It was easy keeping track of Game of Thrones‘ dragons. Daenerys Stormborn took three eggs into the flames and rose unscathed from the ashes with three “children.” That was it! And you didn’t even need to remember their names because each had a distinct color. Khaleesi’s favorite and the biggest, the one she flew on, was the black dragon Drogon. Then there was gold Viserion, whom the Night King turned into an undead ice dragon. And finally, there was green Rhaegal, claimed by Jon Snow. But the skies of Westeros will be overrun with “fire made flesh” a.k.a dragons on House of the Dragon. The prequel series will show House Targaryen at their strongest, when they had 17 dragons prior to the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. But how will you keep track of all of House of the Dragon‘s numerous dragons?
The good news is, you don’t have to. We’ve got you covered—with as few spoilers as possible. Here’s a list of all the dragons you’ll see on House of the Dragon, who they are, along with their riders. And we’ll keep updating this post every time one of them appears on the prequel series.
House of the Dragon’s Dragons; Jump to Rhaenyra Targaryen’s Dragon, Syrax // Daemon Targaryen’s Dragon, Caraxes // Unhatched Dragon Egg // Laenor Velaryon’s Dragon, Seasmoke
How Many Dragons Will Appear During House of the Dragon Season One?
We know exactly how many dragons we’ll see during House of the Dragon‘s debut year. Co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik told Empire that season one features nine of House Targaryen’s 17 dragons. While each dragon will have its own look, the Game of Thrones alum says the dragons will be easier to differentiate by their individual traits. According to Sapochnik, each dragon will have its own personality.
That’s no surprise. We already know Game of Thrones‘ dragons are highly-intelligent creatures with minds of their own. But with so many different personalities flying around, it will be fun to see how they interact with their fellow dragons. And it will be entertaining to see how the dragons’ attitudes either mirror or conflict with their riders. Dragons only accept a single rider—of Valyrian blood—while both still live. For now, here are the dragons we’ve already met on House of the Dragon.
Which Dragons Have Already Appeared on House of the Dragon?
Syrax (Dragon Rider: Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen)
A giant yellow-scaled she-dragon who took young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen as rider in 104 AC. House of the Dragon opened with the princess riding high over King’s Landing while in a saddle on Syrax’s back. Thanks to her parents, we also now know you can smell like a dragon after taking one for a spin. Rhaenyra and Syrax haven’t yet seen any battle on House of the Dragon, but Rhaenyra’s dragon was instrumental in a pivotal scene. In episode two of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra rode Syrax to Dragonstone, matching Daemon and his dragon wing for wing. Ultimately, Rheenyra helped avoid a brewing conflict after Daemon baited the king by taking a dragon egg originally meant for his now-dead son.
Caraxes (Dragon Rider: Daemon Targaryen)
In 105 AC, Daemon Targaryen became the second member of his family to mount Caraxes, the large red dragon known as the Blood Wyrm. Originally Caraxes’ dragonrider was Prince Aemon Targaryen, but Aemon was eventually slain and Daemon took him as his dragon. Caraxes made a big impression in House of the Dragon‘s premiere. That included how it brought out the tender side of Prince Daemon. Since then, we’ve seen Caraxes’ great size, even when it comes to dragons, and might sprinkled throughout House of the Dragons.
Caraxes makes an impressive sight as he flies through the air and menaces all those who might oppose him and his dragon-rider.
Unhatched Dragon Egg
Technically, episode two of House of the Dragon didn’t feature a new dragon. But we’re positive there’s one inside the egg Daemon stole. How can there not be when that egg—originally meant for King Viserys’s son Baelon—already feels like Chekhov’s dragon? For now, all we know is that the egg belongs to the dragon Dreamfyre. But we think it could ultimately hatch and bond with one of Viserys’ offspring. Could this be the egg of Sunfyre? Sunfyre was almost certainly born soon after this episode aired. You can read more about this dragon below.
Seasmoke (Dragon Rider: Laenor Velaryon)
The silver-gray dragon accepted Laenor Velaryon (son of Rhaenys Targaryen, which makes him eligible for dragon-riding) as its rider by the year 101 AC. The duo didn’t make their House of the Dragon debut, though, until the show’s third episode. That’s when Laenor and Seasmoke helped Laenor’s father Lord Corlys Velaryon and Prince Daemon Targaryen defeat the Crabfeeder in the Stepstones. And they did so in fine form. This is the first of House of the Dragon‘s dragons we’ve really gotten to see in action. But it did not disappoint. Seasmoke’s appearance also marks the third of the nine dragons we’ll see in House of the Dragon‘s first season.
Which Dragons Could We Still See During House of the Dragon‘s First Season?
We don’t yet know which other dragons will also appear during House of the Dragon‘s first season, but these seem like the most likely:
Sunfyre (Rider: Aegon Targaryen)
A gold dragon with golden flames, he bonded with Rhaenyra’s younger half-brother Aegon in 120 AC.
Dreamfyre (Rider: Helaena Targaryen)
A slim, blue she-dragon with silver wings, Dreamfyre accepted his second rider, Helaena Targaryen, around 120 AC.
Meleys (Rider: Rhaenys Targaryen)
Rhaenys, “The Queen Who Never Was,” became the second Targaryen to sit upon the swift red and pink she-dragon when she bonded with the beast in 87 AC.
Vermithor (Rider: King Jaeherys I)
One of the largest dragons to ever fly over Westeros, the bronze beast belonged to House Targaryen’s longest-reigning ruler in the Realm, The Old King Jaeherys I. Vermithor outlived the King.
Vhagar (Rider: Aemond Targaryen)
One of the three dragons that helped Aegon and his sister’s conquer Westeros (first claimed by Queen Visenya), the bronze dragon with green-blue coloring and green eyes took young Prince Aemond Targaryen as her last rider in 120 AC.
Tessarion (Rider: Daeron Targaryen)
The stunning “Blue Queen” had dark blue wings and dragonflame, along with copper scales and trim. She bonded with Prince Daeron Targaryen in 120 AC.
ADDITIONAL READING
Aegon’s Conquest, When Dragons Came to Westeros
Dragonstone, Birthplace of a Dynasty and Home of Dragonglass
Rhaenyra Targaryen, the First Woman to Sit on the Iron Throne
The Dragonpit and the Demise of Dragons
The Chilling Legend of Ice Dragons
What Other Dragons Existed During the Dance of the Dragons?
In addition to the dragons mentioned above, House Targaryen also had eight other dragons before civil war pitted the beasts against one another in 129 AC. That included the full-sized dragons Silverwing. Vermax, Arrax, Tyraxes, and Moondancer, as well as three hatchlings too small to ride: Stormcloud, Morghul, and Shrykos.
However, during that time three wild, unbonded dragons also lived on Dragonstone: Grey Ghost, Sheepstealer, and the Cannibal.
In a war pitting dragon-against-dragon, both in the air and on the ground, you can imagine the possibilities a wild dragon presented. But there’s a reason those three had no riders by the time war broke out. What did that mean for anyone who tried to sit on their back? And what about the dragons we don’t expect to see in season one? Who flew them high above the Seven Kingdoms? We’ll let you learn all of that on your own when House of the Dragon brings those many (many) magical creatures to life.
Don’t worry, though, we’ll make sure to update this post to help you can keep track of all of them. It was a lot easier when Daenerys only had three of them.
This post originally published on August 17.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
The post Who Are HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’s 17 Dragons? appeared first on Nerdist.
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