Here Are The Twelve Best Dragons in Targaryen History, Ranked
Alexa play “Reign of the Targaryens”.
Dragons are hands down one of the coolest parts of the Song of Ice and Fire universe. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been a dragon girlie or maybe it’s because there’s honestly nothing bad to say about massive fire-breathing, flying lizards with a psychic bond to their chosen human.
While we only know the dragons that have flown over Westeros from the Conquest onward, that’s still more than enough to create a wide group of characters—because they are characters, there’s no arguing that—with their separate personalities and storylines. So here are the twelve best ever mentioned in Fire & Blood, The World of Ice and Fire, and anywhere in between—based on both their role in the story and my personal preference.
12. Sunfyre
Sunfyre the Golden was widely considered to be the most magnificent dragon to have ever lived—his scales glittered like gold, while the membrane of his wings was pale pink. He was ridden by King Aegon II, who made a golden dragon the symbol of his side in the Dance of the Dragon precisely to honor Sunfyre. After catching a glimpse of him back in the first season of House of the Dragon, we finally saw him in action in season 2—action that was short-lived but that still proved how deep the bond between Sunfyre and Aegon went. Honestly, that little snoot bump that he gives Aegon is the reason Sunfyre simply had to be on this list.
11. Moondancer
The she-dragon Moondancer, with her pale green scales and her wingbones the color of pearl, was ridden by Lady Baela Targaryen. She was also a young dragon, still on the smaller size, by the time the Dance of the Dragon starts—which is why we’ve seen Baela and Moondancer take up scouting missions rather than plunge headfirst into battle. I particularly loved the design they gave her in the show, though, with that little crest that makes her quite unique looking when compared to all the other dragons. And I also adored how we were shown a bit the way the psychic bond works, with Moondancer noticing the knights on the ground and “signaling” it to Baela. Ten out of ten teamwork.
10. Vermithor
Known as the Bronze Fury from the color of his scales, the dragon Vermithor is the second-largest alive during the Dance of the Dragons—and it’s also riderless when the fighting begins since his first and last rider was the Old King Jaehaerys I. We haven’t seen much of Vermithor in the show, but the books do give a bit more insight into him and that’s why he’s at this particular ranking. Without going into the events of the Dance, which would of course be spoiler-y, Vermithor did a whole bunch of cool things back when Jaehaerys was alive, including several trips all across the Seven Kingdoms as well as ending the Fourth Dornish War in just one day.
9. Syrax
House of the Dragon has made us very familiar with Syrax, the golden dragon of Rhaenyra Targaryen. Relatively small when compared to some of the other dragons alive during the Dance, she was also exceptionally spoiled—she was kept beside her rider at all times and food was brought to her, so much so that she hadn’t hunted for herself for years by the time the Dance started. I do not particularly like the show making Syrax also the mother of Daenerys’s three dragons, though, so that’s a part of canon I will simply elect to ignore and also one of the reasons Syrax isn’t higher on this list.
8. Tessarion
We haven’t seen Tessarion yet, but since Prince Daeron Targaryen—the fourth child of Alicent and Viserys—was confirmed as actually real and currently in Oldtown I suspect we will come season 3 of House of the Dragon. Known as the Blue Queen from the color of her scales and her flame, Tessarion was a young she-dragon that still proved pretty decisive in several battles of the Dance which we will no doubt see. Plus she’s of such a distinctive color and that too plays its part.
7. Silverwing
Silverwing is another dragon that we haven’t seen yet, but since she was bound to one of my favorite Targaryens of all time she simply has to have a place on this list. Silverwing was the dragon of Queen Alysanne Targaryen, considered more docile than other dragons and somewhat friendly even to strangers—often found coiled together with Vermithor, who belonged to her rider’s husband. Silverwing’s history also gives us a glimpse into the deeper bond that connects dragons to all kinds of magic—when Alysanne visited the Wall, she tried three times to make Silverwing fly across it and over the Haunted Forest, but Silverwing staunchly refused. Fascinating.
6. Dreamfyre
Dreamfyre appears in exactly two scenes in House of the Dragon and I personally hate it, since it’s one of my favorite dragons and one that I think would deserve way more space. Pale blue and silver, Dreamfyre was first ridden by Princess Rhaena Targaryen—granddaughter of Aegon the Conqueror—and then remained unclaimed until she became the dragon of Helaena Targaryen. Dreamfyre went on all sorts of adventures with her first rider, who is one of the most fascinating Targaryen women Martin ever created, including a daring escape from the Dragonpit right under the nose of Rhaena’s uncle, Maegor the Cruel, but most importantly she’s widely believed to be the one who laid the three eggs that will eventually become Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion.
5. Caraxes
The Blood Wyrm is also a pretty recurring character in House of the Dragon as is his rider, Prince Daemon Targaryen. Ridden first by Daemon’s uncle Aemon Targaryen—the father of Princess Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was—Caraxes was one of the few dragons that had been in combat by the time the Dance rolled around and also one of the few ones believed to be able to stand a chance against Vhagar. I particularly love how the show gave Caraxes a unique look among the other dragons of the show—with its long coil-like neck and its roar that is more of a screech. Incredible creature design.
4. Vhagar
At the time of the Dance, Vhagar is the oldest and largest dragon alive—and also one we got to know really well thanks to House of the Dragon. Ridden first by Visenya Targaryen, with whom she conquered six of the seven kingdoms of Westeros, then by Baelon Targaryen, then by Laena Velaryon, and now by Aemond Targaryen, Vhagar is an absolute fearsome beast that is rightly considered the Greens’ biggest weapon. And while we have seen her killing off some of our favorite characters, I can’t help but be fascinated by her long, long history. Plus the grandma memes are just too funny.
3. Meleys
Meleys, the Red Queen, couldn’t not earn a spot in this list’s top three. The swifter dragon in Westeros by the time the Dance rolled around and bonded with Princess Rhaenys Targaryen for almost fifty years—after having been first ridden by Rhaenys’s aunt, Alyssa—Meleys had had many apparitions throughout House of the Dragon. Her deep affection with Rhaenys and her pretty cool-looking design are what made her jump almost to the top of this list. Besides, we know she would have had a fighting chance with Vhagar had she not been busy worrying about Sunfyre and had Aemond not gone for a surprise attack.
2. Drogon
Admittedly, if the dragon sitting at number one wasn’t as iconic as he is, Drogon would have probably won this ranking. He is the first dragon we see in Game of Thrones, after all, bringing back magic and all sorts of other high fantasy shenanigans to the world together with “the music of dragons”. Out of all three of Daenerys’s children, he’s the one who has the strongest bond with her and the one she eventually rides into battle. Fierce, strong, a menace to sheep everywhere, and an absolutely iconic part of Game of Thrones.
1. Balerion
Objectively, Balerion is the single coolest dragon ever put to page in A Song of Ice and Fire. Massive, fearsome, nicknamed the Black Dread, by the time Aegon began to plan his conquest of Westeros he was the last living thing to have been born in Valyria before the Doom and it’s very likely that he was somehow tied to an ancient, deeper form of magic that began to inexorably disappear after his death. Balerion melted down Harrenhal and formed the Iron Throne by fusing together the swords of Aegon’s conquered enemies and is overall a symbol of House Targaryen as much as its sigil or its Valyrian swords. Seeing him come to life on screen would indeed be pretty awesome.
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