Steve Toussaint Discusses Corlys’s Loyalty to Rhaenyra After ‘House of the Dragon’ Finale

‘House of the Dragon‘ has spent three seasons rigorously testing the loyalty of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s closest allies, with Lord Corlys Velaryon paying a significant price for his allegiance. Once one of the most affluent and powerful lords in Westeros, the Sea Snake has witnessed his castle burn, his wealth diminish, and his family torn apart amid the show’s increasingly brutal conflict between the Blacks and the Greens.

This toll reached a climax in the Season 3 finale, where Corlys found himself captured during the tumultuous Battle of Tumbleton while trying to negotiate a peaceful resolution with Gwayne Hightower and Daemon Targaryen. His last attempt at compromise ultimately failed, as Daemon rejected the proposed truce, pushing the battle forward despite Corlys’s pleas for restraint.

Given the sacrifices Corlys has made and the widening gap between him and Rhaenyra’s inner circle, many fans have speculated whether his loyalty to her cause is finally faltering. In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley, actor Steve Toussaint addressed this concern, revealing that despite the strain, Corlys still believes Rhaenyra could ultimately be swayed to become a voice of reason, according to ScreenRant.

Toussaint explained that Corlys’s belief is rooted more in noble motivations than political ones. Even after Rhaenyra denied his request to legitimize his sons Alyn and Addam as heirs, and as the war has grown increasingly costly and futile, Corlys seems to cling to the hope that the queen’s better instincts can prevail if guided appropriately.

In multiple interviews, Toussaint has discussed how significantly Corlys has evolved throughout Season 3, attributing much of this change to the death of his wife, Rhaenys. He shared with the Official Game of Thrones podcast that Corlys continues to fight for Rhaenyra partly out of guilt for the years spent away at sea instead of with his family, and partly because Rhaeny’s insistence that Rhaenyra needed their support.

This emotional journey has transformed Corlys into a figure more akin to a peacemaker than the aggressive naval commander fans first encountered in Season 1. In a conversation with TVLine, Toussaint characterized Corlys’s arc this season as one marked by genuine exhaustion with war and its futility, highlighting his attempt to negotiate with Gwayne and Daemon as clear evidence of his desire to prevent further bloodshed.

Despite his ongoing commitment to Rhaenyra’s cause, Toussaint has also recognized that Corlys’s patience is wearing thin. In an earlier discussion with Gold Derby, he noted that Corlys has begun to question whether his years of sacrifice have been worthwhile, contemplating if he might be better off distancing himself from Rhaenyra’s circle given how little he feels he has gained in return.

This tension between hope and disillusionment is set to carry into Season 4, which HBO has confirmed will be the show’s final chapter. Toussaint has expressed a desire to further explore where Corlys’s loyalty ultimately lies as the story approaches its conclusion, leaving open the possibility that the Sea Snake’s faith in Rhaenyra could either be validated or completely shattered before the Dance of the Dragons reaches its finale.

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