FANS of House of the Dragon have been left stunned after a major character was killed off in a brutally violent scene.
The shocking death sparked a huge reaction online, with viewers branding it one of the most gruesome moments in the hit fantasy series so far.
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Otto Hightower from House of The Dragon was killed off Credit: HBO
Rhaenyra’s execution of Otto Hightower Credit: HBO
The dramatic third episode saw the fan-favourite meet a grisly end during a bloody confrontation, leaving fellow characters reeling.
The episode saw Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans, executed in a shocking and brutal twist that left fans reeling.
The long-serving political mastermind met a grisly end as the power struggle intensified.
Viewers were quick to take to social media to share their shock, with many admitting they “didn’t see it coming” and calling the brutal death one of the series’ most unforgettable moments.
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Taking to X, one fan said: “Dying in such a lowly, almost insignificant way after all his long-term scheming & calculated politicking, Ser Otto Hightower deserved a far more agonising & fitting end. Let’s not forget, his performance was nothing short of exceptional. He killed it.”
Another added: “genuinely feeling like i lost a parent today we miss you otto hightower”.
A third penned: “Queen Rhaenrya cut off the head of Otto Hightower. She’s sitting on the iron throne”.
Otto Hightower was first introduced in Season 1 as the calculating Hand of the King and father of Alicent Hightower.
After Queen Aemma Arryn’s death in childbirth, Otto seized the opportunity to advance his family’s power by encouraging his teenage daughter Alicent to grow close to the widowed King Viserys I.
The move ultimately led to their marriage, driving a permanent wedge between Alicent and her childhood friend Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and laying the foundations for the bitter civil war that followed.
As Hand of the King, Otto spent years working behind the scenes to secure House Hightower’s grip on power, ensuring his daughter Alicent and, ultimately, her sons were in line to inherit the Iron Throne instead of Princess Rhaenyra.
His political scheming helped ignite the bitter Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, making him one of the conflict’s chief architects.
In a brutal end befitting one of the series’ greatest manipulators, Otto was executed, with his severed head rolling across the throne room floor as a horrified Alicent and her daughter Helaena arrived to witness the grisly aftermath.
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower witnessed the brutal death of her father Credit: PA
Actor Rhys Ifans confessed he had no clue about his character’s fate Credit: Getty
With Otto’s beheading, Rhaenyra now finally sits on the Iron.
Actor Rhys Ifans previously confessed to having no clue about his character’s fate.
He told Inverse: “I’m an actor, so we’ll be the last people to know what’s going on in our characters.
“I haven’t been told by anyone with any kind of conviction or authority where exactly he is at that point.
“All we know is that he’s still alive somewhere in that world, and that’s as much as I know too. I know as much as the fans.”
