House of the Dragon, Guide to Dragons

In Westeros, you are only as strong as your weakest dragon. This is increasingly evident in the second season of House of the Dragonwhile the war between the Blacks and the Greens rages on. Although Rhaenyra and the Blacks have the greater number of dragons at their disposal (while the small Moondancers and Tyraxers grow larger every day), it is the Greens who have the largest and most dangerous dragon of all, Vhagar. With three episodes left in the second season, it is still unknown which faction will emerge victorious and which dragons will make it to the end of the season.

For those who haven’t read Fire and Blood Of George R.R. Martinthe original work on which it is based House of the Dragonit can be tricky to figure out which dragon belongs to whom. Some dragons and their riders (such as the late King Viserys and his dragon Balerion, the Black Terror, or young Luke Velaryon and his dragon Arrax) have perished, further threatening the species they both belong to with extinction. But even for the dragons that remain, it can be difficult to tell a Seasmoke from a Sunfyre. Below, we provide an overview of the dragons of House of the Dragon (and respective situations) after the fifth episode of the second season.

Vhagar

Vhagar, the biggest and meanest dragon in all the land, is currently Prince Aemond’s trusty steed. However, Vhagar has not always belonged to Aemond. She was originally bonded to Laena Targaryen, Daemon’s late second wife, who first mentioned Vhagar’s existence while she was being tested for her suitability as a child bride for King Viserys in the second episode of the first season. During their conversation, young Laena (then played by New Foueillis-Moses) had revealed to Viserys that Vhagar was too large to fit into the Dragonpit.

Second Fire and BloodVhagar will continue to grow, becoming nearly as large as her brother, Balerion, the Black Dread, whose skull is displayed in a crypt in King’s Landing. In the sixth episode of the first season, adult Laena (Nanna Blondell) claims ownership of Vhagar, but their bond soon comes to a tragic end when Laena demands that Vhagar incinerate her with dragonfire after suffering tragic complications during childbirth. In the next episode, Aemond intervenes by stealing the dragon from his late aunt’s family and successfully riding Vhagar, causing a rift between his family and hers. The rift will deepen when Aemond, riding Vhagar, attacks Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon, killing them both.

Today Vhagar belongs to Aemond and is the sole survivor of the dragons that came to Westeros with Aegon the Conqueror. Aemond continues to have Vhagar do his dirty work, and she takes part in the Battle of Crow’s Rest in the fourth episode of the second season and fights against both Rhaenys and her dragon, Meleys, and her brother and his dragon, Sunfyre. Aemond manages to eliminate Rhaenys and Meleys, killing them both, but also manages to run over his brother, King Aegon II (Tom Glynn Carney), with dragon fire, perhaps killing both him and his dragon.

Sunfyre

Defined in Fire and Blood “the most beautiful dragon the known world has ever seen,” Sunfyre belongs to King Aegon II. In an impulsive decision, Aegon rides Sunfyre into the Battle of Crow’s Rest, where he faces Rhaenys and Meleys. While fighting Rhaenys and Meleys, he is caught in his own brother’s fire, sending him and Sunfyre plummeting into the forest, where they may perish. Although we learn in the fifth episode of season two that Aegon (barely) survived the fall, it is unclear whether his dragon Sunfyre also made it out of Crow’s Rest alive. But if you want to know what the book says (spoiler alert!), according to Fire and Blood Sunfyre actually survives the Battle of Crow’s Rest. The dragon, like Aegon, is gravely wounded and remains convalescing in the forest near the battle site, unable to return to King’s Landing.

Meleys

Poor Meleys. Called the Red Queen, Meleys was ridden by the legendary princess Alyssa Targaryen before Rhaenys bonded with her, as told by Fire and Blood. In the first season of House of the DragonMeleys causes panic when Rhaenys rides her on the scene during the coronation of King Aegon II. While she could have ordered Meleys to incinerate all the Hightowers (which, in hindsight, would have been a wise move), Rhaenys takes Meleys back to Dragonstone and informs Rhaenyra of Aegon’s attempt to usurp her throne.

In the fourth episode of the second season, Meleys and Rhaenys risk their lives for the Blacks, fighting against Aemond and Vhagar and Aegon and Sunfyre at Crow’s Rest, where they ultimately meet an untimely death. In the following episode, Meleys’s severed head is paraded through King’s Landing by Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), shocking the citizens of Westeros. Rest in peace, Meleys: you have always been more than just a dragon.

Syracuse

Syrax, the first dragon we meet in House of the Dragonbelongs to Princess Rhaenyra. The two have been linked since Rhaenyra was seven years old. In the first season of House of the Dragon we often see the young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) ride Syrax, second Fire and Blood a “huge and formidable” yellow-scaled beast. In the second episode of that season, Rhaenyra and Syrax challenge Daemon and his dragon, Caraxes, at Dragonstone after Daemon steals an egg from King’s Landing. Surprisingly, the girl holds her own against her uncle and his dragon despite her relatively young age.

When the war between the Blacks and the Greens really begins and Rhaenyra is more or less sequestered on Dragonstone, Syrax is seen less. But just because Syrax has been away from the battlefield doesn’t mean she hasn’t been busy. By the end of the first season, Syrax has laid several eggs, some of which are stolen by Daemon in the eighth episode of the first season. Fortunately, Daemon doesn’t take all of Syrax’s eggs, and she entrusts some of them to her niece Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) to protect and guard them.

Dreamfyre

Another dragon who faced Daemon’s evil machinations is Dreamfyre, initially linked to the original Princess Rhaena Targaryen (not to be confused with the characters in House of the Dragon Rhaenyra, Rhaenys or the daughter of Daemon and Laena, also named Rhaena). In the first season, Daemon steals one of Dreamfyre’s dragon eggs for his future (and nonexistent) child. Over the course of her life, Dreamfyre, who has white and blue scales, has laid several eggs and is currently bonded to Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) of the Greens, sister and wife of King Aegon II.

Caraxes

Originally owned by King Aemon Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, Caraxes is referred to in Fire and Blood “the fiercest of all the young dragons of the Dragonpit.” According to Fire and Bloodafter Aemon’s death, Caraxes bonds with another fierce Targaryen, Daemon, King Aemon’s nephew. Caraxes, a red dragon, earned the nickname Blood Dragon for his cruel and bloodthirsty tendencies. In the first season, Daemon uses these qualities to his advantage, using Caraxes to steal a dragon egg from Syrax. In the second season, Daemon rides Caraxes to Harrenhal, where he quickly takes control of the castle. Halfway through the second season of House of the DragonCaraxes sits quietly in Harrenhal, where he forces the inhabitants, by intimidating them, to swear fealty to Queen Rhaenyra.

Seasmoke

Don’t forget Seasmoke. The grey dragon belonging to Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan), Queen Rhaenyra’s late first husband, has been out of commission for some time, but he may be back in action sooner than expected. After fighting in the War for the Stepstones with Ser Laenor, Seasmoke is left behind when Laenor fakes his own death and flees across the Narrow Sea with her lover, Ser Qarl. Without a rider, Rhaenyra says early in season two that Seasmoke is “restless.” But Seasmoke may be flying again soon. At the end of season two’s fifth episode, Rhaenyra and her son Jace hatch a plan to find distant relatives of Targaryen blood who they can train to become dragonriders.

Vermax

Speaking of Targaryen blood: Vermax belongs to Jacaerys Velaryon (aka Jace, Queen Rhaenyra’s firstborn). Jace and Vermax bond in season one’s sixth episode, when a young Jace nearly finds himself on the receiving end of a “Dracarys” command. In episode ten, Jace and Vermax bond in part over grief: Aemond has killed Jace’s brother Luke and his dragon, Arrax. In season two, Jace vows to avenge his brother’s death and help his mother ascend the throne, taking Vermax to the Freys in a successful attempt to convince them to support Rhaenyra in the coming war.

Moondancer

Moondancer, a slender green dragon, belongs to Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia), daughter of the late Laena Velaryon and Daemon Targaryen. In the second season of House of the DragonRhaenyra entrusts Baela with the task of guarding Ser Criston Cole’s party on their way to Harrenhal. Astride Moondancer, Baela gives Criston, Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) and companions chasing them into the forest.

Tyraxes

Tyraxes belongs to the youngest of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s sons: Joffrey Velaryon. As young as his knight, Tyraxes is referred to as “a cub” in the third episode of the second season. Cubs, however, grow up; and this cub is firmly on the side of the Blacks.

Stormcloud

Tyraxes goes arm in arm with Stormcloud, the dragon belonging to Aegon III, aka Young Aegon, son of Rhaenyra and Daemon (remember: Rhaenyra married her uncle, Daemon, after helping her first husband fake his own death). Both Tyraxes and Stormcloud travel with Rhaena Velaryon to the Vale, where they are greeted coldly by Lady Arryn, who does not appreciate being offered such young dragons to protect her and the Eyrie. “Stormcloud and Tyraxes are young, but they will grow,” Rhaenyra says. Who knows how big Stormcloud and Tyraxes will be when the war heats up at the end of season two!

Wormthorn

Vermithor, a great bronze-scaled dragon that belonged to King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, predecessor of King Viserys, is an elder dragon, nearly a hundred years old at the start of the Dance of the Dragons. Despite being one of the oldest and largest dragons left (only Vhagar and Balerion were larger, according to Fire and Blood), Vermithor is currently riderless and living somewhere on Dragonstone. At the conclusion of the first season, Daemon tries in vain to find and tame Vermithor. But just because Daemon failed to find him doesn’t mean Vermithor isn’t out there. At the end of the fifth episode of the second season, Jace tells his mother Rhaenrya that there are two dragons big enough to take on Vhagar: Vermithor and Silverwing. You just have to find someone to ride them.

Silverwing

Silverwing, the other half of Jace’s plane, is another great silver dragon (currently untamed) that resides on Dragonstone. Often paired with Vermithor, Silverwing was formerly ridden by Alysanne Targaryen, queen and sister of King Jaehaerys I.

While these are all the known dragons left in Westeros, Daemon mentions at the end of season one that there are wild dragons nesting on Dragonstone, waiting to be ridden. Time will tell what role they will play in the great war between the Blacks and the Greens, and which of them will be left standing when the dust settles.