10 Largest Dragons in the Game of Thrones Franchise (original) (raw)

Daenerys Targaryen riding Drogon into battle in 'Game of Thrones'.

Image via HBO

Published Jun 11, 2026, 11:36 AM EDT

Born with Autism (formerly classified as Asperger syndrome), Tyler B. Searle has been obsessed with storytelling since he was old enough to speak. He gravitated towards fairy tales, mythology, the fantasy genre, and animated movies and shows aimed at family audiences. When not writing, Tyler enjoys watching more cartoons and reading fantasy books in his home in Ontario, Canada.

Few fantasy properties have been as influential in the 21st century as HBO's Game of Thrones. Based on the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, it took the world by a storm with its complex characters, rich political schemes, and fantastical elements, such as the mighty dragons of House Targaryen. They proved to be so popular that Game of Thrones' first spin-off show, House of the Dragon, is set when House Targaryen was at its apex and had more dragons than at any point in their history, while also building towards the horrible war that would see them wiped out until the time of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).

Dragons in Westeros never stop growing throughout their lives, which can go well over a hundred years, meaning they can grow to monstrous sizes. Between the two shows, audiences have gotten to see a good range of dragon sizes, which makes them all the more awe-inspiring and terrible to behold.

Drogon

Daenerys and Drogon in 'Game of Thrones' Season 7

Image via HBO

When Daenerys conducted a blood ritual while burning the body of her husband, Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), she hatched the first three dragons in over a hundred years. Of the three, she formed the strongest bond with her black and red hatchling, whom she named Drogon in honor of her love. He grew the quickest of the three and became the most wild and unruly, but eventually, Daenerys is able to ride him into battle.

Drogon is, in many ways, the poster child of Game of Thrones, especially since his color scheme is the exact same as House Targaryen's sigil. Perhaps thanks to the magic that birthed him and his siblings, Drogon grew rapidly, reaching adult size in only a few years as opposed to the dragons during the reign of King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), who aged alongside their riders. This makes Drogon the most powerful piece of Daenerys' arsenal in her war to claim the Iron Throne.

Sheepstealer

Sheepstealer roars at Rhaena

Image via HBO

While House Targaryen tried to collect as many dragon eggs as possible to ensure they could hatch, several wild dragons who never had riders grew up on the island of Dragonstone. One of them, nicknamed Sheepstealer for his love of mutton, grew to an impressive size. In House of the Dragon, he departed Dragonstone for some reason and traveled to the Vale of Arryn, where he became a nuisance to Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) by preying on her people's livestock.

Sheepstealer hasn't had a lot of screentime on House of the Dragon, but he is on the larger scale of adult dragons, surpassing young adults like Seasmoke and Syrax. His design is also more gnarled and feral, which reflects his status as a wild dragon and distinguishes him from the more sleek and cared for dragons of the royal family. Hopefully, Season 3 will give Sheepstealer more to do, so we can see what a lifetime spent hunting under the open sky has made of him.

Caraxes

Caraxes craning his neck

Image via HBO

Called the Blood Wyrm, Caraxes was the dragon of Prince Aemon Targaryen, eldest son of King Jaeherys I (Michael Carter), and father of the Queen Who Never Was, Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best). Aemon rode Caraxes into battle numerous times until he was killed by a stray crossbow bolt, and his next rider would be Aemon's nephew, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). Daemon took part in even more wars and battles than his uncle, and by the time of the Dance of the Dragons, Caraxes had accumulated more battle experience than all but the eldest dragons in Westeros.

Caraxes is one of the most visually distinct dragons thanks to his long serpentine neck and narrower jaws. At first, this might make him look smaller than other dragons, but he matches up very well with his fellow adult dragons. He also has perhaps one of the strongest bonds between dragon and rider in the series, which makes him and Daemon a nigh unstoppable force together.

Meleys

Meleys flying through the sky

Image via HBO

Nicknamed the Red Queen, Meleys was born on Dragonstone and grew up riderless until she was claimed by Viserys and Daemon's mother Alyssa, who took them flying on Meleys when they were infants. After Alyssa's death, Daemon tried to claim Meleys, but was rejected. Her final rider would be Princess Rhaenys, and both of them would meet their ends during the Battle of Rook's Rest.

Meleys more than earns her nickname thanks to her striking red scales and the row of spines around her head that vaguely resemble a crown. Though age had slowed her down somewhat, she was still a nimble beast in the air, as seen when she was able to recover quicker from the spiral with Vhagar when the two dragons locked talons. Though she didn't go to war as often as other dragons, Meleys proved to be formidable in her final dance, nearly destroying Aegon II's (Tom Glynn-Carney) dragon, Sunfyre, until Vhagar arrived, and wounded the ancient dragon before being killed.

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Dreamfyre

Dreamfyre breathing fire at Aemon Targaryen

Image via HBO

One of the oldest of House Targaryen's second generation dragons, Dreamfyre was the much loved mount of Princess Rhaena, the eldest grandchild of King Aegon I. They were nigh inseparable, and after Rhaena's death, Dreamfyre was placed in the Dragon Pit, where she would lay several clutches of eggs over the years. She was eventually claimed by Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), but she rarely flew Dreamfyre, a fact that hampered the Green's war effort.

Dreamfyre is one of the most beautiful dragons in Westerosi history, with shining blue and silver scales. Though she is one of the oldest living dragons in Westeros, her size was stunted due to decades of dwelling in the Dragon Pit, allowing others to outgrow her.Still, she remains a large and formidable beast more than capable of unleashing destruction without her rider.

Meraxes

Meraxes' skull in Dragonstone

Image via HBO

The Targaryen dragons all trace their lineage back to the three brought by Aegon the Conqueror and his two sister-wives during their conquest of Westeros. The second largest was Meraxes, ridden by Queen Rhaenys, Aegon's younger and favorite sister whose bloodline extended all the way to Daenerys. Rhaenys rode Meraxes during the subjugation of the Stormlands, the deadly Field of Fire, and numerous battles in Dorne, until one day a scorpion bolt pierced the she-dragon's eye, causing them both to fall to their deaths.

At the time of her death, Meraxes was said to be large enough to swallow a horse whole, meaning that she vastly eclipsed the majority of adult dragons during the Dance. Though long dead during the series, her skull is on display in Dragonstone, and shows up several times in Season 2 of House of the Dragon. It serves as a chilling reminder of the cost of war, especially when one allows their pride and ego to blind them to how costly the conflict has become.

Silverwing

Silverwing looks down at Ulf the White

Image via HBO

Of all the dragons born in the second-generation, none were as beloved as Silverwing. Named for her striking metallic appearance, she was the mount to Queen Alysanne, wife to King Jaeherys I, who flew her across Westeros and even north to The Wall, though the she-dragon refused to pass it. After the old queen's death, Silverwing made a lair on Dragonstone, where she grew to monstrous size before bonding with a Targaryen bastard named Ulf (Tom Bennett).

Silverwing was known for her even temperament and friendly disposition, which is demonstrated through how quickly she bonded with Ulf. Age has done little to slow her down, demonstrated through how nimbly she flew in the skies over King's Laning. Though Alysanne never rode her to war, Silverwing's size alone makes her one of the strongest dragons in Westeros, and even the most temperamental of dragons can become murder incarnate if sufficiently angered.

Vermithor

Vermithor and Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon

Image via HBO

Nicknamed the Bronze Fury, Vermithor was the mount of King Jaeherys I, and was known for his immense size and aggression. Jaeherys did ride him into war when needed, but most of the time he used Vermithor as a means to subtly remind the lords of Westeros of the strength of House Targaryen. After his death, Vermithor resided on Dragonstone and grew to become the second-largest dragon during the Dance, where he bonded with a blacksmith named Hugh (Kieran Bew).

Vermithor was over 100 years old during the time of the Dance, and he looks it with his immense size and gnarled horns and scales that hint at a lifetime of battles. His aggression meant that only the bravest of individuals could approach him, and anyone who had doubts and hesitations was little more than food. Vermithor also mirrored Jaeherys by bonding with Silverwing, and even after the death of their original riders, the two great dragons maintained a strong bond.

Vhagar

During Aegon's Conquest, Vhagar was the smallest of the original Targaryen dragons, and was ridden by the eldest Targaryn sibling, Queen Visenya. She would have several more riders over the years, including Prince Baelon, the father of Viserys I and Daemon, and Daemon's first wife, Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), before being taken by Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) shortly after her death. By the time Aemond claimed her, Vhagar had grown to the size of Balerion the Black Dread during the conquest, making her the second-largest dragon in Targaryen history.

Everything about Vhagar's design screams ancient dragon, from her gargantuan form to her wrinkles of flesh and a skull shape that looks closer to the jaws of a theropod dinosaur than other dragons. This makes her feel like a living relic of a bygone era, and a beautiful demonstration of the unpredictable nature of dragons, because she is more than willing to ignore her rider if it suits her. Her immense size means that she is by far the least maneuverable dragon in the air, but between her bulk and uncanny ability to ambush dragons from below, it almost doesn't matter, because anything that gets caught in her jaws is dead.

Balerion the Black Dread

Cersei looking at the skull of Balerion the Dread in 'Game of Thrones'

Image via HBO

Ridden by Aegon the Conqueror himself, Balerion the Black Dread was the largest Targaryen dragon in history, having been hatched in Old Valyria itself. His fire was hot enough to melt the walls and towers of Harrnehal when Harren the Black refused to submit to Aegon's rule, and it was said that he melted down the swords of Aegon's defeated enemies to make the Iron Throne. After the Conqueror, Balerion would be ridden by his son by Visenya, King Maegor I "The Cruel", and briefly by Aerea Targaryen and King Viserys I, before dying in the Dragon Pit at over 200 years old.

Balerion feels less like a flesh-and-blood creature and more like a creature plucked from mythology, with wings great enough to blacken the sky, fire hot enough to wipe out entire armies, and the ability to create the very symbol of authority in Westeros. We see his skull in both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, which is mesmerizing to look at, but trying to imagine just how gigantic Balerion was in life is a daunting task. His shadow lingers over all of Westeros as the pinnacle of Targaryen power through their dragons, but his rapid decline in health upon entering the Dragon Pit serves as a tragic metaphor not just for the withering of House Targaryen, but also how magic would fade from the world not long after the death of the dragons.

House of the Dragon

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Network

HBO

Cast

Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole

Showrunner

George R.R. Martin