One House of the Dragon Theory Proves Otto Hightower Was Right

Most House of the Dragon fans would consider him a villain, but Otto Hightower always looks into the betterment of the realm.

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Since the beginning of House of the Dragon, Otto Hightower has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with. As Hand of the King to Viserys I and Aegon II, he was an important figure in Westeros and a capable political strategist.

Some of his actions are controversial, but he never makes those decisions on a whim. He makes calculated moves, and he’s always two steps ahead. In fact, many instances in the prequel show demonstrated how effective and efficient he is as a tactician.

He might be labelled a villain, but more often than not, he’s always making the best choices for the realm, even though he comes off as self-serving.

Otto Hightower’s Actions Were For the Greater Good of The Realm

In Season 1, Otto has already shown us how skilled he is as Hand of the King. After the death of King Viserys’ wife, he devised a plan to make his daughter, Alicent, become the next queen. It truly did look as we all thought, but looking at the bigger picture, it helped maintain the realm’s stability.

He knew from the start that not everyone was on board with Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne, and this problem was solved after the birth of Aegon II. There was no longer any question about his claim because, by tradition, he is the official heir. We can say that Otto carefully moved the pieces around here.

In Season 2, Otto debunked theories that he’s an emotionless character. After Aegon ordered to kill the city rat catchers, his grandfather stormed into his room to give him a lecture. He pointed out how Aegon’s rash decision would backfire on the realm. But here’s the interesting part—despite showing his grief, Otto remained level-headed.

He told Aegon that the death of his child had already bought them the people’s sympathy, and yet he wasted it. Otto saw that they could use the grave situation to their advantage.

In the second episode of Season 2, he spoke to Alicent about Aegon’s vanity and Criston Cole’s naivety.

They wish now not for the good of the realm, but for the petty satisfaction of vengeance.

Throughout the show, Otto proved he makes sensible decisions even under pressure or extreme emotions.

What’s In Store For Otto Hightower In House of the Dragon S3?

Otto only appeared in the early part of Season 2 before he was dismissed from his job by Aegon, later telling Alicent that he would return to Oldtown. In a brief scene in the final episode, he was seen locked up in prison.

This mystery will certainly be cleared up in the upcoming instalment. Readers of Fire & Blood may be confused right now, as the book didn’t mention anything about Otto’s imprisonment. This can be another deviation from the source designed for the adaptation.

It’s highly possible that Otto will face the same fate in the show as he did in the book. After Rhaenyra captured King’s Landing, the former Hand of the King was the first to be beheaded for treason.

Do you think Otto is a good strategist? Let us know in the comments!

House of the Dragon is currently available to watch on HBO Max.

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