Who Is Gwayne Hightower In ‘House Of The Dragon’ And What Happens To Him In The Book?

‘House Of The Dragon‘ season 2 has introduced many new characters along with the old cast. And as the war intensifies we will get to meet some very important new characters from the books. Today we will be talking about one such new face, Gwayne Hightower. 

Introduced in the third episode, Gwayne Hightower is Alicent Hightower’s brother. However, we have met him before in season one as well. He participated in the Heir’s Tournament and was Daemon Targaryen’s first opponent. So let’s check out what happens to him in the books. 

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Who Is Ser Gwayne Hightower?

In the third episode of season 2 of ‘House Of The Dragon’ we get to meet Alicent’s brother Gwayne. He is played by actor Freddie Fox. He is the oldest son of Otto Hightower and Alyrie Florent. In the series, he comes to King’s Landing on Alicent’s request. 

Along with Ser Criston Cole, Gwayne also marched to secure Harrenhal. The two never saw eye to eye. And Gwayne would often lodge insults at Cole. In the books, his character has a different story. He was named second-in-command of the City Watch of King’s Landing by Otto Hightower. This was mainly so that he could keep an eye on Ser Luthor Largent, the Commander of the City Watch. This arc is missing in the series. 

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How Does Gwayne Hightower Die In The Books?

So far, the story arc of the book Gwayne and the reel Gwayne is different. So it might be that his death would also be different in the series. In the books, Gwayne Hightower is the second-in-command of the City Watch and his death occurs when Rhaenyra attacks the city. 

Queen Rhaenyra’s Team Black attacks King’s Landing in 130 AC in the books. During the attack, Gwayne rushed to the stables to sound the alarm. However, he is seized, disarmed, and dragged before his own commander, Luthor Largent. It turns out that Luthor was still loyal to the Blacks. And so when an arrogant Gwayne denounced him as a turn cloak, Ser Luthor killed him. He would then order the city gates to be opened for Rhaenyra. 

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