Olivia Cooke has given fans a clear picture of where Alicent Hightower stands at the beginning of House of the Dragon Season 3, and it’s not where many expected. In a new interview with CBR, Cooke revealed that Alicent’s primary concern is no longer her rivalry with Rhaenyra, but simply staying alive.
Quick read:
- Alicent Hightower is only focused on survival
- She wants to keep herself and her daughter safe from everything
- She’s not really bothered with what happens with Rhaenyra
Survival mode
According to Cooke, Alicent is operating in full survival mode as the season begins:
“I don’t know if Alicent’s cognizant of where she stands with Rhaenyra. I don’t think that’s her priority. I think, in lieu of fixing the wrongs that she has done within the kingdom, she’s focused on survival — preparing the Red Keep for as safe a transition of power as possible and getting herself and [her daughter] Helaena out of harm’s way. That’s exactly where I think she is in the first two episodes. But she keeps being waylaid and interrupted in some of the worst ways possible.”
This marks a significant shift for Alicent, who spent previous seasons driven by ambition, faith, and her desire to protect her family’s claim to the throne. Now, with the war escalating, her focus has narrowed to protection and self-preservation.
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Credit: HBO
The weight of her choices
Cooke also touched on the heavy emotional toll of Alicent’s decisions, particularly her offer to sacrifice her son Aegon:
“Alicent has weighed up all the offers she could have made Rhaenyra, and I think she tried to give offers that had lesser personal stakes. But she knew she had to offer Aegon’s head because that was the only way people would transfer their loyalty to Rhaenyra. I think she had a lot of time — a very long horse ride back to Westeros to contemplate what she’d done.”
This long period of reflection appears to have left Alicent deeply changed. Rather than continuing her power plays, she is now desperately trying to safeguard what remains of her family, especially Helaena, as King’s Landing faces growing threats.
Olivia Cooke’s comments suggest that early Season 3 will show a more vulnerable, pragmatic, and isolated Alicent. Her focus on preparing the Red Keep and securing an escape route for herself and Helaena hints at major tension and high-stakes scenes ahead. As fans had seen her demanding freedom one-on-one from Rhaenyra in Season 2, she’d now be seen taking that path.
