Having now met both Hull brothers in House of the Dragon, here’s a closer look at the seafaring Addam of Hull.
Warning: spoilers ahead for the entirety of House of the Dragon and Fire and Blood.
Season 2 episode 1 of House of the Dragon introduced us to Alyn of Hull and episode 2 saw him meet and briefly talk with his brother, Addam. While the focus of the episode was on the fallout of Blood and Cheese and the climactic showdown between the Cargyll twins, House of the Dragon loves to throw in foreshadowing and hints at what’s to come in seemingly throwaway scenes.
First things first: who is Addam of Hull, played by Clinton Liberty? Within the show, all we know about him so far is that he and his brother reside on Driftmark. They both seemingly serve Lord Corlys Velaryon, with Alyn even going so far as to save his lord while at sea.
While Alyn seems humble and not keen to use his closeness to the Lord of Driftmark to advance their position, Addam urges him to make the most of the opportunity, implying that the Sea Snake owes the brothers in some way. Mysterious…
Foreshadowing for Addam of Hull’s future
While that’s all we know from the show so far, there is certainly more to come for Addam. Thanks to Fire and Blood, we know that Addam of Hull is destined to become a dragonrider. The Sowing of the Dragonseeds, where Jace finds Targaryen bastards on Dragonstone and Driftmark to ride the unbonded dragons, results in Addam taking to the skies on Seasmoke, Laenor Velaryon’s former mount. This has already been hinted at in a scene where Addam sees Seasmoke soaring above him while walking on the beaches of Driftmark.
This bond between Addam and Seasmoke sees him play a very active role in the Dance of the Dragons, eventually dying in the service of Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Theories around Addam of Hull
The departure from Fire and Blood when it comes to Laenor’s death had led to some people theorizing that Addam of Hull could actually be Laenor returning to help in the war. After all, it was previously believed that dragons wouldn’t accept another rider while their original one still lived.
However, unless the show has a way of explaining this away, this rule doesn’t seem to apply in House of the Dragon. The magic of Westerosi dragons and their bonds with people is foggy at best and, with the casting of Addam of Hull now laid bare, it’s clear that Laenor is not returning incognito.
Nonetheless, Fire and Blood does suggest there is some familial relation between the Hull brothers and the Velaryons, implying that they are the bastards of either Laenor or Corlys Velaryon himself. With Laenor confirmed as gay and unable to father children with Rhaenyra, it seems more likely to be the Sea Snake in the show—particularly with the heavy suggestion on two occasions that there is some secret bond between the lord and the two younger men.
What parts of Addam’s story House of the Dragon chooses to adapt remains to be seen, but with action ramping up in the HBO show, we’re sure to see more of the sailor soon.
(featured image: HBO)
