One HotD Character Just Vanished From The Season 2 Cast
So far, there has been no word on his whereabouts.
The first season of House of the Dragon ended on an intimidating cliffhanger and fans will not be able to see further developments in the near future.
However, filming has already begun, which is good news, but at the same time it turns out that the most noble participant in the palace intrigues and the emerging enmity between the Greens and the Blacks, Ser Harrold Westerling, is missing from the cast list.
Ser Harold Westerling is Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. In the book, however, the character died before the events described in the last episodes of the show.
In the series, he is not only alive and well, but left the Kingsguard after the Greens' attempt to put Aegon Targaryen on the throne after Viserys' death and Otto Hightower's order to go to Dragonstone to kill Rhaenyra.
This was the last time the viewers saw the character on screen.
Ser Harrold is certainly not one of the main characters of House of the Dragon, and if he is dropped from the series for any reason, his absence may go almost unnoticed.
However, with shows like House of the Dragon, actors and characters don't just disappear, especially since HBO CEO Casey Bloys said the showrunners' top priority is a quality script that adapts George R.R. Martin's original book, so the creative team won't rush production.
Ser Harrold's absence from the second season can be explained by the fact that he was sent on a mission away from the palace intrigues.
Presumably, it is something that only person who Rhaenyra trusts one hundred percent could do. Since Westeling has proven his unwavering loyalty to the Targaryens he is an obvious choice.
Also, according to the actor who plays Harrold, Graham McTavish, his character is literally the personification of honor and is willing to do anything for his queen.
"Harrold's entire life had been about his devotion to that family, and really in particular to Rhaenyra. […] this is somebody that they've [Targaryens] entirely relied upon, who never questioned anything," the actor said in his interview with TVLine.
Since the character is dead before the Dance of the Dragons in the original book, we can't glean anything from it that would tell us about the fate of Ser Harrold Westerling.
All we can do is wait for the release of the second season of House of Dragons, which is expected to be aired in the summer of 2024.