House of the Dragon made huge changes to Oscar Tully in Season 2

Everyone’s talking about Oscar Tully, the young Lord who put Daemon Targaryen in his place in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7.

And rightly so – Oscar, despite his age, takes no prisoners. After watching Daemon spend weeks lording it up in the eerie and haunted halls of Harrenhal, seeing him get taken down by a child was immensely satisfying for many.

So, there’s a new diva in town. But those unfamiliar with George R.R. Martin’s books might not know that the TV show has actually made a huge update to Oscar.

In fact, it might just be House of the Dragon‘s cleverest change to date. (Warning: spoilers ahead!)

Who is Oscar Tully?

Oscar Tully is a knight from House Tully who serves the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons.

If you recognize that name, it’ll be because Tully was the house of Catelyn Stark before she married Ned.

Oscar was also known as Commander of the Stormbreakers. He was born around 113 AC, with red hair typical of the Tully family. He actually wouldn’t be knighted until the end of the Targaryen Civil War, after slaying three men in the Battle of the Kingsroad, the last battle of the war.

When the Dance was over, Oscar founded the Stormbreakers, a free company that ended up leaving Westeros and going to the Free Cities.

In the House of the Dragon, Oscar is played by Archie Barnes and first appears in Season 2.

Changes from the books explained

Although Oscar is a character in the book Fire & Blood, the TV show uses him in place of two other characters: Elmo and Kermit Tully.

In the book, his father is Elmo and his brother is Kermit. (Yes, they are named after The Muppets, and yes, it’s intentional. Oscar was in fact inspired by Oscar the Grouch.)

The show, however, chooses to omit Elmo and Kermit, and has the line of inheritance go directly from Grover to Oscar.

In the TV show, Oscar is first introduced in Season 2 when Daemon is taking over Harrenhal. Although Daemon wants to meet with Grover, the older man is too sick to attend, so sends Oscar (his grandson) instead.

In a bid to win the Riverlands and use their armies, Daemon keeps an eye on Oscar, who will become the Lord Paramount when Grover Tully dies.

This happens later in Season 2, and Oscar returns to speak to Daemon once more under his new position. He isn’t afraid to call out Daemon, and does so in front of the other Riverland houses in Season 2 Episode 7.

Although he clearly despises Daemon, he pledges his alliance (and that of the Riverlands) to Rhaenyra Targaryen, and agrees to continue supporting the Blacks.

He also orders the murder of Willem Blackwood for his house’s atrocities at the Battle of the Burning Mill. However, it’s clear that this is actually a challenge for Daemon, who must carry out the sentencing himself in front of the other lords. Not a bad play for a young boy.

For more, find out when the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale is out. You can also read our guides to Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White, who are other important players in the Targaryen war.