How did Harwin Strong die? Who killed Harwin Strong and Why?
The House of the Dragon Episode 6 was by far the best episode in the series, and in this episode, we witnessed a ten-year jump where Rhaenyra Targaryen gives birth to three sons, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.
The gossip was that the three sons of Rhaenyra and Laenor Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, were bastards and were fathered by Rhaenyra’s alleged lover Ser Harwin Strong, The Commander of the City Watch.
In the finale of Episode 6, we saw Ser Harwin Strong dying in Harrenhal, and along with him, his father, Lord Lyonel Strong, also died, but how did he die? and importantly, who killed him and his father? To know the details keep reading the article.

How did Harwin Strong die?
Harwin Strong due to a fire that broke out on Harrenhal, as throughout episode 6, we have seen that Queen Alicent, Ser Criston Cole and others questioned Rhaenyra’s sons Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.
They all called them bastards, and because of this, there was a fight between Harwin and Cole where Harwin Strong beat Ser Criston Cole to the pulp.
After this incident, Harwin’s father, Lord Lyonel Strong, told him beating a Knight of the Kingsguard brought shame to house Strong and also told him that everyone is aware of him and Rhaenyra’s relationship and everyone knows that Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are his sons, not Laenor’s.
Lord Lyonel Strong even went to King Viserys and asked for his resignation from the post of The Hand of the King, as all the recent rumours had brought shame to his family.
But King Viserys refused to let him go from the hand of the King, so instead, Lord Lyonel Strong asked permission from King Viserys to accompany his son to Harrenhal so that he could take responsibility there as the Lord.
This is where Queen Alicent was also present; she conferred with Lord Lyonel, the youngest son of Lord Lyonel and the younger brother of Harwin Strong.
Lyonel wanted to be in the good books of Queen Alicent to gain favours from her later on.
Hence Lyonel hired a few assassins and murderers who were already given capital punishment for their crimes.
Lyonel told them they would get freedom if they did his job and to prevent them from leaking any information if they ever got caught.
He also ensured that all the assassins’ and murderers’ tongues were cut so they couldn’t reveal anything if ever caught.
Later on, when Harwin was escorted to Harrenhall by Lord Lyonel, the assassins locked both Harwin’s and Lyonel’s doors and set fire to them; Lyonel tried his best to free his son Harwin by breaking the door but was unsuccessful.
Hence, as a result, Harwin and Lyonel sustained grave burn injuries and died.


Who killed Harwin Strong and Lord Lyonel Strong, and what was the motive behind it?
Lord Lyonel killed Harwin, and Lyonel, his brother and father, because he wanted to be in the good books of Queen Alicent to gain favours from her later on.
As Queen Alicent wished to Lyonel that she had missed her father, Ser Otto Hightower, as the hand of the King and wanted him back.
Hence to please the Queen and to be in her good books of her, and to gain favours from her later on, when Aegon II becomes the King, Lyonel plans the killing of his brother Ser Harwin Strong and his father, Lord Lyonel Strong.
He achieved that by hiring assassins and setting fire to the Harrenhall.
There were some personal reasons, which we think might be why Larys killed Harwin and Lyonel.
One of the main reasons is the inheritance of the seat of Harrenhal, as we know that Lord Lyonel was the Lord of Harrenhal.
Upon the end of his reign, the seat should be inherited by his first son that is Ser Harwin Strong. If both of them die, then the seat of Harrenhal will eventually come to Larys.
Another reason is Harwin Strong was close to Rhaenyra, and Queen Alicent were not on talking terms and hated each other.
Besides, Harwin was the commander of the City Watch and the strongest knight in the seven kingdoms.
Therefore to impress the Queen, Larys might have considered removing another potential enemy for her.
Hence he planned the murder of his brother and father.
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