‘House of the Dragon’ Showrunner Explains Why Ser Hugh Is Just as Much a Traitor as Ulf

‘House of the Dragon‘ closed out its third season last week with one of the bloodiest chapters yet, as Rhaenyra’s forces stormed Tumbleton to take back the town from Ormund Hightower. The battle left several major characters dead, reshaped the balance of power between the Greens and the Blacks, and set the stage for what showrunner Ryan Condal has confirmed will be the series’ final season, closing out a story that began with the death of King Viserys.

Amid all that carnage, one of the finale’s most talked-about moments involved a stunning betrayal from Ulf, a dragonseed who turned on both sides of the war during the height of the Battle of Tumbleton. That twist left fans wondering whether a second dragonseed, Ser Hugh, might follow a similar path in George R.R. Martin’s source material, especially after his wife became a casualty of the same battle.

Condal addressed that exact question directly in an exclusive interview with Collider, making the case that Hugh’s own conduct throughout the season already amounts to a betrayal in its own right. He told Collider that Hugh effectively betrayed Rhaenyra by disobeying her orders, abandoning his post in King’s Landing, showing up uninvited to the battle, parking his dragon, and refusing to provide aid once everything fell apart. While Ulf’s betrayal was felt more acutely because of its direct consequences, Condal made clear Hugh’s own treason shouldn’t be discounted.

Condal went further, arguing that Hugh’s more outwardly honorable demeanor compared to Ulf masks a similarly self-interested core. He explained that Hugh only ever seemed honorable on the surface, since the character has consistently acted out of pure self-interest, never having a real stake in the war or Rhaenyra’s claim beyond whatever suited his own ambitions. With his wife now dead as a casualty of the Battle of Tumbleton, one of the only two things Hugh genuinely cared about is gone.

Condal also discussed how the show reworked Ulf’s arc from the source material into what he called a clever twist on utilizing that particular storyline in a more realistic way. That reshaping allowed Ulf’s betrayal of both the Greens and the Blacks to land as a genuine gut-punch for viewers, directly contributing to Ormund Hightower’s death during the battle.

Ormund’s death itself was always intended as a one-season arc for actor James Norton, according to Condal, who said the character’s damage to Rhaenyra and Daemon’s cause, combined with the boost it gave the Greens, made for a satisfying conclusion. Condal indicated Ormund’s role effectively passes the villain torch to his nephews, Aegon and Aemond, heading into the final season.

Beyond the Hugh and Ulf storylines, Condal also touched on Rhaenyra’s evolving relationship with Daemon, noting that she has now fully aligned herself with his more aggressive philosophy after realizing compromise alone wouldn’t be enough to secure her claim uncontested. That shift has pushed Rhaenyra toward the more ruthless reputation she carries in Targaryen history as “Rhaenyra the Cruel,” a title the show has been steadily building toward across its previous seasons.

With Season 4 confirmed as the show’s final chapter, Condal made clear during the same interview that he considers his work exploring the Targaryen dynasty essentially finished after this next season, indicating he’s said all he has left to say about dragons, Targaryens, and thrones.

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