There were lots of significant plot developments in the fourth episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon, including Viserys finally taking a stand and firing Otto Hightower as Hand of the King. This raises the question: did Otto actually kill Jaehaerys, Viserys’ father? Here’s what we know so far.
Did Otto Hightower Help to Kill Jaehaerys in House of the Dragon?
As far as we know, no, Otto did not kill Jaehaerys in House of the Dragon. According to the book and the series so far, Jaehaerys was grief-stricken by the deaths of his son Baelon and his wife Alysanne. He became extremely ill and bed-ridden, and Otto Hightower became Hand of the King after Baelon died and effectively ruled Westeros in Jaehaerys’ state in those final years.
However, while it doesn’t appear that Otto had a hand in killing Jaehaerys himself, this does also beg the question of his involvement in the death of Baelon Targaryen.
Did Otto Kill Baelon?
Unfortunately, there’s no cut-and-dried answer here. There’s no evidence in the book or the series thus far that suggests that Otto actually had anything to do with Baelon’s death. Based on his actions in House of the Dragon, however, we can speculate.
After the death of Aemma, Otto wastes no time in asking his daughter Alicent to comfort Viserys in his grief. This is the first step in his ploy to get Viserys to see Alicent as a potential marriage partner, and even results in Viserys eventually marrying her because he had taken a liking to her and wanted to avoid marrying a minor.
Otto wastes no time in pressing his advantage, and from everything we know about him so far, he certainly doesn’t seem like a man who would take drastic action and go so far as to kill a member of royalty or do anything that could incriminate him. It’s more likely that he saw an opportunity in Baelon’s death, and used that time to get close to Jaehaerys, become Hand of the King, and rise to power that way.
That’s all you need to know about whether Otto Hightower killed Jaehaerys or Baelon in House of the Dragon. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more news and information on the series, including whether Rhaenyra eventually gets married, and who Daemon’s wife is.
