Chronicling the bloody civil war between the Targaryen family that came to be known as "The Dance of the Dragons", House of the Dragon has been a veritable triumph for HBO since debuting in 2022. The show has been acclaimed as a worthy successor to the global phenomenon that was Game of Thrones, demonstrating legitimate potential to rival or even surpass Benioff and Weiss' offering.

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Much like its predecessor, House of the Dragon's compelling cast features a plethora of the most ruthless individuals that television has to offer. From Machiavellian politicians to brutally unforgiving warriors, HBO's latest foray into Westeros has introduced fans to an array of cold-blooded new faces who would give the cast of the original show a run for their money.

8 Craghas Drahar

The Crab Feeder

People don't get nicknames like the "Crab Feeder" without possessing a ruthless streak a mile wide, and Craghas Drahar was no exception in his brief time on House of the Dragon. A high-ranking member of the Triarchy, Drahar burst onto the scene in Season 1 after his forces captured and blockaded the Stepstones.

Before Daemon Targaryen chopped him in half, the Crab Feeder's fearsome reputation came about as a result of the practice that earned him his moniker. Drahar delighted in staking his captured foes to beaches at low tide, leaving them to be eaten alive in the most excruciating manner imaginable. Underlining his utterly pitiless nature, the Myrish admiral could even be seen speeding up the process in "Second of His Name", gleefully piling crabs onto a screaming captive.

7 Blood and Cheese

Prince Jaehaerys' Killers

It takes a special kind of abhorrent individual to make a mother choose which of their children should die. Callous assassins Blood and Cheese may have only just made their live-action bow in Season 2's debut episode "A Son for a Son", but the pair have wasted no time in establishing themselves as two of the most barbarous George R.R. Martin characters ever seen onscreen.

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A guard in the City Watch and a rat-catcher respectively, Blood and Cheese are tasked by Daemon Targaryen with murdering Aemond in revenge for Lucerys' death. When they are unable to locate the Prince, the duo demonstrate their shocking capacity for cruelty in short order. The killers break into Helaena's chambers, murdering and beheading the young Prince Jaehaerys in his crib after forcing his mother to identify which of her children is her son.

6 Rhaenyra Targaryen

The Black Queen

The would-be ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, it has only taken one episode of House of the Dragon's second season to highlight that Rhaenyra Targaryen will be one of the show's most unforgiving faces moving forward. "The Realm's Delight" has always been relentless in the pursuit of her goals, but her episodes of moral ambiguity and unyielding ambition pale in comparison to the vengeful mother that viewers are now faced with.

While Rhaenyra initially sought a peaceful solution to the bitter conflict over the Iron Throne, the callous murder of her son means that she is now entirely devoid of mercy for her enemies. Underlining their character's implacable desire for revenge, Emma D'Arcy's charge now has no time for battle plans or strategy. Rhaenyra speaks following Lucerys' heartbreaking death only to make one demand: "I want Aemond Targaryen."

5 Alicent Hightower

The Dowager Queen

While she pales in comparison to her father, Alicent Hightower is undoubtedly one of House of the Dragon's most ruthless characters. Look no further than her disturbing antics in "Driftmark"; after Aemond is blinded by Lucerys during a brawl, an enraged Alicent seizes a dagger to remove Rhaenyra's son's eye as recompense.

Much like Otto, Alicent is terrifyingly ambitious. She is perfectly aware of her son Aegon's detestable nature but is unyielding in her desire to see him on the throne despite the ramifications this could have for the Seven Kingdoms. Her implacable pursuit of furthering House Hightower's legacy is further evident in willfully misinterpreting Viserys' last words, setting off a chain of events that leads to civil war.

4 Aemond Targaryen

Prince One-Eye

It speaks volumes to the personality of the fearsome dragon-rider Aemond Targaryen in Fire and Blood that Ewan Mitchell's take on the character has yet to demonstrate his full capacity for cruelty in House of the Dragon. Considering that fans have already seen Aemond demand that his nephew remove his own eye before causing the young boy's death, this is a particularly jarring notion.

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More ominously still, Aemond has seemingly doubled down on what was already a pitiless disposition in the show's return. While the accidental nature of Lucerys' death may have led some fans to expect a remorseful version of Aemond in Season 2, the Prince has yet to exhibit a single sign of regret for his nephew's death while actively encouraging a full-blown civil war.

3 Otto Hightower

The Hand of the King

Expletives aside, Daemon Targaryen summed up Otto Hightower's character perfectly in House of the Dragon's first episode; "a second son who stands to inherit nothing he doesn't seize for himself". Rhys Ifans' calculating take on the Hand of the King is utterly relentless in advancing his family's agenda, seemingly willing to stoop to any low in order to ensure the legacy of House Hightower.

Lurking in the shadows for the majority of Viserys' reign, the true extent of Otto's Machiavellian nature unmasks itself immediately after the King's death. The Hand is implacable in his attempts to ensure Aegon's succession, swiftly disposing of any nobles who oppose the new King. Hell, Otto is only swayed from his plans to have Rhaenyra and her family murdered by Alicent's intervention.

2 Larys Strong

The Lord Confessor

A dangerous master manipulator of the highest order, there are few characters on House of the Dragon who can rival Larys Strong in terms of sheer ruthlessness. The "Clubfoot" wasted little time in underlining his merciless credentials with his antics in Season 1's "The Princess and the Queen".

Attempting to clear a path for Otto Hightower to return as Hand of the King, Larys arranged for his father and brother to be burned alive in their own home. Furthermore, he used desperate criminals to carry out the mission, cutting out the assassins' tongues to ensure their silence. Arguably the most shocking aspect of Larys' kin-slaying is the fact that he didn't even need to be prompted to order his family's murders. An opportunity to advance his own agenda presented itself, and he fell upon it like a pack of wolves on an injured deer.

1 Daemon Targaryen

The Rogue Prince

As compellingly enigmatic as he is brutally unforgiving, Daemon Targaryen is undoubtedly House of the Dragon's most ruthless character. While the unpredictable nature of Matt Smith's mercurial anti-hero means that viewers are never quite sure what Daemon might do next, the only constant that can be expected from the Rogue Prince is an utter lack of mercy for anyone foolish enough to stand in his way.

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Whether he is sending assassins into the Red Keep, caving in his late wife's skull to obtain her inheritance, or decapitating Vaemond Velaryon for calling Rhaenyra's children illegitimate, the former King of the Narrow Sea is as merciless as they come. Daemon's impetuous personality, combined with his unrivaled penchant for violence, means that he is arguably the worst character in House of the Dragon to make an enemy of.

House of the Dragon

Action

Adventure

Drama

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Cast

Paddy Considine , Matt Smith , Emma D'Arcy , Rhys Ifans , Steve Toussaint , Eve Best , Sonoya Mizuno

Creator

Ryan Condal