7 House of the Dragon villains ranked from bad to absolutely terrible
3. Alicent Hightower
Oh, Alicent. Talk about complicated characters. Alicent’s villainous ways stem from her childhood and how she was treated by her father, Otto. She grows up best friends with Rhaenyra and watches her get away with everything. Alicent is taught that women exist to produce children and serve their husbands. But Rhaenyra challenges that, and Alicent resents her for it.
I don’t entirely blame Alicent for the bitterness she carries with her. At the end of the day, she still loves Rhaenyra, but after the House of the Dragon season 1 finale, they’ll never be cordial again. I truly sympathize with Alicent and understand why she does things. But she’s so high on this list because she’s on the wrong side. Now that the Dance of the Dragons is officially beginning, I side with Rhaenyra, and I know Alicent will do anything she can to protect her family and keep Aegon on the Iron Throne.
Alicent is one of the most hated characters by fans of House of the Dragon, and while I certainly don’t hate her, you’ve got to keep her on your radar as one of the worst villains moving forward.
2. Criston Cole
Now we’re getting to characters I can confidently say I truly dislike. Criston Cole. He really angers me. Though he’s innocent enough at the beginning of the show, he loses all his wits once he starts a sexual relationship with Rhaenyra. He actually thinks she’d be willing to run away with him and start a new life, and when she rejects this idea, he grows extremely bitter. Criston doesn’t take rejection well and he creates a whole personality based on it. It’s pathetic!
From beating Laenor’s lover Joffrey to death to fighting with Harwin Strong, all of Criston’s motivations revolve around Rhaenyra. He’s obsessed with Rhaenyra in a very negative way, and he and Alicent bond over this mutual feeling. After the time jump, he’s basically Alicent’s sidekick, and he gets even more annoying.
Criston is one of the worst villains in House of the Dragon because he’s reckless and still holds a grudge over something that happened over a decade ago. This makes him very dangerous.