“House of the Dragon” has finally lived up to its name; it’s all about the dragons ahead of the Season 2 finale, airing Sunday on HBO.
The Targaryen civil war between the Blacks (supporters of Queen Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne) and the Greens (those who support her half brother Aegon) has had its share of palace intrigue, betrayals and populist tactics. But ultimately, the side with the greatest number of dragons has the edge.
As Daemon Targaryen, Rhaenyra’s errant king consort, once said: “Dreams didn’t make us kings. Dragons did.”
Here’s a look at all of the dragons and their riders from the show so far.
Team Black
Syrax
Rider: Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Emma D’Arcy)
Status: Alive
The queen’s dragon with yellow scales is on the younger side and has been a presence in the show since Season 1. She is named after a goddess of Valyria, the doomed city in Essos that was also the ancestral home of House Targaryen.
Vermax
Rider: Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett)
Status: Alive
Rhaenyra’s firstborn son bonded with his dragon, who on the show has olive scales with pale orange wing membranes.
Seasmoke
Rider: Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty)
Status: Alive
Seasmoke’s previous rider was Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s first husband and the son of Rhaenys Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon. In Season 2, Seasmoke appeared to actively seek out Addam, one of Corlys’s commoner sons from outside his marriage, as his new rider. This gave the Blacks hope that other so-called smallfolk with Valyrian blood, known as dragonseeds, might be out there who could ride the free dragons.
Vermithor
Rider: Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew)
Status: Alive
Known as the Bronze Fury, the second-largest known living dragon (after Vhagar) takes a new rider in the dragonseed Hugh Hammer. Vermithor was previously ridden by King Jaehaerys I, whose long and peaceful reign ended when Viserys I (Paddy Considine), Rhaenyra’s father, ascended the throne.
Silverwing
Rider: Ulf White (Tom Bennett)
Status: Alive
The mate of Vermithor was once ridden by Queen Alysanne, the wife of King Jaehaerys I. Now she is ridden by a barfly. True to her name, she is silver in color.
Moondancer
Rider: Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia)
Status: Alive
We haven’t seen much of Moondancer, who is a young dragon bonded to Baela, daughter of Daemon and Laena Velaryon, who died in Season 1.
Meleys
Rider: Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best)
Status: Deceased
The Queen Who Never Was and her scarlet and copper dragon both perished in the Battle at Rook’s Rest (Episode 4).
Arrax
Rider: Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault)
Status: Deceased
Aemond’s bullying goes terribly wrong in a shocking scene at the end of Season 1, when Rhaenyra’s second-born son and his dragon die in the jaws of Vhagar.
Tyraxes
Rider: Joffrey Targaryen (Oscar Eskinazi)
Status: Alive
As Rhaenyra’s youngest son with Ser Harwin Strong (or, officially, with Laenor Velaryon), Joffrey and his dragon are largely on the sidelines so far.
Stormcloud
Bonded with: Aegon III Targaryen
Status: Alive
Aegon, a son of Rhaenyra and Daemon, has a tiny dragon that is far from fighting age. Lady Jeyne Arryn, who hosts Aegon, his younger brother and their half sister Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) in the Eyrie, declares: “I have hunting hounds more fearsome.”
Team Green
Vhagar
Rider: Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell)
Status: Alive and seemingly ready to kill more dragons
The largest living dragon, who is twice the size of Daemon’s dragon, Caraxes, Vhagar is as deadly as her rider, having already killed Arrax and Meleys. In the show, her wings appear to have holes in them, making her only more menacing. Her past riders include Visenya Targaryen, one Aegon the Conqueror’s sister-wives, and Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell).
Sunfyre
Rider: Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney)
Status: Unknown, but wounded if he survived
This striking golden-scaled dragon is the easiest to distinguish among all the dragons. Sunfyre and his rider were severely maimed during the Battle at Rook’s Rest.
Dreamfyre
Rider: Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban)
Status: Alive
Helaena rarely rides Dreamfyre, although in a trailer for the season finale, Aemond implores his sister to ride to battle, despite her peaceful nature and anguish over losing her son. Dreamfyre’s previous rider was Rhaena Targaryen — a sister of Jaehaerys I and not to be confused with the Rhaena in the show.
Tessarion
Rider: Daeron Targaryen
Status: Alive
The youngest son of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower and his dragon have yet to appear in the show, but we learn that they are expected to join the fight soon.
Team … Gray?
Caraxes
Rider: Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith)
Status: Alive
Also known as the Blood Wyrm, Caraxes has a fierce, serpentine look. The red dragon’s ferocity aligns with his rider’s temperament.
In the Wild
Sheepstealer
Rider: T.B.D.
Status: Alive
At the end of Season 1, Daemon mentions three unnamed wild dragons that all nest at Dragonstone. The show has been hinting all season about Rhaena Targaryen riding this wild dragon, who hunts sheep in the Vale, among other places. As we know from “Fire & Blood,” the source book by George R.R. Martin, that dragon will later be named Sheepstealer.
Grey Ghost and Cannibal
These are the two other wild dragons that Daemon references in Season 1.
The post ‘House of the Dragon’: All the Dragons and Their Riders So Far appeared first on New York Times.
