No one was really sure what to make ofHouse of the Dragonbefore the series made its debut back in the fall of 2022. AlthoughGame of Throneswas a wildly popular show during its initial run on HBO, the ending left most with a bad taste in their mouths. Could this prequel series measure up to the original and also get rid of the stink of that finale? Turns out, yes, it totally can.
Set over a hundred years before the events ofThrones,House of the Dragonlooks at House Targaryen at the height of its power, and right before it loses all that power to a vicious civil war called the Dance of the Dragons. As was the norm inGame of Thrones, the prequel series is packed full of characters (most of them Targaryens) as two half-siblings vie for the Iron Throne. Now that we are at the end of Season 2,let’s take a look at this massive cast of character fromHouse of the Dragonand see where they fall from worst to best. Some might be higher on the list because of their likability, or their actors' performances, while others might be lower due to what little we know about them.
House of the Dragon
27Lucerys “Luke” Velaryon
Portrayed by Elliot Grihault and Harvey Sadler (young)
Luke is far from the worst character of the series, but of the group, he’s at the bottom of the list purely because we just didn’t know him very well, and what little we did know of him wasn’t extremely interesting. Sure, him accidentally blinding Aemond sped up the timeline of the civil war within the family; it certainly was a turning point in the relationship between the Blacks and the Greens.
ButLuke primarily acts more like a plot device than a fully fledged character.His brutal death by Vhagarwas probably the best dramatic scene he’s been in. And while his scenes withEwan Mitchell’s Aemond might have been interesting in Season 1, Aemond’s scenes with his brother in Season 2 far overshadow that.
26Harwin Strong
Portrayed by Ryan Corr
As far as men go in this world, Harwin Strong is probably one of the more honest and noble men. As Rhaenyra’s secret (and perhaps not-so-secret) baby daddy,we simply weren’t given enough time with him.
Harwin’s greatest sin was that he couldn’t seem to keep it in his pants, ultimately leading to his dismissal andreturn to Harrenhal,where both he and his father unwittingly died at the hands of his brother. But, considering how charismatic Princess Rhaenyra is, we can hardly blame him for that.
25Laenor Velaryon
Portrayed by John Macmillan, Theo Nate (young), and Matthew Carver (child)
Laenor’s only problem was that he was born as a gay man in a world that was inherently homophobic. As stated by Rhaenyra, he’s a good man with a good heart, which is rare in a place like Westeros. He’s a decent father to his kidsdespite knowing they aren’t biologically hisand has a good rapport with Rhaenyra despite the scrutiny they faced in King’s Landing.
His survival (a deviation from the book)presents some pretty big plot issuesthat Season 2 totally sidestepped, but it’s hard not to wish the best for Laenor after everything he’s been through.While we wouldn’t rule out a cameo in the future, we hope he’s happy out there in Essos, away from the drama of Westeros.
24Ulf the White
Portrayed by Tom Bennett
Among the bastard dragonseeds, I think we can safely say that while Ulf seems like a fun guy to get a drink with, he’s not exactly the best of people. Somewhat dishonorable, disrespectful, and a consummate fibber,he’s out of place amongst royals and nobles(even if he is likely Rhaenyra’s uncle). But that’s also what makes him a fresh breath of air.
Under no illusions,Ulf understands that he holds a large amount of poweras a dragonseed, even if he is lowborn and crass, the Blacks need him and his newly claimed dragon Silverwing. Plus, it was a hoot watchingTom Bennettride his dragon like someone riding a bucking bronco at a country music bar.
23Rhaena Targaryen
Portrayed by Phoebe Campbell and Eva Ossei-Gerning (young)
Rhaena’s insecurity when it comes to the fact that she is the only child to not have a dragon is what makes her interesting. After a lot of speculation in Season 2, it’s becoming clear to those who have read theFire & Bloodbook byGeorge R. R. Martinthat unlike her book counterpart, she will likely claimthe rideable wild dragon known as Sheepstealer.
Being relegated to taking care of the children, we see Rhaena get desperate as she is forced to leave the Vale and take off into the wilderness to find the wild dragon, finally coming into contact with it after days of searching.We don’t get enough of her story in Season 2 to justify a higher ranking, but could that change in the future?
22Laena Velaryon
Portrayed by Nanna Blondell, Savannah Steyn (young), and Nova Foueillis-Mosé (child)
Perhaps if we had spent more time with Laena Velaryon, she’d be even higher up on this list, but unfortunately she died midway through Season 1. As the former rider of Vhagar, we know that she claimed the dragon at a young age. She pursued Daemon, and she chose her own fate,even if it ended up being a major deviation from the book. In the brief time we get to know her inEpisode 6, it’s clear that not only is she a good mother and a loving sister, but she also knows Daemon better than he knows himself.
Surprisingly,she made a return to the screen in Season 2when Daemon (Matt Smith) was at Harrenhal.Her ghost was a solemn reminder of Daemon’s mistakes in the pastand also a reminder to Daemon to look after his oft-neglected daughters. Though we don’t see where that storyline goes in Season 2, there’s room to grow in Season 3.
21Gwayne Hightower
Portrayed by Freddie Fox
Gwayne came into the story without much fanfare, and although he had some good scenes with Criston (Fabien Frankel) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) his character simply exists in Season 2. Unfortunately,it often feels like his character is in scenes for the show to give Criston a character to speak to.
In fact, most of his scenes involve either looking down on Criston for his lowborn status or watching Criston lead an army while he commentates on the sidelines. Hopefully, if Otto (Rhys Ifans) plays a larger role in Season 3 or if we meet Daeron, Gwayne will also get more to do on screen.
20Corlys Velaryon
Portrayed by Steve Toussaint
Corlys is a complicated character. As one of the richest men in Westerosdue to his years of exploring the world, he is proud and egotistical. This translates as arrogance whenhe and Daemon wage a warwithout the crown’s support in Season 1. But he is also a man who is willing to look past the fact that his grandkids are clearly not biologically his and love them. But Corlys has fallen in the rankings since Season 1 because of the simple fact that,as far as being a parent goes, he sucks.
Not only was he less tolerant of Laenor’s sexuality, but he never even acknowledged Addam (Clinton Liberty) or Alyn (Abubakar Salim) growing up. Even Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) sent gold to his bastards. Although he’s a complex character, full of nuance, andSteve Toussaint is amazing to watch on screen, we have to lower his rankings on the list.
19Addam of Hull
Portrayed by Clinton Liberty
Brother to Alyn (Abubakar Salim),Addam has the same bastard chip on his shoulder, but his status as a dragonrider has lifted his status in life. It’s hard not to enjoy the scene whereSeasmoke chases him down like a puppy dogso that he can claim a new rider. Him and Alyn have an interesting dynamic as well.
While Alyn completely rejects any connection to his Velaryon roots, including shaving his silver hair,Addam seems desperate for the acknowledgment of their father, who never even spared him a thought. With Seasmoke, this puts him in proximity to Corlys, and it will be interesting to see where they take him in future seasons now that he’s part of Rhaenyra’s army.
18Hugh Hammer
Portrayed by Kieran Bew
It wasn’t hard to see the writing on the wall when it came to Hugh’s character. A vast departure from hisFire & Bloodversion,Hugh starts off as a family manand someone loyal to Aegon’s crown. He is a blacksmith who builds scorpion bolts for the king, but when the war starts, and the blockade makes life infinitely worse in King’s Landing, we watch as Hugh’s life undergoes a metamorphosis. His daughter dies, and he makes the perilous journey to Dragonstone to claim a dragon.
Asthe alleged son of Saera Targaryen, he is cousin to Daemon and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy),making him the grandson of Jaehaerys. This makes sense as he goes on to claim Jaehaerys' fierce dragon,Vermithor, in one of the most badass dragon-claiming scenes to date.
