House of the Dragonseason 2 contained a major twist for Otto Hightower, revealing that the former Hand of the King has been imprisoned. Unfortunately, though, it didn’t give many clues as to where he was or who had captured him. All we got was a brief shot of him in a dark cell inHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s ending, and it’s very much designed as a lingering mystery.
Looking at George R.R. Martin’s book,Fire & Blood, isn’t a great deal of help in this scenario either:the story of Otto’s imprisonment is pure invention, and something that can only be revealed byHouse of the Dragonseason 3. The imprisonment did complete what was a major loss of power for Otto, who had ostensibly left King’s Landing after being replaced as Hand by Criston Cole. What happens now is the subject of manyHouse of the Dragonseason 3 theories, but there’s one that seems a lot more likely.
House Of The Dragon Season 3 Needs To Change Otto Hightower’s Fate
The Story Needs Another Deviation From Fire & Blood
One of the biggest theories aboutwhere Otto Hightower is at the end ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2is that he is actually still in King’s Landing, but has been locked away in the dungeons of the Red Keep (or some other, lesser known place) by Larys Strong. It’s true that Larys would have some motivation for this, because Otto is someone capable of thwarting his plans to manipulate King Aegon, and he certainly has the means to do it too, as the king’s Lord Confessor, or in other words, torturer-in-chief.
House of the Dragonseason 3 is expected to release on HBO and Max sometime in 2026.
However,I don’t really see much value in Otto being in King’s Landing, since it just gets him to a very similar point as he’s at in the book. That would make the story feel like an odd distraction, and while it could simply be to set up a bigger rivalry between Otto and Larys, that seems a bit of a stretch when Rhaenyra will rule the city, and would either execute or imprison Alicent’s father anyway. Since this twist is introduced, there should be a greater reason for it, and a story that will take Otto well beyond his book fate.
The Most Logical Choice For Where Otto Hightower Is
Part of the problem with predicting where Otto is that theSeven Kingdoms of Westerosare so vast and so detailed, that you can end up down a rabbit hole of just about any random place, with some begrudging lord after revenge, or another who just sees an opportunity to gain favor with Rhaenyra. Butif you were to try and pinpoint one who would have a very strong, established reason to imprison Otto and an opportunity to do it, it’s House Beesbury, a house from the Reach who had once been loyal to the Hightowers.
As revealed in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6, war has erupted in the Reach, and House Beesbury has “raised arms against the Hightower host.”
As a refresher,Lord Lyman Beesbury sat on King Viserys' small council, but was brutally killed by Criston Coleas Team Green plotted to put Aegon on the Iron Throne in the wake of Viserys' death. This isn’t just something the remaining Beesburys are aware of, but are already taking their revenge for. As revealed inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 6, war has erupted in the Reach, and House Beesbury has"raised arms against the Hightower host."
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Curiously,this comes after Otto’s own disappearance from the story, and the mention of war comes in tandem with word that the former Hand of the King cannot be reached. If Otto had attempted to return home to Oldtown, then he likely would’ve had to journey pretty close to House Beesbury’s seat of Honeyholt (depending on where exactly he was, it’s essentially en route to Oldtown), meaning there would likely have been a clear opportunity to take him prisoner.
Daeron Targaryen Could Save Otto Hightower
House Of The Dragon Season 3 Can Finally Introduce Alicent’s Youngest Son
Although Otto being imprisoned is not taken fromFire & Blood, the rising tensions with and rebellions againstHouse Hightowerarefrom the source material. In the book, this comes to a head with the Battle of the Honeywine, a major action set piece that, notably, involves the forces of House Beesbury (among others, but they are one of the leaders) fighting for Team Black, going against supporters of Team Green, led by the Hightowers.
The battle was going in favor of the Team Black supporters, with the Hightower host sustaining heavier losses, until the arrival of Prince Daeron Targaryen…
The battle was going in favor of the Team Black supporters, with the Hightower host sustaining heavier losses, until the arrival ofPrince Daeron Targaryen- the fourth child of Alicent Hightower - and his dragon, Tessarion.The presence of a dragon changes the fight completelybecause the army cannot stand against it (with no dragon of their own present), and it results in a Greens victory, earning Daeron the nickname “the Daring.”
Daeron Targaryen
TBA
Daeron has conspicuously been absent fromHouse of the Dragonso far, but has been referenced and is expected to appear in season 3. Since this plot line has already been set up, then it’d make sense for it to still be included, but the show could go further: if Otto has indeed been captured by House Beesbury, then Daeron might well be the one to rescue his grandfather. It brings Otto into the story more and could give him a bigger role in the future, and makes Daeron not only a greater presence after missing so much action, but even more, well, daring.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
