WARNING! This article contains MAJOR spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 5 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based.
Summary
A smith named Hugh petitioned King Aegon II Targaryen inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 1, but that moment in court was just the beginning of his massive story in the Dance of the Dragons. After spending season 1 focusing on the complex succession and escalating feud of King Viserys I Targaryen’s heirs, several importantnew characters inHouse of the Dragonseason 2are being introduced as the onset of war looms over both Targaryen factions. Consequently, like with the perhaps seemingly one-off introduction of Hugh, it’simportant not to discount the small appearances of any new character this season.
As the Blacks and Greens were still reeling in the aftermath ofHouse of the Dragonseason 1’s tragic ending, Aegon took up his duties on the Iron Throne, which included hearing the petitions of the smallfolk. One of these petitioners is asmith named Hugh (Kieran Bew), who asks Aegon for an advance on the crown’s coin in order to pay for increased iron costs. Aegon agrees as he acknowledges the need for the smiths’ swords and weapons in the upcoming war, with Hugh thanking him before departing. Hugh has continued to appear on the show, with his scenes teasing a bigger role for the character than he had inGeorge R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood.
Hugh’s King’s Landing Story Sets Up A Bigger Role
Hugh has been the face of the smallfolk in House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragonseason 2 has given a lot of attention to Hugh, arguably more thanFire & Blooddid. While Rhaenyra has yet to enlist the “dragonseeds” into her army, the show has featured Hugh in several scenes, most of which showcase the suffering the smallfolk of King’s Landing are going through.Hugh has been a point-of-view character for the viewers in King’s Landing alongside his wife and daughter, which suggests he will have a bigger role inHouse of the Dragoncompared to hisFire & Bloodcounterpart.
Hugh and his family are among the countless people in King’s Landing struggling during a time of war. All seasons ofGame of Thrones, and theASOIAFuniverse as a whole, have shown that those who suffer the most during the war are not the kings or the lords but rather the common folk.Aemond Targaryen will rule in the absence of Aegonnow that the king is injured, and one of the regent’s first actions was to close the gates of King’s Landing. Hugh could not leave the city to seek help for his sick daughter.
InFire & Blood, toward the end of the war, a begging brother known as the Shepherd led a riot in King’s Landing against Queen Rhaenyra.
Between the crown not paying Hugh for the services he did and the closing of King’s Landing gates just as he was about to get his family out of the city,Hugh already has plenty of reasons to be against the rulers of Westeros.Interestingly, the trailers forHouse of the Dragonseason 2 have teased riots at King’s Landing. Hugh could be the face of these riots, perhaps serving as a leader to the smallfolk in King’s Landing. This would be a significant deviation from the source material, in which Hugh joints the story as one of Rhaenyra’s dragonriders.
Hugh Is A Dragonseed Who Claims Vermithor In Fire & Blood
Hugh is a bastard with Targaryen blood who becomes a dragonrider.
Perhaps those who haven’t read George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodbook have already suspected that Hugh Hammer will play a deeper role inHouse of the Dragondue to his silver hair.House of the Dragonalready established that there are numerous silver-haired citizens of King’s Landing due to the infidelities of various Targaryen rulers over the past century, such as the subtle introduction ofone of Aegon II Targaryen’s bastard sonsin season 1. This happens to be the case forHugh Hammer, who is the son of a blacksmith with some illegitimate Targaryen ancestry.
The smith Hugh ultimately claims the dragon Vermithor, who was introduced at the end of season 1 as the former dragon of the late King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
This is already coming into play inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, asPrince Jacaerys Velaryon suggested Rhaenyra to call for “dragonseeds,” Targaryen and Velaryon bastards, to attempt to claim the Blacks’ riderless dragonson Dragonstone. Hugh is one of several who takes up this call in the “Sowing of the Seeds" inFire & Bloodand is among the small group of “dragonseeds” who successfully bond with a dragon. The smithHugh ultimately claims the dragon Vermithor, who was introduced at the end of season 1 as the former dragon of the late King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
Nettles
Sheepstealer
Alongside Hugh, the Targaryens’ dragons claimed by the dragonseeds includeLaenor’s dragon Seasmoke by Addam of Hull, Queen Alysanne’s Silverwing by Ulf White, and Sheepstealer by Nettles. However, it’s unclear if the latter-most character will actually be featured inHouse of the Dragon. At the end of the Sowing, two wild dragons remain unclaimed: The Cannibal and Grey Ghost. With Hugh claiming Vermithor, Rhaenyra’s army is given a massive boost of strength ahead of some notoriously bloody battles inFire & Blood.
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Hugh Will Be An Important Part Of Team Black & Team Green In House Of The Dragon
Hugh begins the war on Team Black before defecting to Team Green.
While Hugh Hammer begins his dragonriding fame as a member of Team Black, this won’t always be the case. Hugh becomes an important part of Rhaenyra’s army in theBattle of the Gullet, which takes the lives of two massive Targaryen figures from the Blacks, as well as the First Battle of Tumbleton. Eventually, however, Hugh becomes arrogant with his dragonpower and strength, sohe turns on Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen alongside Ulf White and briefly joins Team Greeninstead. OnceHugh and Vermithor betray Queen Rhaenyra, the Greens’ dragon power is greatly restored after a series of tragedies suffered by Aegon’s Party.
The back of Hugh can be seen inHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s Team Black trailer at one of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen’s council meetings.
After the First Battle of Tumbleton, Hugh and Ulf become known as the Two Betrayers, according toFire & Blood. While serving under King Aegon II Targaryen for the Greens,Hugh makes matters worse by calling himself “Lord Hammer” and declaring his wishes to become king. At the same time, Hugh gains support for his cause due to a prophecy that suggests a new king will emerge when a hammer falls upon a dragon, though this causes a rift in his position with the Greens andAlicent’s son Prince Daeron Targaryen. Unsurprisingly, that’s when Hugh’s importance as a member of either Team Black or Team Green concludes.
What Happens To Hugh In The Dance Of The Dragons
Hugh Hammer doesn’t survive the Dance of the Dragons.
Following Prince Daeron’s confrontation with Hugh about his plans to become king, several members of the Greens’ army conspire to have him and Ulf White killed. However, Seasmoke and his rider Addam Velaryon’s arrival kicks off the Second Battle of Tumbleton and interrupts the Greens’ plans. Still, the Greens decide to go through with their scheme and kill Hugh, leadingSer Jon Roxton to kill Hughwith Orphan-Maker, aValyrian steel sword, while getting ready for the battle.
Who Wins The Dance Of The Dragons? It’s Complicated
In the Dance of the Dragons, Targaryens fought Targaryens in a blood feud that consumed Westeros. But who really won that “game of thrones?”
While Hugh Hammer dies before the end of the Dance of the Dragons, his treachery has an important impact on the paranoia of the Greens and the Blacks. His defection had led to Rhaenyra mistrusting the remaining dragonseeds on her side, with Aegon quickly using the Blacks’ vulnerability tokill Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. Little may be known of his life before joining the Blacks inFire & BloodandHouse of the Dragon, butHugh Hammer ultimately becomes infamous for being one of many eventual bastard Targaryen pretendersto call themselves king.
How Hugh Hammer Is Different In House Of The Dragon Compared To Fire & Blood
Hugh is not a family man from King’s Landing in the book.
Hugh Hammer’s story inHouse of the Dragonhas so far been very different fromFire & Blood. In the book, the character is introduced as a bastard who lives in Dragonstone. He was one of the first “dragonseeds” to be brought into Rhaenyra’s army and quickly proved himself worthy of riding a dragon and fighting for Team Black.In the HBO show, however, Hugh is from King’s Landingand seems to have no connections to Dragonstone. Another important difference is the family storyline, which is not from the book.
The struggles of Hugh’s family, which are happening under Aegon II’s rule, may explain why he accepts joining the war on Rhaenyra’s side.
Hugh does not have a family inFire & Blood, whereas in the show, he has a wife and daughter. Hugh’s family has been an important storyline inHouse of the Dragon, suggesting he will play a different role on the show compared to the source material. The struggles of Hugh’s family, which are happening under Aegon II’s rule, may explain why he accepts joining the war on Rhaenyra’s side. Still, in the show’s version Hugh does not sound as greedy and reckless as his book counterpart. This raises the question of whether he will betray Rhaenyra and join the Greens.
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
