Ormund Hightower

The Master Manipulator: He's not just fighting for Aegon II; he's orchestrating his own power play. He executes a bold plan to install his ward, Daeron Targaryen, on the Iron Throne, even tricking Rhaenyra with a decoy . · A "Theatrical" & "Camp" Demeanor: Ormund is introduced with a flair for the dramatic—carrying a pomander to ward off bad smells—and is described as "larger-than-life" and theatrical . · The Deeply Fanatical Believer: He views the Targaryens as having "tainted" blood, fervently believing in the moral and genetic superiority of House Hightower and the Faith of the Seven . · Abusive Surrogate Father: He acts as a father figure to Prince Daeron, but their relationship is "twisted" and emotionally abusive, built on manipulation, pressure, and a need for the young prince's acceptance .

This sinister combination makes him a formidable and unpredictable new player, escalating the war far beyond the Targaryen family feud .

Elitist Supremacist: Believes House Hightower and Andal lineage are inherently superior, viewing Targaryens as unstable and "tainted" by savage blood.Calm Exterior, Quick Temper: Projects a refined, posh, and mathematically precise demeanor, which easily fractures into explosive and cruel outbursts.Religious Fanatic: Driven by a staunch devotion to the Faith of the Seven, aiming to restore traditional propriety to the realm under a puppet ruler.Manipulative and Ruthless: Uses calculated hostages, psychological pressure, and extreme coercion—even shaping his young ward Daeron into an instrument of brutality

Background

Ormund is the son and successor of Lord Hobert Hightower.[3] After the death of his father he takes Hobert's ward, Alicent Hightower's youngest son Daeron Targaryen, as his own.[4]

House of the Dragon: Season 2

Otto mentions his nephew in a meeting of the Green Council, stating that Lord Ormund is mustering his forces to march out from Oldtown.[3]

At a meeting of the Green Council, Lord Jasper Wylde reveals that Lord Ormund has begun the march from Oldtown with his host. His cousin, Ser Gwayne Hightower, arrives in King's Landing ahead of the main army to reinforce Ser Criston Cole.[5]

House of the Dragon: Season 3

Ormund leads the Hightower army of 15,000 men through the Reach, aiming to reinforce the defence of King's Landing in conjunction with the arrival of the Triarchy fleet from Essos. The Hightower host makes camp at some point in their journey, where a rider from King's Landing arrives with an urgent message. Ormund reads the letter and learns from Queen Alicent that he is to remain in place with his forces until Prince Aemond Targaryen's arrival in three days time. Ormund obliges the order and sends the rider to be bathed and fed, perturbed by his rancid smell after riding non-stop from the capital.[1]

303 Ormund Still Ormund bends the knee, falsely pledging loyalty to Rhaenyra. A few days after Rhaenyra's forces take King's Landing, Ormund and his army are intercepted by Prince Daemon Targaryen, Hugh Hammer, Ulf White and their dragons Caraxes, Vermithor and Silverwing. Aware his army cannot outmatch three dragonriders, Ormund begrudingly bends the knee to Rhaenyra, surrenders his ward, Prince Daeron Targaryen, Daemon's nephew and Rhaenyra's half-brother, to Daemon's custody, and agrees to return to Oldtown. However, Ormund had no intention of honoring his pledge: the 'Daeron' he handed over to Daemon was an imposter, and Ormund and his army seize the Black stronghold of Tumbleton, hoping to bait Rhaenyra into using her dragons against his position and killing hundreds of her own subjects in the process to sour Westeros's perception of her.[6]

Ormund takes Tumbleton's castle as his headquarters over the protests of Lord Glendon and Lady Sharis Footly, mocking them for their allegiance to Rhaenyra, though he vows to keep his men under control while they occupy the town. When Ser Jon Roxton presents him with a raven from Storm's End conveying more excuses from Lord Borros Baratheon, Ormund sarcastically suggests their next message should use pictures instead of words for the illiterate Borros's benefit. Ormund also asks if there has been word from Harrenhal: when Jon responds negatively, and expresses concern their defenses won't hold without Vhagar, Ormund assures him and Daeron that Aemond will soon join them.[7]

304 Ormund Still (2) Ormund furious after being informed Aemond won't join them in battle. Ormund is later summoned to arbitrate when one of his soldiers is accused of trying to rape a common woman and breaking the arm of another who tried to intervene: when Lady Footly reminds him that he pledged to keep his men in line, Ormund agrees the the offending soldier violated guest right and orders he be gelded and have his own arm broken, adding in a threat to execute the soldier if he commits another crime, as well as sending his maester to examine the woman's broken arm. Later that day, Ormund receives a raven dispatched from Harrenhal by his cousin, Gwayne Hightower, informing him of Aemond and Vhagar's disappearance following the retaking of Harrenhal. Seeing Ormund's building anger at the news, Daeron ushers the servants out of the room for their safety before Ormund explodes with rage, smashing the table with his sword and denouncing Aemond as a coward. After a moment, Ormund recomposes himself, informs Daeron Aemond will not be joining them, and thus their plans must change.[7]

304 Ormund & Daeron Still (3) Ormund forces Daeron in executing an innocent man. That evening, Ormund finds Daeron spending time with his dragon Tessarion, who is confined in Tumbleton's sept: he chastises Daeron for showing Tessarion too much affection, dismissively calling her a beast, though he hastily backs away when the dragon, who clearly hates Ormund, tries to lunge at him before Daeron calms her down. Ormund declares his intention to seat Daeron as king on the Iron Throne to restore Andal rule to Westeros, deposing both Rhaenyra (who as a woman Ormund considers unfit to rule) and his older brothers, who Ormund considers tainted from their Targaryen blood, in contrast to Daeron, who has been 'raised in the light of the Seven'. Ormund then emotionally blackmails Daeron into killing a a man of Tumbleton who struck a Hightower soldier, ignoring Daeron's protests that the man only did so to defend his wife and sister on the grounds that as King, an attack on a Hightower soldier is an attack on Daeron.[7]

305 Ormund & Daeron Still Ormund teaching Daeron about strategy. Ormund secretly finances a resistance movement in King's Landing, commanding Hightower loyalists within the city to murder members of the gold cloaks loyal to Daemon, hoping to portray Rhaenyra as too weak to keep law and order in her own city. Taking a break from his schemes to play a game of cyvasse with Daeron, he compares his strategy to that of Princess Meria Martell, one of the few women he respects, for having successfully resisted Aegon the Conqueror's efforts to subjugate Dorne through guerilla warfare. Although Ormund is briefly angered when Daeron wins the game, he insists his ward should not apologise for achieving victory, and shows Daeron newly minted coins with his image upon them, as part of his campaign to legitimize Daeron's ascent to the throne. Ormund's cousin, Gwayne arrives at Tumbleton a few days later with a handful of Hightower soldiers, having abandoned Criston Cole's doomed guerilla campaign in the Riverlands: Ormund is disgusted by his dirty appearance. Gwayne is shocked by Ormund's insistence to continue fighting and holding Tumbleton hostage whilst Rhaenyra has Ulf the White and Hugh Hammer keep watch with their dragons, and the army of Lords Oscar Tully and Roderick Dustin (ordered by Rhaenyra to retake Tumbleton in lieu of dragon riders, and having since crushed Criston's remaining forces) is days away, while mocking Ormund's plan to make Daeron King when none of the Great Houses have offered their support for such a scheme. Ormund argues that Rhaenyra, as a woman, is too weak to consider burning civilians and the Riverlanders are not a threat, deeming Gwayne an unimaginative coward. He also mocks Gwayne's statements of the hardship he has endured through homophobic insults about Gwayne's sexuality. Ormund then orders Daeron take Gwayne to his quarters, adding another homophobic jibe at Gwayne for good measure as he leaves.[2]