Summary

• Graham McTavish's Ser Harrold Westerling currently looks set to miss House of the Dragon season 2, despite being set up for a future role.
• However, Game of Thrones characters like Bran Stark and The Hound show that missing a season doesn't mean he can't return in a big way later on.
• Ser Barristan Selmy, another Knight who left the Kingsguard and King's Landing, is a strong parallel to Harrold.

One notable actor is missing from House of the Dragon season 2, but it doesn't mean they'll be gone from the show for good. The Game of Thrones prequel will return to HBO in 2024 after an acclaimed first season, and looks to make things even bigger and better than before. House of the Dragon season 2 will see the Dance of the Dragons truly begin, dividing Westeros as civil war breaks out across the Seven Kingdoms.

While House of the Dragon season 2's cast is bringing back a lot of actors and adding several new ones, there was a name left off the official cast list: Graham McTavish, who played Ser Harrold Westerling, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, in season 1. It had seemed like the show was setting him up for a bigger role, which makes his absence surprising. However, Game of Thrones proved that him missing season 2 doesn't rule out a major comeback later on.

Why Is Graham McTavish's Harrold Westerling Missing From House Of The Dragon Season 2?

There Could Be A Simple Explanation For His Absence

As it stands, there's been no official word on why Graham McTavish's Harrold Westerling isn't returning for House of the Dragon season 2. It's possible it's as simple a reason as scheduling conflicts - the actor was working on Outlander season 7 prior to season 2 filming and has several other projects in various stages of development, so maybe he just couldn't make it work out.

In the show, he has left King's Landing and the Kingsguard behind, and while it seemed like he was going to help Rhaenyra, he may simply be trying to lead a more peaceful life instead.

The more likely reason, though, is that it's to do with the show's story. House of the Dragon season 1's ending set up the war beginning, but Harrold's own future was uncertain, as by that point in the book Fire & Blood the character was long dead. In the show, he has left King's Landing and the Kingsguard behind, and while it seemed like he was going to help Rhaenyra, he may simply be trying to lead a more peaceful life instead.

House of the Dragon season 2 will begin Sunday, June 16, 2024, on HBO and Max.

There are several new characters coming in season 2, several of whom will be directly involved in Rhaenyra's story, including Addam and Alyn of Hull, Hugh the Hammer, and Ulf the White. Along with giving bigger roles to existing characters like Baela Targaryen, it may just be that there was no room in the story for Harrold at this point.

Game Of Thrones Had 6 Characters Go Missing & Return In Major Ways

Ser Barristan Selmy Is An Example Of How Harrold Westerling Could Return

Luckily for Harrold Westerling, there is precedent for Game of Thrones cast members and characters to go missing for an entire season (or more), and then return in a very significant way. There were clear reasons for their departures, but the show gave them important storylines upon return (though by Game of Thrones' ending some are, of course, debated in terms of quality).

Game of Thrones recast Beric Dondarrion for season 3.

There are others who left and returned in a smaller capacity, such as Thoros of Myr, or Illyrio Mopatis, and others like Ser Ilyn Payne and Hot Pie who never returned at all. But there is nonetheless a pretty solid track record of characters who were clearly important, and had a role to play, still coming back later on. Hell, Bran Stark missed Game of Thrones season 5 and became King in season 8.

The biggest example for Harrold Westerling is Ser Barristan Selmy, who offers up a clear parallel in terms of character arc.

The biggest example for Harrold Westerling is Ser Barristan Selmy, who offers up a clear parallel in terms of character arc. Barristan, too, was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard who was forced to leave his position in season 1, departed King's Landing and missed all of season 2, before then returning as a key part of Daenerys Targaryen's story in season 3. Game of Thrones didn't handle Barristan's death brilliantly, but until then he was an important player in her story. It's very easy to imagine Harrold fulfilling a similar role for Rhaenyra.

Why Harrold Westerling Should Return In House Of The Dragon's Future

He Could Be A Big Part Of Rhaenyra's Story In Season 3

It was arguably easier for Game of Thrones to allow characters to go missing, whether it brought them back a year later, four years later, or never at all. The show was incredibly expansive in scope, more so than House of the Dragon. While it's true that season 2 will expand things, it is still a little more contained, and thus Harrold's absence could be even more conspicuous.

It would be a shame not to see Harrold Westerling again in House of the Dragon. Men of honor are a rare thing in Westeros, but he was on with a clear sense of right and wrong, and strong loyalty to Rhaenyra. It would make a lot more sense for him to join up with her cause than it would for him to disappear completely, and he'd be a great fighter and adviser for her army. Given it changed his book story, then there should be more to the character, and hopefully House of the Dragon season 3 - or a surprise return in season 2 - can deliver on that.

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  House of the Dragon

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  Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

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  Game Of Thrones

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  Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones is a TV series based on the book “A Song of Ice of Fire” by George R. R. Martin. It tells the story of the ongoing battle between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros - as they fight for control of the coveted Iron Throne. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the far north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, led by House Stark's Jon Snow, is the first to encounter icy horrors that threaten all realms of men. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and quickly became one of the biggest event series in the "Golden Age" of TV. Winner of 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones has attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, international fan base.

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  Game of Thrones

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  Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.

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