In Game of Thronesand in George R.R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, dragons are only slightly more unbelievable to the people of Westeros than they are to you and me. They’re basically the equivalent of dinosaurs that went extinct way more recently, with giant skulls and skeletons displayed to prove they once prowled the skies, and plenty of lore that allows their once-powerful presence to vividly linger in the imagination. But by the time Game of Thrones begins, nobody’s seen a living dragon in quite some time.
That all changes once Daenerys Targaryen, the last descendent of the dynasty, gets a very special wedding gift while living in forced exile. Dany’s trio of eggs eventually hatch and famously earn her the nickname “Mother of Dragons,” and once her scaly offspring (Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion) are menacing enough, they become an important part of her plan to re-conquer Westeros. First, of course, there are the White Walkers to deal with, and Game of Thrones was kind enough to give us a zombie dragon as part of that plot detour. But even after Drogon and company have entered the world, across eight seasons of Game of Thronesdragons are still a nearly impossible concept. Battles—even those fought against supernatural soldiers—tend to take place on the ground, and mostly revolve around swords, arrows, axes, knives, and fists.
That’s not the case in House of the Dragonwhich takes place several generations before the events of Thrones. It’s a time when Targaryen culture and the family’s seemingly unbreakable grip on the Iron Throne is intrinsically tied to their dragons. The average citizen of Westeros might never actually encounter one, especially if he or she never ventured to Dragonstone or King’s Landing, but it’s understood that they exist, and that they are terrifyingly dangerous. No wonder any sighting among the clouds sends up a warning cry of “Dragonnnnnn!” Taking immediate cover, even if it’s a “friendly” dragon, and even if there’s not an angry Targaryen riding on its back, is the only safe option.
Season one of House of the Dragon established that dragons are an essential part of the fabric of this world; we see the Targaryen children anxiously waiting for their specially designated eggs to hatch (or, if you’re Aemond Targaryen, waiting for a relative to die so you can swoop in and take ownership of their suddenly riderless mount). The kids have to study the High Valyrian commands (starting, of course, with “dracarys!”) and the dragon-taming skills that have elevated their family to untouchable status. What can beat a dragon? Nothing… except another dragon. As House of the Dragon fans saw at the end of season one—which for the most part saw dragons being used for transportation and intimidation—the Targaryen beasts won’t always obey. An amped-up dragon, especially one as formidable as Aemond’s Vhagar, isn’t necessarily going to behave if you tell him to back off; he might end up gobbling a smaller dragon and a human child just because he can.
Ahead of season two, Max released a video with a rundown of all the show’s most important dragons. After the events of episode four, “The Red Dragon and the Gold,” it’s not entirely up to date, but it’s still useful, especially since—much like the Targaryens themselves—many of the dragons have similar-sounding names.
Episode four was a turning point because it gave us the first battle we’ve seen in Westeros involving rival riders in the sky (unless you count the Night King and his aforementioned zombie dragon—which, fair enough). The strength of House Targaryen has long been predicated on the idea that “we rule because we have dragons,” but when the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons breaks out, both sides have dragons—and with the Battle of Rook’s Rest ending so tragically, there’s no way either side is going to leave their dragons at home for any future brawl. The threshold has been crossed; as House of the Dragon co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal explained to Entertainment Weekly, “This is the first nuclear conflict. At the end of this, the world has effectively seen mushroom clouds on the horizon, and they know that we’ve now moved into a different era of the war. The whole strategy of the war changes after this because everything is so different.”
Different indeed—bad news for the characters, who must now add “being barbecued alive on purpose” and “getting stomped to death accidentally” to their list of horrible ways to die in Westeros—but great news for dragon fans watching from the safety of their couches. At last, the creatures we’ve been hearing so much about finally get to cut loose and unleash volcanic mayhem, stretching HBO’s special effects budget to its maximum. The nuclear war metaphor makes total sense, but it’s much more fun anticipating mutually assured destruction while watching two furious dragons go at it with fire, teeth, and claws.
And notably, it’s not just on the battlefield that dragons have amplified their presence in season two. Personalities have started to poke through; we all knew Vhagar was a warrior, but how about that bitchy exhale of disgust when he had to pause his attack at Rook’s Rest? Or that glance Rhaenys and Meleys exchanged when silently agreeing they’d fly back around for another crack at their enemy? Or earlier in the season, when Rhaenyra and her dragon, Syrax, shared a melancholy moment mourning the loss of Rhaenyra’s young son and his own dragon?
There are four more episodes to go in season two; still plenty more battles to fight, and even some unclaimed dragons flying around Dragonstone who just might add their smoky charisma to the story moving forward. New episodes of House of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and Max.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
