House of the Dragon episode 9 saw some infuriating developments and a number of deaths. Blood was shed which marked the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons. Aegon was crowned as the King of the Seven Kingdoms by the Green Council. His coronation was carried out in front of all the people of King’s Landing who had gathered at the Red Keep. This directly disputed Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne and broke the realm into two factions. However, this episode also shows us who the true villain of House of the Dragon is. It is not the vile and irresponsible Aegon II and neither is it the calculative Queen Alicent. The villain is actually none other than Ser Otto Hightower. And here is every reason why.
Alicent is not the villain
House of the Dragon episode 9 has proved one thing, that is Queen Alicent is not the villain. She is nothing like the cold Queen Cersei. Not only does she refuse to murder Rhaenyra and her sons but she also hesitates to crown Aegon as she knows the consequences. She shows a more empathetic side of herself that we had seldom seen since she was a child. In fact, when Rhaenys burst out aboard Meleys during Aegon’s coronation, Alicent stands courageously in front of her son, ready to take the fire. We have said this before. Queen Alicent is not a villain, she is simply a mother who is bound by patriarchy. She was even ready to accept Princess Rhaenyra as the Queen until the final misunderstanding of King Viserys’ last words. Queen Alicent was never involved in the plans of usurping the throne either.
Otto Hightower has been using his own daughter as a pawn
House of the Dragon episode 9 finally witnesses Queen Alicent confront her father Ser Otto Hightower. She recognizes the fact that he groomed her and manipulated her all her life. She herself says that he treated her, his own daughter as nothing more than a pawn in his elaborate game. Consequently, all her actions and desires were simply a mirror of what her father wanted. His hunger for power was so strong that he was ready to forsake his own daughter. He went against the wishes of his daughter and instead sent the Cargyll twins to fetch him Aegon.
He has been planning to usurp the throne for years
Otto Hightower has been planning and plotting to usurp the throne for years. Unbeknownst to Queen Alicent, Otto has actually planned every step of the process with the Green Council. He had all but secured the Iron Throne for Aegon despite the wishes of King Viserys. In fact, he is the direct instigator of the Dance of the Dragons. The years that Rhaenyra and Daemon had been away at Dragonstone, Otto Hightower had made his play by sitting on the King’s throne.
Ser Otto Hightower is ruthless and ready to murder the opposition
Otto Hightower’s plan of dealing with Princess Rhaenyra, Prince Daemon and her sons was to simply kill them. He finally shows the ruthlessness that we knew was always within him. Unfortunately, despite Daemon’s warnings, the King trusted the very man who is now after his daughter’s life. He also orders the death of Rhaenyra’s supporters who were present in the small council. This included Lord Lyman Beesbury, Lord Caswell and Lady Fell. They were unwilling to bend the knee to Aegon and were quickly dealt with.
He is cunning, manipulative, and hungry for power
Out of every player in House of the Dragon, Ser Otto Hightower shows an inextinguishable hunger for power. He even shows an unimaginable willingness to commit heinous crimes. Something that even Lord Corlys, a man who is also hungry for the throne, does not possess. Ser Otto Hightower has a knack for manipulation and schemes and has truly earned the title of the villain of House of the Dragon.
