In the last episode of House of the Dragon (until 2024!), we find out that Lord Corlys Velaryon did not die from the wounds from the battle at the Stepstones or the dreaded fever he had. He got better and has also sided with Rhaenyra Targaryen. However, he may still have ambitions that may not align with placing Queen Rhaenyra on the iron throne.

Is Lord Corlys Also A Self-Servant Like Larys Strong?

Until Rhaenys Targaryen, Corlys’s wife counselled him into siding with Rhaenyra, Corlys despised her. And during the conversation, he says to his wife, Rhaenys, “Rhaenyra was complicit in our son’s death. That girl destroys everything she touches.”

Corlys had also told Rhaenya that they shall take no sides in the war, even though he had sworn allegiance to Queen Rhaenyra’s father, Viserys Targaryen. He also wanted to “retire to Hightide” and be content with his wife and grandsons for the remainder of his life.

Both sides have dragons, and with Arrax killed by Vhagar, the largest dragon in the world, Rhaenyra’s side has only four dragons. Comparatively, three dragons are on The Greens’ side, including Vhagar. All this indicates that Lord Corlys Velaryon may back out from the war if he sees Rhaenyra losing. Do you think the old Lord Corlys may retire to the Hightides? After all, he has only recovered from a near-death wound-inflicted fever.

What Does Corlys’s Actor, Steve Touissant, Say About His Character?

Steve Touissant, when he first met with Writer Ryan Condal and Director Miguel Sapochnik during the casting rounds, talked about his character, Lord Corlys Velaryon, after reading the script.

Touissant said, “He’s also very ambitious. He’s very combustible, which is why he needs someone like her to sort of calm him down. One of the things I liked about him is he doesn’t really care what people think of him, other than her. He has a resentment (for) his peers because, as he says in a later episode, ‘They all were born into their money, but I had to go and make mine. I’ve seen war while they were playing at it.’”

Corlys also loves and respects his wife, Rhaenys Targaryen, according to Toussaint. While talking about Rhaenys, Touissant says, “He wants the best for her. He doesn’t always take her advice, but he’s man enough later on to come back and go, ‘Yeah, you were right about that, I should have done that.’ So that side of him was very important to me.”

This also shows in House of the Dragon, especially in episode 10, when Corlys changes his mind about taking no sides in the war, as he later sided with Queen Rhaenyra.