How Powerful Sheepstealer Is Compared to Vhagar in House of the Dragon

Move over, Vhagar, there’s a new dragon causing problems in House of the Dragon Season 3. The Game of Thrones spinoff returned with a massive premiere on Sunday, kicking off its newest chapter with the Battle of the Gullet. The naval conflict is one of the series’ biggest and best yet, and several important House of the Dragon characters are pulled into it. SPOILERS ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1. This includes Rhaena and Sheepstealer, both of whom are new to dragon-riding and combat. That becomes obvious when Rhaena loses control of Sheepstealer in the midst of the fight, leading him to burn both Black and Green forces — and accidentally bringing about Prince Jacaerys Velaryon’s death.

Considering Rhaena lays claim to Sheepstealer just a few scenes earlier, it’s no surprise the duo isn’t capable of coordinating with one another. But given how much damage Sheepstealer does, it’s obvious he’s a powerful dragon, if not an easy one to control. Assuming Rhaena can get a handle on him, he could prove useful to Rhaenyra Targaryen’s cause. He’s easily one of House of the Dragon‘s most promising dragons, and like Vhagar, he’s also one of the most frustrating. As for how Rhaena’s dragon compares to Prince Aemond Targaryen’s, it’s hard to say. He may be impressive, but it seems unlikely he’ll be the key to defeating Aemond’s massive beast.

Sheepstealer Is Strong, but He’s Not on the Same Level as Vhagar

Sheepstealer is fast and demonstrates impressive fire power during the Battle of the Gullet, two qualities that make him a formidable opponent. He may not be the largest dragon in the Game of Thrones universe, but his slimmer stature contributes to his speed. And while he’s not as huge as Vhagar, he’s not exactly small. He’s in the middle size-wise, which gives him the benefit of tapping into strength and speed simultaneously. He’s also over 50 years old, and he spends most of his life before the Dance of the Dragons in the wild.

That feral nature makes Sheepstealer truly threatening, as he’s fairly vicious in a fight. He may like Rhaena enough to share a sheep with her, but he’s got an edge, and it comes out in full force during the Battle of the Gullet. He’s not on the same level as Vhagar, who is larger, stronger, and more experienced, on top of being ferocious. Aemond’s dragon would likely win a 1:1 fight against Sheepstealer, but Rhaena’s new companion gives Team Black one of the few dragons who might be able to go toe-to-toe with Vhagar in a group setting.

Where Rhaena’s New Dragon Ranks Compared to House of the Dragon’s Other Dragons

Just as Sheepstealer falls in the middle when it comes to size and age, he also lands somewhere between House of the Dragon‘s most and least powerful dragons. Vhagar surpasses him in terms of sheer size and strength, as well as due to her experience on the battlefield. Caraxes and Vermithor are also a step above Sheepstealer using similar reasoning. Caraxes has a long history of winning battles, and he’s bigger. He’s also leaner than Vhagar, so it’d be harder for Sheepstealer to evade him. Vermithor is far larger than Sheepstealer as well, and he’s around double his age. Plus, he’s called the Bronze Fury for a reason: he’s also quick to anger and lash out.

Sheepstealer may not compare to the oldest, most legendary dragons in House of the Dragon, but he manages to keep up with the others — and could probably best a few of them. He’s closer to Syrax and Seasmoke in size, and he’s more vicious than both of them. That would probably push him just slightly ahead in a competition. Meanwhile, he has an easy advantage over smaller, younger dragons like Vermax, Moondancer, and Tessaryon. There’s a reason Vermax and Moondancer struggle to avoid his onslaught in House of the Dragon Season 3’s premiere.

We Probably Won’t See Sheepstealer vs. Vhagar (but Fire & Blood Hints at the Outcome)

With Sheepstealer and Vhagar both falling among House of the Dragon‘s most chaotic dragons, it’d be interesting to see them face one another. However, based on Fire & Blood, that shouldn’t happen. Although Sheepstealer’s rider in the book — the cut dragonseed Nettles, rather than Rhaena — seeks out Aemond alongside Daemon, she leaves the mission behind before it’s complete. But it’s worth noting that Daemon enlists her because he believes Caraxes and Sheepstealer combined have a chance of taking on Vhagar. That’s more than can be said about most medium- and small-sized dragons, and it gives us a better idea of where Sheepstealer stands.

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