'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon': Are the Hightowers similar to the Lannisters?
Contains spoilers for 'House of the Dragon'
Rhys Ifans' Otto Hightower is of the central characters in 'House of the Dragon'. The hand of King Viserys was one of the easy targets for Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) to take shots at, but surely he would know what he would be taking a crack at by going after the second-most powerful man in Westeros. The Hightowers were known as the oldest and richest houses and they also made for able politicians, leading fans to compare if the house was a lot like the Lannisters.
One of the smarter moves the Hightowers pulled was to remain neutral in their stance when Aegon and the Gardeners, the same during the Field of Fire where the three Targaryen dragons vanquished the Gardener house to near extinction. In both of these battles, the Hightowers served as mere operators and managed to extend the longevity of their house. In the prequel, Otto is shown to be a wily personality and falls along the same line as Tyrion Lannister. The latter's intelligence was unparalleled.
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The other factors that make them similar are their amasses wealth and their aspirations, Neither could let go of opportunities. In the season opener, Otto grooming his daughter Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) is the perfect example of a man making his move when his ruler was at his most vulnerable. In terms of characters, neither of them is light-hearted, not when the stakes are that high.
The end for the character is pretty well-documented, he was beheaded by Rhaenyra after the fall of King's Landing as he was branded a traitor, but there's no denying that his dominance and bluntness ensured he was one of the major players in House Targaryen. Hightower will surely have a massive influence in 'House of the Dragon'. Only time will tell how his rivalry with Daemon pans out.
'House of the Dragon' airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO. Episode 1 is available for streaming on HBO Max.