House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6, reminds audiences of Otto Hightower’s absence when Prince Regent Aemond Targaryen requests him to be his hand. Rhys Ifans is one of the most distinguished members of the House of the Dragon cast, though this season’s third episode saw his character, Otto Hightower, momentarily written off the show when King Aegon II dismissed him as Hand of the King. As matters continue to grow messy for the Greens, characters in King’s Landing begin to feel the weight of his absence.
Alicent Hightower is one character who’s missed her father’s stability and sense of control as her sons drive matters further into chaos. After the Blacks and Greens split, Alicent has been one of the only voices of reason in the capital, while Aemond, Aegon, and Criston Cole have acted recklessly. While Aemond was one of the characters who saw Otto’s patience as a weakness, he still requests to Lord Larys Strong in the most recent episode that the old hand be brought back to the capital to serve under him. This raises questions about Otto’s recent whereabouts.
Otto Hightower Is In Oldtown At This Point In The Book, But The Show May Differ
HOTD Hasn’t Revealed Where Otto Hightower Has Been
Otto Hightower hasn’t been seen on screen since episode 3 when he was dismissed by King Aegon and sent back to Oldtown. In the aftermath of this decision, Alicent suggests that Otto should go rally the Tyrells, who’ve been causing issues for the Greens’ assembly of an army in the Reach. This would imply he’d travel to Highgarden or return to Oldtown, the seat of House Hightower, but it seems that he’s done neither. Or, at the least, he’s at one of these locations but not responding to Alicent’s letters.
In Fire & Blood, the show’s source material book, Otto returns to Oldtown after being dismissed, but it’s not clear what he does. It seems like the TV series will slightly change the course of Otto’s narrative, however, as House of the Dragon’s timeline has been adjusted in various ways for the TV format. Rhys Ifans is a celebrated actor, and the series likely wants to utilize him rather than just keep him off-screen for its entire duration. Especially now, the show could use some weight in King’s Landing to counterbalance Aemond now that he’s in charge.
Does Otto Become Aemond’s Hand?
Otto Is Never Aemond’s Hand In The Book
Otto Hightower never becomes Aemond Targaryen’s Hand of the King in Fire & Blood, making this an entirely original idea for the TV adaptation. There’s not much to Otto Hightower’s story following his dismissal by King Aegon, as the majority of his impact on the Dance of the Dragons is on the events leading up to the war rather than during it. Again, bringing Otto back at this point in the show is likely a way to use Rhys Ifans for another stretch of time, as he brings interesting dynamics to the series, and it wouldn’t make sense to keep him sidelined.
An interesting element of “Smallfolk” is Aemond’s decision to align with the Triarchy to lift Corlys Velaryon’s blockade of the Gullet. In the book, this is Otto’s idea and something he had already set in motion by the time he was removed as Aegon’s hand. If Otto does return to be Aemond’s hand, he could still play a role in requesting aid from the Triarchy and laying the foundation for what could be one of season 3’s key battles.
What Happens To Otto Hightower
Otto Is Executed When Rhaenyra Retakes King’s Landing
Otto Hightower dies during Rhaenyra’s capturing of King’s Landing, as he’s executed upon her seizing of the Iron Throne. In Fire & Blood, there’s not much Otto Hightower between his removal as hand and his death, aside from the Battle of the Gullet, which takes place because of events he set in motion. He isn’t present for the battle itself, of course, but it was his idea that caused it to occur. However, House of the Dragon could change the order of events, which would affect Otto.
Rhaenyra’s capture of King’s Landing happens after the Gullet in the book, but events are pointing toward it occurring before in the TV series. Daemon has assembled his force in the Riverlands, and Criston Cole and Aemond have already had their pivotal disagreement on how to handle that threat. If Aemond flies north to the Riverlands in House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale, Rhaenyra could seize the capital with the help of her dragonriders and execute Otto in the same episode or in season 3’s premiere. It all depends on the show’s order of events.