Hugh Hammer, who was one of the Two Betrayers, betrayed Rhaenyra out of greed and because he believed that he could be king.
House of the Dragon season one was considered a slow burn in terms of the action that took place during the season, which is understandable as season one was aimed at laying the groundwork for the events of the Targaryen civil war in Dance of the Dragons.
One antagonistic character which was introduced in the books and that has yet to feature in the series is Hugh Hammer or Hard Hugh.
In House of the Dragon, Hugh Hammer is an antagonist as he will betray Rhaenyra and The Blacks as he becomes power hungry and joins The Greens in the belief that he would be king.
Who is Hugh Hammer?
In George R.R Martins’ novel, Fire and Blood, Hugh Hammer is a large and tall figure who was said to be so powerful that he could bend steel with his bare hands.
His character’s introduction comes when Rhaenyra and The Blacks are looking for dragonriders to ride the dragons that do not have riders, called dragonseeds.
This is because there are bastards in Dragonstone who carry Targaryen blood and who were afforded the chance to try and bond with one of the dragons who have no riders.
Hugh Hammer bonded with the Old King Jaehaerys I, Rhaenyra’s great-grandfather’s dragon, Vermithor.
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House of the Dragon: Why did Hugh Hammer betray Rhaenyra?
In Fire and Blood, after claiming Vermithor, Hugh Hammer first participates in the Battle in the Gullet.
Following his victory and with his newfound prominence among The Blacks, Hugh Hard earned the name Hugh Hammer and was subsequently knighted by Queen Rhaenyra.
But this was the beginning of the problem, as Hugh Hammer let his success get to his head as he started to quarrel with other members of The Blacks.
However, this did not stop Hugh Hammer and his fellow dragonseed, Ulf White, from defending the town against The Greens when they were sent to Tumbleton to do so.
During what is now known as the First Battle of Tumbleton, Hugh and Ulf would defect to The Greens, betraying Rhaenyra.
The betrayal was the beginning of Rhaenyra’s paranoia about the possibility of being betrayed by dragonseeds.
As Nettles, who bonded with Sheepstealer, also went on to have an affair with Daemon, who helped her escape after Rhaenyra called for her to be killed when she learned about their affair.
For this reason, Hugh and White, as the first defectors, became known as the Two Betrayers. Upon defecting to The Greens, Hugh believed that he could be king.
So he began to wear a crown of black iron and referred to himself as Lord Hammer. But eventually, he also got into quarrels with The Greens and was subsequently killed by members of The Greens.
Who is Hugh Hammer in House of the Dragon?
Seeing as the first season of House of the Dragon was focused on establishing the sequence of events that led to the three year Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, it has not featured characters who are introduced as a result of civil war in Fire and Blood.
Therefore, Hugh Hammer’s character has not been introduced in the series adaptation of Fire and Blood, but the season finale might have teased his appearance as Daemon was seen waking Vermithor up to prepare the dragon to get its new rider.
Will Hugh Hammer be in House of the Dragon season 2?
It is currently unknown whether season two of House of the Dragon will feature a character like Hugh Hammer or not.
This is as the series has showcased in its first season that it will not necessarily stay true to the precise events in the original source material.
As such, in the season finale Daemon was waking up Vermithor by singing, in preparation for a new rider. In the series, the scene quickly cuts to Rhaena, who does not have a dragon to ride yet.
This could be suggesting that Rhaena may bond with Vermithor, which means that the series would not need to introduce an actor to play Hugh Hammer.
When is House of the Dragon season 2 coming?
A second season of House of the Dragon was confirmed early after the first episode of the epic sci-fi drama series premiered with its record-breaking 10 million live viewers.
It is reported that filming for the new season will begin in early 2023 and that the new season is slated for late 2023 or early 2024. This is as season one was shot in spring 2021 before it arrived on our screens in the summer of 2022.