James Norton has discussed the death of his "House of the Dragon" character, Lord Ormund Hightower, in the show's Season 3 finale, revealing that an earlier draft of the script was even more brutal. Ormund is killed during the climactic battle at Tumbleton, stabbed by Roddy the Ruin before a dragon incinerates them both, a twist Norton says added a layer of "bitter irony" beyond what was depicted in George R.R. Martin's source novel. The scene marks the end of Norton's run on the HBO series, which he joined this season as the scheming head of House Hightower.

Norton told Variety that filming the elaborate death sequence was demanding, noting the production's rigorous approach to stunts, and revealed that an earlier version of the script had Ormund "impaled like 20 times" before the finale was toned down. He also reflected on Ormund's fraught relationship with his ward, Daeron Targaryen, who betrays him shortly after being knighted, saying he believes Ormund would ultimately have been proud of Daeron for asserting himself, even after an initial furious reaction.