Every Dragon (& Their Riders) In 'House Of The Dragon’, Explained
House of the Dragon (2022) Season 3 is here, with the war between the Blacks and Greens getting even more intense. Like every year before it, the lore is strong and even a little overwhelming. A huge part of George R.R. Martin’s world is right there in the title: the dragons. So, to keep you up to date on all the dragons as you watch season 3, here’s a list of every dragon this show has had or has.
WARNING: There will be spoilers ahead for the show overall, but they will be light for Season 3. So, if you haven’t started the new season yet, you’re okay. Here is every House of the Dragon dragon, their current riders as of Season 3, previous riders, nicknames, and any important bits that you should know.
Syrax
A queen like Rhaenyra Targaryen needs a dragon just as fierce as she is, and that’s Syrax. A yellow dragon with green eyes, she’s named after the Valyrian goddess of the same name. And while she is protective of Rhaenyra and can hold her own, she’s more of a companion than anything, having been part of the queen’s life since she was a child. Rhaenyra is also her only rider.
In Fire & Blood, the history book written by Martin that chronicles the history of House Targaryen, Syrax is described as huge but not as much of a fighter as the next dragon on this list. And by the time the Dance of the Dragons began, Syrax had not hunted for years.
Caraxes
Caraxes is a dragon ridden by Daemon Targaryen. He’s got a long and almost serpent-like neck and red scales, the latter leading to the nickname Blood Wyrm. His bond with Daemon makes it clear that they are both warriors in their own right.
In Fire & Blood, Caraxes is said to be one of the older and larger dragons. As for his previous rider, it was Aemon Targaryen, the eldest son of King Jaehaerys I and Queen Alysanne Targaryen. After Aemon’s passing, Caraxes was riderless until Daemon claimed him.
Vhagar
With so many dragons in House of the Dragon, sometimes things get confusing. But you can’t say that with Vhagar. Known as the Queen of All Dragons, Vhagar is the oldest, largest, and most terrifying dragon of this time. And she’s named after a Valyrian god of the same name. When it comes to riders, she’s had three before Aemond Targaryen: Visenya Targaryen, Baelon Targaryen, and Laena Velaryon.
In Fire & Blood, Vhagar is said to be one of the original three dragons brought to Westeros by Aegon the Conqueror. And believe it or not, Vhagar was the small one in comparison to dragons Balerion and Meraxes when they were still around. Just think about that for a second.
Vermax
Vermax is Jacaerys Velaryon’s dragon. He has olive-green scales with orange eyes and frills. Unlike many dragons on this list, he bonded to his rider at a young age, making Jace his only rider. Together, these two grew up, forged treaties in the North, and went into battle.
In Fire & Blood, Vermax didn’t have a love for snow or the cold. And when Jace’s heritage was called into question, they put Vermax’s egg in his cradle. If it hatched, he was a true heir. Thankfully, it did hatch to the delight of his mother, Rhaenyra, but to the dismay of others.
Seasmoke
Seasmoke is a relatively young dragon that is pale silver-grey. His first rider was Laenor Velaryon, and they experienced battle together. But after Laenor faked his death in Season 1, Seasmoke was pretty much left without a rider for Season 2. That is, until Seasmoke practically cornered Addam of Hull and was like, “I choose you!” to Addam’s horror. Addam then became his rider.
In Fire & Blood, Laenor gave Seasmoke his name when he first hatched, and unlike in the show, Laenor died. That’s what led Seasmoke to be without a rider for a while. If we follow that logic for the show, because a dragon can’t have another rider until their previous rider dies, we can assume Laenor is dead in House of the Dragon, too.
Vermithor
Nicknamed the Bronze Fury, Vermithor is a dragon of bronze scales, orange eyes, and black horns. After Vhagar, he is the second-largest and second-oldest dragon in Westeros. As if his size wasn’t enough, he’s also got a temper, is hard to control, and has a ferocious nature.
Vermithor’s first rider was the Old King, Jaehaerys the Conciliator. After Jaehaerys’ passing, he basically chilled at Dragonmont, a volcano that acts as a lair for the dragons. Even though Rhaenyra and Daemon tried to lure him out to join the battle against the Greens, it wasn’t until Hugh stood up to him that he accepted another rider.
In Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys’ wife, Queen Alysanne, was also a dragon rider. Her dragon was Silverwing, and Vermithor and Silverwing were mated.
Silverwing
As mentioned above, when it comes to House of the Dragon, Silverwing is mated to Vermithor and was the dragon of Queen Alysanne. Silverwing has silver-gray scales and blue eyes. While Vermithor is vicious, Silverwing has a calmer temperament. That calm is the reason why she accepted Ulf as her next rider after he basically stumbled upon her.
In Fire & Blood, it was said that Silverwing was one of the most powerful dragons of the second generation of dragons hatched from the Targarayen original three, aka Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes. A very obedient dragon, even the queen was surprised when Silverwing did not want to fly north past the Wall.
Sheepstealer
Unlike other dragons on this list, Sheepstealer is a wild dragon. Because of this, he doesn’t really have a rider. Instead, the mud-brown dragon with a wickedly scary-looking bottom jaw cruises the Vale of Arryn, burning sheep and eating them. When he stumbles upon Daemon and Laena’s daughter Rhaena, he lets her ride him but doesn’t bond with her like other dragons and their riders do.
In Fire & Blood, things were much different for Sheepstealer. Multiple people tried to tame the dragon. But it never worked, and they lost their lives in the process. Instead, a girl named Nettles tamed Sheepstealer by bringing him a freshly slain sheep every day. Eventually, Sheepstealer accepted Nettles as his rider. Nettles doesn’t exist in the House of the Dragon series, so Rhaena acts somewhat as her stand-in.
Sunfyre
While not as formidable as Vhagar, Sunfyre is the most visually striking dragon of the Greens and is ridden by Aegon II Targaryen. He has golden scales, pink wings, and orange frills. However, the saddest part of all of this is that this dragon had its wings set on fire by Vhagar under Aemond’s command. Sunfyre protects Aegon during the ensuing crash, but it’s assumed that the dragon died of his injuries.
In Fire & Blood, Sunfyre was said to be the most beautiful dragon with gold scales and pale pink wings. Instead of having his wings severely burned like in House of the Dragon, one of his wings was torn in half, and he couldn’t fly ever again.
Moondancer
Moondancer is a dragon with pale green scales and dark tiger-like stripes. Her only rider is Baela Targaryen, the daughter of Daemon and Laena, and they bonded at a young age, going into battle together when older.
In Fire & Blood, Moondancer was pale green with pearl-white highlights. It was also noted in the books that, sure, Vhagar might be huge and imposing, but a more slender size like Moondancer has its advantages—namely, speed and quick maneuvering.
Meleys
Like Vhagar, Meleys also has a regal-sounding nickname. Known as the Red Queen, she has scarlet scales and bright copper horns. Her first rider was Princess Alyssa Targaryen, the mother of Daemon and King Viserys. After Alyssa’s death, Daemon tried to mount Meleys, but she chose Rhaenys Targaryen instead.
In Season 2 of House of the Dragon, Meleys and Rhaenys were killed during a battle with the Greens. Under the command of Aemond, Vhagar crushed Meleys’ neck in her jaws. After, Meleys and Rhaenys fell to their deaths. In Fire & Blood, it’s said that Meleys was of the second generation of the oldest dragons.
Arrax
If Meleys was any indication, we’ve entered the part of this dragon list where some are dead before the beginning of House of the Dragon Season 3. And, unfortunately, that’s the case with the dragon Arrax.
Arrax was raised side by side with his only rider, Lucerys Velaryon. Like Jace’s dragon Vermax, Arrax had orange eyes and frills. But he had white scales with purple wings. Both Arrax and Lucerys’ deaths come at the hands of Aemond and Vhagar, the former of whom was trying to get revenge for the loss of his eye. Vhagar tears through Arrax and devours Lucerys.
In Fire & Blood, Lucerys faced similar questions about his heritage, just like Jace did. They put a dragon egg in his cradle to see if it would hatch. It did, hence Arrax. But unlike the book, the end of Arrax comes after he disobeys Lucerys and attacks Vhagar.
Dreamfyre
Dreamfyre is a little different when it comes to the dragons in House of the Dragon. Like Sunfyre, she’s a visually stunning dragon. She’s pale blue and has silver markings. But unlike Sunfyre, Dreamfyre is a little bit more demure and mindful. Dare I say, she’s a girl’s girl.
Her first rider was Rhaena Targaryen, the daughter of Aenys Targaryen. Dreamfyre helped Rhaena escape the Red Keep. After Rhaena’s death, Dreamfyre bonded with Helaena Targaryen. Helaena wasn’t like the rest of her family and preferred tranquility over battle. Because of that, Dreamfyre didn’t see battle and spent her time guarding eggs in the Dragonpit.
In Fire & Blood, it’s implied that Dreamfyre could be the mother of Daenerys Targaryen’s three dragons. But it has never been confirmed. The only connection is that Rhaena’s lover, Elissa Farma, stole three eggs and sold them to the Free Cities.
Tyraxes
Tyraxes is a tricky dragon to pin down. And, honestly, it has to do with the fact that we haven’t seen much of him.
When featured on House of the Dragon, Tyraxes is being transported in a kennel alongside Stormcloud (mentioned below). Since he is kind of small, he doesn’t have a rider. But he is bonded to Joffrey Velaryon, brother to Jacaerys and Lucerys. He departs for the Eyrie to secure Rhaenyra’s alliance with House Arryn.
We do get a little clue as to how Martin imagined Tyraxes looking in The World of Ice & Fire. He’s described as a “pale violet dragon with dark purple horns.” In Fire & Blood, by the time the civil war started, Tyraxes was big enough to fly with a rider but not to fight.
Stormcloud
Like Tyraxes, Stormcloud is one of the babies in this family of dragons. Since he is so small, he also doesn’t have a rider in House of the Dragon. However, he is bonded to Rhaenyra’s son, Aegon, the brother of Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey. Like Joffrey and Tyraxes, Aegon and Stormcloud are sent to the Eyrie.
As for what Stormcloud looks like, there’s no official description in the books. But in The World of Ice & Fire, Martin describes him as being turquoise with black horns and claws.
Tessarion
And finally, at least for this list of House of the Dragon dragons to know in Season 3, there’s Tessarion. She hatched around the same time as Jacaerys’ dragon Vermax, and she has cobalt blue scales and copper wings and frills.
Known as the Blue Queen, she only has one rider, Daeron Targaryen. Even though she has a rider… she’s kind of like Tyraxes and Stormcloud in that we don’t get to see much of her. Why? Because Daeron was sent to Oldtown to squire for House Hightower. However, we did catch a glimpse of Tessarion in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1.
