James Norton explains Ormund’s “very binary way of thinking” on House of the Dragon

Quick read

• Ormund is portrayed as a zealot obsessed with Hightower history.
• He believes Targaryen blood is “tainted” and views dragonriders as savages.
• Norton calls Ormund’s worldview “fascistic” and “almost like eugenics.”

A zealot’s worldview

Norton explains that Ormund sees the Hightowers as destined to rule, dismissing the Targaryens as unworthy of the Iron Throne. “The way to describe him is like a zealot or religious [fanaticism],” Norton says in an interview with TV Insider. “He’s sort of fascistic in his view of the superiority of the Hightowers. It’s almost like eugenics. He says to Daeron, ‘Your blood is tainted.’ He sees the Targaryens, the dragons, and their riders as savages and that it is a crime to the Iron Throne that they should be sitting there.”

Binary thinking and Daeron’s struggle

Despite Daeron embodying both Hightower and Targaryen bloodlines, Ormund refuses to acknowledge complexity. Norton explains: “He has a very binary way of thinking. There’s no nuance in the conversation, which is also why his relationship with Daeron is so interesting, because the ‘savage’ and the Hightower coexist in this one boy… but he doesn’t. He’s just like, ‘That part of you is tainted. That part of you is savage. We just ignore it.’”

This rigid mindset creates a disturbing dynamic where Ormund both loves and abuses Daeron, reinforcing his authority while denying the boy’s full identity. Norton likens it to Stockholm Syndrome, a relationship built on twisted affection and control.