Hizdahr zo Loraq

"One day all men must die, but it serves no good to dwell on death. I prefer to take each day as it comes."

- Hizdahr, to Daenerys.

Hizdahr zo Loraq is a character that hails from the A Song of Ice and Fire novels and it's television adaptation Game of Thrones. He is an extremely wealthy Ghiscari nobleman and slaver from Mereen, who married with Daenerys Targaryen to become the King of Meereen.

In the show, he was portrayed by Joel Fry. He is placed in a much more positive and sympathetic light, as a genuinely helpful and compromising man rather than the corrupt and self-serving politician in the books.

History
Hizdahr comes from the House of Loraq, one of the wealthiest most ancient families from Slaver's Bay. He is extremely rich, wielding significant influence both inside and outside Meereen.

Hizdahr first appears in A Dance With Dragons, where he petitions Daenerys to reopen the Meereenese fighting pits several times. During this time, the Sons of the Harpy cause chaos throughout the streets, and on the advice of the priestess Green Grace, Daenerys grudgingly marries Hizdahr, asking him to stop the trouble through the streets for 90 days before she makes her decision, believing Hizdahr to be the leader of the Harpies. Hizdahr agrees to this, and brings Daenerys peace. By doing so, the fighting pits had to be reopened. Hizdahr claimed this is for the fighters' glory, but in reality, this is mostly for Hizdahr and the former masters to gain profit.

During the games, Hizdahr pleaded Daenerys to eat spiced locusts, who declined. Strong Belwas, who had a taste for locusts, ate them all. After doing so, however, Belwas almost died since the locusts were poisoned. However, he survived due to his size. Many of the Queen's supporters believe that it was HIzdahr who had spiked the locusts since he had offered her food but did not touch any of it.

After Daenerys fleed on Drogon and disappeared, Hizdahr takes control of Meereen, declaring him "Hizdahr zo Loraq, Fourteenth of That Noble Name". However, the Unsullied and Barristan Selmy refused to obey him. One of his first acts as king was to install his cousin Marghaz as commander of the Brazen Beasts and removed the Shavepate, and took up residence in the Great Pyramid.

The Yunkai lords and the sellsword Bloodbeard arrive in Meereen and demand the dragons underneath the pyramids to be slaughtered in exchange for the hostages. Bloodbeard throws in the severed head of the Pentoshi captain Groleo, and Hizdahr responded cravenly towards it.

Hizdahr is later captured by Barristan and the Shavepate. However, Barristan refuses to have Hizdahr executed until proven guilty. Following his arrest, the Sons of the Harpy resumed their attacks and assassinations.

Trivia

 * In the show, Hizdahr is far more sympathetic than he is in the books. He is less self-serving and ambitious, and during his first appearance he is seen begging for his father (who was crucified by Daenerys) to be given a proper funeral. Hizdahr's desires to reopen the fighting pits is due to genuine concern for Meereen's conditions rather than an egocentric act to nurture his own ambitions of power.


 * While Hizdahr is currently still alive as of book canon, in the show he was stabbed to death by members of the Sons of the Harpy during the attack on Daznak's Pit.