One awkward facial expression was all it took for House of the Dragon fans (and haters) to create the show’s latest reaction meme.
Within hours of the newest episode airing, screenshots of Alicent Hightower’s bewildered side glance were being warped, captioned and photoshopped across Reddit and X / Twitter.
Known as the “Alicent Hightower Meme Face” or “Alicent Side Eye” (or “Poot Hightower” to some), the image has become a prevalent meme format for expressing confusion, disbelief and awkwardness while also fueling discussion about the character’s portrayal in the HBO series.
So, where did the image come from, and how is the scene being used in memes online? Let’s explain the Alicent meme and why it spread so quickly.
Where Does The ‘Alicent Hightower Meme Face’ Come From?
The meme originates from season three, episode three of the Game of Thrones spin-off series House of the Dragon, titled “Rhaenyra Triumphant,” which premiered on July 5th, 2026.
In the episode, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by actress Emma D’Arcy) believes she is meeting the rival prince Daeron Targaryen after capturing King’s Landing.
When Alicent Hightower (portrayed by actress Olivia Cooke) is brought in to see her son, however, she glances sideways with a befuddled expression before revealing that the young man is an imposter, insisting she has never seen him before.
The scene rapidly became a standout moment from season three as it was reposted and dissected by the fandom on social media, soon becoming a source material for memes.
The following day, screenshots of Alicent’s expression began circulating on Reddit, particularly the “Freefolk” community.
An unedited version was first shared on the /r/freefolk subreddit on July 6th, but roughly 30 minutes later, another user uploaded a distorted edit enlarging Alicent’s eyes, forehead and neck while smoothing out parts of her face.
The altered image quickly became the version most commonly used in memes and earned the nickname “Poot Hightower,” referencing the long-running “Poot Lovato” meme.
How Is The ‘Alicent Hightower Side Eye’ Meme Used?
The Alicent Hightower meme is primarily used as a reaction image expressing confusion, disbelief or an uncomfortable or unnerving realization.
Many posts also use the distorted image to poke fun at Alicent’s characterization in the television series, with fans arguing that she has become increasingly passive compared to her counterpart in George R. R. Martin’s books.
As the image spread across Reddit, it quickly migrated to X / Twitter and other platforms, where users paired it with relatable captions and comparisons between Alicent’s appearance in earlier seasons and her current storyline.
The warped screenshot also inspired additional edits, including photoshops and AI-generated images that further morphed and distorted the character in absurd ways.
Around the same time, another version of the scene gained traction as a green-screen template. Instead of using the distorted face, creators isolated Alicent’s confused side-eye glance from the scene and composited it into everyday scenarios, allowing the expression to function as a reaction meme on sites like TikTok.
While the meme became one of the most widely shared HOTD jokes of the third season, it also sparked debate within the fandom from some who perceived it as mean toward Alicent and her actress, Olivia Cooke.
Amid this debate, some viewers criticized the edits as disrespectful to Cooke, while others argued that the jokes were aimed solely at the fictional character and the show’s controversial creative direction rather than the performer herself.
For instance, on July 8th, 2026, one Redditor made a post to the /r/HOTDGreens subreddit criticizing the meme and writing:
Can we stop editing Olivia’s/Alicent’s face in the reveal scene with Daeron? I find it very disrespectful to the actress
I’ve seen so many people use it as a “meme.” Let’s not forget she’s had so much hate to the point she had to deactivate her Instagram.
Another Redditor made a similar post to the same subreddit complaining about the meme and stating:
Am I the only one that finds this disrespectful? Hating Alicent is one thing but editing Olivia’s face is crazy. The actress even deactivated her Instagram because of hate.
Many Redditors in the comments proceeded to push back against such complaints, with one Redditor commenting:
These are just memes. Chill. People making fun of Alicent’s goofy facial expression has nothing to do with the actress or her appearance. This is normal with every show.
What Are Some Examples Of ‘Alicent Side Eye’ Memes?
‘Alicent Side Eye’ Meme Template and Green Screen
For the full history of the Alicent Hightower Side Eye meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme’s encyclopedia entry for more information.