Larys Strong has always been one of the weirdest and creepiest characters in ‘House of the Dragon’. His limp, his obsession with secrets, and his willingness to manipulate powerful people make him feel less like a traditional political player and more like someone quietly watching the entire kingdom burn.
But the book version of Larys has an even darker story.
Larys Becomes One Of The Dance’s Most Dangerous Players
In Fire & Blood, Larys is referred to as the Clubfoot, and his disability is linked to a disturbing event at the royal chambers. He was caught sneaking around and stealing ladies’ silk slippers. The legend tells of Daemon Targaryen and the Gold Cloaks punishing him for his transgression, breaking his ankle with a warhammer.
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That punishment was supposed to be a part of Larys’ identity. His love of feet and his psychological need for humiliation only make him more of a weirdo. He is a man who is incapable of forming normal relationships. The character of Matthew Needham’s Larys is much more enigmatic in ‘House of the Dragon‘.
The show does not completely reveal the cause of his limp or the book’s silk-slipper tale. Rather, it’s about what Larys turns into. He builds a strong bond with Alicent Hightower, providing her with information and orchestrating events around her. He also has a network of informants and criminals who help him kill those who stand in his way.
His most notorious deed is when he sets Harrenhal ablaze and murders his father, Lyonel Strong, and brother Harwin Strong. Larys does not just eliminate his enemies by himself. He does the dirty work for others, and this is a recurring theme of his character. That’s what makes him so scary. His weapon is information and not a sword or a hammer.
What Happens To Larys In ‘Fire & Blood’?
His ultimate fate in the books is appropriately mysterious. As the Dance of the Dragons reaches its end, Larys is very much caught up in the political turmoil in King’s Landing. Once Rhaenyra was defeated and Aegon II returned to the capital, Larys was left to work in the dark.
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But in the end, the new political regime fell out with him. Larys is killed by the men of Ser Perkin on the orders of Aegon II, who accuses Larys of treason and suspects him of being involved in some of the king’s conspiracies. Larys allegedly denies giving a full explanation of his actions before his death.
Even more intriguingly, Fire & Blood leaves questions surrounding his true motives and his possible involvement in the mysterious death of Aegon II. That’s the uncertainty that feels right for Larys Strong. Whether he was genuinely seeking revenge, manipulating everyone for his own amusement, or simply trying to survive in a world that had brutalized him, nobody ever truly figures him out.
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