Dragons have always been the most recognizable—and awesome—mythological creatures of medieval fantasy literature. In George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, in which HBO’s Game of Thrones (2011) is based, dragons have so far been allies in battles. We’re rooting for them, and we’re excited every single time we see them.
So, in honor of these majestic beasts, here are a few important names and curious facts from some of the dragons that belong to the Game of Thrones universe.
Dragons are huge creatures with a reptilian body capable of flying. Within dragon mythology, it is often said they have a strong magical component. Dragons possess an impressive and devastating power, capable of wiping out whole armies and burning cities to the ground. People strong enough to domesticate and ride them as war machines used them to destroy their enemies and forge vast empires in the continents of Essos and Westeros.
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The last surviving dragons in the world belonged to House Targaryen, who used them to conquer and unify the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros 300 years before the War of the Five Kings we see in the show. Most Targaryen dragons died in the Dance with Dragons, about a century and a half later. After that, dragons were widely believed to be extinct.
Enter our beloved Daenerys. At about the same time as the War of the Five Kings started, Dany held three dragon eggs that had been turned to stone by the passage of time, which were gifted to her as a wedding gift. With the help of a little black magic, Daenerys managed to hatch the eggs and, for the first time since their apparent extinction, dragons soared through the sky once more.
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What are the names of Dany’s dragons?
Dany’s three dragons have all rather meaningful names. First, there’s Drogon, named after Khal Drogo—Daenerys’ late husband. Bigger and more aggressive than its siblings, Drogon bears distinctive red marks. Then there’s Rhaegal, named after Rhaegar Targaryen and showing green scales with bronze marks. Finally, there’s Viserion, named after Viserys Targaryen, a white dragon with golden marks. Viserion is the one the Night King captured, so it’s now fighting for the White Walkers.
Other dragons from Game of Thrones
Facts about the dragons in Game of Thrones
Dragon’s bodies are long and serpentine, with necks and tails proportionally long. Their bodies have four extremities: two hind legs and two large wings. Plus, they have sharp teeth and long, sword-like claws.
Dragons are covered with scales, and have outer spines that go from head to tail. Their horns are pretty big, framing their faces by perfectly underlining their threatening jaws which grow larger as they age.
They are fierce carnivores that cook their prey with their fire breath before eating them.They can eat almost any kind of meat, from sheep to fish. It is told that the historic dragons that flew across ancient battlefields could eat fallen horses, and even soldiers in the heat of battle.
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Written by Andrea Guzmán. Translated by Oliver G. Alvar.
