Otto Hightower's House Of The Dragon Season 3 Return Is Far More Brutal After Huge Imprisonment Twist (2024)

WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon's season 2 finale & George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based!

Otto Hightower’s brief appearance in House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale opened up plenty of questions about where he is and why, with this twist also working to make his season 3 story more brutal. After Aegon removed Otto as Hand of the King and replaced him with Criston Cole, Alicent’s father revealed his intentions to go back to Oldtown and guide his grandson Daeron Targaryen or travel to Hightower to win the loyalty of the Tyrells. House of the Dragon season 2’s ending reveals neither happened – instead, Otto is being held in a cage in a mysterious location.

While Otto Hightower was missing from the latter half of season 2 until his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it return in the finale, rest assured that he’ll be back in House of the Dragon season 3. It’s unclear where he is, as Otto’s captivity wasn’t included in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, but the book confirms that he’ll be in King’s Landing when Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen finally claims the Iron Throne. However, Otto is met with a swift, brutal punishment when Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing, which is now made even worse by his seemingly lengthy entrapment in the dungeons.

Otto Will Likely Go Straight From The Dungeons To His Execution

Otto Hightower pays the ultimate price for his decades of scheming, betrayals, and political hunger when Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing. Upon taking her rightful seat on the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra orders the execution of Otto Hightower for his treachery and organization of the Greens usurping the crown. In fact, Fire & Blood reveals that Otto is the first traitor beheaded when Team Black exacts their revenge, with the execution of Alicent’s father being followed Jasper “Ironrod” Wylde, Lord Rosby, and Lord Stokeworth, the latter two of whom had defected from the Blacks to the Greens.

It seems likely that Rhaenyra will take King’s Landing at the very beginning of House of the Dragon season 3, more likely by the second or third episode. Consequently, considering Otto Hightower has presumably been held in the dungeons somewhere unknown since House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, it’s all the more harsh that he’ll be executed directly after seeing the light of day again. Alicent Hightower has been trying to get in touch with her father for some time now, so it’s devastating that the next time she sees him could very well be at his execution.

With Otto now being caged for a significant portion of House of the Dragon’s timeline, it’s curious as to why he’s been kept alive for so long. If he was taken by Team Black, then it would make sense for them to contact Rhaenyra and see what she wants to do with him as a traitor. If he’s being held by Team Green, then the questions remain about why his own side is keeping him captive and what they hope to get out of it. Regardless, after being absent for such a long time, Otto’s House of the Dragon season 3 return will be cut brutally short.

Where Is Otto Hightower Being Held In House Of The Dragon's Season 2 Finale & Why?

Otto Hightower's Location & Reason For Captivity Is A Mystery

There’s no clear indication as to where Otto Hightower is in House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale. Furthermore, since Otto’s captivity wasn’t included in Fire & Blood, the book doesn’t give any clues about his location or who is holding him either. While Otto is clearly being held in a cage with a mysterious figure’s torchlight coming up to him in the season 2 finale, his small appearance begs more questions about his fate than it answers.

However, given what happened just before he intended to leave King’s Landing, there are two likely options for where Otto is being held. One possibility is that Otto never left King’s Landing and is being held in the dungeons of the Red Keep. Of course, that would mean Otto is secretly being caged by Team Green without Alicent’s knowledge. The other most probable option is that Otto is being held at Honeyholt by House Beesbury, perhaps as retribution for permitting Lord Lyman’s murder in House of the Dragon season 1.

If he is being held in the dungeons at King’s Landing, then it’s possible that Larys Strong decided to keep Otto captive after revealing his doubts about Aegon being king. Larys is the Lord Confessor and essentially has the most control over the dungeons, so he could be manipulating Otto there for his own benefit as a power play. Alternatively, Larys could be keeping Otto in the dungeons in order to prevent Aegon’s grandfather from scheming against the Green Council.

Otto Hightower being held by Team Black also makes sense, as he previously told Alicent about his intentions to travel through the Reach to Highgarden. If he did end up leaving King’s Landing, then Otto may have been intercepted by House Beesbury at Honeyholt on his way to the Reach, as Maester Orwyle revealed to Alicent that House Beesbury rebelled against Oldtown after Criston Cole killed Lord Lyman. As such, House Beesbury could be holding Otto prisoner until Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing, at which point they may hand him over.

Otto Hightower's Death Begins A Devastating Streak For Alicent In House Of The Dragon

Alicent Loses Everyone She Loves In The Dance Of The Dragons

While Alicent is prepared to let Rhaenyra kill Aegon following their meeting in House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale, she isn’t prepared for the streak of devastation to come after Team Green loses the Iron Throne. Otto Hightower’s execution may be among the first heartbreaking blows she experiences as Team Black punishes Team Green’s treachery, but he’ll be far from the last.

In fact, Fire & Blood reveals that Alicent loses both her father, Otto, and her brother, Gwayne Hightower, during the upcoming Fall of King’s Landing. In the book, Gwayne is killed by Gold Cloaks who help to open the city gates for Team Black, with Otto subsequently being executed on Rhaenyra’s orders. After her father and brother die within mere hours of each other, Alicent goes on to lose everyone she loves in quick succession during the Dance of the Dragons:

• Alicent’s lover Criston Cole dies in the Butcher’s Ball battle
• Alicent's son Aemond Targaryen dies in the Battle Above the Gods Eye
• Alicent's daughter Helaena Targaryen dies by suicide
• Alicent's son Daeron Targaryen dies in the Second Battle of Tumbleton
• Alicent's friend Rhaenyra Targaryen dies at Aegon’s command
• Alicent's son Aegon Targaryen is fatally poisoned by his own men
• Alicent's granddaugher Jaehaera Targaryen dies by suicide shortly after the Dance

All the while, she lives for another two years after the Dance before dying alone of an illness, coming to loathe the color green. Alicent watches her entire world crumble; although she survives, she certainly doesn’t win. Both sides of House of the Dragon’s war experience tragedy after tragedy, leaving no true victors in the Dance.

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  Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alco*ck and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

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  Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.

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