Warning! This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2.
Summary
Otto Hightower fromHouse of the Dragonis regularly compared toGame of Thrones’Tywin Lannister, but the former show confirms a harsh reality regarding their similarities and differences.House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2’s endingmarked a notable change for Otto. After spending so long beside generations of Targaryen as the Hand of the King, Otto was stripped of his title.Otto being replaced as Aegon’s Handwill have major ramifications going forward inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, especially with war brewing on the horizon.
However, amid the manydeaths ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2thus far, Otto can count himself lucky as someone who simply gets to retire - at least for a time - until the Dance of Dragons truly begins. Despite Otto losing his position, he has often been compared favorably to Charles Dance’s Tywin Lannister fromGame of Thrones. While someHouse of the Dragonbook changeshave resulted in alterations to Otto’s timeline, the show’s depiction of his politicking, diplomacy, and outright manipulative tendencies match those of Tywin’s, though a harsh reality faces the former.
Otto Hightower Has Long Been Compared To Tywin Lannister
Tywin & Otto’s Similarities Are Somewhat Evident
Firstly, it is worth exploring the reasons why Otto Hightower is regularly compared to Tywin Lannister. In both shows, the two men serve as elderly statesmen. Whether it be surrounded by young, spoiled kings, daughters who just so happen to be queens, or conniving, scheming Lord Commanders of the King’s Guard,Tywin and Otto serve as level-headed voices of political reason. These similarities are prevalent, withHouse of the Dragon’s Aegon, Alicent, and Criston Cole being to Otto whatGame of Thrones' Joffrey, Cersei, and Jaime were to Tywin.
Both Otto and Tywin remain endlessly measured amid their respective chaotic surroundings, pulling the strings using their powerful positions as Hand of the King…
In both shows, these similar characters cause chaos and political problems for Tywin and Otto. The latter is shown to be dealing with Aegon’s somewhat bloodthirsty, vengeful tendencies inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, just as Tywin was shown to deal with those of Joffrey inGame of Thrones. Regardless, both Otto and Tywin remain endlessly measured amid their respective chaotic surroundings, pulling the strings using their powerful positions as Hand of the King. As evident, Otto and Tywin’s similarities are plentiful.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Proves Otto Is Not On Tywin Lannister’s Level
Otto’s House Of The Dragon Story Proves He Cannot Match Tywin
Unfortunately for Otto,House of the Dragonseason 2 is proving that he was never much of a match when compared to Tywin’s intelligence. Although the two share a lot of traits betweenHouse of the DragonandGame of Thrones, Otto being stripped as Hand of the King is symbolic of this, showing that he has not been able to play the Game of Thrones as well as Tywin did. In reality, Otto is more comparable to a character like Littlefinger, pulling the strings with an illusion of superiority rather than outright power.
ThroughoutHouse of the Dragonseason 2, and even other times during season 1, Otto has been regularly undermined. InGame of Thrones, Tywin was rarely, if ever, overruled by Joffrey, Tommen, or any of the kings he served. Tywin held an iron grip over the Seven Kingdoms with relative ease, essentially acting as the king himself up until he was killed by Tyrion. If the latter event had not happened, Tywin Lannister likely would have remained in concealed power until Daenerys invaded Westeros, something that cannot be said forHouse of the Dragon’s Otto Hightower.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
