Who Is Ormund Hightower In 'House Of The Dragon'?
House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1, jumps right into the action. After some basic setup, we finally get the long-anticipated Battle of the Gullet, which results in more than a few casualties—dragon and human alike. Before all that, though, Ormund Hightower makes his introduction. The moment is brief, no more than a minute or two, but Ormund's importance to House of the Dragon will be much more significant, if George R. R. Martin's source material, Fire & Blood, is anything to go by.
As a major player in the Dance of the Dragons and one of the Greens' closest allies, here's everything you need to know about Ormund Hightower, including his relationship to Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Otto (Rhys Ifans). Catch up with House of the Dragon on HBO Max now.
How Is Ormund Hightower Related to Alicent?
Ormund Hightower, played by James Norton in House of the Dragon, is the son of Lord Hobert Hightower (Steffan Rhodri), the former leader of Oldtown. And this is where things differentiate from the source material pretty significantly. In Fire & Blood, Horton meets his demise after drinking poisoned wine initially meant for Ulf the White post the Second Battle of Tumbleton. However, in the HBO series, Horton is dead by Season 2, which makes Ormund, his son, the new heir to Oldtown.
Horton is Otto Hightower's older brother. This means that he and Alicent are first cousins, which also explains why the Dowager Queen felt comfortable sending her youngest son, Daeron Targaryen, to train with Ormund. And while fans are still unclear if the brown-haired squire spotted with Ormund in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1, is Daeron, all signs point to it being the young prince, just with a hair dye to hide his Targaryen bloodline.
What Makes Ormund Hightower So Important?
Ormund's importance in Fire & Blood goes beyond his familial relationship to Alicent—although it plays a role. As the commander of one of the biggest and wealthiest armies in the Seven Kingdoms, Ormund's support is a huge win for the Greens. Perhaps more importantly, he has protected and mentored Daeron Targaryen all this time. For anyone unfamiliar with the source material, Daeron's dragon, Tessarion, plays a major role in the Dance of the Dragons.
With a Tessariion already spotted among the Hightower army in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1, it seems highly probable that the series plans to follow Martin's Fire & Blood, at least in part. Daeron and Tessarion will likely be major players in the ongoing war, and none of it would be possible without the support of Ormund Hightower.
