There are several new faces in House of the Dragon Season 3, but few more important (and prominent) than Lord Ormund Hightower. The Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons, really heats up in the show’s third season, which also means expanding the scope of things even further. Battles are being fought across Westeros, and given that Rhaenyra Targaryen has a significant advantage in terms of the Blacks having so many more dragons, the Greens need all the help they can get, which is where Ormund comes in.
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The Hightowers, of course, have already been a major factor in this war. It might be being fought between two Targaryens, but it was the Hightowers as much as anyone who instigated it, thanks to the machinations of Otto, not to mention the misunderstanding of Alicent that led her to believe King Viserys wanted their son, Aegon, to replace him on the Iron Throne. The family’s influence on the Dance of the Dragons is very much continuing, then, in Season 3, as Ormund leaves Oldtown behind to truly join the fight.
Who Is Ormund Hightower & How Powerful Is He?
Ormund is the head of House Hightower and as such the lord of its seat, the Hightower, which is situated in Oldtown within the Reach. Although they aren’t the rulers of the region – that would be House Tyrell – the family is nonetheless one of the most powerful and wealthy in the Seven Kingdoms. As well as their allegiance to the Iron Throne (or at least, one claimant to it), they’re very closely allied to both the Faith of the Seven and the Citadel, plus there’s the fact that Oldtown is is the largest and richest city in Westeros, and has one of the realm’s busiest and most important trade ports.
House of the Dragon refers to Ormund having a host of 15,000 men, which certainly makes him a dangerous proposition. Speaking with SFX Magazine, showrunner Ryan Condal compared him to one of Game of Thrones‘ best characters, saying he is “basically the Tywin Lannister of this world.” He added: “He’s the richest guy who’s not sitting on a throne somewhere. Ormund has the largest standing army left in Westeros and a dragon, so he is going to introduce a big old wrinkle into this.”
That dragon, named Tessarion, technically doesn’t belong to Ormund: instead, it’s the dragon of Daeron Targaryen, youngest child of Viserys and Alicent. Nonetheless, with Daeron as Ormund’s ward, then he does have a level of control there in how it’s used, further adding to his power. In the book, we know that Ormund is a key player in several major battles in the Dance, but there’s very little known about him. In the show, that Tywin comparison is apt. He’s smart, strategic, cunning, cruel, and clearly someone who both knows how to wield power, and wants more of it.
How Ormund Is Related To Otto & Alicent Hightower
Ormund is the nephew of Otto, who was the second son and thus did not inherit Hightower when his father passed, with that instead going to Ormund’s own father, Otto’s elder brother (his name is not known). That also makes Ormund the cousin of both Alicent and Gwayne, which helps to contextualize why she sent Daeron to him as a ward.
Who Plays Ormund Hightower In House Of The Dragon
James Norton is the man who gets to bring Ormund Hightower to life in House of the Dragon, something he does an incredible job of. That won’t be a surprise if you’ve watched him elsewhere, with Norton’s most notable roles before this including Happy Valley, Grantchester, King & Conqueror, and House of Guinness. Find more details on some of his biggest roles in the table below.
| Year | Show | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-2019 | Grantchester | Sidney Chambers |
| 2014-2023 | Happy Valley | Tommy Lee Royce |
| 2016 | War & Peace | Prince Andrei Bolkonsky |
| 2018 | McMafia | Alex Godman |
| 2021-2023 | The Nevers | Hugo Swan |
| 2025 | House of Guinness | Sean Rafferty |
| 2025 | King & Conqueror | Harold Godwinson |
His performance as villain Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley is particularly incredible – a chilling psycopath who is still nuanced and very magnetic – and that’s a good sign for House of the Dragon.
Episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 release on Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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