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From Aegon's Conquest to the return of magic, explore the legendary winged beasts that shaped the destiny of the Seven Kingdoms
1 BC - 100 AC
The three mighty dragons that conquered the Seven Kingdoms
The Black Dread
The largest dragon ever known to have lived, Balerion could swallow an aurochs whole and his shadow could engulf entire towns. His teeth were as long as swords and his jaws were large enough to swallow a mammoth whole. When he opened his mouth, the heat was said to be so intense it could melt steel.
Balerion was the personal mount of Aegon the Conqueror and the symbol of Targaryen power. He burned Harrenhal to ruins with Lord Harren and all his sons inside, forged the Field of Fire that destroyed the armies of the Reach and Rock, and his skull in the Red Keep served as a reminder of dragon power for centuries after his death.
The Queen of Dragons
Nearly as large as Balerion by the time of the Dance of the Dragons, Vhagar was one of the most formidable dragons in Targaryen history. Her scales were harder than steel, and she could breathe fire hot enough to melt castle walls. In her final years, she was large enough to swallow a horse whole.
Vhagar participated in Aegon's Conquest, survived the wars of the Targaryen dynasty, and played a crucial role in the Dance of the Dragons. Her death in combat with Caraxes, taking both dragons and their riders down, was one of the most dramatic moments of the civil war.
The Silver Queen
A beautiful silver dragon, Meraxes was smaller than Balerion but still immensely powerful. She was said to be the most graceful of the three conquest dragons, with scales that shone like polished silver in the sun. Her fire could melt sand into glass.
Meraxes's death marked the first major loss for House Targaryen and demonstrated that dragons were not invincible. Her fall prevented Aegon from fully conquering Dorne and showed that careful tactics could defeat even dragonfire. The skull-and-crossbones piercing bolt became a Dornish symbol of resistance.
50 - 130 AC
Notable dragons that shaped Targaryen rule before the Dance
The Bronze Fury
After Vhagar, Vermithor was the largest living dragon during the Dance of the Dragons. He had bronze-colored scales and tan wings, and was known for his aggressive temperament. During the reign of Jaehaerys I, Vermithor was considered one of the most dangerous and powerful dragons alive.
As the mount of King Jaehaerys I for 55 years, Vermithor represented the peak of Targaryen power during the realm's golden age. His later claiming by the commoner Hugh Hammer during the Dance showed both the desperation of the war and the danger of allowing non-Targaryens to ride dragons.
The Good Queen's Dragon
Silverwing was a gentle dragon by dragon standards, known for her relatively calm demeanor. She had silver scales that gleamed like moonlight and her flames burned silvery-white. Queen Alysanne flew her across the realm, visiting the smallfolk and earning the love of the people.
Silverwing represented the gentler side of dragon power, used for diplomacy and showing the royal family to the people rather than conquest. Her bond with Good Queen Alysanne made her beloved by commoners. She was one of the few dragons to survive the Dance of the Dragons.
The Blood Wyrm
Caraxes was a fearsome red dragon with a serpentine body longer than most dragons. He had a savage reputation and was known for his terrifying war-cry. Unlike most dragons, Caraxes was lean and sinuous, built more like a wyrm than a traditional dragon.
Caraxes was the mount of Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince, and perfectly matched his rider's bold and dangerous nature. His final battle against Vhagar, though both dragons died, was considered one of the most epic dragon duels in history and turned the tide of the Dance of the Dragons.
The Red Queen
Meleys was called the Red Queen for her scarlet scales and pink wing membranes. She was one of the swiftest dragons in the realm, perhaps the fastest of all the dragons. Despite her age, she remained formidable and fierce in battle.
Meleys represented the strength of the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons. Her death at Rook's Rest, requiring two dragons to bring her down, demonstrated her power even in defeat. The battle cost King Aegon II dearly and showed the terrible price of the civil war.
The Golden
Sunfyre was said to be the most beautiful dragon ever seen, with gleaming golden scales and pale pink wings. He was devoted to his rider Aegon II, and the bond between them was legendary. Despite multiple grievous wounds, Sunfyre continued to fight for his rider.
Sunfyre's loyalty to Aegon II even when crippled and dying became legendary. He helped kill Meleys and Grey Ghost, and even in his dying state managed to kill Rhaenyra Targaryen, the rival queen. His death marked the end of Aegon II's dragon power.
Queen Rhaenyra's Dragon
Syrax was a yellow she-dragon, named after an old Valyrian goddess. She was kept well-fed and pampered in King's Landing, rarely seeing battle before the Dance. While formidable, she was not as battle-hardened as dragons like Caraxes or Vhagar.
Syrax's death during the Storming of the Dragonpit was a turning point in the Dance of the Dragons, showing that even dragons could be brought down by determined commoners. Her loss devastated Rhaenyra and marked the beginning of the end for dragon power in Westeros.
129 - 131 AC
The dragons that fought in the Targaryen civil war
The Pale Dragon
Seasmoke had pale silver-grey scales that gave him his name, appearing like smoke over the sea. He was a swift and agile dragon, known for his speed in flight. After Laenor's supposed death, he eventually accepted Addam of Hull as his new rider.
Seasmoke proved that dragons could accept new riders if their previous rider died, though the bond was never as strong. Addam's loyalty to Rhaenyra despite the Betrayers showed that character mattered more than blood. Seasmoke died fighting for the Blacks at Tumbleton.
Prince Jacaerys's Dragon
Vermax was a young green dragon with orange wing membranes, still growing when the Dance began. He was relatively small but fierce, and devoted to his young rider Jacaerys. Despite his youth, he proved his worth in battle.
Vermax's death along with Jacaerys at the Battle of the Gullet was a devastating blow to Rhaenyra. The loss of her eldest son and his dragon showed the terrible cost of the civil war on both sides and weakened the Blacks significantly.
The Storm Dragon
Arrax was a young white dragon, small and still growing. He was no match for larger, older dragons in combat. His death, hunted down by Vhagar during a storm above Shipbreaker Bay, was one of the first casualties of the Dance.
The killing of Arrax and young Lucerys by Aemond Targaryen was the spark that turned the succession dispute into open war. The murder of an envoy and a child destroyed any hope of peaceful resolution and hardened both sides against negotiation.
The Pale Dragon
Moondancer was a small, slender she-dragon with pale green scales and pearl-colored wings. She was young and quick, known for her agility rather than size or firepower. Despite her youth, she was fierce in battle.
Moondancer's brave assault on the much larger Sunfyre, though ending in both dragons' deaths, prevented Aegon II from escaping and helped secure Rhaenyra's remaining forces. Her sacrifice demonstrated that courage could overcome size disadvantage.
The Blue Queen
Tessarion had cobalt blue scales with highlights of copper that shimmered in the sun, earning her the name Blue Queen. She was one of the most beautiful dragons of her generation, and was fiercely loyal to her rider Daeron, matching his tactical brilliance.
Tessarion and Daeron were crucial to the Greens' victories in the Reach. Her death in the chaotic Second Battle of Tumbleton, where dragon fought dragon in confusion, symbolized how the Dance had descended into madness with Targaryen killing Targaryen.
297 - 300+ AC
The first dragons born in over 150 years
The Winged Shadow
Drogon is black with crimson horns and wing bones, named after Daenerys's late husband Khal Drogo. He is the largest and most aggressive of Daenerys's three dragons, and the one most strongly bonded to her. His scales are black as night, and his eyes burn with red fire.
Drogon represents the return of dragons to the world after they were thought extinct for over a century. As Daenerys's primary mount, he has burned cities and armies, proving that the age of dragons has returned. His growth rate suggests he may eventually rival the ancient dragons in size.
The Green Dragon
Rhaegal has green and bronze scales, named in honor of Daenerys's brother Rhaegar. While slightly smaller than Drogon, he is still a formidable dragon with emerald green scales and bronze eyes. He allowed Jon Snow to ride him, suggesting a deeper connection to the Targaryen bloodline.
Rhaegal's willingness to accept Jon Snow as a rider provided crucial evidence of Jon's Targaryen heritage. His death from scorpion fire echoed Meraxes's fate in Dorne, showing that even in the modern age, dragons remain vulnerable to well-placed projectiles.
The Cream and Gold Dragon
Viserion has cream and gold scales, named for Daenerys's brother Viserys. His flames burned with gold and red. After being killed by the Night King, he was reanimated as an undead ice dragon with blue flames capable of destroying the Wall itself.
Viserion's transformation into an ice dragon represented one of the greatest threats to Westeros - the combination of ancient magic and dragon power in service of the White Walkers. His destruction of the Wall allowed the army of the dead to invade the Seven Kingdoms. His final death at Winterfell helped end the Long Night.
Various
Wild and semi-wild dragons of legend
The Wild Dragon
The Cannibal was a massive wild dragon that lived on Dragonstone, never ridden by any Targaryen. He was coal black with malevolent green eyes and was known to feed on dragon eggs and smaller dragons, earning his fearsome name. He was possibly older than Balerion.
The Cannibal proved that not all dragons could be tamed by Targaryens, representing the wild, untameable aspect of dragon nature. His very existence posed a constant threat on Dragonstone, and his fate remains one of the great mysteries of dragon lore.
The Mud Dragon
Sheepstealer was a wild dragon with mud-brown scales, named for his habit of stealing sheep from local flocks. He was eventually tamed by a baseborn girl named Nettles, who fed him sheep until he accepted her as a rider.
Sheepstealer's taming by the common-born Nettles proved that dragon-riding ability might not be exclusively Targaryen, though the method required patience rather than blood. The pair's survival and disappearance into the mountains became a tale of hope that dragons might still exist in wild places.
The Shy Dragon
Grey Ghost was a wild dragon that lived on Dragonstone, rarely seen and shy of humans. He had pale grey-white scales that helped him blend with sea mist and clouds. He preferred to hunt fish and avoided other dragons and humans.
Grey Ghost represented the possibility that dragons could live independently of human masters, surviving by hunting and avoiding conflict. His death at Sunfyre's claws showed that even reclusive dragons could not escape the violence of the Dance.
Dragons came from the Valyrian Freehold, where dragonlords ruled for thousands of years. The Targaryens were one of forty dragonlord families who used blood magic and sorcery to control the beasts. When the Doom destroyed Valyria, only the Targaryen dragons survived.
Dragons bond with a single rider at a time, creating a connection that lasts until death. While Valyrian blood helps, the bond is mysterious - some Targaryens never bond with dragons, while some with distant Valyrian ancestry succeed. The bond cannot be broken except by death.
Dragons never stop growing as long as they have food and freedom. Balerion grew to enormous size over 200 years. Dragons kept in captivity, like those in the Dragonpit, grew smaller and weaker, suggesting that confinement limits their growth.
After the Dance of the Dragons killed most dragons and the Storming of the Dragonpit destroyed many more, the remaining dragons grew small and sickly. The last dragon, a stunted thing no larger than a cat, died during the reign of Aegon III, who was called the Dragonbane. For 150 years, dragons were thought extinct.
Daenerys Targaryen hatched three dragon eggs in the funeral pyre of Khal Drogo, walking into the flames and emerging unburnt with three living dragons - the first born in over a century. This miracle suggested that the age of magic had returned to the world.
Despite their power, dragons can be killed. Scorpion bolts to the eye have felled dragons from Meraxes to Rhaegal. Dragon vs. dragon combat is devastating to both parties. And while adult dragons are nearly invulnerable, young dragons and eggs are fragile.