What Happened To Otto Hightower In 'House Of The Dragon' (& Where Was He?)

Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 2

Otto Hightower has been one of the biggest thorns in House of the Dragon‘s side since the show started. He was consistently moving against our favorites (Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen), thought too highly of himself, and was willing to sacrifice his daughter to get his way. After the events of Season 3, Episode 2, we don’t have to worry about him anymore because he’s dead.

But after three seasons, how did we get here on House of the Dragon? Because someone doesn’t just become the Hand of the King by accident. That’s maneuvering, scheming, and lots of money. Also, when was the last time we saw Otto in Season 2 of House of the Dragon before Daemon was cackling at his jail cell window, and then Otto was kneeling in front of Rhaenyra?

We answer all these questions about the HBO Max show while also providing some extra context as to Rhaenyra and Daemon’s relationship to Otto and how we got to his Dance of the Dragons mess in the first place!

How Did Otto Hightower Come To Be In King’s Landing?

Otto Hightower was a knight from House Hightower of Oldtown. He was smart, proud, and came from a powerful family that had money. That means he ran in different circles from common folk in Westeros. When King Jaehaerys I Targaryen’s son and Hand of the King, Prince Baelon Targaryen, died, Otto got the job and became Hand of the King.

The highly ambitious Otto then brought his wife and children to King’s Landing. When King Jaehaerys I died and his grandson Viserys I Targaryen became king, Otto remained Hand of the King. This is where his real play for power began, with Otto using his daughter Alicent Hightower as a pawn to catch the eye of Viserys after the death of his wife, Queen Aemma and their son, Baelon Targaryen. What did he want? To start a new line of succession.

When Was The Last Time Otto Hightower Appeared In 'HOTD' Season 2?

The last time we saw Otto Hightower in House of the Dragon Season 2, his time as Hand of the King to his own grandson, Aegon, had come to an end. Honestly, it’s karma that, after starting this whole succession mess, he seemingly couldn’t sway or control his grandson as he did with previous kings. 

So Otto complained to his daughter that there was no place for him in King’s Landing and that he was returning to Oldtown to mentor Alicent and Viserys’ youngest son, Prince Daeron Targaryen. However, if we’ve learned anything from Otto, it’s that he was going to manipulate and shape another person to take the throne because he considered his family pawns. Because if it didn’t work with Alicent or Aegon, third time’s the charm, right?

Alicent tried to dissuade him from that idea. Instead, she wanted him to go to Highgarden to make sure that they, the Greens, had the support of House Tyrell. In the meantime, Alicent said she’d try to convince Aegon to let Otto return as Hand of the King after he calmed down. But things didn’t go as planned since the last time we saw Otto in House of the Dragon Season 2 was when he left the Red Keep and then being held in a cell by a mysterious captor.

Why Does Rhaenyra Kill Otto Hightower?

After Rhaenyra and Daemon took King’s Landing, Daemon discovered Otto being kept in a cell beneath the Red Keep. Apparently he was a parting gift from Lord Larys Strong. After some appropriate diabolical laughing from Daemon, he dragged Otto to the throne room to kneel before Rhaenyra.

Since Aegon, the supposed king, wasn’t in King’s Landing, Daemon suggested the execution of Otto as a suitable replacement. After some hesitation, Rhaenyra agreed and prepared to behead Otto. Before his death, he tried to act like he was still in control of the situation and asked for Daemon to kill him because it would be quick. He also said how Viserys would be heartbroken that it had come to this. 

This is the moment where you see Rhaenyra lock in and remember everything Otto did that has led to this point. Otto consistently tried to sow doubt in Viserys’ mind about the succession to the Throne, literally moved his family around like chess pieces to create a new heir to push Rhaenyra out, and then ignored the king’s wishes when he died by illegally crowning Aegon II as king, starting the civil war we find ourselves in now. 

Using Daemon’s sword, Rhaenyra went to behead him right after Otto made excuses about doing what he thought was right for the realm. Rhaenyra didn’t quite make it through Otto’s neck with the first swing. So she had to do it again, finally killing the man who caused this whole mess in the first place.

What Was Otto’s Relationship Like With Rhaenyra & Daemon?

To put it simply, Rhaenyra and Daemon were inconveniences to what Otto was trying to do as Hand of the King, aka be in a position of power where his vision of what was good for the realm happened. 

He saw Daemon as cruel and unwieldy. With them consistently clashing, Otto feared that if Viserys didn’t have a son, Daemon would be king. As for Rhaenyra, Otto suggested that she be heir. But that was only a temporary measure, while he plotted to get his family on the Throne. After all, if Rhaenyra didn’t have sons, that could also lead to Daemon as successor to the Throne, and there was nothing Otto would like less.

Like everything in House of the Dragon, Otto’s moves were just an elaborate game of chess. When he couldn’t influence Viserys, get along with Daemon, or trust Rhaenyra, he used his own daughter as a pawn to create a new line of succession. When Viserys died, he ignored the king’s wishes and crowned the person he thought should be on the Iron Throne. 

Otto tried to delegitimize Rhaenyra’s birthright, led the Greens against the Blacks, aka the political faction that supported Rhaenyra as the legitimate heir, and poisoned the minds of many against Rhaenyra. Then, to add insult to injury, he tried to act like this was for the good of the realm and went back to business as usual when he became the Hand of the King to Aegon.