Lord Larys Strong, called the Clubfoot due to his pronounced birth defect, is the Lord of Harrenhal and head of House Strong. He is the second son of Lord Lyonel Strong, and the younger brother of Ser Harwin Strong.^[6] Late in the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen, he rose to the position of Lord Confessor. He remains a prominent figure at court when King Aegon II Targaryen ascends to the throne, and is later appointed to the King's small council as Master of Whisperers.

Biography[]

Background[]

Larys was born with a severe clubfoot, a birth defect that causes his right foot to be severely curved inward and downward. When his father saw him after his birth he believed that someone had cursed his son, and accused a member of his household of casting spells.^[1] Due to his malformation, Larys walks with a cane inset with a golden firefly.^[6]

House of the Dragon: Season 1[]

Larys, along with his father and brother, joins King Viserys's hunting party on Prince Aegon's second nameday. Being unable to participate in the hunt due to his foot, he sits with Queen Alicent and the other noble ladies in the royal tent, quietly listening in on their conversation.^[2]

In the godswood of the Red Keep, Larys informs Alicent of Grand Maester Mellos's delivery of moon tea to Rhaenyra, and offers to be her ally at court. This leads to Alicent and Rhaenyra's relationship to further estrangement.^[7]

Ten years later, Alicent and Larys have become full confidants in one another. Alicent informs Larys of his father's attempted resignation as Hand of the King, and expresses her regret over her own father's dismissal. Larys subsequently gathers prisoners from the Black Cells has their tongues cut out, using them to set a fire at Harrenhal in which both his father and brother are killed. He later informs Alicent of this, clearing a path for Otto Hightower to return as Hand, though Alicent is disturbed by Larys's actions.^[8]

Larys attends the funeral of Laena Velaryon at High Tide, where Criston Cole mentions to Alicent that Larys has been staring at her unabashedly. Alicent replies that it is only a look of pride as Larys is the new Lord of Harrenhal. After the incident between Prince Lucerys and Prince Aemond which saw the latter lose an eye, Larys approaches her on their ship back to King's Landing, offering to take Lucerys's eye to balance the scales. Alicent refuses his offer, but says that his devotion has not gone unnoticed and that the day will come when she will require such a friend.^[5]

Six years later, Larys is the Lord Confessor in the Red Keep. During the coup in King's Landing, the Clubfoot observes the prisoners escorted to the dungeons for their knowledge of the king's death and an audience in the throne room in which Otto had the lords of the realm bend the knee and swear fealty to Aegon II. Larys then tips the guards to arrest Lord Allun Caswell, who had been trying to escape the Red Keep to inform Rhaenyra of the coup. After Caswell has his execution ordered by Otto Hightower, Otto congratulates Larys and mentions that Larys had been spending many hours with the queen lately. Larys replies that there is no reason those hours could not in the end benefit Otto.^[3]

At night, Alicent exits her meeting with Otto and shows discomfort to find Larys waiting for her in her chambers. Larys offers her information on Mysaria's network of spies in the Red Keep—which includes Alicent's lady-in-waiting Talya—and its usage by Otto Hightower, offering to kill Mysaria to destroy his advantage. In exchange, Larys quietly demands sexual favors through Alicent showing Larys her feet, to which he pleasures himself as Alicent looks away. Later, one of Larys's convicts sets fire to Mysaria's safehouse.^[3]

House of the Dragon: Season 2[]

Larys intercepts Dowager Queen Alicent following a meeting of the Green Council, informing her that he has completed his interrogation of the Red Keep's servants and infers that any spying for persons other than himself have been executed. He also informs Alicent that he has personally selected her new ladies in waiting, much to Alicent's disquiet. Larys is later present in the throne room while King Aegon hold court for the smallfolk, noting the tension arising between Aegon and Otto. After the session of court concludes, Larys catches Aegon on the way back to his chambers, obsequiously flattering the king by comparing him to his father and great-grandfather, while suggesting Aegon may want a more forceful Hand than Otto, lest the perception of Otto manipulating him like his pliable father becomes the common view.^[9]

Following the murder of Prince Jaehaerys, Larys interrupts a hasty meeting of the Small Council to inform them one of the Prince's murderers has been apprehended at the Gate of the Gods with Jaehaerys's head in a sack. Otto overrules King Aegon's wish to execute the man, instructing Larys to interrogate him for further information. Larys has Blood imprisoned in a cell, but the moment he unveils his instruments of torture, Blood hastily confesses that he and one of the Red Keep's rat catchers were hired by Prince Daemon Targaryen to kill Jaehaerys. Once the interrogation is complete, Larys watches as King Aegon comes to the cell and bludgeons Blood to death with a mace.^[10]

After King Aegon declares his intention to march to war alongside Ser Criston Cole, Larys comes to the King's chambers and informs Aegon that there are rumors flying about King's Landing that his mother and brother have goaded him into marching out so they can rule in his absence. Aegon names Larys as his Master of Whisperers, acknowledging he feels a need for one more than his late father did.^[4]

In his absence, Larys's seat at Harrenhal is captured by Prince Daemon Targaryen and Caraxes; Larys's great-uncle and castellan, Ser Simon Strong hastily declares his allegiance to Rhaenyra. When Daemon questions his alacrity, Simon makes it clear he despises Larys, considering him a kinslayer guilty of his father and brother's deaths.^[4]

At the first meeting of the Small Council following Larys's appointment as Master of Whisperers, a furious King Aegon berates him for failing to either warn them or do more to prevent Daemon from seizing Harrenhal; an unconcerned Larys responds to the King's complaints that Harrenhal is a penniless ruin (as he controls all its gold) that is beyond Daemon's ability to restore sufficiently to make effective use of it, so allowing him to take the castle will keep him bogged down in the Riverlands while Ser Criston suppresses Rhaenyra's allies in the Crownlands. After the meeting, Larys pays a visit to Alicent, who absented herself from the meeting, ostensibly to check in on her. He makes a wry smile when Alicent claims she overindulged in lamprey pie while observing a bottle that contained moon tea brought to her by Grand Maester Orwyle. The pair discuss Prince Daemon's capture of Harrenhal, Larys reiterating to Alicent he sees the castle's loss as a necessary sacrifice to keep the Blacks occupied, and Criston Cole's military successes in the Crownlands, before Larys observes several of Viserys's old history books on the table between them, remarking his surprise Alicent shared her husband's love of history. Alicent replies that she has an interest in the subject, noting Viserys looked to history to guide him. Larys asks if Alicent believes Viserys looked to history when he chose to name Aegon his heir, noting that no matter how well suited he thought his eldest daughter for the crown, history would have told him how Westeros would react to Rhaenyra's succession. Alicent bluntly replies whatever it is impossible to know what Viserys intended, and the significance of his intentions died with him; war is inevitable now, and Rhaenyra and Aegon's supporters will believe what they will to justify their actions in the coming conflict, to which Larys agrees.^[11]

Following King Aegon's severe wounding at the Battle at Rook's Rest, Larys attends a Small Council meeting where Grand Maester Orwyle reports the state of the King's injuries and his uncertainty that Aegon will survive. Larys agrees with Alicent's proposal a regent should be named to rule in Aegon's stead, to assure the smallfolk of the Crown's stability; in the following debate over candidates, Larys supports Prince Aemond, explaining to a displeased Alicent that it would be taken ill if, having started a war in opposition to Rhaenyra's succession to the Iron Throne, the Green Council named a woman to lead them. Following Aemond being appointed Regent, the discussion moves onto the Greens' strength in the Riverlands; when Tyland Lannister mentions House Tully's bannermen are in disarray, impeding Daemon's efforts to raise an army, Larys suggests sending a raven to Ser Oscar Tully, who will likely soon inherit lordship of Riverrun from his elderly grandsire, and affirm his allegiance, only for Aemond to scoff that he should heed the advice of a man who let their enemies seize the greatest castle in the Riverlands.^[12]

At Harrenhal, Simon Strong informs Prince Daemon, when asked about House Strong's finances, that Larys transferred his family's wealth to King's Landing following his succession to lordship, much to Daemon's annoyance, who had hoped to use the Strong coffers to finance his work to restore Harrenhal.^[12]

Personality[]

Larys is cunning and remorseless,^[6] has no qualms about committing murders, even kinslaying.^[8] He may pretend to be friendly and helpful, thus earning people's trust (like Alicent^[7] and her father^[3]), but actually seeks to cause mistrust and division, and use them for his own interests.^[9] He seeks to gain influence by ingratiating himself with those who wield power.^[13]

Quotes[]

Spoken by Larys[]

Spoken about Larys[]

Family[]

Lord Strong Deceased

Lady Strong

Simon Strong

Wife

Lyonel Strong Deceased

Wives

Son(s)

Harwin Strong Deceased

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Larys Strong

Germund Strong

Paxter Strong

Jacaerys Velaryon

Lucerys Velaryon Deceased

Joffrey Velaryon

Behind the scenes[]

On September 24, 2021, HBO announced that Matthew Needham had been cast in the role of Larys Strong for House of the Dragon. His character description for Season 1 reads as follows:

"Younger son of Master of Laws Lyonel Strong, brought to court by his father."^[14]

His character description for Season 2 reads as follows:

"Younger son of late master of laws Lyonel Strong, named Lord of Harrenhal following the sudden and suspicious deaths of his father and brother, Larys seeks to gain influence by ingratiating himself with those who wield power."^[13]

In the books[]

In Fire & Blood, Larys Strong was known as Larys the Clubfoot, and rarely spoke, preferring instead to listen. On the occasion that he did speak, it was either to be glib or share very important information.

Larys was the son of Lord Lyonel Strong, who served on the small council of Viserys I Targaryen and brought Larys and his brother Harwin to court. While Harwin is made Commander of the City Watch, Larys is made one of the king's confessors.

The fact that Larys orchestrated the fire at Harrenhal is never revealed in the books. Instead, he is merely one of several suspects, a list that also includes Prince Daemon, Corlys Velaryon, and King Viserys himself.

Appearances[]

• The Dance of Dragons (illustrated)
• – "Second of His Name"
• – "We Light the Way"
• – "The Princess and the Queen"
• – "Driftmark"
• – "The Green Council"
• – "A Son for a Son"
• – "Rhaenyra the Cruel"
• – "The Burning Mill"
• – "The Red Dragon and the Gold"
• – "Regent"
• – "Smallfolk"
• – "The Red Sowing"
• – "The Queen Who Ever Was"

References[]

External links[]

• Larys Strong on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)
• Larys Strong on The Official Guide

v • d • e House Strong
Head	Larys Strong	Heir	Unknown
Seat	Harrenhal	Region	Riverlands
Titles	Lord of Harrenhal
Members	Simon Strong · Germund Strong · Paxter Strong
Deceased	Lyonel Strong · Harwin Strong
Household	Alys Rivers
Overlords	House Tully