Greater than 112 years after the dying of Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), a baby was born to Lord Tytos Lannister and Woman Jeyne Marbrand at Casterly Rock. His identify was Tywin (Charles Dance), and he noticed Home Lannister return to prominence after the perceivably weak rule of his father. Sport of Thrones followers know Tywin’s exploits nicely, and it does not take too shut of an eye fixed take a look at to see his actions mirrored in these of Otto Hightower within the first season of Home of the Dragon. Each males are significantly chilly, calculating, and can go to almost any size to make sure the prosperity of their dynasty and the furthering of their station.
Although they had been separated by over a century of historical past, the 2 lords are eerily related, each in George R.R. Martin‘s supply materials and their on-screen portrayals courtesy of HBO. Each served as Palms of the King throughout the peak of their energy, and each had a style for ruthlessness to safe their standing. Each participated in wars that threatened to tear Westeros aside, and each ultimately discovered the value of ambition of their deaths. Contemplating the numerous chasm of time between the 2 males, it might not be inconceivable to suppose that Lord Tywin took quite a lot of pages from Ser Otto, although he doubtless aimed to do a couple of issues fairly in another way.
Tywin and Otto’s Ardour For Their Households’ Status
There is no denying that each lords have a fervent love for his or her households, so long as they proceed to enhance their respective homes’ place. Otto Hightower’s home is among the oldest and proudest of the Nice Homes in all of the Seven Kingdoms. The Citadel is housed in Oldtown, as is the Starry Sept of the Religion of the Seven. The standing of the town as a hub of commerce made the Hightowers extremely rich, not in contrast to the large mines of Casterly Rock and the buying and selling port of Lannisport. With wealth, energy follows, and Homes Lannister and Hightower are each stridently protected by their patriarchs. Otto pairs his daughter Alicent (Olivia Cooke/Emily Carey) with King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), and sees his grandson Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney/Ty Tennant) seated on the Iron Throne regardless of the desires of Viserys to see his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy/Milly Alcock) ascend as queen.
Over a century later, Lord Tywin follows alongside fairly intently. He marries his daughter Cersei (Lena Heady) to King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy), and is infuriated when his son Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) forgoes his inheritance of Casterly Rock to change into a knight of the Kingsguard. When his grandson Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) turns into king after Robert’s dying, Tywin is prepared to battle the Conflict of 5 Kings to guard his kin’s standing because the crown monarch of Westeros. The primary season of Home of the Dragon might not have confirmed us the breadth of the conflict often known as the Dance of the Dragons fairly but, however Otto Hightower actually has set the stage within the curiosity of defending his personal grandson’s declare.
It is fairly attention-grabbing to see the parallels of Kings Aegon II and Joffrey via the eyes of their grandfathers, and the way intently the conditions mirror themselves. In Home of the Dragon, Aegon is a drunk and a sexual deviant, and has no want to change into king as it could draw him away from pursuing his extra carnal wishes. Regardless of Aegon not being something near kingly materials, Otto ensures his ascension and defends his declare in opposition to all challengers. King Joffrey was no higher, recognized all through King’s Touchdown and the realm at giant for his unspeakable cruelty and his personal sick fascination with the prospect of homicide, conflict, torture, and dying. Be that as it could, Tywin did all he might to remain his grandson’s worst impulses, however Westeros’ personal little Caligula continued to abuse and torture his topics for enjoyable. So long as a progeny of Home Lannister (even one born of incest) sat the Iron Throne, Lord Tywin could be there to maintain him seated and cease anyone who interfered. Otto and Tywin might have critical points with their respective grandsons as rulers, however of their eyes it is higher than having another person sit the throne and resist their affect.
The principle level of distinction between them relating to household is that Otto Hightower seems to have love for many, if not all of his household (although some kids akin to Aegon certainly take a look at his persistence). Conversely, Tywin has a bitter revulsion of his son Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), who he blames for killing his spouse Joanna throughout his beginning and who he considers a blight on the status of his home. Nonetheless, as a prideful and impressive man, there is not any indication that Ser Otto would not act the very same approach in the direction of a member of the family in the identical circumstance. Moreover, Tywin begins to lash out at his kids as they additional go in opposition to his needs for Home Lannister, disinheriting Jaime at one level and actively undermining each Cersei and Tyrion on a number of events for trying to cross him. Tywin even presides over the trial for the dying of King Joffrey, forcing Tyrion to defend himself in a kangaroo court docket earlier than the lords of the realm. Little question in Tywin’s view, if Tyrion is executed or despatched to the wall, he is one much less downside for Home Lannister. Each Otto and Tywin play the sport to additional their homes’ identify and repute, and even their kin aren’t spared their wrath if they’re defiant.
Each Lords Have a Penchant for Callousness and Violence
Certain, Tywin and Otto contemplate themselves shining paragons of status, however they’re completely not afraid to get their arms soiled. Effectively earlier than the dying of King Viserys, Otto begins scheming and manipulating his daughter to seat Prince Aegon on the throne over Princess Rhaenyra. Effectively earlier than Viserys’ dying, he displays Rhaenyra’s actions, together with an evening of debauchery the place she and Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) sneak right into a flea backside whorehouse get fairly intimate. Ser Otto pounces on the second and instantly brings information to King Viserys, stating that Daemon deflowered his daughter, doubtless in hope that this scandal would trigger Viserys to call Aegon his inheritor as an alternative. Even after being dismissed as Hand of the King, it is clear upon Otto’s return to the place that the road of succession is the largest factor on his thoughts. He might say seating Aegon is nice for the realm, however he is aware of who his grandson is. Regardless of this, Aegon can nonetheless function a malleable ruler on account of his lack of need to be king, making Otto probably the most highly effective man in Westeros in deed if not in identify. When Prince Aegon goes lacking earlier than his personal coronation ceremony, a rift is opened between Otto and Alicent. They each dispatch their respective brokers into King’s Touchdown to search out the lecherous prince, however they’ve very totally different plans on what to do as soon as he is retrieved. Alicent, hoping to by some means strike an amicable accord with Princess Rhaenyra and keep away from bloodshed, hopes to ship a message pleading for peace earlier than conflict is joined over the road of succession. Otto has no such wishes, and as an alternative goals to get well Aegon after which have Rhaenyra, her husband Daemon and their kids killed to safe his grandson’s declare. He might not have in the end been profitable, and conflict broke out regardless, however moments akin to these present Otto’s willingness to shed blood in an underhand method to maintain his household protected.
With Tywin, do you actually have to consider it? If there was an unspeakable or ignoble act in the direction of people who opposed him, Tywin doubtless had a hand in it. No Sport of Thrones fan has forgotten the Pink Marriage ceremony or the harrowing quote “the Lannisters ship their regards.” The dying of King Robb Stark (Richard Madden), his pregnant spouse Talisa (Oona Chaplin) and his mom Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) was solely one of the crucial depraved acts in TV historical past. Let’s not overlook that nicely earlier than the Conflict of 5 Kings, throughout Robert Baratheon’s rise up in opposition to Home Targaryen, Tywin Lannister additionally set free the bloodthirsty Ser Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Björnsson/Conan Stevens) into the Pink Preserve. This in the end led to the brutal homicide of Elia Martell and her kids by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding). He makes use of blackmail to separate Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) from Queen Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), and loads of smaller machinations all within the final curiosity of furthering him and his home’s ambitions. Sadly for Tywin, so many depraved deeds ultimately caught as much as him, and in an act of poetic justice, Tyrion kills him with a crossbow, reminding him one ultimate time that he’s Tywin’s son, it doesn’t matter what his cold-hearted father would possibly suppose.
Home of the Dragon remains to be in its infancy, and Otto Hightower’s schemes have solely simply begun. He might not fairly have the murderous guile of Tywin Lannister, however he’ll nonetheless use all of the methods within the e-book to carry victory for King Aegon’s faction. For watchers of HBO’s prequel adaptation, Otto’s story is way from completed, and we would but see many extra depraved deeds on his half. Each Otto Hightower and Tywin Lannister left lasting legacies within the annals of the historical past of the Seven Kingdoms, and there is little doubt that these two lords are certainly birds of a feather, for higher or worse.
