not up to date on the episodes.

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Greens

The faction supporting Aegon II's claim to the Iron Throne against Rhaenyra Targaryen. They take their name from the green color of House Hightower, for they include the children King Viserys had with Alicent Hightower — House Hightower is the main power behind this faction.

For the Greens as portrayed in Fire & Blood, see here.

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In General

• Adaptational Dye-Job: In the books, their sigil is a golden dragon, to match Aegon II's dragon Sunfyre. In the show it's mentioned as green, presumably to match the (show-only) Hightower wartime sigil.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: While Grey-and-Gray Morality is still present, the Greens in the show are much nicer than their book counterparts, who generally came off as much worse than the Blacks. Aegon leapt for power as soon as he had the chance in the books, while Aemon intentionally killed Lucerys after some goading from House Baratheon. Here, Aegon never wanted the throne (and tried very hard to back out from being crowned until he was forced to ), while Lucerys death was largely an accident. That being said, the Blacks come off as somewhat nicer due to Rhaenyra wanting to handle things diplomatically at first and the Greens being a Dysfunction Junction.
• Composite Character: The Hightower-Targaryen siblings' characterisations and dynamics in the show bear similarities to Aegon IV "the Unworthy" and his siblings from the books. As if to drive the point home, they all have a father named Viserys.
  • While Aegon II in the books is already pretty similar to Aegon IV in that they were both lecherous drunks, the show version of Aegon II is also stuck in an unhappy marriage with a sister who he disdains, much like Aegon IV's relationship with his sister-wife Naerys. He was also a Big Brother Bully towards Aemond in the show, a similar dynamic to that between Aegon IV and his younger brother Aemon during their younger years.
  • Aemond is similar to Aemon the Dragonknight in that they both started as underdogs who were bullied by their older brothers in their youth, only to surpass them and become formidable fighters in their own right. Aemond's nobler traits seem to be modelled after the Dragonknight as well, being The Dutiful Son who is fiercely protective of his sister along with sharing a Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling dynamic with their elder brothers.
  • Apart from the aforementioned Awful Wedded Life they had with their husbands and closer relationship with their other brother, Helaena shares Naerys's socially withdrawn and quiet personality instead of the pleasant and happy woman that she was in the books.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: Part of what makes the Greens darker than the Blacks to modern audiences is that they espouse virtues and methods that are seen as normal in Westeros, but are murkier in the present day. Arranging a marriage between people of wildly different ages (one of whom is your child who you are essentially pimping out) is one example, as is the concept that bastards cannot inherit. To the people of Westeros, this is business as usual. To the audience, though, it comes off as rude at best and monstrous at worst.
• Divine Right of Kings: Downplayed heavily. Within Westeros there has never been any real notion of the Seven endorsing certain rulers. However, they bring in the High Septon as part of the pomp and circumstances for Aegon's coronation.
• Dysfunction Junction: The Greens have more internal friction than the Black as they frequency chafe again their roles. Alicent never wanted to marry Viserys. Aegon has no interest in being heir. Aemond resents being a second son. By contrast, the Blacks (with the possible exception of Daemon) are more or less content in the roles they've been cast in.
• Enemy Mine: One value that Alicent instilled into her children is that despite their family squabbles, they need to present a united front for outsiders. They appear to have learned it well. When the Blacks try to get Aegon to incriminate his mother in episode 1.07, he protects her while exhibiting an O.O.C. Is Serious Business level of composure and bravery. Aemond makes no secret of his distain for his brother and envy of his position, yet he staunchly subverts Princeling Rivalry.
  Alicent: [to Aegon] Aemond is your brother. […] We are family. You may cuff him about as you wish at home, but in the world we must defend our own.
• Heir Club for Men: Toes the line between Invoked and Exploited. Male-only inheritance is a preexisting concept in Westerosi society, which makes Viserys's lack of a son at least a potential opening. From the moment Aemma died, Otto has been working toward the goal of facilitating the birth of a Hightower-Targaryen son who could both be heir to the Targaryen dynasty and also be partial to the Hightowers. When the boy turns out to be an Inadequate Inheritor, that's an unfortunate hiccup, but not a dealbreaker. Too much has been invested in this plan to give up now.
• The Oath-Breaker: All the Green-aligned lords are guilty of it, since all the Houses of Westeros publicly swore allegiance to Princess Rhaenyra when she was designated heir of the realm by King Viserys, and Viserys repeatedly stated he considered Rhaenyra his heir, not Aegon. Some of the lords who only became the heads of their houses sometime after that event try to circumvent the oath by pointing out it was done by their fathers or uncles, not them personally.
• Practically Different Generations: Because Rhaenyra's stepmother Alicent was too young to be her biological mother (even in the books), all of Rhaenyra's half-siblings through Alicent are practically young enough to be her own children. In the TV show, Rhaenyra is fifteen years older than Aegon, and it goes on from there.
• Properly Paranoid: When Otto first lays out the danger Rhaenyra's claim poses to Alicent's children, it seems plausible but not definitive. As the show unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that Otto's right. The eye-for-an-eye debacle demonstrates that Rhaenyra is willing to throw Alicent's children under the bus to protect her own. Daemon is an obvious candidate to carry out such a thing — he's violent, quicker to defend Rhaenyra's claim than she herself is, and has been known to act without first seeking her approval.
  Otto: To secure her claim, she'll have to put your children to the sword. She'll have no choice.
• Quality vs. Quantity: They are outnumbered by the Blacks in the amount of dragons, but Vhagar and Dreamfyre outmatch all of them at the start of the conflict.
  • The opposite is true of their regular armies: the Greens control the southern Reach and the Westerlands, the wealthiest and most populous core regions of Westeros — and this was before they absconded with the old royal treasury, which had built up over 80 years of peace and prosperity. On the other hand, these core regions haven't experienced real warfare in living memory, so the Green armies are, well, green. In contrast, several of the Blacks' smaller armies are from fringe regions of Westeros which actually would see at least some fighting: the Velaryon fleet battle-hardened from years fighting pirates in the Stepstones, the Starks always fighting off wildling raids, and the Arryns fending off raids from the hill tribes. Combined with near-total naval supremacy, the Blacks are able to quickly focus their smaller but more experienced forces where they need them.^{From the books...}Historically, the Hightowers have the largest martial and naval power of any vassal house in the whole of Westeros, rivalring the might of the Lannisters. This is due to the fact that Oldtown is a frequent target of Ironborn raiders. It's mentioned on the main books that they are only kept in check in the Reach by the Tyrells due to the fact that the City Watch of Oldtown belongs to the latter rather than to the Hightowers.
• Renegade Splinter Faction: They're a branch of House Targaryen stemming from King Viserys' marriage to Alicent Hightower, backed by House Hightower, who rebelled against Viserys' wish of crowning Rhaenyra. However, they have control of King's Landing while the Black faction are holed up on the isle of Dragonstone, they crowned their monarch publically in front of cheering masses as opposed to Rhaenyra's more intimate ceremony, and they possess most of the symbols and artifacts associated with the kingship except the Targaryen crown (but have Aegon the Conqueror's crown), which makes the Blacks look more like this trope.
• Right Hand Versus Left Hand: Despite having the more numerous advantages in pulling off a coup to install Aegon instead of Rhaenyra after Viserys’s death, the lack of clear communication and divergent strategies between Alicent and Otto, as well as other Wild Card members of their faction, results in contradictory orders for the Kingsguard, leading to a brief fight over who brings Aegon back to court and Lady Rhaenys Velaryon escaping their clutches. They are still too united for a true case of A House Divided within themselves… but they manage to further discourage neutral or even originally loyal parties enough to push them into Rhaenyra's camp.
• Rules Lawyer: In general, the Greens have a more deeply legalistic conception of the monarchy as being an institution separate from the present king, steeped in the traditions of the Andals and the pre-Conquest institutions of the Faith of the Seven and the Citadel. This contrasts with the Blacks' Screw the Rules, I Make Them! worldview, which is based on a Targaryen background where you can get away with nearly anything because dragon power. This comes to a head around the question of whether the current regnant's word is law, or even if a king can be subject to laws they don't like. Can they make a daughter or bastard heir if they wish to?

House Targaryen of King's Landing

King Aegon II

King-Claimant Aegon II Targaryen / Aegon The Elder

"He had 20 years to name me heir and he never did. ... He could have, but he never did, because he didn't like me."

^{Click here to see young Aegon} "My opponent sues for mercy!"

Played By: Tom Glynn-Carney (adult), Ty Tennant (young adult)

"I did not ask for this! I've done everything you asked me to, and I've tried so hard but it'll never be enough for you or father!"

The firstborn son of Viserys I by his second wife Queen Alicent. Despite having exhibited poor character and lacking leadership skills, his grandfather Lord Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, plotted with the Small Council to cement his ascension to the throne, making him the face of the Green faction of the Dance of the Dragons.

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• Abusive Parents: Aegon is implied to have sired multiple bastards and at least one was left abandoned to be raised in a fighting pit where adults gamble on children who've had their teeth and nails filed to put on a "better show". Even worse, Aegon is a frequent patron of the fighting pit and his bastards may even be unwilling participants.
  • Aegon himself seems to be on the receiving end of it too. Viserys barely acknowledges he exists and Aegon himself finds it dubious that Viserys suddenly named him heir on his deathbed. Alicent used her son as a political object to oppose Rhaenyra and isn't above shouting and hitting him at times, and Aegon's dialogue implies that she's never even said she loves him. It's not that surprising Aegon turned out the way he did.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: Mushroom's account in the book described him as a pedophile, busy making a girl who was no older than twelve perform oral sex on him when Criston Cole tracked him down ^note Mushroom is, however, noted in-universe as being an extremely Unreliable Narrator, not to mention absent from King's Landing at the time . In the show, he's fleeing from the Cargyll twins when Criston finds him, and never shows any sexual interest in children.
• Adaptational Sympathy: The show fleshes out his character, showing him to be a somewhat pitiable figure who Desperately Craves Affection thanks to a neglectful upbringing. That is not without mentioning that he's being placed into a position of power by his mother and grandfather, a position that he knows he's completely ill-suited for and has no desire to attain. Of course, the show balances it out by giving him more cruel moments, which then leads to...
• Adaptational Villainy:
  • In the series, he forces himself onto the servant girls, forcing his mother to clean up his mess with hush money and Fantasy Contraception. In the book, he gropes them if he gets a chance and impregnates one, but is never said to actually rape them (though considering he was the eldest son of the king, whether the girls could actually choose to consent or not is questionable).
  • He allows his bastards to be raised as fighters at an underground children's fighting ring he frequents. There's no mention of his bastards being forced to fight in the books.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In the books, the mutual enmity between Rhaenyra and Alicent bled over to their respective children, leading to them being bitter rivals for the entirety of their youths. This is not the case at the onset of the show, where Aegon is at least civil with his nephews and seems content in his position as a Spare to the Throne. It is only in his teenage years, at Alicent's pressuring and Criston Cole's coaxing, that he begins to turn on his nephews, Rhaenyra's children maiming his brother with impunity cements it.
• Age Lift: The age gap between him and Rhaenyra is widened from ten years to fifteen, making the suggestion to betroth them to resolve the succession more ridiculous than in Fire & Blood.
• The Alcoholic: Even in his youth all he wanted to do was drink. As an adult, his opening scene has him awakening with a bad hangover.
• Ancestral Name: Named after the Conqueror himself, which is hinted at by the "Second of his Name" title in his debut episode as a toddler. His own coronation emphasizes this further by the Green court reusing the Conqueror's own crown. It's a daunting legacy, and one that Aegon II is utterly unsuited to live up to.^{From the books...}Aegon is denominated "The Elder" to differentiate him from Aegon the Younger, Rhaenyra's son with Daemon.
• Apology Gift: Gave a present to his wife to apologize for his philandering. She's seen keeping it in her hands and looking at it with great curiosity all the while they sit at the table.
• Awesome Moment of Crowning: Gets a celebration at the end of the ninth episode, where he quite enjoys the spotlight and being cheered at by the smallfolk. It's cut short by Rhaenys and her dragon crashing the ceremony.
• Big Brother Bully: As a teenager, he dislikes and abuses his younger brother Aemond, for which his mother scolds him. Aemond also reveals that, as a birthday present for his 13 years, Aegon took his brother with him to a brothel in order to make him a man and that whatever happened has somehow marked Aemond.
• Big Brother Instinct: Probably is the result of Alicent's harsh teachings about watching each other's backs with his brother, but when Jace punches Aemond in the face and Luke gets up to go threateningly towards the latter, Aegon intercepts him, grabs his head and violently slams him on the dining table.
• Brutal Honesty: When Viserys confronts him for allegedly telling Aemond that Rhaenyra's children are bastards, he bluntly tells Viserys the ugly truth he has turned a blind eye towards.
  Aegon: We know, Father. Everyone knows. Just look at them...
• Butt-Monkey: Not that he does not actually do anything to deserve it, but in all his appearances after growing up, they always see him being harshly scolded, slapped, and/or kicked by his mother and grandfather.
• Caught with Your Pants Down: His mother Alicent busts him spanking his monkey out of a window completely naked. He's embarrassed about being caught, but she never says a word about it, implying it's not the first time she has walked in on him.
• Color-Coded Characters: Wears primarily green even while sparring in private—hinting that as much as he is a Targaryen, he is also being reared in Alicent's Hightower loyalties.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Prequel rather than sequel, but Aegon mirrors King Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones:
  • Before dying, King Robert dictates his will to Ned Stark, who changes "my son Joffrey" to "the rightful heir" to make it ambiguous. A moribund King Viserys delivers an ambiguous Deathbed Confession to Queen Alicent, who mistakenly understands it as a verbal request to change his will, making Aegon the designated heir in place of Rhaenyra.
  • Both are blond teenagers who are woefully inadequate rulers with sociopathic tendencies, installed on the throne by their mother and grandfather, and whose ascension requires strong palatial intrigue and purging of the legalist opposition.
  • They both ascend to the throne after long periods of peace on Westeros, with the only wars fought taking place on the peripheral islands away from the mainland. The inherited peace is no longer sustainable shortly after their coronations.
  • They differ in that Aegon is his Targaryen father's legitimate son and doesn't want the throne but is pushed by his family to sit on it, while Joffrey is a power-hungry Bastard Bastard eager to exert his power and disobey his mother from the get-go. While Aegon and Joffrey are neglected by their fathers, Joffrey tries his best to win Robert's approval and continues to idolize him even after the man dies, whereas Aegon already resigned himself to the fact that Viserys never loved him. Also, Aegon is a lecherous Royal Brat who spends most of his time drinking, whoring, or forcing himself on servant girls; Joffrey was remarkably disinterested in sex and had a far greater interest in both watching and inflicting violence.
• Cool Crown: Gets crowned with the crown of Aegon the Conqueror himself, as part of The Coup of the Greens when they do everything to cement him as the true heir.
• Disappointing Older Sibling: He believes that he is completely unfit to rule and Aemond fully agrees with him.
• Foil: Aegon and Jace are Alicent and Rhaenyra's respective firstborns and heirs. As such they both have pressure on them, but it's different. Aegon's pressure is entirely external, the expectations placed upon him by his mother and grandfather. He responds by being The Slacker. Jace's pressure is more internal. He too has a mother and grandfather viewing him as heir, but he also has people viewing him as a bastard and expecting him to fail. The presence of opposition gives him something to fight against, and so to prove them wrong he becomes The Perfectionist. Neither approach successfully resolves either prince's underlying insecurity about not being enough.
• Foregone Conclusion: Details of his exploits are given by Joffrey to Margaery in Game of Thrones.
• Freudian Excuse: Having a father who barely paid him any attention combined with his mother and grandfather aggressively pressuring him to seize the power he doesn't even want has molded Aegon into a hedonistic, selfish wreck of a man. He outright says to Alicent that Viserys hated him and is genuinely unsettled when Alicent tries to convince him his father changed his mind on his deathbed. When he asks Alicent if she loves him in a rare moment of honesty, she, smiling fondly, calls him an imbecile for having doubts about it, which is most likely the first time Aegon got a verbal confirmation of Alicent's love for him.
  • Word of God, showrunner Ryan Condal directly stated that Aegon II's flaws are entirely due to his upbringing, and if he'd been born into another family he'd have turned out different (maybe not a great person, but a harmless one). That is, he is officially not a born psychopath the way Joffrey Baratheon was (in the books, Stannis points out that Robert and Cersei's dysfunctional marriage didn't help, but Joffrey was butchering cats since he was old enough to walk — a sadist from the womb who was already on his way to becoming the next Mad King). invoked
• Generation Xerox:
  • Essentially combines the worst aspects of his father and Daemon. Weak-willed like his dad and hedonistic like his uncle, without having Viserys's sense of responsibility or Daemon's competence at things.
  • His unhappy marriage with Helaena is a copy of the unhappy marriage of their parents. Husband ignores his wife unless he needs someone to lay with, and she's basically a single mother to their kids.
• Green and Mean: Like his mother, Aegon also wears the color green and considers his younger siblings to be morons and also taunts and hurts his nephews.
• Handsome Lech: He's handsome and he's trying his luck with anything that moves.
• Hate Sink: He is easily the most despicable of Alicent's children, being a Royal Brat who mistreats his younger siblings and also rapes his sister's young servants. Not only did he yawn with his mouth open at Laena Velaryon's funeral during Vaemond Velaryon's speech and then quietly got drunk, but years later he has no qualms about ignoring his legitimate sister-wife and their children and also genuinely sees nothing wrong with his raping of young girls (for which his mother scolds him fiercely). He even attends clandestine clubs in which not only do they profit from ''children fighting each other to the death'', but among these children, there are even some of his own many illegitimate children. About the only thing about him that doesn't fall into this trope is his own awareness that he is totally unfit to rule and his willingness to run away and let his way more competent brother Aemond become king instead (which sadly he isn't allowed to go through with).
• Heir Club for Men: Because he was born a male, many of the Seven Kingdoms' high lords expect him to be named heir instead of Rhaenyra even when he's an Out of Focus toddler and she's already a formidable Wise Beyond Their Years observer of human nature, amateur politician, and Dragon Rider over 15 years older than he is. Even as a young adult, they don't seem to care that he's totally inadequate for the throne.
• Hidden Depths: Everyone seems to view him as a lecherous party animal, which he is. However, he is far from stupid — when Aemond throws him under the bus for the rumors concerning the legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s children, Aegon (who was passed out drunk just an hour earlier) is astute enough to protect his mother from Viserys’ wrath, while also deflecting Viserys’ questioning and laying bare Viserys turning a blind eye to the obvious. His reaction also implies that he has done nothing to undermine Rhaenyra’s claim (i.e. discussing the rumors) and has continued to be content as the spare to the throne. He also openly admits that he has neither the skill nor temperament to make a good king, and spends most of episode 1.09 hiding from everyone who is trying to crown him. He doesn't care who takes the throne — he just doesn't want it.
• Hormone-Addled Teenager: In his youth, he regularly leered at servant girls and masturbated naked while standing in an open window often enough that his mother had no reaction to catching him in the act.
• I Just Want to Be Loved: Aegon's actor, Tom Glynn-Carney, described his character in an interview as someone who does desperately crave approval. This is shown at his coronation when the crowd begins to cheer for him. The previously reluctant Aegon slowly begins to smile and even hypes up the crowd by making a show of drawing Blackfyre. In the episode before his coronation, Aegon tells Alicent that he tries so hard to make his parents love him, but it doesn't work. On the way to his coronation in episode 1.09, Aegon doesn't believe that Viserys named him heir and flat out says that Viserys clearly disliked him. He then asks Alicent if she loves him, but only gets an exasperated comment from his mother neither confirming or denying it.
  Aegon: He had twenty years to name me heir. But he didn't. He didn't because he didn't like me.
• Inadequate Inheritor: As Viserys' firstborn son, the Hightowers plan to make him king. Aegon is completely ill-suited for kingship, and completely uninterested to boot. The Hightowers don't see this as a dealbreaker since they only need him to to be the figurehead Puppet King while his family actually runs things.
• Irony: He considers his younger siblings to be morons, but in the meantime he is the one who is most taken up by both his parents and his grandfather Otto for his numerous idiotic behaviors.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Aegon rightfully points out that he's genuinely not suited for the throne and insists he doesn't want to rule. Moreover, he calls out Alicent for not showing him the same love she does for Aemond or Helaena, and says no matter how hard he tries it's clearly never enough for her or Viserys.
• Mother Makes You King: Aegon is made king because of his mother Alicent, misunderstanding Viserys last words.
• Naked People Are Funny: One of his first scenes as a teenager involves him standing naked on his windowsill and masturbating before getting caught by his mother.
• Mystical White Hair: A definitive feature of his family's ancestry and one of his most notable physical features.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Similar to how Viserys and Rhaenyra draw from Henry I and Matilda, Aegon is quite similar to Stephen of Blois. Both are the closest male relative of a king who's named his daughter heir and subsequently become a challenge to said daughter's claim. The main difference is that Stephen was only Henry's nephew instead of his son and was far more proactive in trying to take the throne compared to the more reluctant Aegon.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: During the eye-for-an-eye showdown, Aemond passes the hot potato of bastardy allegations to Aegon. The obvious next move here is for Aegon to pass it on to Alicent — but he doesn't. He defuses the allegation insofar as it can be; he confronts his father; he fulfills Alicent's teaching that "in the world we must defend our own." Under pressure, Aegon rises to the occasion and exhibits more bravery, composure, and loyalty than we've yet seen from him.
  Viserys: And you, boy? Where did you hear such calumnies? [yelling in his face] Aegon! Tell me the truth of it!
  Aegon: We know, Father. Everyone knows. Just look at them.
• Older Than They Look: Due to the fact that he was surpassed in height by his little brother Aemond, many viewers of the show thinks that Aegon looks much younger than Aemond in their adulthood (for what it's worth, Aegon's actor is in fact a couple of years older than Aemond's, even if he arguably doesn't look it).
• One-Steve Limit: Averted. His half-sister Rhaenyra also named one of her sons Aegon. In the books, they're referred to as The Elder and The Younger respectively to differentiate them.
• Out of Focus: After his introduction in episode 1.03, he isn't shown growing up in the following episodes, while still always being one of the most prominent conversation topics in the Red Keep. He reappears as a teenager in episode 1.06, "The Princess and the Queen".
• Parental Abandonment: A variation, but the series (and especially Aegon) make it clear that Viserys hardly spent time with his eldest son, while Alicent used him as a political pawn with no regard for his feelings.
• Parental Neglect: Aegon himself points out that Viserys hardly spent time with him (let alone any of his children with Alicent at that) and no matter how hard he tries, it's never enough. Meanwhile, Alicent used Aegon as a weapon to further her opposition to Rhaenyra, not caring how much of a toll it took on him.
• Practically Different Generations: He's a full 15 years younger than his older half-sister Rhaenyra; his mother is in fact Rhaenyra’s former best friend and Lady-In-Waiting.
• Prince Charmless: It is clear that although since his birth he has been placed in the most uncomfortable position of presumed usurper of the throne promised to his elder half-sister, and that throughout his life both his parents and his maternal grandfather have been very hard or negligent with him, Aegon remains not only a morally horrible person but also deeply self-centered and selfish. The one person for whom he seems capable of sympathy with is himself, and for all other people who are not him, he demonstrates a total Lack of Empathy.
• Puppet King: Otto and Alicent really don't care if he's never been properly raised to become a king when having him crowned, as they're certain that they'll be the real power behind him.
• Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: He raped one of his sister-wife's serving girls (who's also implied to be their children's nanny), resulting in Alicent severely reprimanding him for the shame he's brought upon the family, especially her and Helaena. What's worse, he sees no issue with it and chalks it up to "harmless fun".
• Royal Brat: He grew up spoiled and revered by the entire court and despite the ambitious plans his mother and grandfather have for him, he doesn't even bother to try fulfilling his duties and responsibilities.
• Royal Inbreeding: Per the Valyrian tradition of incestuous marriage between the eldest son and daughter, Aegon is married to his sister Helena. They show little interest in each other. Despite the lack of compatibility, they have children together, twin toddlers named Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.
• Serial Rapist: Implied Trope. As a young man, he rapes a servant girl. When his mother has to deal with the aftermath, she does so slickly enough it seems like this may have happened before.
  Alicent: How can you keep carrying on like this?
• Smarter Than You Look: Despite his vices and personality, Aegon is astute enough to recognize he's not suited for the throne and constantly tries to get out of his family drama. When he learns that Viserys supposedly named him heir on his deathbed, Aegon is dubious and tells Alicent he finds it hard to believe.
• Spare to the Throne: He's King Viserys' second (surviving) child after Rhaenyra (as his previous ones died shortly after birth), which would normally make Aegon the next in line since Westeros practices agnatic primogeniture, but his father's prior decision to make his older half-sister Rhaenyra the heir means Aegon is behind Rhaenyra's own sons in the line of succession. In "The Princess and the Queen" Aegon is fairly content to lounge around King's Landing and not contest Rhaenyra's claim to the throne, but his mother and grandfather will have none of it.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: While he was initially a lazy Big Brother Bully who only wanted to drink and leer at girls, by the time he reached adulthood his behavior has only gotten worse. He's very antagonistic towards his nephews, makes passes at Baela in front of Jace (her betrothed) and rapes young servant girls for pleasure with hardly any remorse.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Downplayed, but was considerably nicer in his youth until the ambitions of his mother and grandfather took over, turning him into the sleazy and alcoholic man during the Dance of the Dragons.
• The Un-Favourite: Neither of his parents seem to think much of him in comparison to their other children. Viserys dotes on Rhaenyra while Alicent is gentle with Aemond and Helaena but more forceful and annoyed with Aegon for avoiding pressing his claim in favor of being a drunken party boy. To make matters worse, even figures such as Otto (Helaena) and Criston (Aemond) favour his siblings over him.
• Unwanted Spouse: He is not enthusiastic about being married to his sister Helaena, and does the bare minimum when it comes to his husbandly duties, instead preferring to assault the servant women. Depending on how you interpret her dialogue, Helaena may experience Aegon's lack of interest in her as a relief, or she may resent it.
  Aegon: She's an idiot.
  Aemond: She's your future queen.
• Upper-Class Twit: He evolves into this as he grows up because his only interests in life involve drowning until exhausted in his own vices and perversions.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: He's not into the game of thrones at all, just going along with it to please his parents.
  Aegon: I did not ask for this. I've done everything you've asked me to, and I try so... I try so hard, but it will never be enough for you or father.
• The Wrongful Heir to the Throne: He would be the heir to the throne under the usual Westerosi practice of male-biased primogeniture, but his father's atypical decree appointing Rhaenyra heir complicated further already complicated succession laws. He has to be forcibly dragged to the sept on his coronation day because he doesn't want the responsibility of kingship.
• You're Just Jealous: Aegon is annoyed and jealous when Jace dances with Helaena.

Helaena Targaryen

Queen Helaena Targaryen

^{Click here to see young Helaena} "He'll have to close an eye."

Played By: Phia Saban (adult), Evie Allen (young)

"Hand turns loom, spool of green, spool of black, dragons of flesh weaving dragons of thread."

The second child and only daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen by his second wife, Queen Alicent Hightower. Helaena displays some clairvoyance, but has difficulty informing others of her visions.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: Her book counterpart is described as being plump and plain-faced for a Targaryen. This doesn't match Phia Saban, who is slender and quite beautiful.
• Adaptation Personality Change: The book describes her as being a pleasant and happy person in her youth. Here, she seems to be quieter and socially withdrawn, fixating on her insect collection whilst ignoring her mother and brother and subtly recoiling when Alicent makes a physically affectionate gesture. She still maintains some pleasantness in the show too, mainly in being the White Sheep of the Greens.
• The Cassandra: Helaena does not seem to have a firm grasp of her own visions, and that affects her ability to communicate and warn others. For example, in "The Green Council", she is on the verge of tears trying to warn Alicent once again of the "beast beneath the boards" but Alicent brushes this warning aside.
• Color-Coded Characters: Averted to a certain extent. Unlike her brothers who wear Hightower Green all the time, Helaena on the other hand wore Hightower Green for Laena Velaryon's funeral and Aegon's coronation, though her dress was teal rather than dark green. The rest of the time she is shown wearing dresses of different colors like pink, yellow/gold/mustard, and blue. It reflects her status as the White Sheep of the Greens who is for the most part oblivious to the looming conflict between both families.
• Disease by Any Other Name: Helaena is on the autistic spectrum. She's got a hyperfixation with bugs, Hates Being Touched, and frequently avoids eye contact even while in direct conversation. When Daemon decapitates Vaemond Velaryon in the middle of the royal court, Helaena's reaction is to cover her ears instead of her eyes; many autistic people are extremely sensitive to unpleasant sounds. Helaena exhibits socially inappropriate behavior — she's seen sprawled on the floor at Laena's wake, and at the family dinner she gives a horrifying (if well-intentioned) toast. The family takes this in stride. They have enough of an understanding that Helaena is different that her behavior isn't viewed as rude. Helaena's autism is an attribute taken from Jaehaera, her daughter in the source material, who was confirmed to be on the spectrum by the writers.
• Dragon Rider: She rides Dreamfyre, as mentioned on the HBO website, and is shown in a distant shot of Dreamfyre flying away from Laena's wedding.
• Friend to Bugs: Her Establishing Character Moment is her waxing encyclopedically to her mother about her pet millipede. She also has a collection of bugs preserved in a box. As an adult, she's shown embroidering insect patterns while her cherubic-looking twins play with insect-shaped toys.
• Generation Xerox: Similar to her father Viserys, who is very interested in Old Valyria to the point of creating a model of the entire city that he has been expanding for years, Helaena has her own fixation with insect biology.
• Hairstyle Inertia: Has the same hairstyle as a (albeit teenaged) wife and mother that she does as an adolescent, unlike her brothers.
• Hates Being Touched: She doesn't seem to like being physically touched, especially when she's seeing a vision. When Alicent tried to touch her in the moments like this, Helaena always shrugged off her hand. When she's calm she accepts her mother's hugs and when Rhaenys and her Meleys crash Aegon's coronation ceremony, Helaena's first instinct for safety is taking refuge behind Aemond and to even stroke his shielding arm of her own volition.
• The High Queen: As a queen, she's loved and admired by smallfolk.
• Kissing Cousins: As an attempt at reconciliation, Rhaenyra offered to marry her son Jace to her, as a way to bridge the rift between her and Alicent. The Queen would have none of it and quickly betrothed her to her eldest brother, Aegon. Unfortunately for Helaena.
• My Nayme Is: Her name has the same pronunciation as the normal name "Helena," it's just spelled with an extra "a."
• Mystical White Hair: A definitive feature of her family's ancestry and one of her most notable physical features.
• Neurodiversity Is Supernatural: Autistic-y and a seer. It's not clear how or if the two are connected since there's little to compare her to (Daenerys also had dragon dreams and no autistic traits, but not to the extent that Helaena does), but at the very least it contributes to her being The Cassandra, as she struggles to communicate her visions to others.
• Nice Girl: The kindest of Alicent's children. Compared to Aemond's Stealth Insult and Aegon's short, obligatory niceties, her toast to Rhaena and Baela, while a bit stunted by her neurodivergent condition, is entirely genuine.
• No Social Skills: She's a bit of a shut-in and prefers insects to people. When she tries to comfort Rhaena and Baela about married life, she ends up putting her foot in her mouth by being a bit too honest about her and Aegon's relationship, though this is taken in good humor since she was genuinely trying. She also fails to read into the obvious subtext of Aemond complimenting Rhaenyra's sons for being "strong boys" as she can be seen about to applaud.
• Oblivious Guilt Slinging: Pops into an argument between her mother and brother-husband to ask where her handmaiden Dyana is since she needs help with her children. Alicent, who had just sent Dyana away after Aegon raped her, hugs her and breaks into sobs.
• Princess Classic: She plays with the concept — she's the kindest of Alicent's children, is a Friend to All Living Things to some extent (albeit to less conventionally "cute" animals like dragons and insects), and is demure and overall sweet but also awkward.
• Princesses Prefer Pink: Her quirky and meek demeanor is enhanced by her charming light pink dress. In the episode, "The Princess and the Queen".
• The Quiet One: Out of Alicent's three extant children, Helaena seems to be the shyest and most shut-in.
• Royal Inbreeding: Per the Valyrian tradition of incestuous marriage between the eldest son and daughter, Helaena is married to her older brother Aegon. They show little interest in each other, with Helaena saying that he mostly ignores her unless he's drunk. Despite the lack of compatibility, they have children together, twin toddlers named Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.
• Sacred Cow: In-universe, she has become this for her entire family. Despite her social awkwardness, no one dares make fun of her for it, Aemond is very protective of her, and even Otto is uncharacteristically affectionate towards her. With the exception of Aegon, everyone (Blacks and Greens alike) respects her.
• Teen Pregnancy: Helaena is around 16 in the final episodes of season 1, and has toddler twin children.
• Unwanted Spouse: In the Targaryen tradition, Helaena was married to her eldest brother Aegon in their teens. He never wanted to marry her, and he mostly ignores her. Depending on how you interpret her dialogue, Helaena may experience his lack of interest as a relief, or she may resent it.
  Helaena: It's not so bad. He mostly just ignores you. Except when he's drunk.
• Waif Prophet: Helaena's a young girl who appears to be some sort of seer. ^{From the books...} The Targaryens have a propensity for prophetic dreams. This is toned down in the show universe, though Helaena's father Viserys (may have) had a prophetic dream exactly once that guided several of his actions. Most of her dialogue as a young girl seems to foreshadow upcoming events:
  • In "The Princess and the Queen", she absentmindedly notes that "he'll have to close an eye" when Aemond complains about not having a dragon. Lo and behold, in the next episode, Aemond loses an eye but gains a dragon.
  • During Laena Velaryon's funeral, she is seen playing with her insects in a manner more like divination. It's a poetic way of discovering the looming Succession Crisis turning into Civil War, the Dance of the Dragons.
    Helaena: Hand turns loom; spool of green, spool of black; dragons of flesh weaving dragons of thread.
  • During the attempted reconciliation feast, she can be heard mumbling "beware the beast beneath the boards". Late in the next episode, Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys burst out from under the floor of the Dragonpit, interrupting Aegon's coronation ceremony that was being held there.

Aemond Targaryen

Prince Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen

"I was merely expressing how proud I am of my family, Mother."

^{Click here to see young Aemond} "It would strenghten the family. Keep our Valyrian blood pure."

Played By: Ewan Mitchell (young adult), Leo Ashton (young)

"I'm next in line to the throne. Should they come looking for me, I intend to be found."

The second son and third child of King Viserys I Targaryen by his second wife, Alicent Hightower. Initially a timid boy bullied for his lack of a dragon, Aemond grows into a princely but combative young man.

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• Adaptational Intelligence: The Aemond of the book never mentioned studying history and philosophy, and Maester Yandel had a rather scathing assessment of his intelligence and leadership abilities.
• Adaptational Jerkass: He insults his cousins when they confront him, threatens to kill his nephews for attacking him, and picks up a rock when they persist. In the books, there were no death threats and no rock (though he did start pummeling Jace "savagely" in the same situation), and he never had any confrontation with Daemon's daughters at all.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: While not exactly a peach, this Aemond is a softer and more nuanced character than his book counterpart, who was pretty much a bloodthirsty, Ax-Crazy psychopath with almost no redeeming features.
  • His altercation with Joffrey never happens, and he's shown exhibiting kindness towards Helaena that his book counterpart never did, telling Aegon to give his future queen more respect.
  • At Laena's funeral, he sees Jace visibly upset upon losing his biological father and seems to be on the verge of wishing him condolences. The whole complexity of the children's parentage and the animosity between the families fueled by his mother's hatred stop him from doing it. His book counterpart would never consider doing such a thing.
  • His Establishing Character Moment in the books shows him having a nasty misogynistic streak (asking if the Hightowers would have to "kneel and kiss the old whore's [Rhaenyra's] cunny") when talking about the Succession Crisis between Aegon and Rhaenyra. In the series, one of his most noble aspects is how much he cares about both his sister and his mother and directs his scorn instead at Aegon, who for many, many reasons is a far worthier target of Aemond's resentment.
  • His murder of Lucerys is far less intentional than in the book. While he does state his intention to take out Lucerys's eye and chases him through the storm, it's presented as him doing this more to torment and frighten Lucerys. Things turn when Arrax tries to fight back and an angered Vhagar chases after them, ignoring Aemond's commands and crushing them in her jaws, with Aemond looking visibly distraught by what just happened. In the book, by contrast, it's made clear that Aemond knowingly sicced Vhagar on them with malice and intent.
• Adaptational Personality Change: In the books, he was said to be fierce from birth, twice as fierce as his brother. He was never said to have been bullied, though he had a rivalry with his nephews and resented them for being ahead of him in line for the throne. Here he is a relatively passive child up until he Takes A Level in Badass upon claiming Vhagar, at which point he gets back on track with his book counterpart. His book version was never dutiful and just became more of a wildman as time went by. Meanwhile, while his adult version is still bloodthirsty and vicious, he is also well-read, responsible and contemplative and notes himself that he'd be a better king than Aegon (not that that's particularly hard).
• Adaptational Sympathy:
  • Aemond's enmity with his Velaryon nephews in the show has more understandable reasons beyond the ill will between Rhaenyra and Alicent being passed to their sons — namely, said nephews aid Aegon in bullying him for not having a dragon, and then they and their cousins beat up on him 4-on-1 when he does get a dragon.
  • In the books, Aemond chases after and kills Lucerys in a duel on dragonback after one of Lord Borros' daughters taunts him about his manhood. Here, Aemond didn't intend to kill Lucerys at all, only wanting to intimidate him, but Vhagar disobeyed his orders to stop after Arrax attacked her and she chased after the smaller dragon to retaliate. After the deed was done, Aemond has a look of distraught disbelief on his face as he stares at the chunks of Arrax's corpse falling to the sea below.
• All of the Other Reindeer: He is made fun of by the other young Targaryen boys due to lacking a dragon.
• Altar Diplomacy: He agrees to marry Borros Baratheon's daughter Floris, securing the stormlords' loyalty to the Greens.
• Arch-Enemy: To Lucerys Velaryon. Luke cut out one of Aemond's eyes in a fight when they were children, and this went unpunished. Animosity festered for years, and when Aemond finally has the opportunity, he attempts to pay Lucerys back in kind, only to end up causing his death when he loses control of his dragon.
• Badass Boast: He takes permanently losing his eye like a champ because he gained the world's largest dragon out of it.
  Aemond: Do not mourn me, Mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon.
• Badass Bookworm: Unlike Aegon, who over the years has dedicated himself to unleashing every kind of perversion he had, Aemond spent all his adolescence both becoming a ferocious and formidable fighter under the watchful eye of Criston Cole and studying carefully history, politics and philosophy.
• The Beautiful Elite: A tall, slender Warrior Prince with long, mystical white hair (typical of Valyrian blood), fair skin and delicate facial features, belonging to the most powerful and feared royal family of Westeros none the less.
• Beauty Is Bad: He's a full-blown Long-Haired Pretty Boy (despite the facial mutilation he underwent as a child that left him without an eye) but he's also one of the subtly meanest and most vindictive Greens.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: As a child, his greatest wish was a dragon, and he even accepts the price of losing an eye for successfully claiming Vhagar. In his later teens, he still takes great pride in riding the largest dragon in the world, but the combination of a relatively inexperienced rider and a seasoned warbeast ends up starting the Dance of Dragons, when a bolting Vhagar devours both Lucerys Velaryon and his mount against Aemond's commands.
• Big Little Brother: The adult Aemond is taller than his older brother Aegon. This Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance denotes that he is the more serious, dangerous, and competent of the two brothers, regardless of what primogeniture says.
• Blemished Beauty: Being without an eye and having a deep scar, barely hidden by an eyepatch, not only does not seem to mock his facial features but even gives him a remarkable charm.
• Bloody Smile: While his eyesocket is being sewn up, no less.
• Brass Balls:
  • When Vhagar opens a maw large enough to swallow him whole with room to spare and shows him the glow of dragonflame, Aemond stands firm and commands her in High Valyrian to quiet down and serve him. All else aside, you have to give credit to this kid for being capable of taming and riding the oldest, largest and most powerful dragon in Westeros.
  • When Rhaenys has the Greens at the mercy of her dragon Meleys, Aemond shows no fear, and instead tenses up as if preparing to attempt a Colossus Climb.
• Broken Ace: Aemond as a young adult in his late adolescence has it all: he is a very handsome and charming prince (even with the lack of an eye and a scar to testify to it), he is a very gifted swordsman and fighter (so much so that he can easily surpass his master Criston Cole in a fair fight), at 10 he tamed and claimed the largest and most dangerous dragon in the world, and is also a man of culture. When compared not only with Rhaenyra's eldest sons but especially with his older brother Aegon, it is evident how superior Aemond is to them in many things. Yet, despite this, Aemond always remains second to Aegon for the succession to the throne, making him deeply resentful towards the latter, and above all he has been understandably resentful for years against Jace and Luke, who are also ahead of him in the line of succession despite it being an Open Secret that they're illegitimate, for mutilating him and depriving him of an eye.
• Bully Magnet: Aemond seems to catch a stick from his older brother Aegon and his Velaryon nephews. Quite understandably, he develops a complex about it.
• Contrasting Sequel Main Character:
  • To Jaime Lannister. Both excel at everything they do, both are from powerful families of famed lineage and nobility, both lose a part of themselves (Jaime his right hand, Aemond his left eye) which shapes their character as time passes, both are given monikers (Aemond "One-Eye" and Jaime "the Kingslayer"), both desire to marry their sister, both are flawed (but sympathetic), sincerely love their families and interestingly enough, both are directly involved with the death of a noble of Targaryen blood (Jaime killed Aerys II, Aemond got Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax killed). However, they differ on a few key points. Firstly, Jaime is the firstborn and heir apparent to Casterly Rock even though he doesn't care for his father's land and titles, Aemond is the second son and is passed over despite being the better candidate. Secondly, unlike Jaime, who rarely applied himself despite his talents, Aemond is The Dutiful Son who studies diligently and yearns to prove himself. Thirdly, Jaime losing his sword hand humbled him and led him on a very compelling redemption arc, whilst Aemond losing his eye solidified him as an antagonist and led to the downfall of his family. Additionally, Jaime's murder of the Mad King is revealed to have been a heroic deed on his end (Aerys planned on destroying all of King's Landing and everyone in it with wildfire) and was completely intentional, whereas Aemond killed his nephew completely by accident in what was nothing more than an act of petty revenge and a need to feel in control. In doing so, he triggers the events of the Dance of Dragons, which doomed House Targaryen to becoming the sorry state it is by the time of Game of Thrones. Finally, Jaime's Twincest with Cersei is a major taboo that endangers many lives, whilst with Aemond it is a custom from Old Valyria that House Targaryen has always adhered to (and Helaena would have been much happier with him).
  • He's one for Tommen Baratheon. Both Tommen and Aemond were the second son to the ruling family of Westeros who were bullied by their older brothers during their youths. They differ in that Tommen remained kind, timid, and submissive even during his final moments, while Aemond becomes bitter, cruel, and resentful towards the people who mistreated him.
• Creepy Blue Eyes: Has a sapphire in his empty eye socket.
• The Dog Bites Back: Massively in the seventh episode; he responds fiercely when his younger nephews and cousins (who are barely lost their mother, who was the previous owner of Vhagar, the dragon Aemond has just claimed) confront him over claiming Vhagar. Then when his father who wants to know where Aemond heard that Rhaenyra's children are all bastards, Aemond decides to blame Aegon, even though it's heavily suggested he learned it from Alicent (even if in this case it is minimized as he also lies to protect his mother, whom he comprehensibly sees as his only ally).
• Dragon Rider: He initially isn't given a dragon, but then he manages to ride Vhagar, the old and gigantic female dragon once ridden by Aegon the Conqueror's Queen, Visenya. Which is no small feat, and Otto Hightower is quick to point out this rallies the biggest Weapon of Mass Destruction there is to the side of Alicent.
• The Dreaded: Being raised and trained as a very skilled warrior extremely loyal to the Greens faction, as well as possessing the largest dragon in the world, have made Aemond this in the eyes of most of the Blacks.
• Driven by Envy: Aemond harbors a certain amount of contempt and resentment towards his brother Aegon for being the firstborn son and therefore the one who is being raised and educated as a future king by Alicent, Otto and the Small Council, despite his older brother doing nothing to deserve it (and even being himself aware that he is unworthy to ascend the throne), unlike Aemond who spent years engaging in his studies and becoming a Master Swordsman. When he offers to accompany Criston Cole to search for Aegon in King's Landing after Viserys's death, Aemond can't help venting with his sword master about this injustice and even hoping that his brother will be found dead so he can replace him. During Aegon's coronation ceremony, Aemond stares intently at him.
• The Dutiful Son: He seems to have inherited this trait from his mother if the dialogue between him and Aegon (speaking of the engagement between his brother and their sister Helaena) is indicative. Aemond is the one to go comfort his mother first when she's shocked after slicing at Rhaenyra. Aemond also gets ready to defend his brother Aegon, despite having been bullied by him, per his mother's teachings that they must have each other's backs against outsiders.
  Aegon: You marry [Helaena], then.
  Aemond: I would perform my duty, if Mother had only betrothed us.
• Enfant Terrible: Only a year or two older than Jace and his cousins but clearly a superior talent in combat, as he's able to contend with his nephew and cousins dog-piling him and turn the tables. Then fight off Jace with rock verses knife.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: For all his flaws, Aemond appears to truly love his mother and is eager to serve and please her.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: As mean and even cruel as he may be, Aemond seems to love his family very much, especially his mother and sister.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • He shows contempt for his brother Aegon II. Considering the sort of person Aegon is and how coldly he treats Helaena, this is perfectly understandable.
  • While Aemond hates his nephews for bullying him and taking his eye, he has no intention of actually killing them and is horrified when Vhagar devours Arrax with Luke still atop him.
• Eyepatch of Power: Which makes him look even more intimidating. The scar that peaks out from around the eyepatch also has a certain gravitas to it.
• Eye Scream: Loses his left eye in a childhood brawl against his nephew Luke when he tries to brain his brother Jace with a rock after being attacked by them and their cousins over Aemond claiming Vhagar for his own.
• Fatal Flaw: It's hard for Aemond to swallow his pride. He can — at the end of "Driftmark" he urges his mom to stop trying to avenge him; at the end of "The Lord of the Tides" he backs down rather than fight Daemon. But Aemond only does this when it's clear he stands no chance of winning. In moments when he feels powerful — namely when he's got Vhagar backing him — he will recklessly antagonize people to demonstrate his strength, often in self-defeating ways. When the Black kids pick a fight with Aemond in "Driftmark", he refuses to back down and gives as good as he's getting — and gets maimed. He picks a fight during dinner in "The Lord of the Tides", ruining any goodwill that was building. When he has a chance for revenge against Luke in "The Black Queen", he goes for it — and loses control of Vhagar and accidently ignites a war.
• Foil: Aemond and Daemon are alike — really, really alike, to a Mirror Character degree — they're also foils. Aemond became who he is because he knew Viserys had no regard for him and wouldn't protect him. When something awful happens to Aemond, like loosing an eye, Viserys does absolutely nothing. He grew up knowing he had to be strong enough to protect himself. Daemon became who he is because Viserys's favoritism sheltered him and gave him the freedom to do whatever he wanted with minimal consequences.
• Freudian Excuse:
  • Not surprisingly he has no problem with meanly insulting and threatening the lives of his nephews and their Velaryon cousins after they first assaulted him in a group for claiming Vhagar. Especially considering that both Jace and Luke helped make his existence miserable because he was the only one of the King's direct heirs without a dragon.
  • However nasty he may have been to them right before, Aemond was still permanently maimed in a fight that he didn't start, after which his half-sister called for him to be questioned "sharply" for information that could incriminate his mother. To add insult to injury, Aemond's father showed him virtually no sympathy for his maiming, harshly demanded to know where Aemond heard that Rhaenyra's children were bastards, gave Luke no punishment whatsoever for cutting Aemond's eye out, and threatened to cut out Aemond's tongue if he ever called them bastards again—despite that the accusation was true. The result is that the adult Aemond has a massive load of resentment from his childhood trauma.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: From the bullied kid mocked for being the only one without a dragon, to the rider of the most dangerous dragon in the world and The Dreaded to his enemies.
• Glass Eye: Has a sapphire in the place of his missing eye. This is a Shout-Out to Symeon Star-Eyes, a character in Westerosi folklore who lost both eyes and wore sapphires in his eye sockets.
• Green and Mean: Like his mother, Aemond wears the color green. He considers his older brother Aegon, unfit to be King and taunts his nephews about being bastards.
• Handicapped Badass: Despite his lack of depth perception from being one-eyed, Aemond is very skilled with a longsword and able to outmatch even seasoned fighters like Ser Criston. He's overcome this disadvantage so much that he's able to correctly judge the distance between Criston's flail and his own face, despite this being next to impossible for someone lacking binocular vision. It runs on the Rule of Cool.
• Hot-Blooded: Aemond has a habit of doing ballsy and poorly thought out things as a way to feel superior — claiming Vhagar; picking a fight at family dinner; chasing after Luke.
• Jerkass Has a Point: While he's unnecessarily mean about it when Rhaena, Baela, Jace and Luke confront him for claiming and riding Vhagar for himself, Aemond is right in saying that if Rhaena wanted so much to claim Vhagar as hers because Vhagar was her mother's dragon, she should have simply done it. Rhaena seems to think there's a Ancestral Weapon thing going on with dragons, and that's simply inaccurate. He's also completely right about his nephews being the bastard sons of Harwin Strong, falsely passed off as legitimate.
• Kick the Dog: In "Driftmark", once he tames Vhagar, he gets on the dog-kicking machine.
  • Mocking Rhaena for not claiming Vhagar before he did, then suggesting she should get a pig instead, because it'll suit her.
  • Taunting Jace and Luke over being bastards and their biological father Harwin Strong's death.
  • Flat out threatening to kill Jace, Luke, and his two cousins for attacking him.
• Kids Are Cruel: Sure, he was bullied and had any right to defend himself, but when he's confronted by Baela, Rhaena, Jace and Luke about claiming Vhagar right after Laena's death, he threatens to feed the sisters to his dragon, strangles Luke while he screams and then smashes his nose, and tries to strike Jace (possibly fatally) with a rock—certainly Disproportionate Retribution.
• Kinslaying Is a Special Kind of Evil: Albeit without having intended it to go that far. He and Vhagar recklessly chasing after Lucerys and his dragon Arrax to terrorize them directly leads to Lucerys' death when Vhagar starts disobeying Aemond's orders and retaliates against Arrax's attack by swallowing Lucerys and most of his dragon whole. For the duration of those fleeting seconds, Aemond can first be seen ordering Vhagar in vain to stop and then visibly shaken watching as Arrax's remains fall into the void.
• Kubrick Stare: At Viserys while being interrogated by him.
• Lightning Bruiser: He dodges Criston's morningstar swings with incredible agility in a practice fight, shrugs off a punch from Jace like it was nothing, and then pushes Jace to the ground with one hand, the last two done without spilling a drop from the drink in his other hand.
• Like Father, Like Son: Out of his siblings, Aemond seems to be the favorite of both his mother Alicent and his father-figure Criston Cole—probably in part because he takes after both of them.
  • Out of Alicent's kids, Aemond is the one most similar to her. Like his mother, Aemond is The Dutiful Son. Both grew up diligently trying to fulfill the expectations placed on them, only for this to rarely be recognized and for their efforts to not be rewarded — or worse still, be punished (Alicent married the king, as she was supposed to, only to incur Rhaenyra's ire; Aemond claimed a dragon, like he was supposed to, only to be attacked by the Velaryon kids). Both are placed in situations where they cannot help but harbor deep envy and resentment against Rhaenyra and Aegon respectively due to their shared position as heirs to the throne, which grants them advantages and favoritism that are precluded to Alicent and Aemond. The wrongs they suffer stoke quietly simmering anger, which mother and son both vent with a Passive-Aggressive Kombat attitude.
  • Like Criston, Aemond is an underdog within the royal court. When Aemond provokes the "Strong boys" at family dinner — alluding to their paternity with Plausible Deniability, then letting them reveal themselves by their reaction — he's doing the exact same thing he saw Criston do with Harwin years before.
    Criston: [to Aemond about both of them] I know what it is to toil for what others are freely given.
  • Aemond has a pinch of his biological father Viserys as well. Aemond and Viserys are both the more dutiful brother in contrast with a hedonistic brother — even as Aemond also a Mirror Character to Daemon.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: As an adult, it cannot be denied that Aemond looks pretty good and is quite charming with his long white Valyrian hair, despite the deep and very visible scar caused by Luke's cut years ago where his eye once was (which he usually keeps covered with an eye patch and sometimes exposes to reveal a sapphire underneath, both of which give him an unsettling and dangerous air).
• Master Swordsman: Aemond as an adult is quickly becoming one, if his training session with Ser Criston is anything to go by.
• Mature Younger Sibling: Aemond is the youngest — and also tallest, most formidable, and most dutiful — of his siblings. As such, he takes on some traditionally "eldest sibling" roles in the family, like being the protective one.
  • When Harwin and Criston are fighting, Aegon hides behind Aemond, not the other way around. When Jace has had enough of Aegon's taunts and springs to his feet as if to fight, it's Aemond who immediately stands and stares down Jace until the boy backs down, while Aegon remains seated and passive.
  • Aemond is very protective of Helaena. He tells off Aegon for calling her an idiot. Before the feast he's quietly reprimanding Aegon for humiliating Helaena with his infidelity. When Vaemond Velaryon gets beheaded in the middle of the court, his first reaction is to move towards her. And when Aegon's coronation is crashed by Rhaenys and her dragon, he stays in front of Helaena as if to protect her.
• Mirror Character: By the time he's lost an eye, Aemond has already shown himself to be a more belligerent, formidable, and at times cruel younger brother to a much less assertive and formidable eldest brother — just like his uncle Daemon. Otto refers to him as "that rogue Aemond," the only time the term "rogue" has been applied to anyone but Daemon. Aemond's name is Daemon with the D moved to the end. When reintroduced as a 16-year-old young adult, Aemond has further grown into a mirror of Daemon, becoming another long-haired Master Swordsman, Troll, Big Little Brother, and yet another example of Evil Is Petty. The direction, the non-verbal acting of the actors' gazes, and slight physical resemblance between Ewan Mitchell and Matt Smith highlight this even more. Both he and Aemond have an antagonistic relationship with some of their nephews. Aemond is closest to his mother Alicent, just as Viserys says Daemon was Alyssa's favorite. Both wield artifacts of Queen Visenya (Dark Sister, her Valyrian steel sword, and Vhagar, her dragon). They even have the same cocky strut. Even more, Aemond and Daemon seem to be aware of their similarities… They seem to somewhat respect each other. Aemond, at least, seems to have a disturbing admiration for his uncle’s brutality.
• Momma's Boy: He is very close to Alicent and the latter seems to favor him over Aegon and Helaena outside the political dynamics. He's also the easiest child for Alicent to be close to—it's hard being the mother of Aegon (a blatantly incompetent heir she's tasked with whipping into shape) and Helaena (an autistic daughter in a world where there's no advice available on how to handle a kid like that).
• My God, What Have I Done?: His facial expression after having completely lost control of Vhagar during their pursuit of Luke and Arrax, with tragically fatal results for the latter two.
• Mystical White Hair: A definitive feature of his family's ancestry and one of his most notable physical features.
• Noble Demon: Violent, bitter Broken Ace he might be, but even then he's still morally miles ahead of Aegon. He absolutely loves his sister and mother, is pretty much The Dutiful Son despite his resentment (especially in comparison to his older brother) and he's utterly horrified and distraught at his Accidental Murder of Lucerys, making clear that kinslaying is not something he would willingly commit in any way.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Aemond as a character in Fire and Blood, is relatively original. However, his more thoughtful and responsible portrayal in the show is comparable to Theobald the Great, King Stephen's older brother who fared better in war and ruling as a count. Unlike Theobald (who was allowed lordship over an even older brother to him and Stephen, William the Simple), Aemond resents having to give way to Aegon, who is clearly the less capable scion of the Greens, but only takes precedence due to male primogeniture.
• No-Sell: When Jace responds to his cheeky Stealth Insult by punching him in the face, Aemond seems to take it as a very banal and weak slap, so much so that not only does he look at him smiling before pushing him easily to the ground but with his other hand he was still holding his mug of wine, which the impact of Jace's punch didn't even slightly spill a single drop on the floor neither.
• Obviously Evil: By the time he's an adult, he looks like an anime villain: dressed in black, silver hair, and a disconcerting Red Right Hand—a black eyepatch concealing a bright sapphire he stuffed in his empty eyesocket. Despite his appearance, he does have some standards and is genuinely devoted to his family.
• Oh, Crap!: As much as he wanted to make Lucerys pay for what he did to him years ago, Aemond had absolutely no intention of killing him and when Vhagar devours his nephew along with his dragon, Aemond can only shout repeatedly "Vhagar, NOOOO!!!.." before watching what remains of Arrax fall with an understandably guilty look.
• Pet the Dog: Although he will subsequently have no moral qualms about cruelly mocking Harwin Strong's death by threatening Jace and Luke about how he will make them meet the same end during their fight, it must be said that in the beginning, long before that (during the funeral of Laena) Aemond seems to be showing silent condolences to Jace for his loss. And he's protective of his sister.
• Princeling Rivalry: Subverted. Aemond recognizes Aegon's flaws and lack of skills needed for successful ruling, and he's jealous of his position — but he also protects and supports his brother.
• Psychotic Smirk: Starts developing one as he grows older and displays it often.
• Red Baron: Aemond One Eye.
• The Resenter: Aemond has understandably not forgiven what Jace and Luke did to him as kids, so much so that he spends every time he has on screen silently analyzing whatever they do and when he sees Luke laughing, remembering the pig joke, he doesn't think twice about reacting with a masterful Stealth Insult. Much later wants revenge for his lost eye due to Luke as a child by demanding one of Luke's eyes (so as to give it to his mother who years ago made the same request) when both are in the presence of House Baratheon to propose a political alliance agreement. When Luke flees with his dragon, Aemond chases him in turn with Vhagar to scare him but things end in tragedy when Vhagar, against the same wishes of Aemond (who understandably hate Lucerys, did not want him dead) devours both his nephew and Arrax.
• Stealth Insult: Not being able to directly call them bastards because the punishment for this crime would be to have his tongue cut out, Aemond comes up with a particularly creative and subtle way to offend his nephews after seeing Luke make fun of him. Everyone knows what it means, but he still has Plausible Deniability.
  Aemond: [punching the table to get up and raise his mug after seeing Luke laugh] Final tribute. To the health of my nephews: Jace... Luke... and Joffrey. Each of them handsome, wise... Strong.
  Alicent: Aemond...
  Aemond: Come! Let us drain out cups to these three... Strong boys.
  Jace: I dare you say that word again!
  Aemond: Why? It was only a compliment. Do you not think yourself strong?
• Stepford Smiler: The director of the ninth episode, Clara Kilner, and Aegon's actor, Tom Glynn-Carney, describe him as someone who always hides his bitterness and torment under the surface and indeed his tendency to occasionally throw a Psychotic Smirk at people he despises or hatred could represent his slipping mask.
• Strong Family Resemblance: His physical appearance as a young adult is very reminiscent of that of his uncle Daemon. Both are taller and more physically intimidating than their elder brothers. He even has long hair in a similar style as he does.
• Teens Are Monsters: While it's hard to tell due to him standing taller than his older brother and his mature, intimidating looks that make him look like older, Aemond is actually around 16 years old after the last time skip, which adds an even more chilling note about his adoring reaction of Daemon killing Vaemond Velaryon.
• Took a Level in Badass:
  • Successfully riding Vhagar fills Aemond with immense pride and confidence and adrenaline, making one wonder if being bonded to the elder dragon is influencing his personality when he claps back on his nephews and cousins. Adding to his previous bullying experiences, it's no wonder he picks this moment to finally lash out.
  • As a young adult, he's clearly grown into his own, becoming a confident, observant and clever, if also cruel and vindictive young man. His training with Ser Criston Cole also sharpens him into a fierce swordsman.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Likewise, successfully riding Vhagar fills Aemond with the confidence to lash out against the Velaryon Targaryens: he meets violence with violence, threatens to kill them in excruciatingly painful ways, and attempts to hit Jace with a rock while he's down. Quite a unique variation in just how quickly he took it. Upon claiming Vhagar as his dragon, he became far more openly cruel. Whether this was always who he really was at heart or if he snapped from enduring his brother and nephews' antics is unclear, but the shift in his character is extremely jarring.
  • By the time he reaches maturity, he's become much less impulsive, but he still holds an intense grudge against his nephews and delights in hurting others or playing mind games with them.
  • Subverted in "The Black Queen". The ending of the episode proves that as vengeful and proud he may be, he still isn't a terrible person at heart and is horrified that his actions caused the death of Luke and Arrax.
• Tragic Villain: Unlike his book counterpart, Aemond does have elements of this. He spent much of his youth tormented by Aegon the Elder and his nephews, which gave him quite a complex, then he was permanently maimed in a fight he didn't (technically) start. Secondly, the brother who bullied him so harshly is the one who gains all he ever wanted; the crown, his sister as a wife, the privileges of a true leader and the respect and admiration of his family and people, all of which Aemond is a much better fit for, but is ignored simply because he's the second son, even though he's clearly a better man than Aegon II could ever hope to be. All this combined paints him as a young man who — despite his own flaws — simply wanted to be in control of something in his life for once, or at least have some of the respect he felt was due to him. It's even implied his taming of Vhagar was his plea to prove he wasn't the weak and useless boy everyone thought he was. His horrified reaction to Vhagar killing Luke and Arrax also confirms that his intention was never to kill his nephew or spark the doom of his own House, but it's apparent no one in his family will ever see it that way (especially the Blacks side). In the end, all his actions have accomplished is sealing the fates of the family he loves so dearly.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: He's so desperate to claim a dragon that he willingly risks his life to attempt to claim the most ferocious one in the entire world, knowing full well that she would burn him alive if he failed. After succeeding, he threatened to feed his cousins to Vhagar and was likely going to kill Jace with a rock. Even accounting for his Freudian Excuse, it is still a worrying behavior coming from a child that must be around 10.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His Accidental Murder of Lucerys over Shipbreaker Bay in the Stormlands triggers the Dance of Dragons. After it, Luke's mother Rhaenyra is finally plunged into war and violence, which she was previously against due to her lingering affection for Queen Alicent and her wish to honor her father's legacy. All of this because of Aemond's Fatal Flaw getting the best of him..
• Unskilled, but Strong: Even as a child, despite both he and Aegon being absolutely tamed by Criston Cole during a sword training session at the time, Aemond turned out to be quite physically strong by being able with simple shoves, punches and kicks to throw on the ground Jace, Luke, Baela and Rhaena at the same time. Sure, he was slightly older than all of them at the time, but it's worth noting that the latter were still 4 against 1. After the last 6-year timeskip, under Cole's supervision, Aemond appears to have grown into a Strong and Skilled swordsman.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: From what little has been seen of him as a child, before he claimed Vhagar and Took a Level in Jerkass, Aemond was a relatively innocent kid; devoted to his mother and protective of his sister, but he also was cruelly bullied by his idiot older brother, who even pitted his nephews against him.
• Warrior Prince: The dictionary definition of it.
• Well-Trained, but Inexperienced: Upon reaching adulthood, he's become a skilled swordsman and an accomplished dragonrider. But he's never experienced any real combat outside of sparring sessions with Criston Cole, and even less while riding Vhagar. His assumption that he'd be able to control Vhagar after taming her ends up biting him in the ass when his attempt at a cruel prank results in the old dragon defying his orders by devouring Luke and Arrax.
• Worth It: While taking Vhagar for himself costs him an eye in a scuffle with his cousins and nephews, Aemond is pleased with the exchange since he ends up controlling the most powerful and dangerous dragon in Westeros.
• Would Hit a Girl: Though she starts the physical fight, Aemond does not hesitate to push his cousin Rhaena heavily into the ground. When Baela strikes him in the face, he hits back just as hard.

House Hightower

Alicent Hightower

Dowager Queen Alicent Targaryen, née Hightower

"How sweetly the fox speaks when it's been cornered by the hounds."

^{Click here to see young Alicent} "She swore her innocence and I believe her."

Played By: Olivia Cooke (adult), Emily Carey (young)

The daughter of Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower, Alicent begins the story as a precocious young noblewoman, lady-in-waiting and a childhood friend of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Events, however, would see her elevated as Queen Consort to Viserys I, significantly straining her friendship with Rhaenyra. She eventually bears Viserys children whose existence further threatens Rhaenyra's fragile standing as heir.

See here for more information.

Otto Hightower

Ser Otto Hightower, Hand of the King

"This is the last thing any of us wish to discuss at this dark hour, but I consider the matter urgent."

Played By: Rhys Ifans

Dubbed By: Féodor Atkine (European French)

"No king has ever lived that hasn't had to forfeit the lives of a few to protect the many."

The younger brother of Lord Hobert Hightower. Otto loyally serves King Viserys as the Hand of the King and is a fierce rival of his younger brother, Prince Daemon. However, his ambitions for his own bloodline put the Dance of the Dragons into motion.

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• Abusive Parent:
  • Played with. This is one of the many times that Deliberate Values Dissonance makes things complicated. By contemporary standards, it is unambiguously heinous to pimp out your teenage daughter to a man more than twice her age. By Westerosi standards, arranging for your daughter to marry the literal king, who is known to be a kind and biddable man, is in many ways the best thing you can do for her and her future. Less culturally endorsed (although certainly not unheard of in the context of court politics) is when, during his second tenure as Hand, Otto indicates to Larys Strong that he is aware that he has some sort of sexual arrangement with Alicent and he's willing to turn a blind eye so long as he benefits from it. While Otto treats Alicent as a political pawn, their relationship is also dotted with moments of affection, like when he frets to discover his daughter's Character Tic of picking her cuticles bloody.
  • Otto treats his grandson Aegon harshly, even literally kicking him to wake him abruptly and furiously take him to bed when he finds him passed out from alcohol. The fact that Aegon makes Otto show anger — something that otherwise only Daemon can elicit in him — is noteworthy.
• Adaptational Villainy: Partially as a byproduct of Alicent's Adaptational Heroism, several changes were made to Otto's character that made him into a far more proactive and sinister figure than his book counterpart. In the books, Otto was acting in line with Alicent's ambitions to put a son on the Iron Throne, and unlike the show it was not explicit that Otto had pressured Alicent into marrying Viserys. Likewise, book!Otto was portrayed as a less malicious member of the Green Council. It was not Otto who ordered Lord Caswell and the other subversive noblemen killed (even though they were imprisoned), but rather Criston Cole, and nothing was written about him conspiring to have Rhaenyra and her supporters killed
• Adaptation Personality Change: The book calls Otto "proud, brusque, and haughty." Show!Otto polite, deferential, and temperate.
• Affably Evil: While he is the first one to admit that he is playing a dirty game that requires nasty and amoral moves, he tends to be very civil and polite about it, conducting himself with a decent demeanor, usually treating his adversaries with dignity and respect and always being deferential to King Viserys.
• Ambition Is Evil: Otto is ambitious and wants to see his grandchildren on the throne. So does Corlys, and yet it's treated as far more immoral in Otto's case. Perhaps because Corlys has on his side Rhaenys (who is not so happy to see her children exploited by her husband to increase their position and political power), while Otto has no one to hold him back and instead has his older brother, the Lord of House Hightower, pushing him on.
• Arch-Enemy: To Daemon Targaryen. The two have hated each other since long before the start of the series, as they vied for the attention of Viserys, Daemon's brother, to whom Otto served as Hand of the King. Daemon sees Otto as a slimy, backstabbing sycophant out to leech off Viserys to gain power for himself, while Otto sees Daemon as an Ax-Crazy psychopath who has no business being heir to the throne and schemes to have him disinherited. This causes much of the ensuing conflict of the series.
• Backfire on the Witness Stand: Essentially what ended up happening to him after reporting on Rhaenyra's brothel incident. It's true, and it is something the king should be informed of. Instead of strengthening his influence on the King, Viserys I finally gets to connect the dots on Otto's Gambit Pileup in making Alicent Queen and expanding Hightower influence on the Crown. Viserys even throws in a more personal (yet probably a Contrived Coincidence) allegation that the death of the previous Hand to Jaehaerys I (who just happened to be Prince Baelon, Viserys's father) might be his own doing too. This loses him the badge of the Hand.
• Big Bad: Otto finally takes the reins as this in "The Green Council" when he orchestrates The Coup leading to Aegon's coronation, which supporters of Rhaenyra feel is usurping her rightful place as queen.
• Character Catchphrase: He never forgets to include a befitting "Your Grace" when addressing King Viserys.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Or "prequel" as the case may be. He's similar to Tywin Lannister, with key differences:
  • Both men have similar basic biography outlines. Both come from among the wealthiest, most powerful families in Westeros. Both serve capably and intermittently as Hand for multiple kings, while also using their position to advance themselves and their family. Both serve under Targaryen kings who leave something to be desired. Both started out being friends with said kings, then the relationship became increasingly strained over the years, yet the kings still kept these Hands around because of their competence. Both men arrange royal marriages for their daughters, see their grandsons on the throne, and serve as Hands for them too.
  • The power available to each man differs, and thus they conduct themselves differently. Tywin is lord of the Westerlands in his own right and can levy its immense resources to help boost his power independently. He also served at a point where the Targaryens' power had severely declined, and no longer commanded the fear and respect it used to. Consequentially, he lords over people and verbally demolishes anyone who disagrees with him in virtually every exchange. Otto, by contrast, is a second son with less independent power and family resources, with an older brother, Lord Hobert of Oldtown, who he must defer to; his own house is also technically a vassal house of the Reach, instead of the ruling house ^{From the books}It's indicated that at this point in time, the Hightowers were the de-facto most powerful house in the Reach; more so than their nominal overlords, the Tyrells.. On top of all that, the Targaryens in his day are far more powerful, still possessing multiple dragons under their yoke. Accordingly, Otto is strategically polite and affable, keeping his tone and manners respectful and civil.
  • Both men push for Altar Diplomacy when it comes to their kids, but are far more sentimental when it comes to their own marriages. Their wives were not particularly advantageous matches. They seem to have really loved their wives. They never remarry after being widowed. While we didn't know either man before The Lost Lenore, it seems that this loss made both men more cold, cynical and/or ruthless.
  • They both rationalize their actions as The Needs of the Many to some degree, but for all his wisdom, Tywin only really cares for the safety and power for his own family (i.e. himself), while Otto (at least on the surface level) thinks about the realm and its people on the whole.
  • They both manage to put their grandsons on the Iron Throne, but Otto is slightly younger when it happens, a second-son rather than the head of his family, and as such he has been a courtier most of his life, being Hand during peacetime. Tywin, as the Lord of his house and Warden of the West, is experienced in plenty of roles and responsibilities unknown to Otto, especially in war.
  • Tywin uses his children as pawns in his political games and whenever things don't go his way, he blames his failure on them for being "weak" rather than on himself for being unreasonable. Otto, on the other hand, uses subtle manipulation to mold Alicent into the queen that the realm needs and he would be happy to serve.
• The Consigliere: As the Hand, he is this to Viserys. He was also the Hand of Viserys's grandfather King Jaehaerys. It is his job to serve as the primary administrator of the Realm with only the king who can overrule him. Otto may even be The Man Behind the Man as he wields exceptional influence over Viserys, who is very indecisive when left to his own devices.
• The Corrupter: He is a key reason for Alicent's increasing ruthlessness, fanning her fear and paranoia for her children when he is sacked as Hand of the King, and showing pride when she assaults Rhaenyra in a rage, something she regrets, as he believes she has the determination to do whatever it takes to win. When Alicent (moved both by Rhaenyra's sincere gratitude for her sacrifices and dedication in taking care of Viserys and by her apologies during Viserys' last supper) exclaims in front of everyone that Rhaenyra will be a great queen and then a little later, after the brief scuffle between their children, approaches Rhaenyra worriedly and begs her to stay a few more days with them, Otto glares at his daughter both times.
• Create Your Own Villain: Otto's central thesis is that Rhaenyra being heir while Viserys also has a son is inherently a Succession Crisis waiting to go off, no matter what anyone does. Otto maneuvered both Rhaenyra and Aegon into their respective positions. It was Otto's idea to make Rhaenyra heir instead of Daemon. Otto arranged Viserys and Alicent's marriage with the specific goal of them having sons in mind. Otto didn't expect Viserys to persistently keep Rhaenyra heir after Aegon's birth, but he did, and so the Succession Crisis was born. Once in place, was the Succession Crisis inevitable? Probably. But there's also a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in that acting like it was inevitable would make it inevitable even if it hadn't been initially.
• Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto Us: When pressed by Alicent on his scheming, Otto argues that inheritance is a zero-sum game: if he doesn't scheme (or worse) to strip Rhaenyra of her position, she will inevitably scheme (or worse) to strip the Hightowers of theirs. As far as Otto sees it, his plans are pre-emptive strikes in an unavoidable conflict. Notably, his demeanour in this conversation makes clear he absolutely believes it and isn't just using it as an excuse to poison Alicent against Rhaenyra further.
• Dragon-in-Chief: Aegon becomes king and is thus the de-facto leader of the Greens faction, but it's understood that Otto is the one who is truly in charge.
• Everyone Has Standards: While he's an ambitious social climber, Otto is not completely without morals.
  • He's appalled by Daemon's purge of Flea Bottom and seems sincere in his belief that Daemon is a dangerous rogue, something we're frequently shown isn't without merit.
  • He's not above using it to take cheap political jabs at Daemon, but he genuinely takes marriage very seriously, finding Daemon's infidelity to Lady Rhea Royce to be shameful. All indications are he deeply loved his late wife, and is ready to physically confront Daemon when he implies he should just find another. One of his more sincere moments has him commiserating with Viserys that he doesn't envy him having to remarry for duty's sake instead of love.
  • When he has to tell Viserys that Daemon and Rhaenyra were seen together in a pleasure house, he's visibly troubled and hesitates before going to the king, showing personal concern above political one. According to Rhys Ifans, he does feel genuinely bad since he does actually like him and knows the news is painful.
  • He may be a schemer extraordinare behind closed doors, but he doesn't seem keen on public humiliation, even of those he opposes, looking deeply uncomfortable and even staring at the floor when Vaemond Velayron calls Rhaenyra a whore and her sons bastards in front of the entire court.
  • He's openly disapproving of Aegon's behavior even in his youth and is the first one to (literally) kick him into shape. While it's likely because he's grooming him to be heir to the Iron Throne, his manner suggests he does legitimately abhor his grandson's habits.
  • When Rhaenys bursts into Aegon's coronation on dragonback, Otto is seen screaming at the Kingsguard to open the Dragonpit's doors so that the smallfolk in attendance have a chance to escape. While there is certainly a pragmatic reason for this (if Rhaenys can't escape, she may turn Meleys on the king's party after all, either deliberately or if the dragon goes berserk), the fact that Otto seems to be the only one concerned counts for something.
• Evil Chancellor: Otto taps into the energy of this trope, but it's Downplayed, even Deconstructed, since this is a Grey-and-Gray Morality story. He's a Hand with his own ambitions, which are not lockstep with those of the King. Yes, he's ambitious and self-interested, wanting to advance his own house—but who isn't? While ambitious, manipulative, and overmighty, Otto is also a devoted public servant who spent many years setting the realm's affairs in order.
  Rhaenyra: You speak of The Conqueror's vision and the need for strength and unity across the realm. But how can that be accomplished with your most trusted adviser so self-interested?
  Viserys: Every lord and lady that calls for an audience with me, every man on my small council, and all councils past, has been self-interested. It is unavoidable.
• Evil Mentor: He coaxes his daughter into playing the game, which requires increasingly unsavory moves. This informs not just his previous anxiety over Alicent's previous naivete, but also his subsequent pride in seeing her become a ruthless Queen—as well as seeing his grandson Aemond claim Vhagar.
  Otto: [regarding Alicent's stabbing incident with Rhaenyra] I've never seen that side of you, my daughter. I even doubted its existence.
  Alicent: It was an ugly thing. I regret it.
  Otto: We play an ugly game. And now, for the first time, I see that you have the determination to win it.
• Evil Virtues: Capable of love, very brave and highly resourceful.
• Fatal Flaw: His vast ambition and his tendency to keep pushing the envelope even when its not practical to do so. Daemon was right when he pointed out that Otto is an insecure second son who wants to seize power for himself, consequences be damned. While Otto is a sly operator in the Westerosi political game, he's not as good as he thinks and it often bites him at inopportune times.
• Foil:
  • Otto and Viserys, the two men running the country at the beginning of the series, each with a daughter they want to make queen. Viserys is far more traditionally fatherly with Rhaenyra, protective and indulgent. When he sets her up to be queen, it's in a bestowing-a-gift-upon-her way. Otto, in contrast, is hard on Alicent and puts her in difficult, uncomfortable situations. When he sets her up to be queen, it's in a using-her-as-a-pawn way. Both father-daughter duos have a teary scene where the daughter is about to loose her father and have to face court alone (1.05 for the Hightowers; 1.08 for the Targaryens). The daughter pleads to the father that she's not ready, she needs his help. In that moment, when it's time for the daughters to manage alone, the fathers have set the boards very differently. Otto, being a better politician than Viserys, has staged things as favorably as he can for Alicent. Viserys, in contrast, has created a big mess through his inaction and left it to Rhaenyra.
  • Viserys initially boots Otto in favor of Lyonel Strong because he thinks Lyonel is more honest and impartial than Otto is. But Lyonel ends up spending a decade colluding with Viserys by pretending that the Strong boys are legitimate, when having an obvious bastard third in line weakens the Crown. In this Lyonel is neither honest nor impartial, although he is clearly very guilty and conflicted over it. While Viserys sees his two Hands in sharp contrast, in the end they both have family loyalties which come first.
• Graceful Loser: He doesn't take it personally when his plots are foiled, he just accepts it as part of the game, carries on and starts to put his next move in play.
• Hypocrite: At least in what he said about Daemon Targaryen, who he saw as a poor fit to succeed Viserys. His own grandson Aegon is worse than Daemon to a great extent and he has him crowned. However, it is likely that he thinks that he can control his grandson.
• It's Personal: Otto's personal dislike of Daemon affects every opinion and decision he has regarding the man. Daemon was too tyrannical as the Master of Laws, too spendthrift as Master of Coin, and when he reforms the Goldcloaks he's now a danger to the realm. This happens to be mutual, as Daemon is not shy on showing him how much he despises him. His dislike of Daemon is partly influenced by the fact that the Targaryen prince does not subscribe to his smarmy way of politicking, as well as Daemon's markedly personal insults towards him and his family.
• Jerkass Has a Point: While Otto definitely has a personal hatred for Daemon, he's correct in almost all of his criticisms of him: Daemon wants to be king (or at least as close to the throne as possible), disdainfully complains about how "boring" the actual ruling is, treats his wife terribly, and is more than willing to commit murder to get what he wants.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: Anytime dragons come into the picture, he knows that the best option is to give up if his side can't even the odds. When Daemon summons Caraxes during their tense meeting on Dragonstone, Otto reluctantly tells his men to sheathe their weapons, and when Rhaenys rides Meleys and breaks out of the Dragonpit, he frantically orders the guards to open the doors to let her escape.
• The Lost Lenore: Subtle, but Otto does have sentiments of this towards his late wife, Alicent's mother. Daemon quips about her recent passing to the Hand, and he has to be restrained from leaping from his seat and assaulting the rogue prince then and there. Additionally, he sympathizes with Viserys' reluctance to remarry, admitting he loved his wife deeply and he never remarried after her death because it would be too hard for him to replace her.
  Otto: I dearly loved my own lady wife. The pain of her passing still haunts me. And to be compelled to replace her for duty's sake. You are the King, but I do not envy you.
• Make an Example of Them: After Beesbury is killed for his defiance of Otto's plot to place Aegon on the Iron Throne, he insists the body remain at the table until proceedings are finished, to showcase the fate of any other lord unwilling to accept the coup.
• Manipulative Bastard: He's always putting the worst spin on Daemon to his brother and attempts to get his daughter to seduce the king literally the day after his wife and son's funeral. He also shows visible displeasure when Rhaenyra begins to show her own will and wisdom as Crown Princess, rather than conforming to the easily manipulated nature of her father.
• Nerves of Steel: It's subtle, but you can tell Otto earned his knighthood, because this man does not back down in the face of mortal danger. He slightly tilts back a bit when Daemon draws his sword in episode 1.02, doesn't move an inch when Rhaenys is ready to murder him and his family with Meleys (notably, he is even more still than Aemond and Criston) and doesn't move when Daemon is ready to cut off his head in episode 1.10. Otto is a deeply flawed man, but cowardice is not among them.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: His report on Rhaenyra's indiscretions was truthful information, accurate in every detail that his spy witnessed, and the one time King Viserys is off-base in calling Otto overmighty. Under a different king, his report would have been grimly acknowledged as the conduct of a loyal servant and Rhaenyra would have been quietly disinherited.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed:
  • Otto's closest analogue would be Norman Bishop Roger of Salisbury, who served as Lord Chancellor to Henry I for most of the reign. The Hightowers' proximity to the Faith of the Seven echoes Roger's own ecclesiastical office—not to mention Roger's blatant practice of Nepotism. Both also developed a reputation for being "overmighty" on their King during the Anarchy, Stephen of Blois (which Otto persisted in over his de jure son-in-law King Viserys I, and his grandson Aegon II).
  • As portrayed in "The Green Council", the maneuvers and flimsy justifications he and Alicent uses to pave the way for Aegon II's coronation is evocative of the cloak-and-dagger businesses of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, who sought to install his daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey as Queen over Mary Tudor. Unlike Dudley who is plainly violating precedence over a vague Last Request (between two female claimants at that), Otto at least has the patriarchal tradition to justify his usurpation on behalf of his grandson.
• Not Me This Time: Even Viserys doesn't seem to truly believe his accusation that Otto poisoned Viserys's father Baelon, but rather uses it to make him very, very uncomfortable.
• Not So Stoic: While usually icy and straight laced, he shows a before unforeseen softer side in his interactions with granddaughter Helaena. When she gives her wildly inappropriate — potenically even politically harmful — toast at family dinner, he smiles and claps for her.
• Out-Gambitted:
  • One of Daemon's schemes knocks him out of the game. When allegations of Rhaenyra's misconduct with Daemon land on his lap, he hesitates but ultimately proceeds with reporting it to the king — clearly banking that this may finally push Viserys to disinherit Rhaenyra and install his grandson Aegon to the succession. He clearly did not count on Viserys's sheer commitment to Rhaenyra's succession, nor to Rhaenyra equally willing to leverage the Velaryon marriage pact in exchange for Otto's dismissal.
  • At the end of Viserys's reign, with the king bedridden most of the time, Otto enrolls the support of Vaemond Velaryon and plans to name him Lord of Driftmark during the crisis of the Velaryon succession. This benefits the Greens in that the implication that Lucerys Velaryon (Lord Corlys's grandson but in reality a Strong-Targaryen bastard) lacks legitimacy also undermines Rhaenyra's claim to the throne. The plot is foiled by the unexpected appearance of Viserys at the request of Rhaenrya and Rhaenys reinstating Corlys's will in favour of Lucerys and Daemon killing Vaemond.
• Parents as People: The demands of the Hightower family's position weigh heavily on him. He's shown to care about Alicent, especially when she's so nervous that she starts biting her fingertips bloody, but his social climbing means that his daughter is forced into an uncomfortable position driving a wedge between the king and his daughter, her best friend.
• Pet the Dog: Otto does get a few moments of this, albeit few and far between.
  • Any time he shows care for his daughter Alicent counts as it's rare it happens. Hugging her goodbye when he's relieved of his duties as Hand is a prime example.
  • He's shown to be to have a soft spot for his granddaughter Helaena, being far more patient and outwardly affectionate with her than he is either of his grandsons or Alicent herself when she was young.
  • For the sake of Viserys, he puts aside his ambition and hatred for Rhaenyra and Daemon and barters to keep the peace during the family feast. He's even shown enjoying himself quite a bit.
• The Rival: He is a fierce opponent of Daemon Targaryen, fearing that the ambitious prince is another Maegor in the making.
• Rules Lawyer: Compared to his daughter, he’s not quite a true version of The Social Expert, being a bit too sloppy to hide all his intentions and lacking an appetite for more direct confrontation with Dameon or Rhaenyra, and being too vulnerable to Daemon’s tactics as a Troll. But when it comes to tiptoeing around the intention and purpose of Visery’s rulings and opinions while hiding behind legalese and technicality, he’s an expert — he wholeheartedly endorses Vaemond’s push to be proclaimed the rightful heir of Driftmark because it allows him to cast a legal precedent against Rhaenyra’s family, though the plot fails.
• Smug Snake: While he's usually a successful Manipulative Bastard, his game isn’t perfect, and neither is his poker face; he utterly fails to realize that Daemon will gleefully play his dragon and accept a violent outcome to their standoff over Baelon’s egg, requiring Rhaenyra to save his skin, and can’t resist a bit of gloating towards Corlys which only further provokes the Sea Snake into an alliance with Daemon. He finally overplays his hand in accusing Rhaenyra of promiscuity with Daemon, getting him sacked from his post as Hand (even though he was actually correct about that last one and told Viserys about that more because Viserys had the right to know about it than his own personal gain).
• So Proud of You:
  • He is proud of his daughter's outburst of homicidal rage against Rhaenyra and her children after Aemond's accident on a level almost bordering on sociopathy. Alicent herself is initially disgusted by this reaction of her father.
  • In the same conversation, he also expresses a similar sentiment towards his grandson Aemond, who just won their side the greatest living dragon in Westeros.
  • As the Green Council enacts their plot to place Aegon on the throne, Alicent finally stands up to him, telling him that she will no longer be her pawn and will plan Aegon's coronation on her own terms, Otto notes with pride that she reminded him of her mother in that moment.
• The Svengali: To Alicent, having positioned her as a pawn in his schemes while convincing her of the righteousness of it all.
• This Cannot Be!: A downplayed example, and subtly shown in the actor's face, but it's easy to tell that Otto had expected to rule on Vaemond Velaryon's petition to inherit Driftmark, and is utterly floored when Viserys staggers into the throne room, knowing that whatever he'd planned is about to go out of the window.
• Too Clever by Half: Otto is a gifted player of the game, but he's not always as good as he fancies himself. His underestimation of Viserys, as well as his tendency to keep pushing the envelope ends up costing him his position.
• Totalitarian Utilitarian: He's quick to invoke The Needs of the Many when discussing how to deal with the opposing faction and its supporters.
  Otto: No king has ever lived that hasn't had to forfeit the lives of a few to protect the many.
• Tough Love: Most of the time, Otto was very cold and steadfast in his reletionship with his daughter Alicent and in his ordering her to progressively seduce the King. However, there are Pet the Dog moments where he shows that he still cares for his daughter, especially after 10 years in which he returns to be the Hand so that he can actively assist her.
• Vicariously Ambitious: By necessity. As Hand of the King, he has reached the top position a non-Targaryen can achieve during this era in King's Landing, so the only way to keep climbing the social ladder is via his offspring, first making his daughter Queen consort and later his grandson king, so his schemes, ultimately done for the family name, are indirectly for his own benefit, but directly on their behalf.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: While a lot of it does have to do with him wanting his grandchild to rule Westeros, Otto also wants Aegon to be King because he fears that, should Rhaenyra take the Iron Throne, war would break out across Westeros due to the sexist views of many lords at that time. In addition, he warns Alicent that if Rhaenyra comes to power, she will execute Alicent's children (who are his grandchildren) to secure her claim, and as such, Alicent should prepare to make Aegon the successor to Viserys.
• Would Hurt a Child: During the coup, he is all for killing Daemon, a pregnant Rhaenyra, and their family which includes 5 children.

Kingsguard

Ser Criston Cole

Ser Criston Cole

Played By: Fabien Frankel

A knight from the Dornish Marches who becomes Princess Rhaenyra's sworn shield. The circumstances of his relationship with Rhaenyra would eventually drive him towards Queen Alicent Hightower instead.

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• Adaptational Explanation: Cole's falling out with Rhaenyra is not explained in depth in the book, though it's the subject of much speculation by the sources involved. More specifically, the show's version of the falling out is an amalgamation of differing accounts in the books, such as Rhaenyra propositioning him and him suggesting that they elope to the Free Cities.
• Adaptational Villainy: In the book, Criston kills Joffrey in a tourney, and it's left ambiguous as to whether this was deliberate to spite Rhaenyra. While death is always bad, accidents have been known to happen during tourneys (as established in episode 1.01). In a tourney, Joffrey would at least be on guard and prepared to defend himself. In the show, Criston kills Joffrey in the middle of a wedding feast.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: Criston has pale green eyes in the books, but in the show his eyes are brown.
• Age Lift: The character is implied to be younger than in the books, where he was born in 82 AC, which would make him almost 50 years old by the end of season 1. Allowing some casting-age tolerance, his actor Fabien Frankel was 28 while filming it so it's reasonable to assume the character is in his late 30s to early 40s.
• Alliterative Name: Criston Cole.
• Archetypal Character: Due to Criston bedding Princess Rhaenyra with the Uptown Girl drama this entails, he inadvertently invokes the classic medieval literary knight whose main drama is exactly pining for a woman above his station, Lancelot du Lac. The fact that he kills Joffrey Lonmouth in a rage and subsequently becomes a more bitter and spiteful man also invokes Lancelot's "battle rage" — with even less sympathy.
• The Atoner: He feels immense guilt for breaking his Vow of Celibacy and attempts to run away with Rhaenyra in hopes that marrying her would make up for it. When she rejects him, he later confesses to Alicent about his taking Rhaenyra's maidenhood, despite knowing the implications of what he'd done, and asks her for a merciful execution, once again hoping it would restore his honor. He then prepares to commit Seppuku after killing Joffrey. This is deconstructed, however, because once he is essentially pardoned for his crimes, he starts becoming a much worse person due to anger over how Rhaenyra got off with barely an inconvenience from sullying his vows.
• Bodyguard Crush: Ryan Condal confirms in the Inside of episode 1.04, that Ser Criston Cole does carry a torch for Rhaenyra. Years later he transfers those feelings towards Alicent, as a result of Rhaenyra rejecting him and, later, Alicent preventing his suicide.
• Boring, but Practical: His simple plate armor for The Tourney is nothing like the fancy and elaborate one of Daemon Targaryen, and its does the job of protecting him all the same (and indicates his more humble origins).
• Brains and Brawn: In the service of Alicent, Larys the brains while Criston is the brawn.
• The Bully: After the 10-year time skip since his killing of Joffrey, Criston utterly hates Rhaenyra and insults her behind her back, as well as negligently ignoring his job of training her sons while favoring Alicent's. When Ser Harwin criticizes him for this, he even goes so far as to openly instigate Aegon to bully the princess's children.
• Child of Two Worlds: Implied. Criston's physical appearance marks him as Dornish, but he grew up in the Stormlands and got his knighthood fighting against the Dornish incursion. Culturally, he's an Andal.
• Commonality Connection: Alicent and Criston's relationship is built on the foundation of their similar trauma.
  • Most obviously, they first bond in the immediate aftermath of both being burned by Rhaenyra. They each liked Rhaenyra, thought of her as a friend — but that was always kind of a romanticized view of things. She was the royal princess; they were her lady-in-waiting and guard. They served at her pleasure. And then Rhaenyra got cross at them for basically being of their social class — for not having the kind of privilege and options that would allow them to turn down a request from a king, or be protected from the treason that breaking Kingsgaurd vows is.
  • Alicent and Criston share mirror experiences of being sexually exploited by the royal family. First, you cannot say no when you get propositioned by a royal. Second, if you are the lover of a royal, it's not unreasonable to think you might get some benefits out of it, that this royal might use their status to bestow protection or favors upon you. But no, Alicent and Criston don't get that. If anything, their royal lovers seem confused, borderline insulted, they'd even expect that. They're used and discarded.
  • Alicent and Criston alone have chivalric ideals. They're not Wrong Genre Savvy — they know damn well that isn't how their world works, that Targaryen power trumps all — but they maintain that it should be. The two of them basically role-play chivalry with each other; her as the revered, clement queen and him as the loyal, honorable knight. They validate each other in these identities when the world around them won't.
    Alicent: I have to believe that in the end, honor and decency will prevail. We need to hew to that… and to each other.
• Composite Character:
  • While he's largely the same as his book counterpart, Criston does take some inspiration from the book version of Loras Tyrell, namely his Hot-Blooded Hair-Trigger Temper tendencies, which can lead to fatal results for anyone who's unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of it.
  • His angst, bordering on Death Seeker levels, over breaking his oath of chastity after being seduced into sleeping with a princess can be seen as similar to Arys Oakheart from the book.
• Conflicting Loyalty: A common conflict for knights in this world. Criston is a member of the Kingsguard, and as Alicent's sworn sword he has sworn vows to her specifically. The queen's command does not overrule the king's, however, so when Alicent asks Criston to take Lucerys' eye against Viserys' direct order, he takes refuge in the Exact Words of his vow.
  Alicent: No, you are sworn to me!
  Criston: [beat] As your protector, my Queen.
• Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Prequel
  • Criston helps highlight the contrast to the foremost Kingsguard character featured in Game of Thrones, Ser Jaime Lannister.
    • Jaime is the firstborn son of House Lannister, anointed Kingsguard to spite his father Lord Tywin (and turning him into Aerys II's glorified hostage). Criston is born to a far lowlier-steward of the Dondarrions of the Stormlands, and his appointment was the highest honor any Cole ever received so far.
    • Jaime is a Hollywood Atheist, but at the same time, his relationship with Cersei takes on many religious dimensions — its metaphysical belief of "one person in two bodies"; its prophesy of dying together. Criston leans hard into the Faith of the Seven after turning over himself as Alicent's loyal knight, but that religiosity is very much centered around Alicent herself. Outwardly, Jaime and Criston look like religious opposites — the atheist and the pious man of the Seven. But really, both men's spiritual lives boil down to an all-consuming fixation on their queen, which is thought of in a way that integrates the iconography of the Seven ("Why would Cersei need the Warrior? She has me." "All women [read: Alicent] are the image of the Mother.").
    • Both started out their knighthood in feats of derring-do: Jaime for his involvement against the Kingswood Brotherhood, and Criston for both campaigning against the Dornish and the Tourney of the Heir.
    • Jaime was defined by his Single-Target Sexuality for his sister Cersei—and it complicated his honor, loyalties and Kingsguard vows throughout his life. Criston, for his part, sought to live as a more straightforward Knight in Shining Armor—but was reduced to being a more bitter and spiteful man following Rhaenyra's seduction-then-rejection, and his subsequent devotion as Alicent's primary sworn sword.
    • Within the Kingsguard, both are specifically the queen's right-hand man. Jaime carries on a torrid decades-long affair with Cersei. Criston, inversely, caries feelings for his queen but keeps them rigidly proper within the chaste, unspoken frame of Courtly Love.
    • Because Jaime looks like (and is) the father of the royal children, Cersei prohibits him from acting fatherly towards them, lest anyone suspect. Because appearance makes the paternity of Alicent's children so clearly not Criston, he's free to act very fatherly toward them while arousing little suspension.
    • Jaime was prevented from winning any glory during the War of Five Kings (due to being captured, maimed, and forced to wander). He doesn't even do much leading until King Tommen dismisses him and sends him as a Lannister commander to the Riverlands. Criston, in contrast, is a central player since the leadup to the Dance of the Dragons, both for training Princes Aegon II and Aemond in warfare and disposing of potential enemies like Lyman Beesbury.
    • Both broke their Kingsguard oaths and this has played a very defining moment in their life. Jaime embraced and played up his image as a nefarious rogue to cover his deep-seated insecurity and self-loathing. By contrast, Criston doubles down on trying to be his ideal of an honorable knight, to a violent and obsessive degree.
    • Jaime impulsively killed an incompetent Targaryen king. Criston — for all that he's known for having difficulty restraining his temper — does not, even though he spends a lot of time looking at Viserys with disgust.
    • There are similarities in the connection between Alicent and Criston, and the connection between Jaime and Brienne. A young knight starts out having a sense of duty and honour, and truly believing in it. Then — thanks to life at court and Targaryen nonsense — he becomes more and more cynical and angry. Then he meets a woman who reinvigorates his principles, and he once again puts some stock in his knightly ideals.
  • Criston contrasts with Jorah Mormont, being a sworn sword to a Targaryen princess whom they harbor romantic feelings for. But while Jorah's feelings for Daenerys are completely unrequited, Rhaenyra does express attraction to Criston, but only as a lover and not a potential suitor due to his low social standing. Jorah initially came under Daenerys' service as a spy for Varys but genuinely became loyal to her, whereas Criston genuinely served Rhaenyra only to turn against her once his feelings were spurned and his honor tainted. Their social positions also contrast with each other's. Jorah was a knight from a reputable noble house who fell out of favor for being a slaver, while Criston was a knight from a minor house who ascended the social ladder as a Kingsguard and a confidant of Queen Alicent.
• The Corrupter: He encourages Alicent's sons to bully Jaecerys and Lucerys during their training sessions, moreso with Aegon considering the prince was otherwise on rather friendly terms with the boys. When he has Aegon and Jace spar with each other, he openly tells Aegon to employ dirty tactics and continue attacking even when Jace is on the ground and unable to fight back.
• Courtly Love: Alicent and Criston's relationship is only a Ship Tease, but this is an Implied Trope in it. It's also a Reconstruction. How can divorcing sexuality from desire be emotionally satisfying for the people involved? Well, if they're both sexually damaged people, such a relationship might actually be a good fit for them. Before becoming Alicent's sworn sword, Criston served a Rhaenyra, who did pull him into her bed — endangering his life for the sake of her own sexual gratification. Meanwhile Alicent's past sexual experiences are two different versions of men imposing their unwanted sexuality upon her while she desperately wished she were anywhere else. The first, unwanted marital sex with the much-older and ailing Viserys, and then later a grudging Sex for Services setup with Larys. With that background, it makes sense that Alicent would see Criston not imposing his sexuality on her as respectful, even romantic, and Criston would be relieved that Alicent doesn't ask him to break his vows and risk his life by being with her.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: At his core, Criston is throwing a decade-long temper tantrum because a girl who slept with him didn't return his affections.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype:
  • He's yet another Knight in Shining Armor that gets gobbled up by the Crapsack World that is Westeros. Criston initially is the embodiment of knightly virtue, which swiftly earns him a place in the Kingsguard. But when you have to protect the center of a Decadent Court where everyone is scheming against everyone else, even a paragon of virtue faces issues. Criston faces his breaking point when Rhaenyra sleeps with him out of Retargeted Lust, and completely ignores his reluctance. He tries to elope with her and flee to Essos so that he can salvage his honor, but he is rejected, which pushes him toward despair. While Alicent manages to pull him out of his misery, he ends up being filled with a need for revenge against Rhaenyra, which is the point where he truly stops being a shining knight due to how far he will go to avenge his honor — namely, going out of his way to mistreat her children just because he can.
  • He deconstructs the Madonna-Whore Complex. He doesn't have a dichotomous view of womankind — he views Alicent as a Madonna and Rhaenyra as a Whore because of how each personally influenced him. Rhaenyra coerced him into sex at the risk of his life, and having a sexually-tinged variety of disgust for her is the logical result. Alicent saved his life and has a Courtly Love relationship with him, so viewing her as wonderful and chaste is the logical result. No other women — not even literal whores — are part of this.
• Defiled Forever: An unusual gender inversion. The trope deals with both dishonorable sex and rape, and Criston's situation uses both concepts. Viewed through a modern lens, what Rhaenyra did to Criston was rape and he's distressed because rape is traumatic. In the view of Westerosi society (and thus the characters' view), there's no concept of a woman raping a man. What happened is still considered an atrocious event that should never have occurred, but in this framework he's also to blame for it. Criston's distress is attributed to guilt and loss of honor. Within either understanding, a bad sexual experience will cost him his reputation, if not his life. He asks for an Honorable Marriage Proposal to fix things — a traditional solution for this trope — and when that gets shot down, he's Driven to Suicide.
• Despair Event Horizon: Ser Criston and Rhaenyra slightly flirt back and forth, once he is made her protector, but once she comes back from a night out with Daemon and sleeps with him in an act of Retargeted Lust, this leaves Ser Criston conflicted. As a member of the kingsguard he has a Vow of Celibacy and had hoped that Rhaenyra would run away with him to Essos, to be with her freely and to avoid punishment for breaking his vows. When she turns Criston down out of duty to her family and the realm, this sends him hopelessly spiraling into despair at the idea of being treated as a paramour and at the idea that he might be punished for breaking his vows, culminating in him beating Laenor's lover when he accidently brushed up against this Berserk Button, and driving Criston to attempt suicide.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Criston trains all the young princes, and he's harsh with Rhaenyra's children in a way he isn't with Alicent's. Justified Trope — he doesn't think this a productive training method to make his pupils stronger. He's just doing it because he wants Revenge by Proxy on their mother, so them being humiliated and while learning little is deliberate.
• The Dragon: The fearsome confidant and enforcer of Queen Hightower, tasked with the wet work.
• Driven to Suicide: He makes two different attempts in episode 1.05. The first time is when he confesses to Alicent that he took Rhaenyra's maidenhood, a confession that would surely have ended in death should have confessed to anyone else. He outright asks her to execute him though mercifully if she sees fit. The second attempt came after his brutal murder of Joffrey Lonmouth, as he's seen in the courtyard ready to stab himself in the gut, only to once again be saved by Alicent via Interrupted Suicide.
• Easily Forgiven:
  • No demotion, punishment or imprisonment follows after he publically murders Ser Joffrey Lonmouth in a rage, a defacto member of guests of honor, the Velaryons, or punching the prince consort. Queen Alicent stops him from committing suicide and takes him under her wing, having enough pull with the conflict-avoiding King to spare Criston. He also kills Lord Beesbury at the Small Council, who is protesting the Council's intentions to usurp Rhaenyra's claim.^{From the books...}Criston kills Lonmouth at a melee in honor of the wedding of Rhaenyra and Laenor, giving him plausible deniability of foul play and avoiding punishment; the death of Beesbury is subject of much speculation, and although is not directly attributed to Cole in particular, it's heavily implied that this was the case.
  • Cole had night watch duty when Aemond squirreled away to steal Vhagar in the middle of the night, further allowing the subsequent fight between Aemond and the Velaryon children to take place, which resulted on the maiming of Aemond's eye courtesy of Lucerys. Again, he received absolutely no punishment for this.
• Epic Flail: Excels in using the ball-and-chain as a personal weapon, including in a duel in The Tourney with Daemon and sparring with Aemond.
• Everyone Has Standards: Even though he hates Rhaenyra and resents her children, when Alicent orders him to take one of Lucerys' eyes, he flatly refuses.
• Fatal Flaw: Wrath — Criston continuously fails to control his anger when he really should, causing him to do such things as kill Joffrey, call Rhaenyra a cunt when Viserys threatened to remove the tongue of anyone who dared to say so, and kill Lord Beesbury by accident when he gets enraged. At the same time, though, it's oddly Zigzagged with the scene with Harwin, where he holds his temper very well and lets Harwin beat him.
• Foil:
  • Larys and Criston, Alicent's mad dogs. Both have a track record of unhinged murder (Joffrey Lonmouth and the Harrenhal fire). Alicent just barely has both men on a leash, and they sometimes act out of turn and kill people for her sake when she didn't want that, leaving her appalled and exhausted (Harrenhal and Beesbury). Both think they're her most special boy, her most important ally. Both have a thing for her and she maneuvers both in a way that has a sexual component but stops short of actual sex. Beyond that, the men are quite different. One's Mr. I Kiss Your Hand, and the other's Mr. I Kiss Your Foot. They're Brains and Brawn. Criston is Tall, Dark, and Handsome, while Larys is disabled and weedy looking. Criston serves Alicent publicly, and Larys covertly. Criston really wants to be a Knight in Shining Armor, but his anger often gets the better of him, he commits Crime of Passion, and he regrets it later. Larys is even-tempered and always seems in possession of himself, has no high ideals nor boundaries, his crimes are calmly premediated, and never shows regret for his misdeeds. Criston wants a Courtly Love thing where he serves his lady and loves her at a respectful distance. Larys wants to jerk off while looking at Alicent's feet. Alicent may or may not have feelings for Criston, but she at least plays it like she does because if he thought he was making her uncomfortable that would be a no-go for him. Alicent is obviously viscerally uncomfortable with Larys's attentions, and he likes that. Criston is staunchly loyal to Alicent and wants to please her. Larys is only loyal to Larys.
  • Harwin and Criston, Rhaenyra's guards-turned-lovers. At first glace they have enough similarities to suggest that maybe Rhaenyra Has a Type — both tall brunets, famed as formidable fighters, Criston as a Kingsguard and Harwin as commander of the City Watch. They face radically different risks by being romanced by Rhaenyra. Criston is lowborn, with no family at court, and would be exceptionally vulnerable if the relationship were revealed, facing torture and execution. Harwin is highborn and his father is Hand of the King, giving him an unprecedented level protection to the point where he can have an Open Secret affair for almost a decade. Both men have a temper, and when someone makes a remark about their relationship with Rhaenyra, they beat that man bloody in full view of everyone — Criston to Joffrey, and Harwin to Criston — costing them their current position. Harwin and Criston both have princely wards they act very paternally toward, in a way that could raise some suspicions about their relationship with said boys' mothers. Harwin looks like Jace and Luke, making the situation dangerous for their family. Criston looks nothing like Aegon and Aemond, making it clear he's just Platonic Co-Parenting.
  • Both leading ladies are part of a Lady and Knight dyad, and Criston and Daemon are their respective knights. They're violent knights at that, eager to shed blood on their ladies' behalves. They are also father figures to their lady's children. In the an-eye-for-an-eye scene specifically, the camera's juxtaposes the two men. Where they diverge is that Criston is completely Alicent's man. He's not the perfect Knight in Shining Armor, but he wants to be, be wants to please and obey his lady. He is impulsive and has been known to act out of turn (such as drawing his sword on Westerling), but Alicent need only say a word and he'll get back in line. Daemon, conversely, is a Wild Card Byronic Hero who will willfully defy his queen (such as planning a war) and even hurt her.
• Foreign Fanservice: Of the Dashing Hispanic type specifically. Criston's Tall, Dark, and Handsome looks immediately mark him as Dornish. While not stated outright, it's Implied this may be an element in Rhaenyra propositioning him and then asking him to be her paramour. Her treatment of him is in keeping with stereotypes about Dornishmen—she expects him to be sexually available and fine with paramours. But it's Subverted when Criston doesn't fit her expectations. He's actually pretty sexually conservative. He takes his Vow of Celibacy seriously and has a lot of guilt about breaking it; he thinks marriage is the only thing that could legitimize their sexual relationship and is offended by her suggestion that he be her paramour.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Criston's anger consistently gets the better of him. From killing Joffrey, to calling Rhaenyra a cunt, to handling a 76-year-old man roughly enough to accidentally kill him, Criston acts impulsively out of rage and then afterwards expresses regret for it.
• Hypocrite: Criston really wants to be a Knight in Shining Armor, but he's not naturally suited for it by personality and temperament. He believes strongly in ideals of chivalry, espouses them both for himself and for others, but repeatedly falls short when his temper gets the better of him:
  • In an Exact Words sense, it's hypocritical to profess, "Every woman is an image of the Mother, to be spoken of with reverence," yet to himself speak irreverently of Rhaenyra. Outside of Exact Words, however, there's no contradiction in espousing that women in general should be respected, and still having a grudge against an individual who coerced you into sex and put you at risk of torture and execution.
  • He styles himself as a bastion of honor, all while picking petty fights and wrathfully and inconsequentially murdering two lords.
• Interrupted Suicide: Sometime after beating Ser Joffrey Lonmouth to death at the wedding, Criston heads out to the Godswood and prepares to commit suicide. It's not established what suicide means in a Westerosi cultural context, but as a trope it's clearly Seppuku: a dishonored warrior who wishes to at least preserve some honor in death; garbed in white; a blade to be rammed into the stomach. Before he can carry it out, he is interrupted by Queen Alicent's arrival.
• I Owe You My Life: His entire relationship with Alicent is built upon this premise. First, Alicent knew about Rhaenyra and Criston's tryst. She had the opportunity to publicly expose this and damage Rhaenyra's reputation; all she would have to do is let this man she barely knew die a horrible death. Instead, Alicent protected him. Then she saved him again, in an even bigger way. She found Criston at his absolute lowest moment, on the brink of suicide, and she gave him back his life and his honor. In exchange, she won his ardent devotion.
• Irony: He's surprisingly prudish for a man who has Dornish blood, the Dornish having a reputation for being markedly libidinous.
• It's Personal: He despises Rhaenyra with a passion for toying with his heart, rejecting him and putting him at risk of execution, as well as for her further extramarital actions.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Rhaenyra did put him at risk of execution for romancing her, and he's personally offended at the fact that Rhaenyra did not reciprocate the risk he was willing to go through for her, as the stakes for her weren't nearly as risky as they were for him. Adding insult to injury, he was basically just a fling for Rhaenyra, as she approached him just because he happened to come across him for her to vent the urges Daemon roused on her.
• Kingmaker Scenario: Subverted. In the book, much ado is made about the notion that Cole personally encouraged and crowned Aegon to hinder Rhaenyra from claiming the throne, as this deed was what labelled him as the infamous "Kingmaker" in the history books. In the show, Cole is not counted among the main architects of Aegon's coronation, though he did ceremonially crown Aegon.
• Knighting: Criston received one of the more badass types of this ceremony, winning his spurs as a foot soldier in rare true combat and being knighted afterwards for his valor.
  Criston: I fought for a year as a foot soldier against the Dornish incursions. Ser Arlan Dondarrion knighted me after we razed two of the watchtowers along the Boneway.
• Lady and Knight: Criston serves first as Rhaenyra's sworn sword, and later as Alicent's. Deconstructed on multiple counts — this whole "sworn sword" institution seems very poorly thought out.
  • As a member of the Kingsguard and a noblewoman's sworn sword, the entire job description is to take a Vow of Celibacy (ensuring he has unfulfilled longings) and then acting rather like a partner (loyal protector, supporter, confidant, and companion) to a beautiful lady he's encouraged to idealize. Under those circumstances, a sworn sword developing feelings for his liege lady is not surprising — the situation is practically designed to invoke Bodyguard Crush. Considering any amorous conduct between the two is strictly forbidden, who thought this was a good idea?
  • The Lady and Knight situation is ripe for abuse of power. The knight's sworn to obey his lady's every command. The only thing in place to protect the knight is a vow that the lady's not supposed to ask anything of him that would bring him dishonor. But a single vow is hardly a reliable safeguarding system. Moreover, his role encourages an atmosphere where she feels she can trust and depend on him, therefore she can ask him for things she wouldn't ask of anyone else — even inappropriate requests, such as sex, or to cut out a boy's eye. When that happens, the fact that he always obeys her makes it very uncomfortable for him to break script and say no, even if he does technically have grounds to do so. In Criston's specific case this is doubly true because he's lowborn and owes his status entirely to his liege ladies — he extra can't risk their displeasure.
• Last-Name Basis: Alicent calls him "Ser Criston." The two of them make an overt effort to be relentlessly proper with each other, and the titles are part of that. In contrast, Aemond calls him "Cole." The surname is more casual; the lack of title sidesteps the power hierarchy (as an adult prince, in theory Criston must obey Aemond — but what we see instead is Aemond taking orders from Criston). There's also something vaguely bro-ish and masculine about surnames, fitting for Aemond's relationship with his primary male role-model.
• Madonna-Whore Complex: Subverted and Deconstructed. Criston has an obvious dichotomy set up in his mind between wanton, treacherous Rhaenyra (who sexually used and discarded him) and chaste, saintly Alicent (who would never hurt or endanger him like that). But these really are the roles these two women have played in his life. Rhaenyra did sexually hurt him, and so it makes sense for him to resent her, and for that resentment to have a sexualized slant. He does have a Courtly Love relationship with Alicent, so it makes sense for him to view her in a chaste light. This is not a dichotomous view of women in general; other women seem completely exempt. Criston tells Aemond to treat prostitutes with respect and identifies them with the Mother — in other words, he calls literal whores Madonnas.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Criston's character arc in Fire & Blood is largely original. That said, his background (as a lowly person elevated to being a royal second-in-command, plus a cultural foreigner) and personality (the kind of person who obeys orders, even heinous ones) evokes the Flemish knight William of Ypres, King Stephen's principal commander who is involved in a number of notable (even dishonorable) battles of the Anarchy. William also developed a significant religious sentiment in his later years, akin to Criston's Heel–Faith Turn.
• The Oathbreaker: As of episode 1.04, he has violated his Kingsguard oath to remain celibate, and what's worse he breaks that oath with the King's daughter and heir to the throne. Episode 1.09 then has him crown Aegon king over Viserys' wishes that Rhaenyra becomes queen.
• Older Than They Look: The passage of time is benign to Criston, not looking a day older 17 years after his introduction in the first episode, in the year 113 AC. An Enforced Trope — while there were Time-Shifted Actors in this show, they tried not to do that with everyone to create some continuity.
• Platonic Co-Parenting: Viserys is uninterested in his children by Alicent, and has been since the kids were old enough to remember. Criston serves as father figure for the Green kids. Ostensibly Criston is a servant and the princes outrank him — yet the boys act like he has authority over them. Aemond appears to be Criston's favorite child, just like he's Alicent's, by virtue of being the easiest kid to parent. Aemond is Criston's prize pupil in the training yard. He feels comfortable enough to confide in Criston about both his traumatic 13th birthday, and his could-be-construed-as-treasonous jealousy of Aegon. Aemond baiting the Strong boys into reacting aggressively by alluding to their bastardy mimics what Criston did with Harwin — Aemond is watching Criston and learning from him, like a son does his father.
  Fabien Frankel (Word of Saint Paul): Criston sees Aemond in himself, and himself in Aemond. Ewan and I talked a lot about that. He and I would spend a lot of time together, walking around Spain together, discussing this relationship. There's a real closeness between them.invoked
• Precision F-Strike:
  • When he realizes Rhaenyra is both oblivious to and unbothered by the situation she's put him in:
    Criston: [tears in his eyes] I've soiled my white cloak and it's the only thing I have to my fucking name!
  • He calls Rhaenyra a "spoiled cunt."
• Questionable Consent: He is perused by someone who has complete control over his life; this is a Leonine Contract. When Rhaenyra propositions Ser Criston, it's Morton's Fork for him. If he turns down the princess, she could have him sent away or killed. If he accepts her overtures and they are caught, he could be sent to the Wall or killed. He's lowborn — were he in trouble, he'd have no connections to call upon to protect him. Rhaenyra, in contrast, is a princess and the king's heir, and would almost certainly avoid much in the way of punishment. With all that on the line, Criston's ability to really choose is — to say the least — severely compromised. The only word spoken aloud in the scene is, "Stop." He looks uncomfortable and is reluctant nearly the entire time she spends seducing him, but ends up going through with it. He also doesn't look too happy when he's sent by Alicent to ask for her in the scenes that followed, despite her glee to see him. Double Standard Rape: Female on Male also plays a part in obfuscating things.
• Race Lift: Downplayed Trope. In both the book and show, Criston's father is the steward of Blackhaven. Blackhaven is in the southern stormlands along the Dornish border — an area where Dornish descent wouldn't be surprising, but isn't the assumed default. In the books there is no indication that he has any Dornish blood. In the show, Alicent thinks he looks Dornish when they first meet. Yet Criston got his battle experience fighting against the Dornish incursions. This implies that Criston is Dornish by blood, but not culturally Dornish. This casts some Foreign Fanservice layers on his relationship with Rhaenyra.
• Rejected Marriage Proposal: Rhaenyra is a Rebellious Princess who often complains about her duty to the realm. He takes this at face value and offers her a chance to Elope, run away together so that they can live and love as freely as they wish. Rhaenyra throws cold water on the idea and says that while she dislikes the idea of her position in the world, she ultimately understands that it's her destiny to play her part.
• The Rival: Becomes a more martial one to Daemon in contrast to Otto Hightower, since he beat Daemon at The Tourney and doesn't mind exchanging trash talk. Since he's a fighter rather than schemer, Daemon actually acts more as a (still threatening) Friendly Rival to him, though Criston doesn't share the sentiment.
• Replacement Pedestal: Criston wants to be part of a Lady and Knight archetype, but Rhaenyra didn't hold up her end of that — first asking him to risk his life by having sex with her, and then not giving him a serious role as her partner afterwards. At his lowest point, disillusioned and on the brink of suicide, Alicent steps in and saves him. He finds a second position as her sworn sword. Alicent better suited to the archetype he's going for — an untouchable lady to idealize.
• Revenge by Proxy: Since Rhaenyra is part of the royal family and thus beyond his ability to harm, Criston get's his revenge on her sullying his honor by going out of his way to be harsh when training her sons, in particular encouraging Aemond to Kick Them While They Are Down. He also insults Harwin Strong over being the Velaryon princes' true father for similar reasons, plus jealousy.
• Romantic Runner-Up: While Rhaenyra has some feelings for Criston, he's very clearly a second choice to Daemon. At no point is there a genuine Love Triangle going on; Criston is a second choice from the very beginning. She initially propositions him out of Retargeted Lust — Daemon has blue-balled her, and Criston is merely handsome and conveniently on hand. After Rejecting Criston's proposal to elope, Rhaenyra turns around and dares Daemon to elope with her. Deconstructed Trope, in that Criston is heartbroken and insulted at being led on yet not taken seriously, and soon comes to resent Rhaenyra for treating him that way.
• Self-Made Man: While virtually everyone else at court comes from a powerful house, Ser Criston is lowborn and gained his position by merit and a few lucky opportunities. This makes him politically very vulnerable. If he's in a bad situation, they could do anything they wanted to him without fear of offending any kin.
• Ship Tease: The latter half of season 1 plays up the relationship between Ser Criston and Alicent, who have grown close in the years since they've been estranged from Rhaenyra. They have a Lady and Knight Courtly Love thing. He's a father figure for her children. This is only aided by the facts that Alicent is clearly not in love with Viserys and Viserys is more emotionally invested in Rhaenyra than in his children by Alicent.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: After the 10-year time skip between episodes 1.05 and 1.06, whatever love and loyalty he once had for Rhaenyra is completely gone, leaving only resentment toward her, her lover, and her children.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He has a swarthy complexion that immediately marks him as Dornish. His good looks and skill in combat charm Rhaenyra, who gives him her favor at the tournament. On a less savory note, this is also likely why Rhaenyra ends up seducing him for Their First Time.
• Undying Loyalty: Alicent saved his life and granted him a second chance at being a true knight. For this, Criston is fiercely loyal to her. When Lord Beesbury makes remarks that could be construed as insults to her, Cole flies into a rage and slams his face into Beesbury's small council tabletop sphere, smashing his skull. Criston seems momentarily unsettled, but quickly justifies it as defending his queen's honor. Only Alicent's pleas stop him from dueling Lord Commander Westerling to the death over it.
  Criston: I will not suffer insults to Her Grace the Queen!
  Alicent: There is no insult to me, Ser Criston. You can put aside your blade.
  Criston: [obeys instantly, rendering himself undefended with Ser Westerling's sword still point at his throat]
• Uptown Girl: Played with. Because of Rhaenyra's Rebellious Princess complaining, Criston expected Rhaenyra to be at least open to the possibility of eloping, regardless of the crass contrast of their social positions. He didn't understand that her complaints were basically empty gripes, and Rhaenyra would not abandon her position just to be with him. She's aware that it's too important for her to set it aside for what she considers a fling, but the insensitive way she conveys it to Cole ends up fraying their relationship.
• We Used to Be Friends: He becomes an ally and friend to Rhaenyra when she elevates him to a member of the Kingsguard, a great honor for a lowborn knight. Tensions rise when she takes him into her bed against his wishes, which tarnishes his honor and carries significant personal risk for Criston. Her subsequent refusal to marry him and her attempt to string him along results in him having a complete meltdown during Rhaenyra's wedding feast, beating her fiance's secret lover to death before attempting to kill himself. He genuinely starts to despise her after that and becomes an ally of Alicent instead, both being fed up with Rhaenyra's entitled attitude.

Ser Arryk Cargyll

Ser Arryk Cargyll

"You flee what other men die seeking, Aegon."

Played By: Luke Tittensor

A knight of House Cargyll who serves on the Kingsguard with his twin brother Erryk.

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• Adaptation Personality Change: He and his twin Ser Erryk have more characterization in the series. Arryk is a Punch-Clock Villain.
• Identical Twin ID Tag: Unlike his brother's messier hair, his facial hair is a bit shorter and better groomed.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: He engages Ser Cole in a duel for Aegon, but yields when defeated and allows him to be taken, knowing he stands no chance to do anything except get himself killed if he fights further.
• My Master, Right or Wrong: He remains loyal to his position as Kingsguard in the coup against Rhaenyra, standing with the Greens as they name Aegon the king.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: There was in fact a commander involved in the Anarchy who was part of twins: Waleran de Beaumont, who served King Stephen. Much like Arryk, Waleran would remain loyal even as his brother Robert chose to make overtures to Matilda's side later in the war.
• No Sympathy: When he finds Aegon hidden in the Grand Sept, he starts to forcefully drag him out. He responds to Aegon's distress and begging not to be brought to his mother with a sharp rebuttal that men would die for the crown Aegon is about to be granted and thus he has no right to complain.
• Twin Theme Naming: His name is nearly identical to his twin brother's, save for a single vowel, which does not help Queen Alicent in distinguishing which brother is which.

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