An Exhaustive Guide to Every Dragon on ‘House of the Dragon’
It’s hard enough to remember all the human characters’ names on House of the Dragon. So when it comes to the dragons, I find myself searching through Wiki pages devoted to the popular fantasy series. Game of Thrones had only three dragons—and it never really mattered what their names were. (Sorry, don’t burn me to death!) But House of the Dragon is a different story.
In this world, counting your dragons is a critical part of assembling your forces for war—especially if there’s a chance that your entire army will be wiped out by one of those fearsome beasts. Though we haven’t met every dragon onscreen quite yet, here’s a detailed breakdown of the flying pets of destruction in season 2 so far.
Syrax
Syrax is the first dragon to appear on House of the Dragon. So it makes sense that the gold beast belongs to Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy). In season 1, episode 2, a young Rhaenyra (played by Milly Alcock) rode Syrax to confront her eventual uncle-husband, Daemon (Matt Smith), on the bridge outside Dragonstone. By season 2, Syrax is one of the most formidable dragons on Rhaenyra’s side.
Caraxes
Another dragon introduced in season 1, Caraxes is Daemon Targaryen’s greatest weapon. Known as the “Blood Wyrm” in creator George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel—due to his red coloring and slim body—Caraxes was taken in by Daemon after the death of his uncle, Aemon Targaryen. (Don’t worry! You didn’t miss him. Aemon was never onscreen.) With Daemon in command, Caraxes is easily the most battle-tested dragon in Rhaenyra’s forces.
Vhagar
Vhagar is the largest and oldest dragon in Westeros at the time of House of the Dragon. She is the sister of the late Balerion the Dread—Aegon the Conqueror’s dragon—and the only living dragon from that age. The late Laena Targaryen (Nanna Blondell) eventually claimed Vhagar in the latter half of season 1, before she commanded the beast to incinerate her during a particularly traumatic childbirth scene. Shortly thereafter, the fearsome dragon bonds with the young Prince Aemond Targaryen (played by Ewan Mitchell after season 1’s time jump). If you remember only one dragon’s name, remember Vhagar.
Meleys
Known as the “Red Queen,” Meleys made her dramatic first appearance when she and her rider, Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), crashed King Aegon II’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) coronation in season 1, episode 9. Before that, she belonged to Alyssa Targaryen, the late King Viserys’s (Paddy Considine) mother. When season 2 begins, the “Queen Who Never Was” remarks that she and Meleys are holding up their naval blockade alongside her husband Corlys Velaryon’s (Steve Toussaint) fleet.
Sunfyre
In Fire & Blood, Martin describes King Aegon II Targaryen’s dragon, Sunfyre, as “the most beautiful dragon ever seen in the known world.” We’ve yet to see the young golden dragon onscreen so far—but I’m sure that the new king’s beast is as formidable as any.
Dreamfyre
The silver-and-blue Dreamfyre lays the most eggs out of any dragon during this time. Some fans even believe that Danaerys’s dragons on Game of Thrones are descendants of Dreamfyre. Currently, she’s bonded with Queen Heleana (Phia Saban) and stays within the dragon pits of King’s Landing.
Vermax
Vermax belongs to Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon (Harry Collett), Rhaenyra’s firstborn son and a young dragon rider eager for battle. After flying to the Vale and even further North to the Wall in season 2’s premiere, he learns that his brother, Lucerys, and his dragon, Arrax, were both killed by Aemond in the season 1 finale.
Moondancer
Moondancer has yet to appear onscreen, but the young green dragon is reportedly bonded with Daemon and Laena’s daughter, Baela (Bethany Antonia). Of the former couple’s two twin daughters, Baela and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), only Baela possesses a dragon. Baela also has a pet monkey in the book that I very much hope makes an appearance in season 2 as well.
Seasmoke, Vermithor, Silverwing, Tyraxes, and Sheapstealer
Roughly five unclaimed dragons roam around Westeros, with crazy names including Silverwing and Sheapstealer. Seasmoke is best-known of the five, as it previously bonded with Corlys and Rhaenys’s son, Laenor Targaryen. After faking his own death in season 1, episode 7, the young lord escaped in a small boat to the East. Seasmoke still flies around Driftmark without a rider.
Vermithor is another prominent unclaimed dragon. You may remember the massive beast from a visit from Daemon at the end of season 1. With his size, Vermithor is likely to show up in some capacity as the war rages on. So will Silverwing, Tyraxes, and Sheapstealer—three other dragons we know of that still fly without riders. As the war continues, it’s possible that a few dragon-less characters will seek them out to bolster their forces.
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