The Most Positively Surprising House of the Dragon Season 2 Character So Far
He turned out to be a more endearing character than he initially seemed.
Summary
- Season 2 of HotD introduced many new characters.
- An almost unknown character from Season 1 became more prominent.
- Over the course of a few episodes, he grew on the audience.
The second season of House of the Dragon may not be as action-packed as the first, but you have to admit that it doesn't cover nearly two decades of Targaryen history. What Season 2 does have in spades, however, are the new characters that continue to be introduced to the hit HBO fantasy drama.
From Queen Rhaenyra's councilors to more exciting and prominent characters like Corlys Velaryon's bastards, Alyn and Addam, or Harrenhal's healer, Alys Rivers, there are many new faces on House of the Dragon. But as intriguing as their storylines are – there's no denying that viewers are dying to know if Alys is a witch, or how Addam claiming Seasmoke will play out – these characters haven't surprised viewers as much as the one who was briefly introduced in Season 1.
A Forgotten Hightower
In the first episode of the first season of House of Dragons, King Viserys held a tournament to celebrate the impending birth of his son Baelor. At the joust, Daemon Targaryen chose Gwayne Hightower as his first opponent, hoping to get back at his father by hurting and possibly killing the knight. Viserys' brother fought dirty, knocking Gwayne off his horse and apparently injuring him. We never saw the green knight's face or heard from him again for the rest of Season 1, so he was not properly introduced until Season 2, when he came to King's Landing to help his Dowager Queen sister Alicent.
Never Judge a Book by Its Cover
Though Ser Gwayne initially seemed to look down on Criston Cole (no HotD fan would ever blame him for that, frankly), the green knight quickly came to appreciate the new Hand's cunning and fighting skills. In addition, Alicent's brother proved to be a skilled warrior with a keen mind himself. It was Gwayne who pointed out that the smallfolk of King's Landing didn't see the victory at Rook's Rest and the killing of Meleys as a good omen.
More importantly, Gwayne proved to have a lot of humanity in him. After the dragon fight, he was not ashamed to show his fear. And the scene where he and Alicent talk about their pasts and families is the most heartwarming moment of Episode 6, showing that the green knight has depth and nuance.
Gwayne's dynamic with Critson Cole is also tantalizing, leading many fans to see some tension, if not chemistry, between the two characters. Hopefully, Season 2 of House of the Dragon will continue to flesh out the Hightower knight, as he doesn't have long to live…
Episode 7 will premiere on July 28.