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House of the Dragon Showrunner Reveals Who Should Win the Iron Throne
House of the Dragon co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal has named Alicent Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke, as the character he believes is best suited to rule Westeros after the Dance of the Dragons civil war. Speaking on Empire's Pilot TV podcast, Condal said Alicent has "seen it all" in terms of the shift between power and powerlessness, and argued that her not riding a dragon could be an asset for a "sane and stable leader." He stressed the remark is his personal view rather than a hint at who actually wins the war in the show's upcoming fourth and final season, or a spoiler for George R.R. Martin's source book, Fire & Blood.
Condal also named Lord Corlys Velaryon, played by Steve Toussaint, as his second choice, joking he was picking someone "that wasn't blonde." He further reflected on Season 3's ending, describing Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's pull between the philosophies of Viserys and Daemon as she is gradually altered by proximity to the throne, while rival Aegon II undergoes a more sympathetic character evolution after being pushed away from power.
In short
- Showrunner Ryan Condal picks Alicent Hightower as best ruler of Westeros
- Corlys Velaryon named as his second choice
- Comments don't reveal the actual Season 4 outcome or book ending
Explained simply
House of the Dragon is a fantasy drama set in Westeros, generations before Game of Thrones. It follows the Targaryen royal family, whose members ride dragons and compete over who should inherit the Iron Throne after King Viserys I dies.
The rival claimants are Viserys’s daughter Rhaenyra and his son Aegon II, with their supporters drawn into a civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Alicent Hightower, Aegon’s mother and once a close companion of Rhaenyra, is a key political figure; Lord Corlys Velaryon is a powerful lord and naval commander whose family is allied with Rhaenyra.
The struggle matters because it threatens the ruling family and the stability of the realm, while showing how power can change those who seek or hold it. The series is based on George R.R. Martin’s history of the Targaryens, Fire & Blood.