Who Is Ser Luthor in House of the Dragon — and What Happens to Him?

House of the Dragon is no stranger to sudden violence or switching up George R. R. Martin's lore, but even so, Episode 5 in Season 3 properly caught viewers off guard. The series gave us one of its more grim set pieces this year, with the murder of Ser Luthor Largent—the City Watch commander and one of Daemon Targaryen's long-standing mates—smack in the middle of a bloody murder mystery. If you've been scratching your head wondering who did him in, or just want the details without having to rewatch the carnage, here's what actually happened.

Everyone's Murdered, and Not in the Book Way

First things first: in Episode 5, Daemon Targaryen walks into a right gruesome scene. Several of his old City Watch loyalists have been butchered and arranged round a table, all with their eyes gouged out. The signature on the wall—literal bloodstains—reads 'A Feast for Traitors.' Cheery.

Ser Luthor Largent, a recurring mate of Daemon's and the current top dog at the Watch, is dead too. His fate isn’t subtle: body on the table, right in the thick of it. It’s clear this was a targeted hit and not just random bloodletting in King’s Landing.

Daemon's Whodunnit (with Bonus Dragons)

Daemon spends much of the episode stomping round, pointing fingers, and trying to sniff out who’s behind the murders. Naturally, his first thought is to blame Queen Alicent and the weaselly Greens. But as per usual, things in Westeros are never quite that simple.

• Daemon interrogates one of the attackers and tries to pull rank.
• The captured bloke claims he serves 'the King', but interestingly never specifies Aegon II Targaryen.
• Daemon then turns up a gold coin hidden in the fellow’s boot. Whose face is on it? Daeron Targaryen, of all people. More to the point, it’s the same type of coin gifted by Ormund Hightower in an earlier episode.

So, if you connect those bloody dots, the show pretty directly pins the murders—and therefore Ser Luthor’s death—on the Hightower faction, specifically Ormund Hightower and those lining up behind Daeron. All very cloak-and-dagger, but it’s a nice twist on the usual shifting allegiances.

The Book Version Was... Not This

If you’re a book purist, this is where things seriously diverge from Martin’s 'Fire & Blood'. In the original lore, Ser Luthor Largent doesn’t die here at all. He actually sticks around much longer, only meeting a sticky end during the infamous Riots of King’s Landing—well after public opinion turns against Rhaenyra, and much further down the timeline. The show’s killed him off early and switched up the motive entirely. Clearly, HBO isn’t shy about moving the puzzle pieces where it wants them for drama’s sake.

Where We Stand Now

With Ser Luthor gone, Daemon’s circle is getting smaller and the war in King's Landing is looking more brutal by the day. There are only three episodes left this season, so expect more answers (and probably more bodies) soon. 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 is currently streaming on HBO Max.