Was Otto Hightower Really Behind The Dance Of The Dragons? House Of The Dragon Analysis & Breakdown

[@WorldOfWesteros]

I'm not a huge fan of using show screenshots and show based art when talking about mostly info from the books, but in some cases there is still a surprising lack of fire and blood based art for some characters and some scenes that are important like Aemma's death. I have a big video coming up where i've commissioned some art for this exact reason.

[@JoseGonzalez-pn5zl]

I love both.

[@SerObeseHightower]

He did it to establish an Ottocracy

[@jeffcordova9633]

For the watch!!! For the lord commander !! 🖤🖤🖤 For brother Bittersteel !!! He was a KEY factor, he wasn’t the sole person to hold accountable but if he had survived to meet Cragen Stark I think he would have lost his head curtesy of Ice ..

[@aegorbittersteel2154]

Good to see you as always hope you are well

[@carastone3473]

@@aegorbittersteel2154get a room 😂

[@aegorbittersteel2154]

@carastone3473 😄😄😄 Good to see you again as well hope are doing great

[@9Mars3]

The dance was going to occur with or without Otto due to the Velaryons growing in dragon power of their own. Jahaerys did a great job at keeping their strongest symbol and nukes in limited control while during Viserys reign; dragons became all for grab dragon bargain. The hidden rule of might is right was always going to be around even within the Targaryen family when the Iron throne was created compared how dragonlords in valyria where ruling.

[@JoseGonzalez-pn5zl]

He play a part in it wasn’t just one single player. It was he who instigating for the realm delight better her than lord flea bottom. Even when Visereys died he chimed in that Daemon would rule them all even with Rhaenyra taking the throne and put him to the sword along with Alicent children.

[@WorldOfWesteros]

I think for me that is what is so compelling about the dance, it's the actions of several different people with opposing goals that all added up to a war everyone (except maybe the maesters) lost

[@JoseGonzalez-pn5zl]

​@@WorldOfWesteros Exactly you know they say it take two, but in George's world it could be random or a whole lot thing that lead up to it.

[@thalmoragent9344]

Nah, I doubt it. If Viserys had listened to Otto, Otto's plans for the Throne and Westeros would've gone very smoothly. He was the Hand of 3 Kings, 2 of them for many years and he was very competent. Sure, he wanted his blood on the throne, many high lords would, and given all he's done for the Targaryen Kings and the stewardship of the Realm... why shouldn't he feel entitled to some reward? Fruits for his labor? The Dance harmed his blood and family as much as many other Noble Houses, and the Targaryens themselves. He had no reason to defame their dynasty, nor a reason to slay off the Dragons either. Just saying, the Dance occured not because he wanted it too, but because he was often overlooked/misjudged by the likes of a weak Viserys, a rash Daemon, and stupid Rhaenyra. _"You were a faithful servant Otto. The Crown and the Realm both owe you a debt, that can never be repaid"_ - King Viserys *"All hail Aegon Targaryen, Second of his name, King of the Andals, and the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm!"* *"May the Seven bare witness: Aegon Targaryen is the true heir to the Iron Throne. Aegon the King!"*

[@redwarrior9100]

Some compare him to Tywin or even Baelish, but this is completely wrong. He was neither as cruel, evil or even as smart as Baelish. He preferred order over chaos unlike Baelish but at the same time he did not had as much power as Tywin because of his status. Tywin was the highlord of the Westerlands and had armies on his own and the loyalty of the other lords. Otto on other hand was a second son, he had no armies, no lords sworn to him and all power he had he had because of others and this power could be taken away from him in just mere seconds like Viserys and Aegon II have shown. Basically, everything he earned and accomplished he managed because of his own, through his own intelligence and skills. Definitely a smart man and through and through a politician and diplomat who could have served the realm good under Aegon or even Rhaenyra if the civil war had not accured. But was he power hungry and aimed for more? Definitely, just like every other lord in westeros and even in our medieval histories. He did what every other person would have done. Create marriage pacts with stronger houses, aim for more power and influence for his own people. The entire conspiracies about maesters on other hand seems just not realistic and resembles our real life conspiracies about shadow organisations running everything in the background like freemasons, illuminati, etc. To pull off such a conspiracy with not one single member of this organization somehow fuckin up, changing sides or literally getting a loose tongue is simply not possible. For example the conspiracy to kill dragons. Lets say the maesters work for the Hightowers and they want to kill dragons...but WHY? Dragons are a source of unlimited power and dominance. To kill the dragons would be waste while they have the power to rule over them with Targaryen blood, securing their rule and dominance over all others who can't. Also the theory that the Otto wanted to replace the Targaryens by Hightowers would also make no sense because Alicents children ARE TARGARYENS. Westerosi lords are sworn to House Targaryen, not Hightower. Every house supporting the Greens swore loyalty to AEGON TARGARYEN, the first son of King Viserys Targaryen, believing in his right as the first son of HOUSE TARGARYEN. They have not sworn loyalty to Aegon, the son of Alicent Hightower, they have not sworn loyalty to House Hightower who were themselves were sworn to House Tyrell. Had the Greens won, the descendants would have simply married in to other houses and the Hightowers would have lost any influence just like other houses whos members married in to the royal house. The only thing Otto could have archived by a civil war was to make sure that the he would have been remembered in the histories as one of the ancestors of future Targaryen kings and you could be sure that neither the people, nor the Targaryen kings descanding from the Green line would have cared about this ancestry.

[@thalmoragent9344]

Precisely. Otto was a competent man in most all matters, and aimed to further improve his Station, like any other High Lord or noble in Westeros. The (mostly) Green Council he ran while Viserys was bedridden for many years did well in ruling the Realm. Doubt the Blacks would've faired as well

[@Rengokuo4o6]

​@thalmoragent9344 Remember when Otto told Viserys that his daughter is sleeping around and Viserys whole retort is, "Why did you tell me this when you're evil?" Yeah, Viserys was an awful king.

[@thalmoragent9344]

@Rengokuo4o6 True. Viserys was a very laid back and was often clouded by the scenarios taking place around him But when it came to others questioning Rhaenyra? Suddenly he's as sharp as a tack with actual conviction. He was worried/angry at the wrong thing, over and over. 😮‍💨

[@bbtfan7957]

In many ways, Otto Hightower and Corlys Valerien were peas in a pod.

[@Iruma366]

You are mostly right but, some of your accretions are overly simplistic and have failed to factor in multiple other considerations. There’s levels to this. The hold House Targaryen has on the loyalty of the people & nobility of Westeros is feeble at best. It is always the smart thing to limit and diminish the power of foreign invaders an their descendants. Just like Jon the Green children simply identify more with their mothers lineage even with the dragons they were more Westerosi than any of the members of house Targaryen would be either before and after them. The Targaryens are far from being loved or all powerful. Their are many other houses that engender far greater loyalty and have more resources and House Hightower is one of them if you think that the loyalty the greens received was not greatly influenced by the Hightowers you are mistaken.

[@lawrencereid2767]

First to take the Black 🖤

[@jeffcordova9633]

Lord commander !! I have Wine from The Arbor & Dorne... Also some brew from the Riverlands.. first round is on me mate !!

[@lawrencereid2767]

​@@jeffcordova9633my birthday is tomorrow Let's get it ❤😂

[@MonteCristoAUS]

I wonder how much families like the Hightowers, the Lannisters, and the Arryns see themselves as equals to the Targaryeons? They were all royal houses, descended from kings, higher than other lords and it was their duty to rule with the Kings of Kings Landing rather then as their subordinates. It seems that when a Hand from one of these families, aside from Lord Peake and Septon Barth, they overreach and act almost as regents, then Hands

[@Rjonesy101]

Reading the books, i always thought HighTower was the reason the king health was always failing.

[@kb4903]

It was the maesters!

[@WorldOfWesteros]

😉

[@brunoperez5062]

Otto isn't really that bad,he is right most of the times,when he says rhaenyra will kill alicent children he is probably right because first of all they will always be a threat to her reign and she hates them too,its just people hate him for pushing aegon even though jahaerys the greatest targaryen king had put that prescedent as well as all previous kings and that every other lord would have done the same thing

[@aegorbittersteel2154]

A late 1st to take the Black for House Blackfyre 🗡 Otto is honestly not really wrose than other Lords

[@J_ads2000]

I mean he was the one who overthrew male primogeniture in favour of Rhaenyra over Daemon. Then went back on that for Aegon over Rhaenyra. His belief system gets thrown out the window when his bloodline can sit the throne.

[@lilchaos9212]

No really, he just favoured Andal tradition. So, Rhaenyra, the King's daughter, would have a better claim than Daemon, the King's brother, but any trueborn son of the King (Aegon, Aemond, Daeron) would take precedent over both the King's daughter(s) and brother(s). He was still supportive of male primogeniture, but that was in terms of which of the King's *children* would be his heir. Before Aegon was born it would make perfect sense for Otto to support Rhaenyra, and then switch to support Aegon once Viserys had a son. All of Westeros follows that custom.

[@pckrichards7980]

What you’re thinking of is absolute male primogeniture, where ONLY the male line succeeds. Male preference is what most of Europe uses prior to the 1970s, so brothers are ahead of their sisters, who are ahead of their incles

[@SpottedHares]

I think the situation was that he had no power or much of a chance to inherit it. Then he became the second most powerful man in the kingdom. And when he saw opportunity to integrate him and his family closer to the crow he took it. He did help cause the dance, but the war was never his goal or even a desirable outcome. In the end all his hard work was undone, his life ended by the queen he once though would save him from Daemon, his line ended, his royal dynasty cut out, and his family no longer in such a position of power.

[@Hochspitz]

I suppose GRRM had a "concept of a plan" for House High Tower, thus this house is shrouded in mystery and probably magic as well. Otto's older brother is simply Lord Hightower, he has No Name. The family tree is obscure to say the very least, yet a House that seems to wield power from the shadows since....well for a very long time. So Otto was a blimp on the radar of history, perhaps the over ambitious "spare", yet the his Lord was surely pulling the strings? Just asking😉🤔

[@faisalkamal4319]

i like otto is like in the thumbnail your grace the dragon has hit the second tower

[@duck1ente]

I don't believe the maesters or citadel are these elaborate, cohesive and decisive institution, because if otherwise. They'll not kill the dragons but harness the power for themselves. Personally, I see the maesters with individual autonomy and agency.

[@Rebel_Lord_Taron]

Squatto hightower

[@lawrencereid2767]

😂

[@Betty-v4i6p]

Great analysis, thank you! I need some advice: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How should I go about transferring them to Binance?

[@johnmitchell4043]

In the books 100%

[@kb4903]

Does actually care about the realm or just want his blood on the throne? Hmm

[@jacobdenness8659]

To me Otto has always just seemed stupid to the point of delusion. His sexism and sense of entitlement prevented him from seeing ways he could have got everything he wanted. Biggest being not trying to bridge the gap with Ryneera when she was a teen and it was possible to do. Also let’s not forget just assuming the north and the vale would have no opinion on his changing the succession without consulting them.

[@joseSanchez-ej2oh]

To be clear, it's not a maester theory It's an old town theory The council held by the faith in response to Aegon's conquest cited a prophecy that said "Old Town" would fall if it resisted the dragons There are example of the maesters, the faith, and the Hightowers undermining the Targaryens Ex: the Faith's opposition to maegor's marriages and maegor was only labeled cruel bc of how he treated the faith

[@kevinneutzling8267]

I think Otto was just the implementer of a much larger conspiracy. He wanted Hightower blood on the throne, but it was the Targaryens who set up the conditions for a bloody civil war with Viserys allowing his family to divide, Daemon festering suspicion and bloodlust. Also it’s likely the Maesters were poisoning Aemma to limit heirs which set up competing claims.

[@JoseSanchez-fk9dg]

Nope the one responsible for Aemma death except Viserys to blame anyone else is attempting to absolve Viserys of his crime. As a reminder Aemma married at Eleven and had Rhaenyra at fifteen. What important are those four years in between where she carried one son to full term and had several miscarriage, so at least two. All those pregnancy as anyone with modern sense would know will destroy a preteen body. Not helping was that Visery gave her little time to rest between pregnancy and it no wonder she died giving birth.

[@kevinneutzling8267]

@ that’s also definitely a factor. What’s funny is that Maesters should’ve known that. Also that doesn’t completely destroy the possibility of poison.