HOUSE of the Dragon has returned to our screens for a second season following a two-year hiatus.
Based on R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the show focuses on the ancestors of the royal family of dragon riders and the Dance of Dragons civil war.
Ser Otto Hightower is played by Welsh actor and musician Rhys Ifans in the Game of Thrones prequel.
The character is the Hand of the King to King Viserys I Targaryen.
He is brother to Hobert Hightower as well as the father of Lady Alicent Hightower and Gwayne Hightower.
However, he is a rival of Prince Daemon Targaryen.
HBO’s description of Ser Otto Hightower is: “The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king’s brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.”
While we learn in House of the Dragon that Otto’s wife passed away, we don’t know much about her.
Lady Alicent Hightower is played by Olivia Cooke and Emily Carey in House of the Dragon.
The character was raised in the Red Keep and is part of King Viserys I Targaryen’s inner circle.
She is the daughter of Ser Otto Hightower and the sister of Gwayne Hightower.
HBO describe her as: “She’s the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms.
“She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.”
Alicent is known for being one of the most attractive women in the Seven Kingdoms which is important due to the sheer amount of competition.
She has a political mind which is what she needs to survive.
However, she is not in favour of either Daemon or Rhaenyra when it comes to who should talk the throne next, despite she and Rhaenyra growing up as childhood best friends.
They end up going head to head when Alicent begins to see cracks in Rhaenyra’s ability to rule.
King Aegon II Targaryen is played by Tom Glynn-Carney.
As the firstborn son of King Viserys and Queen Alicent Hightower, some argue Aegon should be king instead of his half-sister Rhaenyra — he is the king’s oldest male heir.
After marrying his younger sister Helaena Targaryen, their incestuous relationship bears twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.
They also have a third child named Maelor in the book Fire & Blood.
Ewen Mitchell plays Prince Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
Aemond is the third child of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower.
He is the younger brother of Aegon and Halaena.
The prince rides the terrifying dragon Vhagar following the death of Lady Laena Velaryon.
Gwayne, who is portrayed by Freddie Fox, is Alicent’s brother and Otto’s son.
He first appeared in the tournament in the first season — but his face was hidden by his armour.
In the third episode of season two, however, he makes an appearance without his helmet on — arriving from Oldtown, he joins Criston Cole to march.
Gwayne is Alicent’s youngest brother in the book Fire & Blood.
