House of the Dragon Showrunner Reveals Who Should Win the Iron Throne

House of the Dragon co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal believes Alicent Hightower, portrayed by Olivia Cooke, should rule Westeros after the Dance of the Dragons. Condal stated that Alicent has the necessary experience and training to make the right choices as ruler. He noted that Alicent has seen a wide range of power dynamics and has even managed to let go of vindictiveness, unlike some others who double down on it.

Lord Corlys Velaryon, portrayed by Steve Toussaint, is Condal's second choice for leadership, joking that he picked a ruler "that wasn't blonde." Condal recently discussed the show's ending, revealing that Rhaenyra Targaryen is torn between two paths: ruling as a woman during war while remaining true to her father's philosophy, or adopting a more authoritarian approach to consolidate power.

The season's irony lies in Aegon II's character evolution as he moves away from the throne, while Rhaenyra in close proximity to it becomes corrupted by the Iron Throne.