This article contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 5.
Ormund Hightower has finally laid his cards on the table, and Episode 5 leaves little doubt about the future he wants for Westeros. While Daemon Targaryen spends the hour trying to contain chaos inside King’s Landing, Ormund is shaping a much larger political campaign from afar. His actions now point toward one unmistakable objective: placing Prince Daeron Targaryen on the Iron Throne while systematically weakening Queen Rhaenyra’s authority. By the time the credits roll, both Rhaenyra and Daemon understand that the greatest danger isn’t standing before them with a sword. It has been advancing through strategy, fear, and calculated planning all along.
Quick Read
- Episode 5 confirms Ormund wants Daeron Targaryen to succeed the Iron Throne.
- Daemon realizes Ormund has been orchestrating a much bigger campaign from a distance.
- The deaths of the Gold Cloaks expose how far Ormund will go to dismantle Rhaenyra’s support.
Daemon realizes Ormund has been playing the long game
Credit: HBO
By the closing stretch of Episode 5, Daemon finally understands that the violence spreading across King’s Landing is only one piece of Ormund’s larger design. The revelation arrives after devastating losses, forcing him to recognize that the mastermind behind the campaign is operating well beyond his reach.
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Speaking in HBO’s behind-the-scenes documentary, Matt Smith explained Daemon’s perspective:
“Daemon wants to reclaim his kingdom on behalf of his wife. And so, suddenly, to be confronted with this other element of foe is quite interesting.”
That realization carries an emotional cost because Ormund’s latest moves are deeply personal for Daemon. The Hightower leader begins elevating Daeron’s public image by placing the young prince’s face on newly minted currency, making it obvious whom he considers the rightful future ruler. At the same time, he orders the execution of members of the Gold Cloaks, including Luthor Largent, the commander of the City Watch and one of Daemon’s longtime allies.
Smith also reflected on why those losses hit Daemon so hard.
“They’re his team of people. He’s always had an affinity with the Gold Cloaks. Obviously, he’s been away, but he’s come back. He’s still their sort of commander-in-chief.”
Watching Luthor’s brutal death leaves Daemon speechless because those soldiers represented loyalty that existed long before the civil war consumed the Seven Kingdoms.
Ormund’s Daeron plan traps Rhaenyra from every side
Credit: HBO
Episode 5 also explains why Ormund has remained several steps ahead throughout the conflict. According to showrunner Ryan Condal, Daemon understands who the real enemy is, yet he cannot strike back.
“Daemon is feeling rather impotent, to a degree. He’s able to play whack-a-mole and chase around these sort of faceless villains in the city, but he knows the real villain [Ormund] is 60 leagues away, in a place where he can’t yet reach him.”
Condal added that Ormund’s campaign has been designed to frustrate both Daemon and Rhaenyra.
“Rhaenyra and Daemon don’t know how to wage combat against Ormund, which is exactly the design.”
He continued:
“It’s to make them feel helpless and ineffectual and frustrated, and maybe goad them into making a mistake. His design, at the end of the day, is to make sure that nobody wants to be a Gold Cloak, and people are afraid to mount a defense in Rhaenyra’s name.”
Writer-producer Philippa Goslett believes Ormund’s connection with Daeron adds another fascinating layer to the story.
“Ormund’s relationship with Daeron is a fascinating one. You get the sense that he genuinely does love Daeron, but also needs to be able to control his every move.”
By the end of the episode, Goslett explains why Daeron remains central to Ormund’s ambitions.
“Both Rhaenyra and the audience finally understand Ormund’s true intent. If Aegon and Aemond can’t be found, then he still has Daeron. He’s an incredibly dangerous man, and Ormund will do anything and everything to destabilize Rhaenyra’s reign.”
That shift raises a fascinating question about whether Daeron will embrace the role being prepared for him or eventually challenge the man trying to shape his future. Either way, Westeros feels even more volatile heading into the next chapter.
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