Who Plays Gwayne Hightower in HOTD Season 2?

Gwayne made his debut as a knight in the king’s tournament in the first episode of “HotD,” where he was picked to joust against Prince Daemon, played by Matt Smith. Although we don’t see much of Gwayne’s face, we certainly see him getting knocked off his horse and landing face-first in the mud. It’s not the knight’s finest hour, but he survives to tell the tale.

This scene is easy to forget because it focuses less on Gwayne and more on foreshadowing the future divisions between the Hightowers and the Targaryens. While young Rhaenyra and Alicent appear friendly and supportive of each other during the match, an underlying tension exists. Rhaenyra is cheering for her uncle, Daemon, while Alicent is rooting for her brother, Gwayne. To make matters worse, Daemon shows a blatant disregard for his opponents’ safety, heightening the animosity.

The most memorable moment of the scene comes when Daemon asks Alicent for her blessing after unhorsing Gwayne. Although Alicent clearly dislikes Daemon, she plays nice and offers him flowers. Otto, her father, seems disappointed by her gesture, and Alicent realizes she has let him down. While Alicent and Rhaenyra’s friendship would eventually turn into enmity, the seeds of their rivalry are already visible here.