10 Worst-Written House of the Dragon Characters, Ranked

HBO’s House of the Dragon started strong with its first season, based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. However, the second season received some criticism for feeling slow-paced and lacking excitement. Some characters and storylines changed so much from the original book that they became almost unrecognizable. While it’s okay to update characters for a new medium, making them act completely out of character and against their established personalities was a problem.

Season 2 of House of the Dragon felt disappointing because the writing was uneven, characters weren’t fully developed, and the story didn’t flow well. The show didn’t handle important characters like Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen effectively, and even sidelined some of the smaller, yet significant, players in the political drama. As Season 3 approaches, the show needs to address these issues quickly to improve the story and its characters.

10. Ser Harrold Westerling Effectively Disappears With No Payoff

Ser Harrold Westerling was known for being honorable and dedicated, a rare quality within the Red Keep. After becoming Lord Commander, he urged the King and his council to quickly fill the vacant Kingsguard position, demonstrating his proactive leadership. He improved how the Kingsguard operated and even brought potential recruits to court, including Ser Criston Cole.

By the time the Greens seized power in King’s Landing, Westerling had lost command of the Kingsguard. He was clearly shocked when Otto Hightower ordered him to kill Rhaenyra, and responded by simply walking away – a disappointing conclusion to his storyline. This is quite different from the books, where Cole took over after Westerling’s death. The show built Westerling up by keeping him alive for so long, but ultimately didn’t give his character a satisfying resolution.

9. Ser Steffon Darklyn Is A Watered Down Version Of His Book Counterpart

The book version of the story features Ser Steffon Darklyn, not Ser Erryk Cargyll, as the knight who delivers Rhaenyra her father’s crown. Darklyn is a devoted and courageous knight who bravely travels to Dragonstone during the Greens’ rebellion to support his Queen. Although he’s loyal in both the books and the House of the Dragon series, the show portrays him as a more stoic figure, lacking the strong emotional commitment he displays in the original story.

Darklyn in the show is a minor character, existing only to move the story forward. He briefly tries to claim the dragon Seasmoke, but is immediately killed by dragonfire, meaning he’s used as a plot point and never developed as a person.

8. Hugh Hammer Lacks The Sharp Depth Of His Book Counterpart

The character of Hugh in the show is significantly different from how he’s depicted in Fire & Blood, and this change will likely have major consequences throughout the story. Specifically, it will impact the storyline involving the Two Betrayers, as Hugh and Ulf are now shown switching their allegiance to the Greens during the First Battle of Tumbleton. In the series, Hugh is established as Saera Targaryen’s son and lays claim to the dragon Vermithor—previously belonging to King Jaehaerys Targaryen—to support Rhaenyra. The show also portrays him as a grieving father with existing relationships with both Viserys and Daemon Targaryen.

In the original source material, Hugh is portrayed as a harsh, illegitimate son of a blacksmith from Dragonstone, which makes his later betrayal seem understandable. However, in House of the Dragon, Hugh is depicted as more refined and driven, losing the complexity and raw nature of his earlier characterization.

7. Helaena Targaryen Is A Mere Narrative Ornament

Helaena Targaryen, a member of the Green faction, stands out from the rest of her family in both the TV series and the books. She’s a bit of a dreamer who has visions of the future, which she often shares in puzzling riddles. As the sister-wife of King Aegon II and mother of his twins, she endures a terrible tragedy when her son, Jaehaerys, is killed by assassins known as Blood and Cheese.

Helaena in House of the Dragon doesn’t live up to her potential. She often feels like a background element rather than a fully developed character. While she has intriguing visions and appears in important scenes, these moments haven’t come together to create a compelling personality, and she mostly serves to highlight the differences between her family and others.

6. Lady Jeyne Arryn Offers Little Support To Her Faction

In the books, Lady Jeyne Arryn, Queen Rhaenyra’s cousin, is a much more interesting character than her portrayal in House of the Dragon suggests. She was a strong and dedicated supporter of Rhaenyra, actively sending soldiers to help her. She took a leading role in events and was a reliable ally throughout the conflict.

I’m a big fan of House of the Dragon, but honestly, they really simplified Lady Arryn. In the books, she was a much more interesting character, but in the show, she just seems constantly worried about keeping the Vale safe, even though the war isn’t even near her. She’s on Rhaenyra’s side, but it feels like she’d rather just stay out of it, and they’ve turned her into someone who mostly just… worries.

5. Alys Rivers’ Ambiguity Is Taken Too Far

Alys Rivers is a character who has been given too much depth, making her unnecessarily complicated. Originally, in the books, she’s a secretive nanny at Harrenhal who becomes romantically involved with Aemond Targaryen during the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. However, the show reimagines her with a strange connection to Daemon Targaryen, serving as a contrast to his personality.

I have to say, I was really intrigued by Alys Rivers in House of the Dragon, but I think the show made her much more mysterious – and honestly, a little frustrating – compared to how she is in the books. Her choices really complicated the Harrenhal storyline, which was already a bit slow-moving. It felt like the writers were forcing a magical element through her character, and it ended up making the plot feel stuck instead of moving forward. It’s a shame, because I was hoping for more from her!

4. Otto Hightower Turned One Of Season 1’s Best Characters Into A Reactive Patriarch

Alicent’s father, Otto, is a master manipulator who orchestrates many of the schemes within the Red Keep. He engineered his daughter’s marriage to King Viserys, and is portrayed as a calculating and cold individual. In the novels, Otto is a clever politician and the real power behind the Green faction.

Season 2 of House of the Dragon unfortunately diminishes Otto Hightower’s character, portraying him as quick-tempered rather than the shrewd strategist he was originally. His motivations feel inconsistent, seemingly existing only to further the stories of Aegon II and Alicent. The storyline where he is kidnapped also feels unnecessary and doesn’t add much depth to his overall character development.

3. Aegon II Targaryen Is Overshadowed By His Brother Aemond Targaryen

Although Aegon II is publicly the leader of the Greens, he impulsively travels to Rook’s Rest and becomes a victim of his brother’s plotting. Many scenes are crafted to portray him as less capable than his younger brother. In Fire & Blood, Aegon joins Aemond in planning the battle at Rook’s Rest, but ends up caught in dragonfire.

In House of the Dragon, Aemond intentionally portrays Aegon II as foolish, making it seem like he deliberately tricked him. While Aegon doesn’t deserve to be king, the show goes further by consistently depicting him as arrogant and easily manipulated, with his own brother seemingly eager to be rid of him.

2. Rhaenyra Targaryen Suffers From Uneven Characterization

In the House of the Dragon series, Rhaenyra Targaryen is portrayed as less harsh and more hesitant than she is in the original books. She often spends a lot of time considering whether or not to go to war, and even makes the unusual decision to secretly enter King’s Landing hoping to negotiate a peaceful resolution with Alicent. These choices, along with inconsistent character development and a lack of strong decision-making, significantly impact the storyline in Season 2.

Unlike some other characters, Rhaenyra in Fire & Blood doesn’t worry about the possibility of war; she proactively prepares for it. She confidently makes her own decisions, not relying on others like Princess Rhaenys or the older men on her council, which makes her a powerful and impressive figure.

1. Alicent Hightower’ Character Is Plagued By Inconsistent Writing

Alicent, similar to Rhaenyra, feels inconsistently portrayed throughout the series. She wavers about the possibility of war, ultimately retreating from the conflict she played a part in starting. After consistently raising her children to be fearful and hostile, the show unexpectedly presents her as someone desperately seeking peace by the end of the second season.

Honestly, I’m really frustrated with how they’ve handled Alicent in House of the Dragon. They just don’t give us enough to understand why she’s made the choices she has. I get that she’s constantly overlooked by the men in power, but after everything she’s been through and done, it feels totally out of character for her to just give up on the fight. It feels like the show isn’t really doing her justice.

2026-01-24 22:10