Haggo

Haggo is one of Khal Drogo's three bloodriders, a fearsome Dothraki warrior bound to the khal by a sacred oath of life and death. He is a man of few words, immense physical strength, and unquestioning loyalty, yet his allegiance is to Drogo alone, not to Daenerys Targaryen, whom he views with suspicion and contempt. His role in the narrative is defined by his unwavering service to his khal, his participation in the brutal rituals of Dothraki culture, and his ultimate, violent end during the chaos that follows Drogo's mortal wound.

Identity and Role as a Bloodrider

Haggo is a squat, bald man with a crooked nose and a mouth full of broken teeth, shattered by a mace twenty years before when he saved the young khalakka from sellswords. As a bloodrider, his life is bound to Drogo's from the day of the khal's birth. The ancient traditions of the horselords demand that when the khal dies, his bloodriders die with him, to ride at his side in the night lands. If the khal dies at the hands of some enemy, they live only long enough to avenge him, and then follow him joyfully into the grave. In some khalasars, the bloodriders share the khal's wine, his tent, and even his wives, though never his horses. Haggo, along with Cohollo and Qotho, is one of the three who embody this absolute devotion.

Actions and Brutality

Haggo's actions are consistently those of a ruthless enforcer of Dothraki custom. During the wedding of Daenerys and Khal Drogo, he is one of the bloodriders who offers the traditional three weapons as bride gifts, presenting a magnificent arakh chased in gold. Later, when Viserys Targaryen draws a sword in Vaes Dothrak, a forbidden act, Haggo is one of the bloodriders who seizes him. He shatters Viserys's wrist with a single, sharp twist of his huge hands, demonstrating his brutal efficiency. When Mirri Maz Duur is brought before the khal to heal his festering wound, Haggo is quick to condemn her as a "maegi" and strikes her across the face with a meaty smack, driving her to the ground and kicking her. He is a man who resorts to violence without hesitation.

Conflict with Daenerys and Death

Haggo's loyalty is to Drogo, not to his khaleesi. When Drogo falls from his horse, a sign of weakness that shatters his authority, Haggo's allegiance fractures. He is among the bloodriders who defy Daenerys's commands. When Mirri Maz Duur begins her bloodmagic ritual to save the khal, Haggo, along with Qotho and Cohollo, confronts Daenerys. He calls her a "maegi" and, in a shocking act of betrayal, spits full in her face. This marks the complete breakdown of the khalasar's order. In the ensuing battle, Haggo fights against the men of Daenerys's khas. He is engaged by Rakharo, and as their arakhs dance, Jhogo's whip cracks, the lash coiling around Haggo's throat. A yank sends him stumbling backward, losing his feet and his sword. Rakharo springs forward, howling, and brings his arakh down with both hands through the top of Haggo's head. The point catches between his eyes, red and quivering, killing him instantly. His death is a direct consequence of his defiance of Daenerys and his attempt to stop the bloodmagic that was meant to save his khal.