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Game Of Thrones: 10 Strongest Dragons In The Books, Ranked

In both the Game Of Thrones TV series and the books, dragons play an important role in its supernatural elements.

Since the television series first aired on HBO, Game Of Thrones has walked the line between realism and fantasy. While there are many magical and supernatural elements to Game Of Thrones, they’ve always been overshadowed by the more character-driven plots compared to other fantasy shows such as The Witcher or The Wheel Of Time.

However, in the greater context of the story, in both the show and the books, these supernatural elements play an important role, and none more so than dragons. It was on the backs of dragons that the first Targaryen’s conquered Westeros, and they have contributed greatly to its history, as the new series House Of The Dragon will soon expand upon.

10 Quicksilver Burned Bright Beneath The Gods Eye

One of the first dragons born after the conquest of Westeros by Aegon Targaryen and his sisters, Quicksilver was a young dragon whose fiery breath was pale white in color. Originally the mount of Aenys, the second Targaryen to rule in King’s Landing, it came to be ridden by his son, Aegon. Aegon’s crown was usurped by his uncle, Maegor. The two faced each other in battle above the ruined castle of Harrenhal. The young Quicksilver was no match for Balerion. Balerion tore off his wings and burned him from the sky, killing both the dragon and rider.

9 Sunfyre Was The Most Beautiful Dragon

As the mount of Aegon II, one of the two claimants to the Iron Throne during the Dance of Dragons, Sunfyre is sure to play an important role in House Of The Dragon. Sunfyre was considered to have been the most beautiful of all dragons, with bright and shining golden scales. Sunfyre was also formidable in battle; fighting in several battles during the civil war. However, the toll of these battles left the proud creature wounded and broken, and Sunfyre eventually died of its wounds after Aegon’s victory.

8 Cannibal Was Wild And Ate His Own Kind

The oldest and largest of the wild dragons upon Dragonstone, The Cannibal was known for eating its own kind – whether that be eggs, hatchlings, or even grown dragons. The Cannibal lived during the Dance of Dragons. When the call was put out for anyone brave enough to tame a dragon, none were foolish enough to attempt to claim The Cannibal for their own. The wild dragon disappeared after the war, much to the relief of many who lived in terror of the untamed beast.

7 Caraxes Was The Powerful Mount Of Daemon Targaryen

During the Targaryen’s civil war, the great dragon Caraxes was ridden by the rogueish Prince Daemon Targaryen. But, Caraxes had already seen battle before that in wars against Dorne and in Daemon’s conquest of the Stepstones. With bright red scales, Caraxes was just as fierce and formidable in battle as its rider.

The end for both dragon and rider came when they faced Aemond Targaryen and his dragon Vhagar at Harrenhal. The two fought in the skies, in a battle that sent both dragons tumbling to the ground, tearing each other apart as they died. In the end, Caraxes died upon the shores of the God’s Eye, and it is suspected its rider died there as well, though Daemon’s body was never found.

6 Meraxes Died During The Targaryen’s Attempt To Conquer Dorne

One of three dragons used by the Targaryens to conquer Westeros, Meraxes was ridden by Queen Rhaenys, Aegon the Conquerer’s sister and wife. Of all the siblings, Rhaenys was said to have loved flying the most and was often found on the silver scaled back of her dragon. Meraxes and her rider took part in the Field of Fire, where the three Targaryen dragons laid waste to the army of the Reach. Meraxes was later killed in Dorne when the bolt of a ballista went through her eye, and the Queen died as the dragon fell.

5 Vermithor Was The Largest Of The Second Generation

After the Conquest, Aegon and his sister’s dragons produced many dragon eggs. One that hatched was Vermithor. Originally the mount of the Old King Jaeharys I Targaryen, Vermithor would have bronze scales and would grow in size. Vermithor was only just smaller than Vhagar and Balerion. During the Dance of Dragons, Vermithor was tamed by the Dragonseed, Hugh the Hammer, and fought in some of the most important battles during the war. Vermithor was killed in battle towards the end of the war in an ambush by the dragons Seasmoke and Tessarion.

4 Vhagar Grew To Nearly Match The Black Dread

As the dragon of Aegon the Conqueror’s sister Queen Visenya, Vhagar has one of the longest and most storied histories of any of the Targaryen dragons. Not only did it play a part in helping conquer Westeros, but it took part in dozens of other battles as well.

Other than Visenya, the most notable of Vhagar’s riders was Prince Aemond One-Eye, who fought atop the great beast during the Dance of Dragons. By that time, the Black Dread was long dead, and Vhagar was the largest and fiercest of all living dragons. Vhagar died fighting Prince Daemon’s dragon, Caraxes, in the Battle Above the God’s Eye, where both dragons and their riders were killed.

3 Viserion Was Brought Back From The Dead By The Night King

While in A Song Of Ice And Fire, Viserion is smaller than Drogon, in Game Of Thrones he grows to be fierce and deadly much like his siblings. However, while Daenarys is attempting to rescue Jon Snow and the others trapped by the Wights beyond the Wall, the Night King hurls a spear of pure ice. The ice slayed the dragon and caused it to crash through the ice and sink to the bottom of the lake.

Viserion is later hauled to the shore and brought back to life by dark magic, bringing down the wall with its blue dragonfire. Viserion also battles with Rhaegal in the Battle of Winterfell, where it dies along with the Night King and his army.

2 Drogon Is Said To Be Balerion Reborn

It was thought that dragons were extinct for over a century when Daenarys Targaryen walked unscathed from the funeral pyre of her husband Khal Drogo with three living dragons. Named Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal, these three dragons would help the future Queen in her conquest of Essos.

The greatest of the three was Drogon, thought to be the reincarnation of the Balerion, Aegon the Conqueror’s dragon. Though not nearly old enough or large enough to match the dragons of old, if the rumors are true, Drogon could go on to become the greatest since the Black Dread flew the skies.

1 Balerion Was The Greatest Of Targaryen Dragons

Before the Doom of Valyria, the ancestors of House Targaryen fled to the Westeros with five dragons. Of those five, only one survived; Balerion, later known as the Black Dread. Claimed by Aegon the Conqueror during his swift and decisive conquest of Westeros, Balerion’s size was so great that his shadow would cover entire towns.

During its life, the Black Dread was only known to have killed one other dragon. In the Battle Beneath the God’s Eye, he and his rider Maegor the Cruel killed Aegon and Quicksilver. Later in life, his rider was King Viserys I, and Balerion is the only Targaryen dragon known to have died of old age. Its skull has resided in the Red Keep since the time of its death.

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