Who is Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon?

Ormund Hightower, played by James Norton, arrives briefly in the opening episode of House of the Dragon season 3. He is shown marching from Oldtown and, while stationed on the battlefield, receives a letter from King Aemond telling him to wait on orders; he appears uneasy with the dirtier side of war and quietly pleased that Aemond is now king.

Canonically, Ormund is Otto Hightower’s nephew and the cousin of Alicent and Gwayne Hightower. Showrunner Ryan Condal has expanded the character from a brief mention in George R. R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, calling him “the Tywin Lannister of this world” and noting that Ormund is “the richest guy who’s not sitting on a throne somewhere” who commands the largest standing army and owns a dragon.

In the book, Ormund is a relatively sketchy figure who sided with Aegon II during the Dance of the Dragons, so the series has filled out his personality and motives to introduce a new complication into the story.

ormund hightower, james norton, oldtown, king aemond, otto hightower, alicent hightower, gwayne hightower, ryan condal, tywin lannister, season 3