Who is Otto Hightower and why is he important for House of the Dragon Season 2?

House of the Dragon Season 2 will feature many characters, but one who’ll serve a significant purpose is Otto Hightower.

A member of one of the greatest noble houses in the Seven Kingdoms, Otto was one of the most prominent faces in the first season, and he’ll play an even more pivotal role in House of the Dragon Season 2.

As we prepare for the return of the best TV show around, we’re reflecting on the key players in Westeros.

So, who is Otto Hightower? Where did he come from, and how does he fit into such a plot-heavy series? Let’s break down this divisive character before Season 2 begins.

Who is Otto Hightower?

Otto Hightower is the Hand of the King and father of Alicent Hightower.

Born as the second son of House Hightower, Otto was unable to directly inherit his family’s title and holdings in Oldtown. So, he sought another way to procure power by being named the Hand of the King by Jaehaerys I Targaryen.

When the old Targaryen king passed away, and Viserys took the throne, Otto was kept on as Hand. This is where we see him at the beginning of the first season of House of the Dragon.

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Otto was married at some point, but his wife’s identity was not revealed. That said, Daemon Targaryen does reveal during a small council meeting that she died not too long before the show began.

Before the loss of his spouse, Otto had two children: his son, Gwayne, whom we have not met in the series, and Alicent, his daughter, who lived in King’s Landing with him.

What will he do in Season 2?

Otto Hightower will seek to keep his family on the Iron Throne during Season 2.

Without spoiling the book, Otto will continue his quest to keep his daughter’s firstborn son, Aegon, in power.

From the trailers, we can infer he still has the close ear of both the new king and Alicent, so his looming presence will be felt throughout the war to come.

Otto has proved to be a master manipulator and planner, so we can assume he will be using these skills throughout some of the more heinous Season 2 storylines.

What did he do in Season 1?

Otto Hightower used his daughter, Alicent, to put his bloodline on the Iron Throne in Season 1.

At the beginning of Season 1, Otto was very much in favor of Rhaenyra becoming Viserys’ heir. He thought it was the only way to prevent Viserys from naming his brutal brother, Dameon, as the next king.

However, the hand found a better and faster way to secure more power by manipulating Alicent to visit Viserys after the death of his wife, Aemma. He would even go so far as to tell his daughter to wear her dead mother’s clothes to entice Viserys.

Otto successfully wed his daughter to the king, and together, they had four children: Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron.

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Once Alicent and Viserys had children of their own, Otto began to campaign against Rhaenyra’s claim as the heir. He tried to undermine her by telling Viserys she was romantically involved with her uncle, Dameon — which is true, to be fair.

This plan backfires as both Viserys and Alicent believe Rhaenyra’s claim of innocence, after which the king strips Otto of his title and sends him back to Oldtown. But, before he left, he told Alicent she must ensure Aegon is made Viserys’ heir because Rhaenyra would likely kill her and the children if she became queen.

Alicent had reservations due to her close bond with Rhaenyra in their youth, which even birthed a popular queer fan theory. However, Alicent ultimately sides with her father after mistaking Viserys’ dying words as a command to put Aegon on the throne.

After Aegon is crowned king, Otto traveled to Dragonstone, where Rhaenyra and her family lived, to offer her a deal. He guaranteed her oldest sons control of Dragonstone and Driftmark while her youngest returned to King’s Landing to serve Aegon. In return, he demanded that Rhaenyra acknowledge Aegon as the one true king.

Naturally, Rhaenyra denied these terms. So, Otto returned to King’s Landing to prepare for the all out war that will occur in Season 2.

Who plays Otto Hightower?

Otto Hightower is played by Rhys Ifans.

Ifans has been acting in both film and television since the ’90s. His most notable roles include Little Nicky, Notting Hill, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

However, House of the Dragon is not Ifans’ first time on an American TV show. He made several appearances as Mycroft Holmes, the older brother of Sherlock Holmes, in the procedural drama Elementary.

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Despite playing a grave character in House of the Dragon, Ifans is known to be quite the jokester on set. Milly Alcock (young Rhaenyra) and Emily Carey (young Alicent) recounted stories of Ifans causing them to break on set to BBC Radio 1.

“It’s just a look he gives you! Or he nudges, he loves doing that in scenes,” Carey explained. “If something goes slightly wrong, he’ll just start nudging.”

Alcock echoed the sentiment, saying, “He didn’t need to [say anything]. Rhys Ifans has a certain twinkle under his eye. [I’ll] tell you who he moves like… the Grinch”.

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres on June 16. For more Game of Thrones, check out our guide to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms or Blood and Cheese. You can also explore House of the Dragon’s viewership figures and find out if Henry Cavill is in Season 2.