Game of Thrones is one of the most popular TV series of all time and, some would argue, one of the best. We’re introduced to three dragons, children of Daenerys Targaryen, and Mother of Dragons through the series. However, those weren’t the only Dragons that House Targaryen had.Here’s a list of all 34 Game of Thrones dragons in alphabetical order.
WARNING: The following content MAY contain SPOILERS for the upcoming TV show House of the Dragon. If you want your viewership experience spoiler-free, skip some of the paragraphs.
1. Archonei
There isn’t that much information about Archonei since he was never mentioned in the books. However, Viserys mentioned him, among other dragons, in season one of the Game of Thrones series.
House Targaryen had bred Archonei, and after he had died, his giant skull was kept as decoration in King’s Landing’s Red Keep.
His name means “flame of a dragon’s soul.”
2. Arrax
Arrax was a dragon on the island of Dragonstone. There were twelve dragons on the island, but Arrax was one of only six who also had a rider – his was Prince Lucerys Velaryon.
Unfortunately, during the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war within House Targaryen, Arrax was killed during a storm. Vhagar was a dragon five times as big as Arrax.
Her rider, Aemond Targaryen, caught Arrax and Lucerys in the storm, and Vhagar decapitated Arrax mid-air. Lucerys eventually fell into the waters of Shipwreck Bay, where he drowned.
3. Balerion
Balerion, the Black Dread, was one of the largest dragons to take the skies. It was said that he was so big, his shadow could swallow an entire city. His rider was Aegon Targaryen the Conqueror, and they had a major role in the Battle of the Field of Fire, where Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes burned and ruined almost the entire city of Harrenhall.
In the Game of Thrones series, we’ve only seen Balerion’s huge skull in the cellars of the Red Keep. When you compare the size of the skull with Cersei, it is obvious that Balerion was much larger than Daenerys’ Drogon.
According to some sources, it means “The hope behind the flames.” The name stems from ancient Valyrian Gods.
4. Caraxes
I will try to keep this spoiler-free. Caraxes was a red dragon ridden by Aemon Targaryen first, then Daemon Targaryen after him. He was one of the biggest dragons in existence and one of the most experienced dragons in battle. For instance, another dragon, Vhagar, was also very battle-ridden, but even she rested at times when Caraxes was on the battlefield.
His red scales gave him the nickname The Blood Wyrm, and opposing armies most commonly fled as soon as they had seen him take the skies.
5. Cannibal
Cannibal was one of three wild dragons living on the island of Dragonstone during the Dance of the Dragons. He was very dark black and had menacing green eyes, and along with the other two wild dragons, Sheepstealer and Grey Ghost, he never had a rider. He was also the largest and the oldest of the three.
He got his name from the folks living on Dragonstone because he tended towards cannibalism – eating dead dragons, newborn dragons, and even eggs.
6. Dreamfyre
Dreamfyre was one of the five dragons killed in King’s Landing during the Storming of the Dragonpit. The dragon assassins got inside the pits and slain the dragons. Dreamfyre was last to survive, and she broke her chains and flew up trying to escape.
She managed to hit the ceiling and break it, but it led to her demise, as the falling debris crushed and killed her and the dragon slayers. Before the events, Dreamfyre was ridden by both Rhaena and Helaena Targaryen.
7. Drogon
Drogon is one of the three dragon children of Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, in the Game of Thrones series. He hatched from dragon eggs (like Rhaegal and Viserion) when Daenerys stepped on the Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre in Game of Thrones season 1. He was also the last one to survive, and Daenerys always rode his back. He is entirely black with red scales, and he was the most aggressive one among the three dragons.
He was named after Daenerys’ late husband Khal Drogo. Although he was aggressive, he cared greatly for his brothers and their mother. Upon discovering her dead body, he didn’t kill Jon Snow to avenge her but rather burned and melted the Iron Throne – the one thing that caused so much death and despair throughout history.
8. Essovius
Like Archonei, Essovius had never been mentioned in the novels, but we heard about the dragon in the first season of Game of Thrones. Viserys mentioned Essovius in the episode Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things,
He was mentioned as one of the eight dragons who “forged the seven kingdoms into one.” After his demise, his skull decorated the Red Keep halls in King’s Landing.
9. Grey Ghost
Grey Ghost is the second of the three wild dragons residing on Dragonstone. He got his name due to his appearance and the fact that the people of Dragonstone could never find him when they searched for him.
He resided in a smoking vent on the eastern side of a volcano called Dragonmont and avoided humans as much as possible, much rather eating fish and other prey. In the end, he was killed and devoured by Sunfyre.
10. Ghiscar
Ghiscar was another one of the eight dragons mentioned by Viserys in the baths of Vaes Dothrak. His name is the same as the name of a region in Essos, which is probably an easter egg that the Game of Thrones scriptwriters left for the fans of the novels to find.
His skull also decorated the halls of the Red Keep after his demise, and although he was never mentioned in the books, his name resonates with all the fans of George R.R. Martin’s work.
11. Meleys
Meleys was a female dragon and one of the most magnificent dragons that ever existed. She was bright red and also known as the Red Queen. Both Princess Rhaenys and Alyssa Targaryen rode her back into battle, and Meleys was one of the strongest dragons ever.
Even the mighty Vhagar never battled against her one-on-one, even if she was believed to be the strongest dragon in existence. Daemon Targaryen double-teamed Vhagar and Sunfyre against Meleys to kill her, but even then, the Red Queen still managed to cripple Sunfyre before they eventually slew her.
The name Meleys, in Persian, means “queen of the underworld.”
12. Meraxes
One of the three dragons ridden in the War of Conquest, along Vhagar and Balerion, was Meraxes. He was a pearl-white dragon that was said to be capable of swallowing an entire horse. Although he was larger than Vhagar at the time, she outlived and outgrew him after he passed away.
His rider was Rhaenys Targaryen, and they both died during the War, when a Dornish scorpion-head arrow luckily hit Meraxes in the eye and piercing his brain, killing him instantly. After the War, the Dornish returned his skull to the Red Keep as a peace offering.
The name Meraxes stems from the name of one of the Gods of Valyria.
13. Moondancer
Moondancer was a very young she-dragon, only ridden by Baela Targaryen. She was still small – only a bit larger than a warhorse, but very quick. She was light-green with pearl wings and crest and barely managed to hold Baela’s weight.
She fought Sunfyre, mounted by Aegon Targaryen II, only to get killed and devoured by the creature that was much, much larger. Baela survived Moondancer’s fall despite being severely injured and burned in the battle.
14. Morghul
Morghul was also one of the dragons slain in the Storming of the Dragonpit event, where an angry mob of thousands got into the dragon stables and killed five of the Targaryen dragons.
He was still a young dragon, never ridden but bound to princess Jaehaera Targaryen. He was strong, though, as he slew countless soldiers before eventually being killed. A man with a spear thrust it into Morghul even as the fire melted his armor and burned his flesh. As nobody knew the man’s name, he was later known as the Burning Knight.
The name Morghul can be roughly translated to “death.”
15. Morning
Morning was a young she-dragon that hatched during the Dance of the Dragons. She belonged to Rhaena Targaryen, who was also her only rider. We don’t know exactly how she died, but we can safely assume that she had lived for no more than 25 years through the texts.
16. Quicksilver
Quicksilver was a stunning, pale white dragon that breathed pale white fireballs. His first rider was Aenys I, a sickly prince who was rumored to be a bastard, but it was proved wrong as he quickly regained his health after bonding with Quicksilver.
After his death, his son Aegon bonded with the dragon, and they fought together in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye. Unfortunately, both were killed in the battle, as Balerion the Black Dread ripped out one of Quicksilver’s wings mid-air, sending him and Aegon to tumble into their deaths.
17. Rhaegal
Rhaegal was the second of the three dragon children of Daenerys Targaryen, named after her eldest brother, Rhaegar Targaryen. He had distinguishing bronze and green scales and yellow-orange wings. Rhaegal along with his dragon brothers, Drogon and Viserion hatched from dragon eggs when Daenerys stepped into the funeral pyre prepared for Daenerys’ late husband Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones season 1.
Unlike Drogon, he was more calm and caring, much like his other brother, Viserion. He responded to vocal commands from his mother and had shown great care for Viserion, trying to save him after he got shot down by the Night King.
He ultimately died as well after getting injured by a wight Viserion (resurrected, undead version of Viserion owned by the Night King), and afterward getting pierced by several scorpion bolts in the Battle at Dragonstone.
The only other human allegiance he had was with Jon Snow, as he let him ride his back alongside Drogon and Daenerys.
18. Seasmoke
Seasmoke was one of the six wild, riderless dragons residing on the island of Dragonstone. During the Dance of the Dragons, Lady Rhaenyra Targaryen realized there were more dragons than Targaryen riders. However, the Targaryens had many bastard children among the Dragonstone folks.
So, Rhaenyra decided to give the Dragonseeds – as they called the bastard Targaryen children on Dragonstone – a chance to try and tame one of the six wild dragons. If they succeed, they’ll prove that they have Targaryen blood in them and get gold and a title as a reward.
Many died trying, but eventually, four have succeeded, and Seasmoke was one of the tamed wild dragons. He was grey and white, and his riders were Laenor first and then Addam of Hull. Unfortunately, Seasmoke and Addam got killed in the Second Battle of Tumbleton.
19. Sheepstealer
Sheepstealr was (or is) a she-dragon and one of the six wild dragons residing on Dragonstone. Much like Seasmoke, she was tamed by a bastard, a girl named Nettles. She and Sheepstealer fought alongside Rhaenyra and her husband Daemon.
As Daemon and Nettles chased after Aemond Targaryen, Rhaenyra got betrayed by two other bastards and believed that no bastard could be trusted from that point forward. So, she sent a letter requesting Nettles’ head on a plate, but Daemon was the first to receive it.
As a result, he sent Nettles and Sheepstealer far away to escape in the mist, while he and his dragon Caraxes faced Aemond and Vhagar alone, resulting in the deaths of all four.
20. Shrykos
Shrykos was a young she-dragon who was never ridden but was bound to the young prince, Jaehaerys Targaryen. Unfortunately, she died during the Storming of the Dragonpit, getting stabbed to the back of the head with an ax by Hobb the Hewer.
21. Silverwing
Silverwing was a big, beautiful she-dragon that once belonged to Queen Alysanne Targaryen. However, after her demise, she was left riderless and ultimately became one of the wild, untamed dragons – until he was tamed by a bastard named Ulf the White.
After Ulf’s death, she went mad with grief and devoured every man who tried approaching her. After the Dance of the Dragons, she was one of only four remaining alive dragons. However, Morning was too small and young to ride, while the remaining two, Sheepstealer and Cannibal, disappeared, never to be seen again.
22. Stormcloud
Stormcloud was a very young, small dragon during the Dance of the Dragons, not even big enough to carry the weight of a boy. As the war got worse, Rhaenyra wanted to send young Targaryen boys, Aemond III and Viserys II, to safety, getting them onto a ship alongside Stormcloud.
Unfortunately, the ship had been intercepted and attacked, while Stormcloud got severely wounded with a bolt through the neck. Aemond gripped Stormcloud, scared to death, and the young dragon somehow managed to collect the strength to carry him back to King’s Landing.
When they arrived, Stormcloud collapsed from his wounds and exhaustion, dying as a hero shortly after – not only did the young dragon save Aemond, but he also notified Rhaenyra that an army was coming their way.
23. Sunfyre
Sunfyre was deemed the most beautiful dragon during the Dance, with a spectacular, golden color through and through. He wasn’t considered one of the big, older dragons, like the massive Vhagar, but he was still very strong and experienced in battle.
He had slain two other dragons alone (and one assisted with Vhagar), making him and Vhagar share the spot for the highest dragon-on-dragon kill count during the Dance.
Unfortunately, during his last encounter against Moondancer, where he killed the smaller she-dragon, he was severely injured and later died due to his injuries.
24. Syrax
Syrax was a she-dragon claimed by Rhaenyra Targaryen, named after an ancient Valyrian deity. She was a yellow dragon, huge in size, but kept chained most of the time, so she wasn’t as battle-experienced as Caraxes or Vhagar.
While it is uncertain how exactly Syrax had died or who killed her, she was certainly slain in the aftermath of the Storming of the Dragonpits, where she arrived and fought the rioters.
The name Syrax has Italian origins, meaning “charisma.”
25. Tessarion
As Tessarion was nicknamed, the Blue Queen was a spectacular, gorgeous blue dragon ridden by Prince Daeron Targaryen. Tessarion successfully won several battles during the Dance, only to fall as three dragons fought one another – herself, Seasmoke, and Vermithor.
Tessarion was the last one to die, trying to rise back to the skies but failing several times before being shot in the eye and killed with three arrows.
26. Terrax
While today’s folks had never seen Terrax, he was indeed a mythical dragon ridden by a woman from Valyria named Jaenara Belaerys.
Jaenara and Terrax flew farther than anyone has ever gone to the south, into the lands of Sothoryos.
27. Tyraxes
Tyraxes was a young, beautiful dragon that belonged to Prince Joffrey Velaryon – not Joffrey Lannister, son of Cersei in Game of Thrones. Joffrey Velaryon was the son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon, one of three brothers.
Tyraxes was killed in the Storming of the Dragonpits before he even grew enough to be mounted. He got tangled in his chains, which the angry mob used to their advantage and slew him on the spot.
28. Urrax
Urrax wasn’t one of the living dragons that existed during the Dance of the Dragons or the Game of Thrones’ events.
He was a legendary dragon living in Westeros when Serwyn of the Mirror Shield lived – he was said to have been the one to defeat Urrax, too.
29. Valyron
Valyron is also one of the dragons whose skull decorated the halls and cellars of the Red Keep in King’s Landing.
Although Martin had never mentioned his name in the books, he was one of the eight dragons Lord Viserys mentions in season one of the Game of Thrones series while bathing with Doreah in Vaes Dothrak.
30. Vermax
Vermax was also one of the dragons fighting in the Dance of the Dragons. He was mounted by Rhaenyra’s oldest son, Jacaerys Velaryon. During the civil war, Vermax and Jacaerys were sent to the north to seek allegiance and succeeded.
When the enemy had captured his younger brother Viserys, Jacaerys vowed to save his brother and return him home.
He and Vermax took on the enemy, only to get shot down and killed during the Battle of the Gullet.
31. Vermithor
Vermithor, also known as the Bronze Fury, was a formidable, big dragon once mounted by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. After Jaehaerys died, Vermithor was left riderless on Dragonstone until Hugh Hammer tamed and rode him.
Hugh and Vermithor were on the side of Rhaenyra and the Black army until they betrayed her. Luckily for her, they decided to drink and whor* with the Green army instead of progressing with their attacks.
After Vhagar had died, Vermithor remained the biggest, most powerful living dragon but ultimately died as well during the chaotic Second Battle of Tumbleton.
32. Vermithrax
Vermithrax was yet another dragon mentioned by Viserys in the baths of Vaes Dothrak in the Game of Thrones series, but his name was never mentioned directly in the books by George R. R. Martin.
Interestingly, Martin stated that he had named Vermithor after Vermithrax, a dragon from the 80s fantasy movie called Dragonslayer, which he said was one of his favorite fantasy movies of all time.
33. Vhagar
The biggest, strongest, most dangerous dragon in the Dance, Vhagar, was an enormous she-dragon ridden by Visenya Targaryen during the War of Conquest and later by Aemond Targaryen in the Dance of the Dragons civil war, meaning Vhagar had lived over 180 years.
She was one of the three original Targaryen dragons and the last to live after Meraxes and Balerion had died. Vhagar played a crucial role in the Dance, slaying a much smaller dragon Arrax, and later Meleys.
The only dragon capable of battling with her one-on-one was Caraxes – they eventually fought against one another with their riders on their backs, resulting in the deaths of all four – the dragons and their riders.
34. Viserion
Last but not least, Viserion was the third of the dragon children of Daenerys Targaryen in the Game of Thrones series’ events. Like Drogon and Rhaegal he hatched from dragon eggs when Daenerys stepped into the funeral pyre prepared for Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones season 1. He was calmer than Drogon and much more similar to Rhaegal, both being his brothers. Viserion was never mounted – at least not in life.
He got killed in battle against the Night King, only to be resurrected and used as a wight, undead dragon ridden by the Night King to destroy the Wall.
