Which dragons will be in House of the Dragon season 3? (original) (raw)

In a TV show called House of the Dragon, you'd expect to see plenty of dragons. But the fascinating thing about HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series is that these dragons aren't just formidable beasts — they're individual characters in their own right.

All of the winged fighting machines of Westeros have their own names, histories, and personalities. Many of them have dragon riders on their backs, but they're also governed by their own desires and wills. Both factions of the Targaryen civil war are now firmly prepared for battle in House of the Dragon season 3, so it's time to take stock of which dragons remain in the game.

Note: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2.

Season 2 viewers will know we've lost Meleys from the battle and Lucerys died along with his tiny dragon Arrax at the end of the first season. But with this war known in George RR Martin's lore as the Dance of Dragons, we need to keep track of these guys.

Vhagar (Greens, Aemond Targaryen)

Vhagar, commanded by Aemond Targaryen, is easily the most powerful dragon in House of the Dragon. (HBO)

Vhagar is by far the most feared dragon in all of Westeros and she is almost entirely the reason that the Greens have something of an upper hand in the war thus far. She's an enormous and aggressive beast, given yet more fear factor by the fact that the ruthless Aemond Targaryen rides on her back.

We've already seen Vhagar take out little Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax, but season two saw an even bigger scalp as Aemond and Vhagar killed the fearsome Rhaenys Targaryen and her dragon Meleys. That's not to mention the collateral damage Vhagar did to King Aegon and his dragon Sunfyre.

Vhagar is also one of the oldest dragons in the show and has been ridden by multiple Targaryens over the years. Vhagar doesn't just have her size and power; she has experience too.

Unless Rhaenyra and the Blacks can find an answer for Vhagar, the Dance of Dragons is only going one way. In the seventh episode of season two, we got a look at how that might work, with Aemond forced to turn Vhagar away and flee from Dragonstone to King's Landing in the face of Rhaenyra's swelling ranks of dragons. Could pure numbers be enough to overwhelm Vhagar?

Sunfyre (Greens, Aegon II Targaryen)

King Aegon's dragon Sunfyre has been unfortunate so far in season two. (HBO)

The other dragon on the side of the Greens is the golden-coloured Sunfyre, ridden by the peacocking ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, Aegon II Targaryen. However, we've seen both dragon and rider meet an uncertain fate in recent weeks, with both Sunfyre and Aegon suffering grievous injuries in the Battle at Rook's Rest. In the season two finale, Aegon said he believes Sunfyre to be dead, but we've not seen a body and it's fair to say that the king isn't being kept totally in the loop.

Sunfyre is certainly one of the most visually stunning dragons we've seen on the show so far, but he fell victim to his rider's zest for conflict — not to mention Vhagar's fearsome flames.

Dreamfyre (Greens, Helaena Targaryen)

Dreamfyre is bonded to Helaena Targaryen in House of the Dragon. (HBO)

Dreamfyre hasn't played a big role in House of the Dragon just yet, and that's mainly because she's bonded to Helaena Targaryen — wife of King Aegon. She's his sister too because that's how Targaryens roll. Helaena has been understandably grief-stricken ever since her son was murdered by Blood and Cheese, so hasn't exactly been a willing dragon rider.

However, with the Dance of Dragons really firing up and the Blacks amassing a sizeable array of beasties to take on Vhagar, the Greens might need all the help they can get. Aemond approached his sister in the season two finale and tried to force her to join the battle, but she refused to become a killer.

Tessarion (Greens, Daeron Targaryen)

Tessarion made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in House of the Dragon's season 2 finale. (HBO/Sky Atlantic)

There was a glimmer of good news for the Greens amid the misery of season two episode seven with a name-check for a dragon we'd never seen before. Aemond received word that his younger brother Daeron Targaryen, who has been raised through childhood and adolescence by House Hightower at Oldtown, has finally begun flying on his dragon Tessarion.

Tessarion is known as the Blue Queen and will almost certainly add to the Greens' array of very beautiful dragons. Indeed, we saw a very brief glimpse of Tessarion flying over the Hightower army in the final moments of the season 2 finale. But as a young dragon, it's unclear how useful she will be on the battlefield.

Caraxes (Blacks, Daemon Targaryen)

Daemon Targaryen rides Caraxes in House of the Dragon. (HBO)

Daemon Targaryen is arguably the most ruthless and violent player in the game of House of the Dragon's bloody war. The fact he spent most of the second season chasing ghosts around an empty castle shouldn't minimise how dangerous he is. And a huge amount of that danger comes from the dragon he rides: the deadly Caraxes.

Caraxes was a crucial player in Daemon's victory in the War for the Stepstones in the first season and he is now firmly planted at Harrenhal — the largest castle in Westeros. This means Daemon and Caraxes will almost certainly meet Aemond and Vhagar at some stage down the line. It's sure to be a titanic battle.

Syrax (Blacks, Rhaenyra Targaryen)

Syrax is Rhaenyra Targaryen's mount in House of the Dragon. (HBO)

Rhaenyra Targaryen is the leader of the Blacks and, in her eyes, the rightful queen of Westeros. That means she is of such strategic importance that no one will let her leave the relative safety of her castle at Dragonstone. But in the final episodes of the second season, she took the opportunity to break free of that castle and prepare for war with her dragon Syrax.

Syrax might not be as battle-hardened as some of the other dragons involved in the Dance, but she plays a crucial role in the future of the Targaryen dynasty. Many of the dragons ridden by the younger members of Rhaenyra's family are the offspring of Syrax.

Vermax (Blacks, Jacaerys Velaryon)

Jace Velaryon rides Vermax in season two of House of the Dragon. (HBO)

The Blacks are far from short on dragons, but they have spent most of this show very short on dragon riders. That's part of the reason why Rhaenyra's heir Jacaerys Velaryon is so keen to enter the fray on his dragon, Vermax. While not one of the most feared dragons in either side's arsenal, Vermax has proven useful while Jace has flown around the Seven Kingdoms trying to win allies to his mother's claim, including the Starks at Winterfell and the Freys at The Twins.

At this stage, though, it's not clear how well Vermax will handle the heat of battle. We all saw what happened to Jace's younger brother when his dragon met Vhagar. It was a deadly mismatch.

Moondancer (Blacks, Baela Targaryen)

Moondancer has shown up a few times in House of the Dragon. (HBO)

While the Blacks have avoided sending Jace out on Vermax, they have been much more willing to make use of another of their younger dragons. Moondancer is just about big enough to ride and has been used on scouting missions, with Baela Targaryen on its back.

Baela has become an increasingly important lynchpin for her side in the Dance of Dragons, with Moondancer chasing down Ser Criston Cole when the King's Hand got a little too cocky on his march through the crownlands. There's definitely more to come from this dragon.

Seasmoke (Blacks, Addam of Hull)

Seasmoke has a new rider, changing everything we know about who can command dragons. (HBO)

The young but deadly dragon Seasmoke was originally claimed by Rhaenyra's first husband, Laenor Velaryon. After Laenor faked his own death to enter a self-imposed exile, Seasmoke lived unclaimed at Driftmark. However, with the Dance of Dragons now underway, the Blacks decided to try to encourage him to take a new rider. They discovered Targaryen blood in the ancestry of Ser Steffon Darklyn, but Seasmoke rejected him in fatal, fiery fashion.

In season two episode six, though, Seasmoke did take a new rider in Addam of Hull — one of the bastard sons of Lord Corlys Velaryon. Addam did not hesitate in bending the knee to Rhaenyra, so we can definitely count this as a big win for her and the Blacks.

Vermithor (Blacks, Hugh Hammer)

The notorious Vermithor is one of the strongest beasts in House of the Dragon so far. (HBO)

In season two episode seven, the tide of the Dance of Dragons changed for good when two of Dragonstone's dormant weapons were claimed by new riders. Vermithor is a powerful dragon, nicknamed The Bronze Fury, and was previously ridden by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Outside of Vhagar, he's the largest dragon in Westeros.

We briefly glimpsed Vermithor in the first season when Daemon approached him and mentioned to Rhaenyra that he was currently unclaimed. But in season two, Rhaenyra presented him with an array of Targaryen bastards as potential riders. Most of these met with a fiery or fangy death, but one managed to tame the enormous animal.

Read more: Meet The Dragonseed Who Tames Vermithor In “The Red Sowing" (Deadline)

Hugh Hammer has appeared throughout season two of House of the Dragon as one of the struggling smallfolk suffering under the Greens' control of King's Landing. We've now learned that his mother had a very significant sibling — Baelon Targaryen, father of Viserys and Daemon. Hugh is a blacksmith and has been seen trying desperately to keep his family alive. As a dragon rider, he'll be able to ensure they never go hungry again, though his own fate is unclear given he'll almost certainly have to fly into battle.

Silverwing (Blacks, Ulf)

Silverwing has become the latest dragon to join Rhaenyra's cause in House of the Dragon. (HBO)

Vermithor's mate Silverwing had been hidden from House of the Dragon's viewers until season two episode seven. She has been living dormant in the dragon pit and stayed that way until the bar-dwelling blowhard Ulf stumbled into her lair, having fled Vermithor's fiery rejection of Rhaenyra's possible dragon riders. Rather than burn Ulf to a crisp, Silverwing bonded with Ulf as a rider.

It's fair to say that Ulf didn't seem like the most obvious dragon rider and it seemed possible that his claims of Targaryen parentage were simply over-exaggerated pub chat. But at the end of the seventh episode, Ulf flew Silverwing over King's Landing in an attempt to draw Aemond and Vhagar into a trap.

This time, Aemond was wise enough to send Vhagar flying back home before she had to confront Rhaenyra's formidable array of dragons. But they will almost certainly battle again in the very near future.

Tyraxes and Stormcloud (Blacks)

Stormcloud and Tyraxes were too small to fly to The Eyrie on their own. (HBO)

Currently living in some sort of safety in The Eyrie, Rhaenyra's youngest children — Joffrey Velaryon and Aegon III Targaryen — have small dragons at their sides. Tyraxes and Stormcloud are two little to be much use in a fight at this stage, but all dragons count right? Lady Jeyne Arryn wasn't convinced though and was frustrated that she had only been sent protection in the form of the smallest dragons in Westeros.

Sheepstealer (wild)

Sheepstealer made a brief appearance in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale. (HBO/Sky Atlantic)

In the season two finale, Rhaena Targaryen finally caught up with the wild dragon that had been roaming the Vale — known to book fans as Sheepstealer. It wouldn't be fair to chalk this feral-looking beast as a member of Team Rhaenyra just yet, though it seems likely that young Rhaena will finally claim a dragon.

Read more: House of the Dragon viewers lament 'anticlimactic' season 2 finale (Yahoo Entertainment)

On the page, Sheepstealer was actually claimed by a character called Nettles, who did not appear to have any Targaryen blood. But rather than add to the show's unwieldy ensemble, it's Rhaena who looks set to tame the Vale's fiery predator.

House of the Dragon season 3 is expected to premiere in 2026.