Spoilers for House of the Dragon below.
Say hello to Lohar. In the season finale of House of the Dragon, Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall), King Aegon’s Master of Ships, is tasked with shoring up the Triarchy in support of Team Green. But before the Triarchy pledges their men and their ships to Tyland, he must first win over the eccentric Lohar, who commands the fleet. Although making a late entrance into the season, Lohar, portrayed by Abigail Thorn, makes quite an impression in the finale, challenging Tyland to a mud wrestling competition and then making a raunchy request.
In George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Ice, the reference book which serves as the basis for House of the Dragon, Sharako Lohar is a male admiral that rules over a fleet of ships for the Triarchy. But on House of the Dragon, Lohar’s gender seems to be more fluid. Lohar’s comrades refer to their commander using he/him pronouns when telling Tyland that he needs to win over the admiral to secure the Triarchy fleet. “The commander of our fleet must agree to go with you. His name is Lohar,” says one captain. “The sailors are fiercely loyal to him. If he does not lead them they will not fight.” Tyland Lannister agrees to entertain this Lohar, assuming that he he will meet yet another gruff, male ship captain in Essos.
Enter Lohar: a tall, female-presenting person with long, Targaryen-adjacent hair and a bit of an attitude. Lohar does not explicitly state their gender, seeming to relish Tyland’s apparent confusion, and adding to the mind games by intentionally mispronouncing Tyland’s name. But Thorn, at least, refers to her character using she/her pronouns. “VERY excited to announce this – I’m joining the cast of HBO’s House of the Dragon I play Sharako Lohar – she’s the Triarchy’s new commander and you can see her in action soon,” she posted on X.
During their tete-a-tete, Lohar challenges Tyland. “I will not sail with a man who cannot best me,” Lohar says. Later in the episode, we learn that the proposed competition is a wild bout of mud wrestling, with Lohar and Tyland engaging in hand to hand physical combat. By the end of their tussle, it’s clear that Tyland has emerged victorious and won the respect of Lohar.
Over a celebratory feast, Lohar’s respect for Tyland turns into something deeper and more intimate. After Tyland sings a little ditty before their meal, Lohar is clearly infatuated with the Lannister, and agrees to sail with the Lannister and fight for Team Green. But war is not the only thing on Lohan’s mind. “You are a handsome man and have proven your worth and your virility,” Lohar says to Tyland. “I wish to have children by you.” A confused Tyland asks Lohar to clarify what they mean. Lohar states their intentions plainly: “I want you to fuck my wives.” A bewildered Tyland is nothing but a gentleman, asking, “How many?” The finale ends with the unlikely duo of Lohar and Tyland aboard a ship, leading a fleet of ships into battle.
Abigail Thorn, who plays Lohar, is a British performer and YouTuber who is relatively new to the acting space. In 2021, Thorn came out as a trans woman in the YouTube video Coming Out As Trans – A Little Public Statement, and has been a vocal advocate for trans rights and healthcare. This year, she also appeared on the Star Wars television series The Acolyte.
Although Lohar only just joined the fray, we should have more time with them and their wives next season. HBO just announced that House of the Dragon will continue for two more installments, with season three to begin production in early 2025 and season four to close out the series. Fire & Ice might provide a peek at what the future may hold for the Lohar and Tyland. (Warning: spoilers for potential House of the Dragon content follow.)
In the book, Lohar and Tyland lead a naval attack on Team Black and the Velaryon fleets, led by Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint). The ensuing skirmish, called the Battle of the Gullet, is a bloody and terrible battle that claims the lives of many major House of the Dragon players including Jaceyrs Velaryon and his dragon, Vermax. Lohar makes it out alive, claiming the young prince Viserys as a prisoner and selling him to a Lysene magister named Bambarro Bazanne. While Lohar makes it out of the Battle of the Gullet, according to Fire and Ice, they are eventually murdered due to a personal matter involving a courtesan called The Black Swan.
