20 Best Dragons From ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘House of the Dragon’

Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the HBO show House of the Dragon.Dragons are by far the most beloved and recognized creatures in fantasy. Thanks to their very nebulous definition, nearly every culture around the world has at least one creature that can be considered a dragon. In modern times, the most recognized dragons on television come from HBO’s series based on the works of George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones, and its prequel, House of the Dragon.

In Martin’s works, dragons are massive beasts of a vaguely magical nature best known as the war mounts of the Valyrian Empire and the Targaryen kings of Westeros. Following a Targaryen civil war called The Dance of the Dragons, they went extinct but returned when Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) hatched three eggs with blood magic. Now that Season 3 of House of the Dragon has reached its conclusion, it’s as good a time as any to look back on the best dragons the show has given thus far before watching them die.

20

Stormcloud

Rider: Prince Aegon “The Younger” Targaryen

Image via HBO

It is tradition for a dragon egg to be placed in the cradle of a Targaryen baby, hoping it will hatch and bond with the child. Such was the case for Stormcloud, the dragon to Princess Rhaenyra’s (Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy) fourth son, Aegon the Younger (Jacke and Rory Hard and Gruff and Jude). Since he is still a hatchling, he is unable to go to war, so he is sent away from the fighting.

There is virtually nothing to say about Stormcloud in the show, since he’s such a young dragon. He has a little more to do in the book, namely saving Aegon from the Battle of the Gullet before dying, but the show omitted Aegon and his brother, Viserys, from the naval conflict. Thus, we can only be left to speculate on what will happen with Stormcloud in Season 4.

19

Arrax

Rider: Prince Lucerys Velaryon

Image via HBO

Due to being unable to have children with her first husband, Ser Laenor Velaryon (Matthew Carver, Theo Nate, and John Macmillan), Rhaenyra slept with Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) and had three children. However, all three hatched dragons, like Arrax, the mount of Rhaenyra’s second son, Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Harvey Sadler and Elliot Grihault). By the time of the Dance of the Dragons, Arrax is large enough to fly and takes Luke on a mission to win the Baratheons of Storm’s End to Rhaenyra’s cause.

Arrax, unfortunately, doesn’t last long, being devoured alongside his rider after a tense chase with the mightiest dragon at the time named Vhagar. Still, he proves himself a brave and worthy mount in his short time and doesn’t hesitate to attack the much larger dragon to keep Luke safe. It’s a tragic moment that shows the bond dragons have for their riders, while also ending any chance of this war ending peacefully.

18

Tessarion

Rider: Prince Daeron Targaryen

Image via HBO

The youngest son of Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke) and King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) was raised in Oldtown with his cousin, Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton). She is nicknamed the Blue Queen due to her vibrant-blue scales, and grows large enough to ride midway into the Dance of the Dragons. Thus, Daeron flies her over Ormund’s army as they march through the Reach, but due to Ormund’s dislike of dragons, Daeron is not allowed to ride her as much as he’d like.

Tessarion is certainly one of the prettiest dragons on the show, but it’s a shame that she isn’t given anything to do this season. What scenes we do get between her and Daeron do seem to hint at the two of them having a good bond, but we’ll have to wait until Season 4 to see how strong it is. This is an unfortunate habit with House of the Dragon, and it’s a shame that it comes at the expense of the dragons.

17

Vermax

Rider: Prince Jacaerys Velaryon

Image via HBO

Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jacaerys Velaryon (Leo Hart and Harry Collett), rode the green dragon Vermax. He was the largest of the young dragons by the time of the Dance, allowing Jace to ride him to treat with his mother’s allies and project power. Sadly, his size was not enough to save him or his rider during the Battle of the Gullet, where they were killed by pirates under the command of Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn).

Vermax is another young dragon who sadly doesn’t get a lot of moments to shine. Still, what time he does get is well-used, whether it’s helping Jace with politics or burning enemy ships. His death is also one of the most tragic in the series, as he is pulled beneath the waves to bleed out and drown at the same time.

16

Meraxes

Rider: Queen Rhaenys Targaryen

Image via HBO

When Aegon I Targaryen began his conquest of Westeros, he tasked his favorite sister-wife, Rhaenys, with claiming the Stormlands. She rode Meraxes, the second-largest of the initial three Targaryen dragons, named after one of the gods of Old Valyria. After bringing the Stormlands to heel, she flew with the other two dragons in the Field of Fire, but, years later, was shot down and killed in the First Dornish War.

Unlike Balerion the Black Dread, who is spoken of with much relevance years after his death, Meraxes is barely mentioned on the show outside of brief lore descriptions. That said, she is still one of the dragons who created modern-day Westeros, so she cannot be completely discredited. Her skull can be seen in Dragonstone, identified by the damage to her left eye socket from the scorpion bolt that brought her down.

15

Dreamfyre

Riders: Princess Rhaena Targaryen and Queen Helaena Targaryen

Image via HBO

One of the few adult-sized dragons on the side of Aegon II (Ty Tennant and Tom Clynn-Carney), Dreamfyre has been with House Targaryen since the reign of its third king, Maegor the Cruel. She was originally ridden by Maegor’s niece and queen, Princess Rhaena, but spent most of her life on the other side of Westeros during her rider’s self-imposed exile. When Rhaena died, Dreamfyre remained riderless until she bonded with Helaena Targaryen (Evie Allen and Phia Saban), Aegon II’s sister and queen.

While Dreamfyre hasn’t done much in the show yet, she has had a lot of impact on the lore of Westeros. The egg that Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) stole to get his brother’s attention was laid by Dreamfyre, and there are theories that she laid the eggs that would eventually hatch Daenerys’ three dragons. Though Helaena didn’t ride her too often, she is still one of the largest dragons in Westeros, and could wreak untold destruction if she’s ever let out of the Dragonpit.

14

Moondancer

Rider: Lady Baela Targaryen

Image via HBO

One of the younger dragons on the side of the Blacks, Moondancer, is bonded to the eldest of Daemon’s daughters by Laena Velaryon (Savannah Steyn and Nanna Blondell), Baela (Shani Smethurst and Bethany Antonia). Since she isn’t large enough to engage the Green dragons, Rhaenyra commands Baela to fly Moondancer on reconnaissance missions. They gave the Hand of the King, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), a fright on his way to subdue the Crownlands, then later partook in the Battle of the Gullet.

Moondancer is another dragon who can’t do much due to her age, but the production crew manages to give her personality through her movements and design. Like her rider, Moondancer is brave despite her age and is eager to prove herself. Her design is also striking thanks to her tiger stripes and mohawk-like frills, allowing her to stand out.

13

Syrax

Rider: Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen

Image via HBO

A gorgeous golden-green dragon, Syrax, was chosen as the mount of Princess Rhaenyra. Despite her size, Syrax is another dragon who has not seen battle, and rarely even goes out to hunt. However, she has accompanied Rhaenyra on numerous important missions, from stopping Daemon from stealing a dragon egg to asserting Rhaenyra’s position as Queen of Westeros.

Though an adult dragon, Syrax has little to no combat experience, as demonstrated by how brutally she is savaged by the wild dragon, Sheepstealer. Nevertheless, she and her rider maintain a good connection, to the point where Syrax can feel her labor pains and lays eggs of her own, giving the two a bond through motherhood. Her design is also quite beautiful, with a more rounded face than the other dragons, which makes her look fierce but also more matronly.

12

Rhaegal

Rider: Jon Snow

Image via HBO

The second largest of Daenerys’ dragons, Rhaegal, was named after her eldest brother, Prince Rhaegar (Wilf Scolding), who died fighting Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) at the Battle of the Trident. Identified by his green and bronze scales, Rhaegal is very much the middle child of the family, though he’s closer to his younger brother Viserion than his elder, Drogon. In preparation for the battle against the Night King (Richard Brake and Vladimir Furdik), Daenerys allows Jon Snow (Kit Harington) to ride him.

Rhaegal is easily the most forgettable of the three dragons from Game of Thrones. Everything he does is in the company of a second or third dragon, which leaves him with few chances to do much. His actions in Season 8 sadly continue this trend: he is taken out of the Battle of Winterfell fairly quickly, then gets killed in the next episode because Daenerys infamously “kind of forgot about the Iron Fleet.”

11

Sheepstealer

Rider: Lady Rhaena Targaryen

Image via HBO

Not all of the dragons in Westeros are fully under House Targaryen’s control. One, named Sheepstealer, is a wild dragon who has never known a rider, and so flies where he wishes across Westeros. When he left Dragonstone and traveled to the Vale of Arryn, he was eventually claimed by Baela’s twin, Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning and Phoebe Campbell), but a wild dragon is not so easily broken in.

Sheepstealer’s time in the wild has turned him into a formidable opponent, as seen when it took three adult dragons to subdue him. He also has one of the most distinct designs, with gnarled scales and an underbite, which further sells him as a dragon who has had to fight and hunt every day of his life. Rhaena’s attempt to tame him further highlights the unpredictable nature of dragons, and how they are not horses, but dangerous beasts who have the potential to kill thousands with a breath.