The Noble Houses inGame of Thronescommand nearly every ounce of power in the Realm. Fans can recall the iconic names. The Starks, Lannisters, Targaryens, Baratheons, and their allies dominate the narrative. While a handful of genetic lines wield power beyond the imagination of millions, most barely manage to eat day-to-day. Vassal families like House Hightower are between the struggling civilians and the privileged few, leading to a strange place in the franchise.
The massive ensemble cast ofcharacters inGame of Thronescan be daunting for newcomers. It’s a gateway fantasy franchise for many fans, though not for its simplicity. Every central member of House Stark or Lannister is so richly layered with history and personality that cataloging them feels slightly less challenging than remembering classmates or coworkers. Other families make do with less characterization.
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House Hightower inHouse of the Dragon
House of the Dragonstakes place centuriesbeforeGame of Thrones. The series shines a light on lesser-known families, events, and characters to give some context to the first show. House Hightower appears early inHouse of the Dragon. House Hightower is close to the Iron Throne but barely connected to the major events. Ser Otto Hightower, brother of the family patriarch, is the Hand of the King to Viserys I Targaryen. He took the role two generations earlier under Jaehaerys I Targaryen. The show opens nine years into Viserys' reign. The king and his wife struggled to produce an heir. The queen dies in childbirth, followed swiftly by the newborn prince. Otto marries his daughter, Alicent Hightower, off to Viserys. She gives him a son, Aegon II, and Otto spends most of his time angling to give his grandson a clear path to the throne. He’s often under the thumb of his older brother and family head, Lord Hobert Hightower. His effortsto discredit Rhaenyra Targaryen, Viserys' firstborn who struggles to be queen, eventually loses him his station. He becomes the Hand of the King again after deaths in Viserys' court, but his role is tainted.
House Hightower is seen as powerful and influential throughoutHouse of the Dragon. They’re one of many noble houses that vie for power and authority. Otto’s position as the Hand of the King places him inchesfrom the Iron Throne. The strategic marriage between Alicent and Viserys prepares them to command the Seven Kingdoms, delayed only by Aegon II’s age. Otto is a strange personality. He consistently crafts policy across Westeros by standing in for whichever royal he’s ostensibly serving. He wants power and station for his family, but his arrogant, imperious personality makes his political strategy obvious enough to enrage his employers. He conducts ceremonies and looks for mystical signs while genuinely suggesting that Viserys marry off his daughter to her two-year-old brother. House Hightower isn’t notably morally inferior. Every noblehouse under the Targaryenswants to tear off a piece of their prestige for themselves. They reach for the Iron Throne through a strategic marriage and almost succeed, but their duplicity is equally efficient and self-destructive.
Where was House Hightower during Game of Thrones?
Though House Hightower climbed near the highest echelon in Westeros, they’re almost absent fromGame of Thrones. Fans who only watched the shows would likely only learn the nameinHouse of the Dragon. House Hightower does nothing of note inGame of Thrones. They’re isolationists who held fealty to House Tyrell for 300 years. Here’s a brief list of every mentioned member of House Hightower inGame of Thrones,
In many ways, House Hightower never recovered from losingthe Dance of the Dragons. Book fans know everyone lost that particular conflict, but the Hightowers never reached their peak again. Their name, based on the massive lighthouse they call home, is the most appropriate aspect of their branding. They ran off to their Hightower and stayed there for most of the story’s events. The books mention their unimaginable wealth and impossibly numerous armies, but they never do anything with their resources. They’re happy doing whatever their higher-ups tell them to do despite the gifts at their fingertips. House Hightower tried to win through politics once, lost, and spent the following centuries taking orders. In the show, they’re technically under the heelof Bronn of the Blackwater. It’s a fitting end for a dull family to be dominated by a fan favorite. Maybe they should have tried doing something.
