House of the Dragon season 2 has furthered one character’s arc into becoming the show’s version of Littlefinger, with one genius detail solidifying their conniving ways. As of House of the Dragon season 2 episode 3’s ending, the pieces of the board have been set. The Greens and the Blacks have been slowly building towards the climactic civil war, despite Rhaenyra Targaryen’s best efforts to avoid such an outcome. The episode ended with a fantastic scene between Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower – played by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke in House of the Dragon‘s cast – that all but confirmed war.

Where Alicent is concerned, much of her story in House of the Dragon season 2 has centered around her struggle to influence the Small Council. King Aegon and Aemond, her sons, are increasingly bloodthirsty, while Alicent’s relationship with Criston Cole is proving detrimental to the newly-appointed Hand of the King. As such, Alicent has been shown to rely on one specific character in House of the Dragon to help forward her plans. This character is House of the Dragon‘s version of Littlefinger from Game of Thrones, with one subtle detail pushing their scheming nature to the fore.

How Larys Strong Is House Of The Dragon’s Version Of Littlefinger

The Master Of Whisperers Shares Similarities With One Of Game Of Thrones’ Biggest Villains

The character in question is, of course, Larys Strong. Since his introduction in House of the Dragon season 1, I have often been invested in Larys’ scenes, primarily due to his conniving nature. More so than most other characters in House of the Dragon, Larys works from behind the scenes and manipulates events to his advantage, exactly as Littlefinger used to do in Game of Thrones. Much like Larys, Littlefinger was a character I enjoyed watching more than most others for this reason, despite the character being an admittedly awful person.

In House of the Dragon, Larys does what Littlefinger did in Game of Thrones. He often worms his way into situations, sinking his claws unsuspectingly into people who could help him grow in power. He did so with Alicent and has since reaped the rewards without much attention at all, something that Littlefinger was an expert at. Larys is able to manipulate situations that increase his social status without making enemies of anyone directly, which Littlefinger also did in Game of Thrones unless he was sure of a positive outcome when making enemies known, like with Ned Stark, for example.

How Larys Strong Stands With Aegon & Alicent Is A Great Detail

Larys’ Body Language Is A Nuanced, Perfect Detail From Actor Matthew Needham

Aside from how much I enjoy watching Larys’ scenes for the scheming and intrigue, Matthew Needham nails his performance. Not only does he perform all scenes well and have good chemistry with those around him, but the subtle details in his body language are excellent. In House of the Dragon season 2, these subtle details have become clearer. When talking with Alicent, Larys stands taller and more confidently, almost as if he is proving he has power over her now.

Given that Alicent has often been shown to need Larys to accomplish various things, he can exert his power more openly around Alicent. This is certainly a dark detail, but one that is perfectly conveyed by his posture when around Alicent. In contrast, Larys’ scenes with Aegon II Targaryen prove he does not quite have that same level of influence over the king just yet. Needham gives Larys a hunch, making him smaller, weaker, and thus, less powerful in front of Aegon.

In acting smaller and more feeble around Aegon, Larys is manipulating as he always does. He is subconsciously telling Aegon that he is less powerful than the king, slowly building his trust as a result. This was how Larys first acted around Alicent before building up his power over her by making her need him and having secrets about her. Larys is likely planning to do the same to Aegon, as was shown by his manipulation of the king that led to Otto Hightower being replaced as Hand of the King.

What Is Larys Strong Really Up To In House Of The Dragon?

Larys’ True Motivations Connect Him To Littlefinger Even More So

When concerning Larys’ true intentions, they are relatively simple. At the end of the day, Larys simply wants power. Like everyone else in the Game of Thrones universe, power is everything. This was proven in House of the Dragon season 1 when he orchestrated the deaths of his father and brother. Not only did that allow his manipulation skills to increase as it gave Alicent something she wanted by reinstating Otto as Hand of the King, but it just so happened to make him the Lord of Harrenhal in the process.

As Littlefinger once said in Game of Thrones, power is a ladder. Larys, like many others in Westeros, is trying to climb this ladder. Instead of doing it through battles, feats of strength, or heroic sacrifices, he is taking the route of subterfuge. By worming his way into the trust of powerful people, Larys is rising up the ladder with minimal work on his own part. This makes him one of the more compelling characters of House of the Dragon, and undoubtedly one who will continue to shape the events of the series going forward.