Like Game of Thrones before it, House of the Dragon has a sprawling cast of characters who each have their own schemes, motivations, and reasons for getting involved in the dangerous political turmoil of the Seven Kingdoms. The prequel series has been introducing even more character to the fold in its third season, such Ormund Hightower (James Norton) and Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan), but in its second episode, House of the Dragon added yet another important face who's already shifted the balance of power: Ser Luthor Largent, the commander of the City Watch in King's Landing.
Luthor is a veteran member of the gold cloaks who has served for 20 years and was given his cloak by Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) himself, the man who formed the City Watch into the force it would be for the next 200 years until Thrones. That means he served under King Viserys (Paddy Considine), when he was the captain of one of King's Landing's seven gates. Despite keeping the watch coordinated for the Greens, by the end of "Queen's Landing" we find that Luthor's true loyalty is to Daemon and Daemon alone. Because of that longstanding bond between the two men, he's quick to turn sides and support Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) claim to the throne, which gives her the boost she needs to successfully seize it.
We'll see much more of Ser Luthor in the weeks to come, but for now it's worth reading up a bit about who this guard captain is and how he came to power.
How did Luthor Largent become commander of the City Watch?
While House of the Dragon hasn't yet explained Luthor's backstory, George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood does tell us quite a bit about him. In the book, Luthor is a lowborn knight who served during King Viserys' reign as a captain of the gold cloaks. After the Green Council's hostile takeover, Luthor is elevated to the position of commander, on account of being the most brutal and fearsome option at hand. But even then, there was a level of distrust. Otto Hightower assigned his son Gwayne to serve as Luthor's second-in-command, the better to make sure he stayed loyal.
That doesn't work out well for Gwayne, who Luthor murders during the Fall of King's Landing. Obviously, show Gwayne will have a much different fate.
Following Rhaenyra's move to take the city, Luthor goes on serving as commander of the City Watch, fighting to quell unrest as the Black Queen's reign grows less and less popular. Whether his efforts bear fruit, well, that is a story beyond the purview of this piece.
Who plays Luthor Largent in House of the Dragon?
In House of the Dragon season 3, Luthor Largent is played by Tom Cullen. Cullen is a Welsh actor and director who has appeared in series like Downton Abbey, KnightFall, The Gold, Mudtown, and as a guest star in the first season of Black Mirror. While he is a newcomer to Westeros, expect Cullen and Luthor to have a substantial presence in season 3, and possibly even season 4.
See more of Tom Cullen as Ser Luthor Largent when House of the Dragon premieres the rest of its third season. New episodes air Sundays on HBO and HBO Max. Want to dig deeper into the show's cast of characters? We've got you covered.
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