Through the political machinations of Lady Alicent and her father, Ser Otto (the Hand of the King), King Viserys’ I death marked the beginning of one of the bloodiest civil wars in Westerosi history. And when Lady Alicent gave birth to four children, three sons, and one daughter, well… Having declared his only child, Queen Rhaenyra, as his heir, it was only a matter of time before enmity developed between daughter and step-mother. When Lady Alicent Hightower married King Viserys I Targaryen, she drew her family into a powder keg over a generation in the making. Look no further than the Dance of Dragons. Commanding the Hightower, the wealth of Oldtown, hosting the Citadel, and the Starry Sept are impressive enough, but this doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the political powerful this family can wield. An ancient house, not only do they command the second largest city in Westeros (Oldtown), but they’re also the most powerful bannermen in the Reach under the Tyrells. There cannot be a list of powerful secondary houses in Westeros without the Hightowers. The following houses have either shaped historical events or have significantly impacted the current events of Westeros. While much talk is made of the “great houses” and their histories and current circumstances, we want instead to take a closer look at some of the most famous secondary houses. Let’s just take a bit of time to dive into that last bit and refresh ourselves on one small aspect of what makes Westeros great: the houses. But hey, that’s right…remember those books? The ones that we tend to enjoy a whole lot with its complex characters, thought-provoking messaging, and thorough world-building? For this reason, we’re adamant about #StoppingTheConflation between the show and the books it’s “based on,” George R.R. Around here we’re not shy about laying into the Emmy-winning series Game of Thrones, especially as it’s now reaching the point of self-parody.

Most powerful houses in westeros