15 Most Underrated ‘House of the Dragon’ Characters

Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1.

House of the Dragon returns fans of Game of Thrones to the complex world of political intrigue and fire-breathing dragons crafted by American author George R. R. Martin. Set over a hundred years before Game of Thrones, it follows the events of The Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between two factions of House Targaryen over who will sit on the Iron Throne. On one side are the Blacks, loyal to the elder child, Queen Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy), and on the other, the Greens, faithful to the eldest son, King Aegon II (Ty Tennant and Tom Glynn-Carney).

The show is full of many multifaceted characters brought to life by talented actors, many of whom match some of the best characters from Game of Thrones. Of course, several characters often get overlooked by a cast as large as this show, but these under-appreciated characters have plenty of good qualities about them.

15

Ser Harrold Westerling

Played by Graham McTavish

Image via HBO

One of the seven Knights of the Kingsguard under Jaehaerys, Ser Harrold Westerling (Graham McTavish) becomes Lord Commander under Viserys I (Paddy Considine) when the previous one dies. He performs his duty with the utmost care, guarding the royal family and offering advice when applicable. When the Greens make their move following Viserys’ death, Harrold resigns as Lord Commander and walks away, opening the door for Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) to take the position.

Harrold Westerling serves as the ideal white knight to compare Criston to, and he fills that role perfectly. Compared to Criston’s fall from grace, or the various Kingsguard from Game of Thrones who felt more like upjumped thugs, Harrold always does his duty, and would rather resign his position than sully his cloak with plots and backstabbing. He might not have a lot to do, but his presence in the Red Keep ensured that there was a little bit of chivalry, and McTavish’s performance gives him wisdom and power.

14

Lord Oscar Tully

Played by Archie Barne

Image via HBO

When King Consort Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) travels to the Riverlands, he finds the various houses divided in their loyalties, and lord Grover Tully on his deathbed. His grandson, Oscar Tully (Archie Barne), attempts to treat with Daemon, but the rogue prince writes him off and tries to raise an army on his own. However, when Grover finally dies, Oscar takes his position as Lord of Riverrun and the Riverlands, and proves to be far more politically savvy than Daemon gave him credit for.

Oscar Tully is yet another example of the franchise introducing a child character who is wise and capable despite their years and able to inspire loyalty in those around them. In one of Season 2’s best scenes, he manages to humble Daemon and unite his vassals with nothing but confidence and clever wordplay, showing his skills as a statesman and driving home to Daemon that his policy of ruling through fear will not work here. Barne’s performance really elevates the character, and you truly feel like this is a kid who was groomed for command finally coming into his own.

13

Ser Gwayne Hightower

Played by Freddie Fox

Image via HBO

The eldest son of Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Ser Gwayne (Freddie Fox) spent most of his time in Oldtown, occasionally making trips to the capital city to see his family or partake in tournaments. During the Dance of the Dragons, he joined the host of Ser Criston Cole as he led one of the Green’s armies in claiming Black castles in the Crownlands. While initially shown to be an arrogant knight, he changes his tune when Criston saves him from Baela Targaryen (Shani Smethurst and Bethany Antonia).

Once Gwayne is humbled, he settles into a foil for Criston, taking the stance of the traditional knight. He tries to keep more to the values of chivalry compared to Criston’s growing nihilism, and is more than willing to call him out when the new Hand of the King makes a foolish decision that reduces the lives of men to mere statistics. Gwayne’s interactions with Alicent (Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke) are also pretty cool, as he treats her like her own person rather than a chesspiece like Otto.

12

Lord Tyland Lannister

Played by Jefferson Hall

Image via HBO

The younger twin to the lord of Casterly Rock, Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall), Tyland (Jefferson Hall) took over as Master of Ships when Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) went to wage war in the Stepstones. Though not as proud as his brother, Tyland proved to be a diligent servant and often drives the council meetings by bringing up important issues. Following Viserys’ death, Tyland became Master of Coin for Aegon II.

Tyland was an interesting addition to the powerful and proud House Lannister. Unlike his brother, Tyland had a shrewd mind, which made him well-suited for politics because he could visualize the bigger picture. Sometimes he was looked down upon due to his more meek personality, but all in all, he just wanted to do what he could to ensure stability and peace. Too bad he was thrown overboard by Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) in the Battle of the Gullet.

11

Lord Lyman Beesbury

Played by Bill Paterson

Image via HBO

The lord of Honeyholt and Master of Coin, Lyman Beesbury (Bill Paterson), held his position since the days of King Jaehaerys I (Michael Carter). Though his mind was beginning to fail him in his older years, he remained a dutiful member of the Small Council of Viserys I. Sadly, this loyalty led to his death at the hands of Ser Criston, when he refused to allow the Greens to usurp Rhaenyra’s birthright.

Beesbury was, for the most part, treated as the geriatric member of the Small Council, but he proved to be one of the show’s most honorable characters. Most people looked down on him for how his mind wanders, but when the Greens began to scheme, he didn’t hesitate to call them out for their treason. He served as a reminder that courage can come to people regardless of age, and sometimes, you need to stand up for what is right, regardless of the risks.

10

Addam of Hull

Played by Clinton Liberty

Image via HBO

One of the two bastard sons of the Sea Snake, Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) grew up as a lowborn with no help from his father. He eventually became a shipwright who worked on building ships for the Velaryon navy, but always believed he was destined for something greater. This turns out to be true, as he is eventually chosen by the dragon Seasmoke, previously ridden by his half-brother Ser Laenor Velaryion (Theo Nate and John Macmillan​​​​​​), as his new rider.

Addam of Hull is yet another example of a George R. R. Martin character who demonstrates more worthiness for greatness than many of the characters born into positions of privilege. Having a dragon opened the door for so many possibilities for him to seize power, but he chose instead to pledge his service to Rhaenyra. This demonstrates an astounding level of humility and integrity, and makes him stand out compared to all the other dragon riders willing to burn the kingdom over a throne made of swords.

9

Alyn of Hull

Played by Abubakar Salim

Image via HBO

While Addam reaches for the sky, his elder brother, Alyn (Abubakar Salim), looks instead to the sea. Growing up, he came to loath Corlys because of his absence, and shaved his silver hair to hide his Velaryon heritage. As he aged, Alyn joined Corlys’ navy, and eventually gained his father’s eye when he saved him from drowning.

Muck like how his brother represents integrity, Alyn is a beacon of loyalty in a show full of backstabbers and traitors. Despite his reservations towards his father, Alyn remains loyal to him as his lord, but will not hesitate to call Corlys out for leaving him and Addam to scrounge for survival. That said, their time together shows that, beneath Alyn’s justified anger, he is willing to hear his father out when he makes an effort to mend their rift, and is quickly proving himself to be a capable commander.

8

Lady Baela Targaryen

Played by Shani Smethurst and Bethany Antonia

Image via HBO

The eldest of Daemon’s twin daughters with Laena Velaryon (Nova Foueillis-Mosé, Savannah Steyn, and Nanna Blondell), Baela earned her father’s favor through bonding with her young dragon, Moondancer. When Laena died in childbirth, she came to live with her family at Driftmark, and was eventually betrothed to Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jacaerys Velaryon (Leo Hart and Harry Collett). She became a loyal Rhaenyra supporter when the Dance of the Dragon broke out, but since Moondancer is far from full-grown, she serves primarily as a scout.

Baela is by far the most interesting of the twins, thanks to combining the best traits of House Targaryen and Velaryon. She is a fiery, passionate person who is loyal to her family, but is also independent enough to carve her own path in the world. This is solidified when she rejects the offer of her grandfather, Corlys, to become heir to Driftmark, because she is a Targaryen through and through.

7

King Aeogn Targaryen II

Played by Ty Tennant and Tom Glynn-Carney

Since Viserys wanted Rhaenyra to be his heir, Aegon grew up believing that he was free to do whatever he wanted. Unfortunately, his grandfather, Otto, and mother, Alicent, believed that he must take the throne to ensure their family’s security. The one problem is that Aegon is highly unfit to rule, caring more about indulging in his own pleasures and making decisions based on emotion rather than logic.

Aegon is one of those characters who is despicable as a person, but Glynn-Carney’s performance does a phenomenal job of helping you empathize with him all the same. The show emphasizes how Aegon’s behavior comes from his terrible upbringing, being ignored by his father and seen as a pawn by his mother. While this doesn’t excuse his more deplorable actions, it reminds audiences that nobody is truly born evil.

6

Queen Helaena Targaryen

Played by Evie Allen and Phia Saban

Image via HBO

The only daughter of Viserys and Queen Alicent Hightower, Helaena Targaryen (Evie Allen and Phia Saban) is perhaps the sweetest member of her family. Rather than plot and scheme, she would rather spend time with her young children or look at insects. She also has a habit of saying cryptic things that her family dismisses as nonsense, but often match up to tragedies in their lives.

Helaena is one of the most likable members of the Green faction because she bears no ill will toward anyone. This makes it all the more unfortunate that bad things keep happening to her outside of her control, and she receives no support from her family, who look down on her. Her prophetic statements give her a Cassandra-like role in the show, where she is constantly warning others of tragedy, only to be ignored because nobody understands her.