Here Are All The Targaryens' Dragons In House Of The Dragon

Game of Thrones may have focused on the Iron Throne of its title, but its true magic came from Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons. Now, those fiery beasts give House of the Dragon its title, and their presence is already a hallmark of the show. That said, with so many dragons, it can be hard to keep track of them all. So let’s run down all the Targaryen dragons in House of the Dragon, including who they allow to ride them and their importance on the show.

Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 1. You cannot call your show House of the Dragon and not have multiple giant beats flying around the city. As Viserys noted in the opening episode, though the Targaryens’ control over their flock is mostly an illusion, they are also the source of the family’s power. This irony is something he felt was essential for anyone who follows him on the Iron Throne to understand.

The series has promised to go big on dragons, with a whopping 17 expected to appear throughout the series. Not that all of them will show up in Season 1; of that group, only nine will appear on screen in the first 10 episodes. That’s still quite a few, though, and it may be challenging to track them all. Here’s a rundown of which dragons viewers have already met, which they will probably meet soon, and which ones will show up later down the line.

Let’s start with the dragons the show introduced in Season 1.

Syrax (Rhaenyra Targaryen)

The first dragon to appear in the series, with her rider astride, is Syrax, Rhaenyra’s faithful companion. A medium-sized female dragon who will lay eggs that birth further dragons in later seasons, Syrax is notable for her gold scales. As Syrax’s first rider, Rhaenyra has been flying on her back since turning seven and is as attached to Syrax as Syrax is to her.

Caraxes (Daemon Targaryen)

The other dragon appearing in the premiere is Caraxes, Daemon’s ride. Daemon is the second Targaryen to ride Caraxes; the beast was initially bonded to Jaehaerys Targaryen’s original heir, Aemon. Nicknamed Blood Wyrm, this giant red beast is formidable in battle, and he and Daemon make a majestic pair.

Seasmoke (Laenor Velaryon)

Laenor Velaryon, son of Lord Corlys, takes after his mother in his ability to ride. Seasmoke is a young grey and white beast, and it took some of the Targaryens by surprise to see him accept Laenor when the young prince claimed Seasmoke as his ride.

Balerion (Viserys Targaryen)

Viserys is never seen on dragonback because his dragon passed away by the time the series starts. The king’s ride was the famed Balerion, originally ridden by Aegon the Conqueror and passed down through the generations. Viserys was Balerion’s fourth rider and the third king to grace his back. After Balerion passed, Viserys hung his skull in the dragon pit and ordered candles to be constantly lit as he mourned his best friend.

Vhagar (Aemond Targaryen)

Viserys isn’t the only one who rides one of the OG dragons from Aegon’s Conquest. Vhagar, originally ridden by Aegon’s wife, Visenya Targaryen, is still alive and kicking. The bronze beast was initially passed down to Baelon Targaryen, Jaehaerys Targaryen’s second heir and father of Viserys. When the show begins, Rhaenys’ daughter, Laena, has claimed Vhagar. Unfortunately, Laena’s complications in childbirth led Vhagar to take her rider’s life, and with no one claiming her, Aemond stepped up and got himself a dragon. She’s now one of the Green faction’s best weapons.

Meleys (Princess Rhaenys)

Fans expected Rhaenys’ dragon, Meleys, to turn up sooner rather than later, and a grand entrance through the floor of the coronation ceremony was a memorable arrival. Ridden initially by Viserys’ mother, Alyssa Targaryen, this bright-red dragon was dubbed “The Red Queen.” By the time Rhaeys claimed her, she was an old and lazy dragon, but quietly cunning and, as viewers saw, terrifying when angry.

Sunfyre (Aegon Targaryen)

Alicent’s son Aegon was introduced in his teenage years as the only male in the family that currently had a dragon. Though Sunfyre was only seen for a short period in Episode 7, “Driftmark,” his role will likely increase as the Dance of Dragons heats up. Sunfyre was a young dragon when Aegon claimed him, golden all the way down to the flames he breathes, and he’s considered one of the most beautiful dragons ever. Aegon was his first rider.

Dreamfyre (Halaena Targaryen)

Aegon sister-wife and Alicent’s only daughter bonded with the dragon Dreamfyre around the same time as her brother-husband Aegon did with his dragon. Unlike Sunfyre, Dreamfyre was an older dragon born under Aegon I’s rule; Halaena was the second rider to bond with her. Viewers got a glimpse of the slender blue dragon along with Sunfyre in Episode 7.

Vermax (Jacaerys Targaryen)

Despite Rhaenyra’s oldest son, Jacaerys, being beset by rumors that he was not legitimately the son of Laenor, Rhaenyra’s lawfully wedded husband, the clutch of dragon’s eggs given to him as a birthday present still hatched just fine. And Jacaerys bonded with one of them, Vermax. Viewers briefly saw the young hatching in Episode 6, “The Princess and the Queen,” as Jacaerys teaches his dragon to heel.

Arrax (Lucerys Targaryen)

Jacaerys’ middle brother, Lucerys, will come of age in further seasons and ride in support of his brother and mother’s claims to the throne. His dragon, Arrax, is a pearly white beast who breathes yellow flames and bonded to him as a hatchling, as mentioned in Episode 6. The trailer for the Season 1 finale shows the first proper look at Arrax at the end of Season 1.

As for dragons that will probably appear in future seasons:

Warning: Discussion of the rest of the dragons may contain future spoilers for House of the Dragon, so stop here if you don’t want to know what’s expected to happen.

Moondancer (Baela Targaryen)

Daemon’s oldest daughter, Baela Targaryen, has a dragon, Moondancer, who was mentioned passing in Episode 6; it seems it won’t be until Season 2 that viewers meet her. She was tiny when Baela bonded her, slender pale green with pearl horns and crest, and is one of the first dragons never to reach its full-grown size.

Morning (Rhaena Targaryen)

Daemon Targaryen’s second daughter, and Baela’s younger twin, rode Morning. A black and pink dragon, Morning is not a big fighter and will be one of the few dragons who is probably safe to get emotionally attached to, since she will survive the coming battles (at least according to Westerosi history). She hasn’t even rated a mention yet on the series, though.

Tyraxes (Joffrey Targaryen)

Rhaenyra’s youngest child and Jacaerys’ other brother, Joffrey, bonded with the third hatching from the clutch given to Rhaenryna and Jacaerys. Like Moondancer, Tyraxes was startlingly small for a dragon and had not grown big enough to ride by the time Joffrey came of age.

Tessarion (Daeron Targaryen)

Considering the youngest of Alicent’s children, Daeron, did not make the cut for Season 1, it’s not surprising his dragon did not either. However, Daeron rode in support of his brother’s claim to the throne once he came of age. His dragon, Tessarion, was also much smaller than expected, though elegant and still big enough to ride.

Silverwing (Ulf White)

Silverwing is one of the few dragons not ridden by a true-blooded Targaryen, but rather a bastard named Ulf White. Silverwing was an important dragon, first ridden by Jaehaerys’ wife, Queen Alysanne, and when Ulf White claimed her, it was a bit of a shock.

Stormcloud (Aegon III)

In the long look ahead, there’s Stormcloud, the dragon ridden by Daemon and Rhaenyra’s son, will be a crucial beast, but for now, the spoilers surrounding him are too significant to name. However, should the show run the entire arc of the Dance of Dragons, Stormcloud should arrive by the final season.

A few other dragons hang out around Dragonstone or in King’s Landing in the dragon pit, but they aren’t ridden by notable characters. Still, one of them, Vermithor, will play a significant part in the Dance of Dragons, though a Targaryen does not ride him. A few wild dragons have never had riders, like Sheepstealer, The Grey Ghost, and the most fearsome, The Cannibal. Whether or not they make the cut in the show remains to be seen.

House of the Dragon Season 1 continues with new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.