We are so conditioned to hate the Lannisters and root for the Starks that House of the Dragon has put us in a complicated situation. After all, we liked Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and even started rooting for Jaime (Nikolaj Costa-Waldau), but we loved the tragic deaths of Cersei (Lena Headey), Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Twyin (Charles Dance). But Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) has left us with empathy for one of the most arrogant and impossible houses in the House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones saga.

Tyland’s twin, Jason, deeply irritated us in season 1, with his misogyny and superiority, considering himself an ideal husband for Rhaenyra (Milly Halcock). Tyland is completely different: polite, shy, and always insecure, he is our comic relief whenever he is on screen.

Tyland has one big problem against him: he is loyal to the Greens. But be careful, things change!

A tame Lion?

Tyland Lannister played a significant role during the Dance of the Dragons, the civil war that divided the Targaryens. As a member of House Lannister and twin brother of Jason Lannister, the current Lord of Casterly Rock, Tyland stands out for being a skilled politician and a competent administrator, qualities that lead him to occupy prominent positions in the kingdom.

Tyland Lannister is appointed Master of Coin by King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and his ability to manage the kingdom’s finances gains recognition, making him an influential figure in the court and on the Small Council.

Unfortunately, the first impression of him is not favorable: when Viserys dies, we see that he had already arranged with Otto Hightower (Rhys Iphans) the coup d’état to crown Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) instead of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy). So, he is one of the leaders of the Greens in the conflict that should have been avoided.

During Aegon’s regency, he is appointed Lord of Coin and thus begins to play a crucial role in financing the Green forces, using his financial skills to raise funds and sustain the war. And, in the series, he has an even greater importance than in the book.

Tyland somehow is us on the Green side

The fact that Tyland barely hides his surprise at Aegon’s unpreparedness as King somehow validates our view of male incompetence. The young king obviously realizes his judgment and often creates extreme situations to test how far Tyland will bend to politics.

With Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) it is not so different: the arrogance and impetuosity of the brothers confuses a practical Tyland. And it ends up in his hands having to negotiate with the Triad to break the blockade of King’s Landing (in the book this mission and victory are Otto’s). But his insecure but paradoxically firm manner wins over the pirates and, especially, Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn), who agrees to fight against the Blacks.

The third season, as promised by showrunner Ryan Condal, will be full of battles and so, losses. HBO has not yet confirmed the total number of seasons, but it is safe to assume that we will reach four. Some are betting on 5! If so, we will see Tyland Lannister’s great turnaround.

A trajectory that unites the Lannisters with the Targaryens

Until now, the Hands of the King were among other houses other than the Lannisters, but Tyland paves the way for a rapprochement that generations later will fall apart. But calm down, we will get there.

We are heading towards a great victory for Rhaenyra who now has more strength, a clear strategy, and the determination to take the Iron Throne by force. After the fall of King’s Landing to the Black forces, Tyland is captured and tortured, trying to discover where he hid the royal treasures. Despite the prolonged suffering, where he is blinded, castrated, and mutilated, he does not reveal the location of the treasures, demonstrating his loyalty and resistance.

The treasure is, of course, in Casterly Rock.

After the fall of the capital, the death of the dragons, the escape and death of Rhaenyra, the eventual victory of the Greens transforms Tyland into a hero. He is freed and rewarded for his loyalty and sacrifice.

During this brief reign, Tyland’s patience and loyalty will once again be tested, with Aegon becoming increasingly mad and out of control. So much so that the King’s advisors take part in a plot to kill him. That’s right, Aegon II kills Rhaenyra but does not stay on the Throne for a year before being poisoned. There is no evidence to place Tyland Lannister in the plot and the circumstances are mysterious. This is important because Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) spares him from execution.

During the reign of Aegon III, son of Rhaenyra and Daemon, Tyland’s great turning point comes. Due to his good reputation as a capable and efficient administrator, having served as Master of Coin on Viserys I’s council, Tyland is chosen as Hand of the King when Cregan leaves King’s Landing to return to Winter fell. He is the first Lannister in this position.

The choice is surprising, we can agree, because Tyland was one of the most loyal to the greens, but for the young Aegon III he had the essential skills to help stabilize the kingdom after the Civil War. Even though he had participated in the emptying of the coffers, which significantly hindered Rhaenyra’s administration, and had not revealed where the money was, he was not seen as an irreconcilable enemy by the Blacks. Especially because, at this point, with so many dead on both sides, Tyland managed to keep a position that was seen as neutral, or at least pragmatic, in the new political order.

Aegon III’s youth, only ten years old when he ascended to the throne amid a kingdom devastated and divided by civil war, having Tyland Lannister as Hand of the King was a step towards reconciliation and unity. It demonstrated that he was willing to work with former enemies for the good of the kingdom, which helped calm tensions and promote peace.

His administration was marked by a series of challenges and difficulties, mainly due to the turbulent context of the war, but, even though some expected him to be a weak Hand, Tyland defied expectations. He died of a fever in the capital just a few years later. Definitely a very different Lannister than we thought, right?

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