‘House of the Dragon’ Star James Norton Reveals the Truth Behind Ormund’s Brutal Finale

James Norton’s time as Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon has come to a fiery end in House of the Dragon Season 3, and the actor is more than happy with the way his character went out.

Ormund dies during the Battle of Tumbleton after Roddy the Ruin stabs him. Before he can escape, Ulf’s dragon arrives and burns them both alive. The death is different from the one in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, but Norton says the scene was always meant to be big.

“I knew it was going to be a big, delicious death,” Norton told Variety. He also revealed that an earlier version was even more extreme, with Ormund being impaled around 20 times before the team decided it was probably too much.

Filming the scene was a major challenge. Norton said the production spent weeks working on the Tumbleton battle, with the cast going through long and detailed stunt rehearsals. Getting the blood and makeup right was also part of the process.

Norton joked that the blood was applied with a paintbrush and described the final moments as a strange but memorable experience. He also found something unexpectedly intimate about Ormund dying alongside Roddy.

“I loved the odd intimacy it created between Tommy and I — the idea that we die together, and are preserved,” Norton said. He compared the image to old graves where two people are found lying together.

There was also a strong sense of irony in Ormund being killed by Ulf’s dragon. Ormund spent much of the season looking down on Ulf, seeing him as an unworthy commoner. Norton believes that made the death even more satisfying.

According to Norton, Ormund’s hatred of the Targaryens was tied to his belief that the Hightowers were superior. Ulf, meanwhile, was someone almost everyone underestimated. Seeing someone Ormund considered beneath him become the reason for his death gave the moment another layer.

But Ormund’s relationship with Daeron was very different.

Earlier in the finale, Ormund knights Daeron. Soon after, Daeron turns against him. The two never get a final conversation, but Norton believes Ormund might have respected Daeron’s decision in his own twisted way.

“On some level, Ormund would have probably been proud of Daeron for standing up on his own two feet and making that decision,” he explained. Norton joked that Ormund would probably have beaten Daeron first before having a serious conversation with him.

For Norton, making Ormund’s love for Daeron feel genuine was one of the most important parts of playing the character. Ormund is cruel and dangerous, but his feelings for Daeron were real.

“The key thing throughout Ormund’s journey was to anchor him and make him feel human through his love for Daeron,” Norton said. “However monstrous and villainous he is, cruel and callous and quick to execute the blacksmith — his love for Daeron was real.”

Norton also confirmed that Ormund will not be returning. While he called leaving the show bittersweet, he feels the character’s huge and memorable death was the right ending.

“It’ll be weird when they go back to shoot the next season and I won’t be there,” Norton said. “But I’m so grateful that I got to come in and have this big showy moment and ludicrous memorable death with Tommy. I’m proud of it.”

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!