Hugh the Blacksmith ends up playing a huge role in House of the Dragon Season 2 — but who is this man that turns out to be oh-so-important?
House of the Dragon Season 2 is now over, and there’s been plenty of new faces to keep track of. There’s Blood and Cheese, Aryn of Hull, and of course, Hugh the Blacksmith. After asking King Aegon for advance payment for iron costs amid the oncoming war, he comes back several times throughout the show, and will continue to do so in Season 3.
His scenes are seemingly unimportant at first, but Hugh ends up being a fighter in the Targaryen Civil War, and has bloodline ties to one of the most controversial Targaryens.
Here’s everything you need to know about Hugh, with spoilers for the book (and potentially the show) ahead.
Who is Hugh Hammer?
Hugh the Blacksmith is actually Hugh Hammer, a “dragonseed” who becomes a dragonrider in Dance of the Dragons.
In the TV show, he’s played by Kieran Bew. He’s also known as Hugh the Hammer, Hard Hugh, and The Betrayer.
“A dragonseed” as they are known are bastard children of Valyrian descent. There’s plenty of them running around Westeros, and Hugh is one of them in the books. As such, he has dragonriding blood, and in Dance of the Dragons he rides Vermithor, the dragon of the late King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
Hugh Hammer in the books explained
When Prince Jacaerys Velaryon called for dragonriders, Hugh ends up fighting for Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Battle of the Gullet.
Down the line, he’s granted a knighthood by Rhaenyra, alongside Ulf the White (stay tuned for him!).
While Hugh and Ulf continue to aid Team Black for some time, Hugh finds himself with desires for the throne, which eventually leads to conflicts within the Targaryen ranks.
Without spoiling too much, let’s just say that Hugh is worth keeping an eye on as the battle for the Iron Throne continues to grow more fearsome.
Hugh Hammer in House of the Dragons explained
Hugh first shows up in Season 2 Episode 1 during court with King Aaegon II, where he asks for financial aid amid the rising cost of iron.
While the blacksmiths have been building scorpions to protect King’s Landing from dragons, iron costs have increased. Hugh asks Aegon to pay them in advance so that the workers can have some financial relief.
Aegon initially seems pretty willing to help the smallfolk where he can, but he’s hindered by Otto Hightower. Though Aegon made a promise to pay the blacksmiths early, this naturally gets delayed after the murder of his infant son Jaehaerys in Season 2 Episode 1.
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In Episode 2, we meet his wife and sick daughter. His wife explains that King’s Landing is lacking food and supplies and that the people are hoarding what they can. Hugh assures her that the king promised to help, though she seems skeptical.
In Episode 5, they attempt to leave King’s Landing, though Aemond (who is serving as prince regent) has ordered the borders to be closed. As such, they’re stuck in the city with the rest of the residents.
In the same episode, Rhaenyra and Jace make a plot to track down the dragonseeds and train them to ride for their side.
Then, in Episode 7, everything changes for Hugh. Word reaches King’s Landing that Rhaenyra is searching for bastards with Targaryen bloodlines. Being one of them, Hugh takes off to Dragonstone and makes his bid to claim a dragon. He’s successful, and ends up riding Vermithor, the second-largest dragon of the bunch.
Episode 8, the season finale, didn’t focus on Hugh so much despite him now being a key player for the Blacks. Mostly, he’s seen trying to keep the unwieldy Ulf under control as not to offend the royal family. Rhaenyra assures them that when she takes back the throne, she will give the bastards knighthoods.
During the Season 2 ending montage, Hugh can be seen gearing up and getting suited with armour, preparing for the battles to come in House of the Dragon Season 3. Basically, expect to see a lot more of Hugh as the show progresses.
Who are Hugh’s parents?
Hugh’s father was a blacksmith, and his mother was Princess Saera Targaryen, the daughter of King Jaehaerys I.
There’s a lot to be said about Saera Targaryen, and we’ve got everything you need to know about her in our guide. However, in a nutshell, she was ran away from her family and lived as a prostitute, and later, a brothel owner.
She was exiled from her family due to her father’s heartbreak, though she went on to become a wealthy and successful woman in her own right. She had multiple sons by different fathers, but Hugh would later go on to fight in the Dance of the Dragons. (He reveals his mother’s identity to his wife in Episode 7.)
There’s a bit of poetic justice here, since Vermithor used to be his grandfather’s dragon. Jaehaerys I rode the dragon before him, and after his death, the dragon sat waiting.
It’s because of Hugh’s mother that he has dragonriding blood and is able to participate in the ongoing war.
For more explainers, take a look at our guides to Alyrie Florent and Cregan Stark. You can also find out when the new episode of House of the Dragon is out, and find out what we thought of the season so far with our House of the Dragon Season 2 review.
We’ve also got a guide breaking down all the House of the Dragon filming locations. And, while you wait for the new season, here are the 5 TV shows just like House of the Dragon to watch.
