After three years of dormancy, House of the Dragon quickly (and expectedly) thrust the Game of Thrones universe back into the zeitgeist. Now, all anyone can talk about is that “dragon show” while painstakingly theorizing how the highly anticipated Targaryen civil war, the Dance of the Dragons, will play out. Will the series hew to the multiple accounts in Fire & Blood, which chronicles House Targaryen from Aegon the Conqueror to King Aegon III?
One thing’s for sure — we’re getting more dragons. If you thought keeping track of the handful we’ve seen thus far was challenging, wait until Season 2. HBO has a dragon budget, so here’s hoping these dragons are as splendid as can be.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of the dragons you’ve already met and the ones to come in House of the Dragon alongside their riders (or lack thereof). You’ll find everything from seasoned battlers like Vhagar to hatchlings, riderless dragons and wild ones.
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Team Green
Team Green has a few winged, fire-breathing heavy hitters in their corner. While they may not have as many dragons as Team Black, they boast some of the prettiest flying beauties this side of the narrow sea.
Sunfyre, a.k.a. Sunfyre the Golden
Photo credit: Game of Thrones Wiki
Rider: King Aegon II Targaryen
In Fire & Blood, Archmaester Gyldayn describes Sunfyre as “the most beautiful dragon in the known world.” He has stunning golden scales and light pink wing membranes. Sunfyre also possesses matching golden flames. We don’t know the exact year Aegon claimed Sunfyre — nor do we know when he hatched, save it happening on Dragonstone — but he was bonded to the Targaryen king by 120 AC.
Sunfyre might be on the younger side, but he’s an impressive fighter and does his fair share of damage during the Dance. In the source material, Aegon’s banner harbors a three-headed golden dragon in honor of his trusted mount. However, as we saw in the House of the Dragon Season 1 finale, the creative team made said dragon green to represent House Hightower ostensibly. Here’s hoping we get a better glimpse of this ethereal creature in Season 2.
Vhagar
Photo credit: Game of Thrones Wiki
Rider: Aemond Targaryen
Previous Riders: Queen Visenya Targaryen, Baelon Targaryen, Laena Velaryon
Ah, Vhagar, the feisty and overpowering grandmother of the bunch. Vhagar helped Aegon the Conqueror, Visenya and Rhaenys subjugate Westeros alongside her dragon siblings Balerion the Black Dread and Meraxes. Queen Visenya was her first rider, but certainly not her last, as she had three owners after the Targaryen queen’s passing. Not much is known about how Visenya claimed her. We know she hatched on Dragonstone during the Century of Blood and was named after a god of Old Valyria.
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She’s described physically as a great beast who, color-wise, is bronze mixed with blue-green highlights and vivid green eyes. Vhagar is the largest and oldest dragon in Westeros when the Dance starts. She’s around 180 years old.
Dreamfyre
Photo credit: House of the Dragon Reddit
Rider: Queen Helaena Targaryen
Previous Rider: Rhaena Targaryen
Dreamfyre hatched during Aegon the Conqueror’s reign. She was initially claimed by Rhaena Targaryen (not to be confused with Daemon’s daughter), Aegon’s granddaughter, bonding with the child as a hatchling. She’s a slender, pale blue creature with silver markings and equally pale blue wings. Dreamfyre remained a loyal companion to Rhaena until the latter died in 73 AC. Then, she cozied up in the Dragonpit at King’s Landing until she found a new rider in Helaena.
Helaena bonded with Dreamfyre when she was 11. We haven’t seen the pair take to the skies together, but I hope my dream comes to fruition in Season 2.
Fun fact: it’s not 100 percent canon, but there’s a good chance Dreamfyre is the mother of Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion, Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons in Game of Thrones.
Tessarion, a.k.a. the Blue Queen
Photo credit: Kyidyl © — As seen in A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Rider: Daeron Targaryen
Tessarion, the Blue Queen, is a dazzling she-dragon who belongs to Daeron Targaryen, the youngest of Queen Alicent Hightower and King Viserys I Targaryen’s children. He currently serves as a squire and cupbearer to Lord Ormund Hightower, his mother’s cousin, in Oldtown. If you’re saying to yourself, “Huh? There’s another one?” you’re not alone. Season 1 doesn’t even mention poor Daeron, let alone show him. We’ll undoubtedly meet him in Season 2 since he plays a pivotal role in the Dance.
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Anyway, Tessarion is a dark cobalt-blue beast with matching flames. Her crest, belly scales and claws are a “bright beaten copper.” She’s the youngest dragon in Aegon II’s camp, but she’s a skilled fighter who nimbly soars through the air.
Team Black
Team Black surpasses the Greens in terms of dragon quantity, especially if you include the riderless and wild dragons taking residence in the Dragonmont. However, they also have a handful of young dragons, some incapable of bearing a rider as of yet. Of course, the Blacks would still have sweet baby Lucerys and precious cherub Arrax (RIP) among their ranks if not for the tragedy above Shipbreaker Bay in the Season 1 finale.
Syrax
Photo credit: A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Rider: Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
Syrax is the dragon with whom you’re probably the most familiar. She was featured in a good chunk of the promotional materials for House of the Dragon Season 1. Ridden solely by our Targaryen queen, Syrax’s name comes from a goddess of Old Valyria. She possesses yellow scales. Though not quite as large as Vhagar and Caraxes or experienced in battle, Syrax is still a considerable size compared to the younger dragons in the realm. Rhaenyra first claimed her at seven, and the duo became inseparable.
Caraxes, a.k.a. the Blood Wyrm
Photo credit: HBO
Rider: Daemon Targaryen
Previous Rider: Aemon Targaryen
Caraxes was initially claimed in 72 AC by Aemon, the son of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, who, at the time, was the heir apparent to the Iron Throne. He garnered his nickname, “the Blood Wyrm,” from the Dragonkeepers in the Dragonpit, who considered him the fiercest among the young dragons. Caraxes is a fearsome crimson beast and, besides Vhagar, easily the most experienced in battle out of the dragons in the Dance. He also stands out physically because of his long, worm-like neck.
After Aemon’s death, his nephew Daemon claimed Caraxes in 105 AC; the rest is history.
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Meleys, a.k.a. the Red Queen
Photo credit: HBO
Rider: Rhaenys Targaryen
Previous Rider: Alyssa Targaryen
Meleys received the alias “the Red Queen” because of her red scales and pink wing membrane. Her horns, crest and claws are the color of copper. When she was younger, she was one of the fastest dragons in the realm, effortlessly outpacing the likes of Vhagar and Caraxes, with whom she often flew. In 75 AC, Meleys bonded with Alyssa Targaryen. However, their time together only lasted nine years, as Alyssa died during childbirth in 84 AC. Rhaenys laid claim to the she-dragon in 87 AC.
Rhaenys accompanied King Jaehaerys on dragonback during the latter’s royal progress to the Shield Islands. Additionally, the Targaryen princess rode Meleys to her wedding to Lord Corlys Velaryon, ensuring she arrived in fiery style. Meleys isn’t as active as she once was, but she makes her mark during the Dance.
Vermax
Photo credit: Artist SioSIN — As seen in Hielo y Fuego Wiki
Rider: Jacaerys Velaryon
Vermax is one of the younger dragons of the bunch, but he’s a healthy growing boy! While his coloring isn’t described in Fire & Blood, in House of the Dragon, he appears green with crimson markings and boasts golden eyes. Jacaerys is his only rider. When Jace was little, there was doubt that Vermax would hatch due to the rumor that Harwin Strong was the former’s father, not Laenor Velaryon. Thankfully, the Vermax and the other Velaryon dragons hatched. We’ll next see Vermax during Jace’s travels to the Eyrie and Winterfell as Rhaenyra’s envoy.
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Tyraxes
Rider: Joffrey Velaryon
Tyraxes is smaller than Vermax and Arrax, which makes sense given that Joffrey, his rider, is the youngest of the Velaryon brothers. We don’t know what color he is, and we haven’t seen him on House of the Dragon yet. When the Dance of the Dragons rolls around, Tyraxes is large enough to carry a rider for long distances but still too small for combat.
Moondancer
Rider: Baela Targaryen
Moondancer belongs to Baela Targaryen, Daemon’s daughter from Laena Velaryon. She’s a slender, light green creature; her horns, crest and wingbones are the color of pearls. Moondancer is barely big enough to hold a rider at the start of the Dance, but she’s nimble and quick while in flight and on the ground.
Morning
Rider: Rhaena Targaryen
At the time of the Season 1 finale, Rhaena’s she-dragon, Morning, is still in an egg. However, we’ll probably meet her in Season 2 or 3 since she hatches during the Dance. Morning boasts pale pink scales with jet black horns and crest.
Stormcloud
Rider: Aegon “the Younger” Targaryen
Stormcloud is Aegon the Younger’s dragon. His coloring isn’t described in the source material, but it’s safe to say he’s probably the hue of a storm cloud — dark gray. In Fire & Blood, the Dance breaks out when Aegon is nine years old, and he had yet to mount Stormcloud. House of the Dragon de-aged Aegon the Younger, so who knows how old Stormcloud is in the show universe.
Riderless Dragons
You might recall Daemon and Rhaenyra discussing the crop of dragons living on Dragonstone who no longer have riders. There are three of them, and you already met one in the Season 1 finale.
Vermithor, a.k.a. the Bronze Fury
Photo credit: HBO
Previous Rider: King Jaehaerys I Targaryen
Vermithor hatched around 34-35 AC when Aegon the Conqueror was still alive. He’s a bronze-colored dragon with massive tan wings. By the time Jaehaerys claimed Vermithor in 48 AC, only Balerion and Vhagar were bigger than him. Vermithor spent the next 55 years with the long-reigning Targaryen king and grew quite fond of Silverwing, Alysanne’s mount.
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After Jaehaerys died in 103 AC, Vermithor made his home in the Dragonmont on Dragonstone. He spends the entirety of Viserys’s reign riderless. Vermithor is considered one of the more tolerant riderless dragons, having grown accustomed to the presence of people.
Silverwing
Photo credit: Emile Denis © Green Ronin Publishing — As seen in A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Previous Rider: Queen Alysanne Targaryen
Silverwing hatched sometime around 36-42 AC. Alysanne became Silverwing’s rider in 48 AC, the same year her brother Jaehaerys bonded with Vermithor. For decades, the she-dragon flew Alysanne to every corner of the Seven Kingdoms. Alysanne rode Silverwing for the last time in 92 AC and passed away in 100 AC. Silverwing made her lair in the Dragonmont and remained riderless until the Dance of the Dragons.
In terms of appearance, Silverwing bears silver scales, hence her name. She’s one of the most docile dragons and usually friendly to strangers. Silverwing often coils with Vermithor.
Seasmoke
Photo credit: HBO
Previous Rider: Laenor Velaryon
Laenor Velaryon claimed Seasmoke in 101 AC, a beautiful pale silvery gray dragon. He remained bonded with Laenor until 120 AC. While Laenor perished in Fire & Blood, the show retconned this by having him sail to Pentos with Qarl Correy after faking his death. Since 120 AC, Seasmoke has been riderless and residing on Dragonstone. How will a new rider claim Seasmoke if his last rider is still alive? I’ll be curious to see how the series explains this.
Wild Dragons
Look at these wild beauties. These dragons have never bore a rider. Will that all change in Season 2? This article is spoiler-free, so I won’t tell!
The Cannibal
Photo credit: Artist Douglas Wheatley for Fire & Blood — As seen in A Wiki of Ice and Fire
We have no idea when The Cannibal hatched, only that he’s ostensibly lived on Dragonstone his whole life. The smallfolk nicknamed him such because he would feast on dragon carcasses, newborn dragons and dragon eggs. He has black scales and piercing green eyes. The Cannibal is the largest and oldest of the wild dragons. He resides in the back of the Dragonmont, ever the menacing, formidable beast who the smallfolk dare not antagonize.
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Grey Ghost
From WinterIsComing.net and Twitter
Grey Ghost is a shy creature, often endeavoring to avoid people and keep to himself. His scales are the color of mist — a light gray-white. Grey Ghost prefers to consume fish, a peculiar trait for a dragon, and is usually spotted swooping over the waters for his prey. Like The Cannibal, Grey Ghost has always been riderless.
Sheepstealer
Photo credit: A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Sheepstealer hatched in 34 AC when King Jaehaerys I was pretty young. This wild dragon boy sure loves him some sheep! He has a taste for mutton and loves consuming sheep, traveling as far as Driftmark and Wendwater for his meals. Thankfully, he leaves the shepherds alone. Sheepstealer lives in the back of the Dragonmont. He boasts mud-brown scales and is considered to be around the same size as Dreamfyre. Sheepstealer won’t bother humans unless they provoke him.
Which dragon are you excited to see in Season 2? Sound off in the comments below!
House of the Dragon Season 1 is now streaming on HBO Max.
Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: ARYA STARK
Melody.McCune@geekgirlauthority.com
What I do: I'm Managing Editor, Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, inkMend on Medium. I love cheese. I love geek. I love lamp.
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