House Of The Dragon Season 3 Finally Killing Off Major OG Villain In Episode 2’s Ending & What Is Means For Rhaenyra & Alicent Detailed By Stars

Close By Liam Crowley & Jordan Williams Published Jun 28, 2026, 10:02 PM EDT Sign in to your ScreenRant account WARNING! Major SPOILERS ahead for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2's ending! HBO's House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2 concludes with the brutal killing of a character who has played an integral role in the war since the series premiere.

At the end of House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2, Rhys Ifans makes a long-awaited yet short-lived return as Otto Hightower after Rhaenyra successfully takes King's Landing. Revealing that he had secretly been held in the dungeons of the Red Keep since being fired as Aegon's Hand of the King back in season 2, episode 2, Otto Hightower was given to Daemon and Rhaenyra as a "gift" from Larys Strong. As Aegon was missing and Aemond left for Harrenhal, the Queen required a different Team Green leader's sacrifice to mark the start of her reign in King's Landing, with Rhaenyra ultimately beheading Otto before ascending the Iron Throne.

Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower being kept prisoner in House of the Dragon's season 2 finale In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, Rhaenyra Targaryen actor Emma D'Arcy and Alicent Hightower actor Olivia Cooke detailed the impact of Otto Hightower's death on their House of the Dragon characters and how Rhaenyra killing him will further change their relationship. According to Cooke, Alicent seeing her father's head on the floor in the final moments of episode 2 is "confounding" and makes her "incandescent with rage," as she can't understand if Rhaenyra has been keeping him prisoner all this time just to make a big political showcase of his death: Olivia Cooke: "It's very confounding when she sees her dad on the floor. She's not sure if Rhaenyra has kept him prisoner herself just to make this big political public display.

She's sort of incandescent with rage. She feels like she's been betrayed again. And I think at the end of episode 2, it's just like, well, all bets are off.

But yeah, it's very shocking." While Alicent and Rhaenyra had made an agreement to spare the lives of the Dowager Queen, Helaena, and Jaehaera in exchange for taking Aegon's head at King's Landing, the latter's absence and the surprise discovery of Otto being held in the dungeon forced a last-minute change of plans. Alicent feels betrayed again by Otto's beheading, but neither technically kept their end of the deal; Aegon fleeing meant Alicent no longer had her offering to Rhaenyra, while Rhaenyra killing Otto was never on the table.

ScreenRant.com | FB Fire & Blood Interactive Quiz ScreenRant/ TV/ House of the Dragon/ Trivia Dragonstone Archives · The Dance Begins The Dance of the Dragons Awaits “The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion.” 🐉The BlacksTeam Rhaenyra 👑The GreensTeam Aegon 🔥DragonsFire & Blood ⚔The CrownSuccession 🔮ProphecyA Song of Ice CHOOSE YOUR SIDE → QUESTION 1 / 8SUCCESSION 01 King Viserys I names his heir early in the series, defying tradition that would favor his firstborn son.

Who does he name as his successor? ADaemon Targaryen BAegon Targaryen CRhaenyra Targaryen DAemond Targaryen ✓ Correct! Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne after the death of his first wife, Aemma, and their infant son.

He forced the lords of the realm to swear oaths of fealty to her — oaths many would later break. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Rhaenyra Targaryen.

Viserys defied Westerosi precedent by naming his daughter over his brother Daemon. Even after fathering sons with Alicent Hightower, Viserys never changed his decree. NEXT → QUESTION 2 / 8THE GREENS 02 Alicent Hightower’s faction is known as “the Greens.”

Who is her father, the cunning Hand of the King who orchestrates much of their political strategy? ACorlys Velaryon BOtto Hightower CLyonel Strong DTyland Lannister ✓ Correct! Otto Hightower served as Hand of the King and was the mastermind behind the Green faction.

He strategically positioned his daughter Alicent to marry Viserys, and spent decades maneuvering to place Alicent’s son Aegon on the throne. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Otto Hightower.

He served as Hand to both Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, and engineered the marriage between Alicent and the King. Corlys Velaryon sided with the Blacks, and Lyonel Strong served as Hand before Otto’s return. NEXT → QUESTION 3 / 8DRAGONS 03 Daemon Targaryen rides a fierce, battle-scarred dragon known for its Blood Wyrm nickname.

What is the name of his fearsome mount? ASyrax BVhagar CMeleys DCaraxes ✓ Correct! Caraxes, known as “the Blood Wyrm,” is Daemon’s dragon — a lean, red, battle-scarred beast.

While Vhagar is the largest and oldest dragon alive, Caraxes is the most experienced in combat and fiercely loyal to Daemon. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Caraxes.

Syrax is Rhaenyra’s dragon, Vhagar is the oldest dragon (ridden by Aemond), and Meleys “the Red Queen” is Rhaenys’s mount. Caraxes the Blood Wyrm is Daemon’s partner in the skies. NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8KEY CHARACTERS 04 P