House of the Dragon Star Says His Character Wants to “Leave a Scar on the World”

House of the Dragon Season 2 star Matthew Needham says that his character, Lord Larys Strong, wants nothing less than to “Leave a scar on the world.” ComicBook got to speak with Needham during the press junket for House of the Dragon Season 2, where he explained where Lord Larys’ head is at, as the second season begins. 

“I think he grew up so underestimated; I think nobody expected anything from him. I think he wants to make an impact on the world: I think he wants to leave a mark. I think he wants to leave a scar on the world. I don’t think he cares about like his legacy or name; I don’t think he needs anybody to know. I think for himself he just wants to have made an impact.” 

House of the Dragon: Who Is Lord Larys Strong? 

House of the Dragon Season 1 introduced us to Lord Larys Strong, the second son of Lord Lyonel Strong, the man who served as Hand of the King to King Viserys I Targaryen. Larys was born with Clubfoot, a physical birth defect that left him debilitated in one leg. Unable to pursue honor and titles like knighthood, Larys instead studied both books and the behaviors of people. Seemingly meek and weak, no one tends to give Larys a second glance – constant underestimation that he harnesses to carry out unthinkable schemes. As a “Confessor” of King’s Landing, Larys is a brutal pursuer of information, extracting it from prisoners and chambermaids, anyone he suspects may know a secret. 

In Season 1, Larys made major power moves: he used his humiliating time being left with the women of the court to form a tight alliance with Lady Alicent (Olivia Cooke), helping her win the throne over her former best friend Rhaenyra. When Alicent became queen, Larys was also advanced to the position of “Lord Confessor,” helping Queen Alicent keep the throne and wage war against Rhaenyra and her faction, the Blacks. 

However, the most chilling reveal of Larys’ true nature came with the reveal of the truth behind one of Game of Thrones‘ biggest mysteries. We learned that it was Larys who lured his father and noble brother, the knight known as Ser Harwin “Breakbones” Strong, to their home of Harrenhal, where he paid some rogues to set a fire, killing his family. Larys did the deed in such a dirty way that history remembers the Fire of Harrenhal as a supernatural event, never implicating the true perpetrator. That raises serious questions about other ways that Larys affect the Targaryen civil war known as the “Dance of Dragons” – and Matthew Needham’s answer hints that Larys may not even have a true side in this war: he just wants everyone to burn. 

House of the Dragon Season 2 will premiere on June 16th.