A powerful dragon can make or break a battle, and House of the Dragon repeatedly proves as much — though the Game of Thrones spinoff kills off several of them ahead of Season 3, Episode 2. SPOILERS ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1. The most recent example is Prince Jacaerys’ dragon, Vermax, who meets his end alongside his rider at the Battle of the Gullet in the Season 3 premiere. But the Targaryens have lost a number of dragons during their civil war, from the powerful Meleys to Arrax and Sunfyre. The series also cuts a few from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, including the wild dragon The Cannibal.
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Between The Cannibal’s exclusion and Meleys’ demise, some of the series’ strongest dragons are already off the board heading into House of the Dragon Season 3. But there are a number of powerful ones still active when the latest chapter picks up, some of whom will be more involved in the conflict than others. The strongest of them will decide the direction of the Dance of the Dragons going forward.
5) Dreamfyre
Dreamfyre is a dragon we don’t see much of in House of the Dragon, as she’s claimed by Helaena Targaryen. Helaena doesn’t ride her in the show, and the two are never seen engaging in combat. Despite this, Dreamfyre is one of the strongest dragons still around in the series. Originally bonded to Princess Rhaena Targaryen (not the one from HOTD), Dreamfyre is around 100 years old at this point of the Targaryen civil war. This makes her one of the oldest dragons currently still in play, and she’s also quite large — certainly more so than the likes of Sheepstealer, Syrax, and Seasmoke.
Dreamfyre’s age and size lands her among the five strongest dragons in House of the Dragon Season 3, though that’s not likely to amount to much. The next time we see her will probably be during the Storming of the Dragonpit, and that won’t be a pleasant reunion. Helaena’s dragon may have raw strength, but she’s not utilized in the Dance of the Dragons, and she’s extremely out of practice when it comes to combat. This ranks her below similar-sized dragons, like Silverwing and Caraxes. And the two strongest dragons trump Dreamfyre when it comes to size and battle prowess.
4) Silverwing
Silverwing and Dreamfyre seem to be fairly close in size — indeed, fans tend to debate which is larger — but Ulf’s dragon is more of an asset in battle, especially once she gains a new rider. Despite being said to have the best temperament of the wild dragons on Team Black, Silverwing is a daunting opponent. She’s larger than Seasmoke and Sheepstealer, and she’s clearly experienced when it comes to dragon-riding. After all, she’s Queen Alysanne Targaryen’s mount prior to becoming riderless and meeting Ulf. And Ulf needs to adjust to riding far more than she does.
While Silverwing knows how to work with a rider, she doesn’t have much combat experience, landing her on the lower end of this list. She’s still capable enough in a fight, and it’s worth noting that Dreamfyre and the younger dragons don’t have much more experience. That lack of combat skill does prevent Silverwing from ranking higher, however.
3) Caraxes
Daemon Targaryen’s dragon, Caraxes, is among the top three strongest dragons in House of the Dragon Season 3, despite being smaller in size than Dreamfyre and Silverwing. Caraxes’ lean body has its advantages, making him quite fast in combat. He’s also still large enough to pose a threat, even to bigger dragons. One only needs to look at the outcome of the Battle Above the Gods Eye to realize that Caraxes can hold his own, whether he’s fighting armies and smaller beasts or dragons twice his size.
It helps that Caraxes is a vicious dragon, with his temperament giving him more of an edge in a fight. And of course, there’s the fact that Daemon Targaryen is his rider. Daemon is an experienced dragon rider, so Caraxes obeys his commands and becomes more experienced in turn. He’s more of an asset on the battlefield than most of House of the Dragon‘s dragons, and that’s the reason why. With Daemon guiding him, Caraxes should never be underestimated.
2) Vermithor
Daemon being a seasoned dragon rider almost makes a case for Caraxes being number two on this ranking, but Hugh’s dragon comes in just ahead of him. Vermithor is one of the biggest and most deadly beasts in House of the Dragon, making it all the more impressive that a dragonseed like Hugh the Hammer manages to bond with him. Known as the Bronze Fury, Vermithor was once the mount of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Like Silverwing, he has a long history of having a dragon rider, even if he’s out of practice by the time he gains a new one in Hugh. And clearly, he’s no less deadly for the time spent without a rider.
Vermithor is just as ferocious as Caraxes and even Vhagar, too, which is why he’s called the Bronze Fury in the first place. His massive size, temperament, age, and experience all drag him to the top of this list. The only dragon stronger is Vhagar, who feels almost unbeatable at this point in House of the Dragon Season 3.
1) Vhagar
Vhagar is pretty much the bane of every House of the Dragon fan’s existence, as she’s responsible for a couple of tragic deaths in the Game of Thrones spinoff. It’ll come as no surprise that Prince Aemond Targaryen’s dragon tops this list, as she’s the oldest and largest dragon currently active in the show. She’s also a merciless opponent, making her that much more dangerous. There’s a reason Aemond goes out of his way to claim her in House of the Dragon Season 1. And like Caraxes, Vhagar benefits from the ruthless nature and skill of her rider.
Because Vhagar is so much larger and more intimidating than the other mounts in House of the Dragon, it would likely take several dragons to take her on. In Fire & Blood, Daemon even suggests as much, recruiting Nettles and Sheepstealer to track Aemond and Vhagar down. In Fire & Blood — SPOILER ALERT — a single dragon does end up landing the killing blow. But they also die in the process, so Vhagar clearly isn’t a dragon to be messed with, even by a comparably strong mount.
Which dragons do you deem the most powerful in House of the Dragon? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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