Just as Game of Thrones revolved largely around the conflict between the Starks and Lannisters, House of the Dragon is all about the Targaryens and Hightowers—but what does that mean for the Tyrells? Of the four houses listed above, the Hightowers technically sit at the bottom of the pecking order. The Targaryens are the rightful rulers, while the Starks and Tyrells are two of Westeros’ Great Houses. They are the Wardens or Lord Paramounts, while families like the Hightowers serve below them.
We learn in Game of Thrones that the Tyrells are the Lord Paramounts of the Reach. The Hightowers are among the Tyrells’ bannermen. However, it’s clear in House of the Dragon that the Hightowers were nearly as powerful as the Targaryens during the Dance of the Dragons. They are wealthier than the Tyrells, possess the strength of the Faith, and are part of an ancient lineage of kings from the Dawn of Days. Yet, when Aegon the Conqueror took the Reach, he didn’t hand them leadership.
When Aegon the Conqueror began his conquering, he generally allowed royal families to continue ruling their respective regions so long as they bent the knee. They became the Great Houses, loyal to the Targaryens yet able to continue governing. When it came to the Reach, however, that didn’t work out. The old house of kings was called the Gardners, and they were, unfortunately, wiped out. So, Aegon had to choose a family to take their place. He skipped over the wealthy Hightowers and named the Tyrells, lowly stewards to the Gardners, as Lord Paramount.
House Of The Dragon Proves Aegon The Conqueror Was Right About The Hightowers
Given how powerful the Hightowers are in House of the Dragon, it would really seem as if they were the top dogs of the Reach. However, King Aegon I very specifically skipped them over. There were several houses, in addition to the Hightowers, that came from ancient royal lines, and the Tyrells weren’t among them. Aegon knew that if he handed power to any one of these greater houses, it would cause immense tension among them. The Tyrells were the Gardners’ stewards, so they were honorary rulers without any real royal status.
By elevating the Tyrells, Aegon avoided war and conflict between the higher noble houses of the Reach. Additionally, he ensured that this highly valuable region was ruled by a family completely indebted to him. They weren’t born into their status. Rather, it was a gift from the almighty Targaryens. The Hightowers, with all their ancient wealth and power, would never feel that sort of reverence for Aegon, and he knew it.
We see signs of this in House of the Dragon season 3. Ormund Hightower makes his disdain for Targaryens clear, telling his ward, Daeron Targaryen, that he must suppress his dragonlord lineage and embrace his Hightower side. While his family served the Targaryens for a century, Ormund and his kin were raised to put the Faith of the Seven first. Incest, polygamy, and dragons are incompatible with the Faith, so if the Hightowers were ever truly in power in the Reach, it wouldn’t bode well for the Targaryen dynasty
The Targaryens adopted the Faith of the Seven following the conquest, mostly for the sake of integration. As the years went on, the family’s devotion to the religion became genuine, but they remained exempt from many practices and expectations.
What Are The Tyrells Up To In House Of The Dragon?
It’s easy enough to believe that the Hightowers aren’t the true power of the Reach in Game of Thrones, since it is clearly the Tyrells who play among the big dogs of the series. The Hightowers are hardly seen. Of course, it is the exact opposite for House of the Dragon, where just about every scene is occupied, in some capacity, by a pesky Hightower. Still, even during the Dance of the Dragons, the Tyrells are in charge—so where are they?
According to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the Tyrells chose to stay out of the Dance of the Dragons. The lord of the time, Lyonel Tyrell, was only an infant, and his lady-regent mother chose not to pick between the Blacks and the Greens at all. The Hightowers were sworn to their Lord Paramount, but Queen Alicent’s position meant the Tyrells had minimal authority over figures like Ormund. So, while the Lords of Highgarden are technically around in House of the Dragon, they aren’t yet the force that they will be in Game of Thrones.