One of the most interesting ways House of the Dragon has built upon Game of Thrones is the exploration of the dragons themselves. Set at a time when both the Targaryens and dragons are in their prime, the prequel series is able to showcase the bond between dragon and dragonrider through the claiming process and dragon fights in a way Game of Thrones, with only three young dragons, never could. But, it raises the question of why Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) controls all three rather than the usual one. In House of the Dragon, this is impossible, as seen by Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), who seeks out bastard dragonseeds to claim dragons for her cause. But, while Daenerys only rides Drogon, she has Viserion and Rhaegal fly into battle riderless and do her bidding. However, Daenerys’ supernatural bond with her dragons goes beyond that of her ancestors, and even with the unusual circumstances — she isn’t fully in control.
Daenerys Is the Mother of Dragons
When Daenerys hatches her once-petrified eggs, she earns the title Mother of Dragons, but that is not just something that makes her sound impressive. While in House of the Dragon, many Targaryens receive eggs that hatch into baby dragons; none undergo the same process as Daenerys. Daenerys brings dragons back to the world with Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal, performing magic that she didn’t fully understand, and she is the only Targaryen to do this. Others hatched their dragons shortly after the eggs were laid, requiring no supernatural help. The magic makes her more of a mother than a rider, creating a different dynamic than her ancestors shared with the dragons.
In addition to that, Daenerys raises them, unlike the House of the Dragon characters, who have the Dragonkeepers to care for their dragons. Rhaenyra and the rest pass off their beasts to the ancient order to feed, saddle, and tend to. Though they are often shown to have a close connection, like in the Season 1 finale when Syrax reacts to Rhaenyra’s emotions, the dragons do not rely on them similarly. Daenerys is with Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal almost constantly, at least when they are young, so they are used to her. While dragons are notoriously picky about who they bond with, making it a dangerous process (just look at the massacre during the Red Sowing in House of the Dragon Season 2), Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal have an affection for Daenerys long before they are capable of that kind of destruction.
‘House of the Dragon’s Dragons Are More Difficult to Control
In House of the Dragon,several dragons are ancient, with Vhagar being at least 170 years old and Vermithor and Silverwing being around 100. They have grown, bonded with different riders, and have gained experience, making them less likely to follow orders. Vhagar takes matters into her own hands when she ignores Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell) orders and attacks Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), escalating the growing conflict. Aemond can do nothing to stop her. But Daenerys’ dragons are much smaller and, therefore, easier to control. Though they grow quickly, especially Drogon, they never reach the size of House of the Dragons. Surprisingly, this is to Daenerys’ advantage because there are no other larger dragons to challenge hers, and they remain more tame than the ones in the prequel.
Even With All of Her Abilities, Daenerys Lacks Control
Though she sends them into battle, and all three fight for her, it’s not accurate to say Daenerys controls her dragons. House of the Dragon may emphasize the illusion of the Targaryen’s control over the beasts, but it is not a new concept. While Daenerys is in Meereen, her dragons roam free, hunting for food, and one of the citizens comes to her with the bones of a child that Drogon ate. Realizing she cannot control them, Daenerys locks up Viserion and Rhaegal (though Drogon escapes), proving that she never had complete control over them. In reality, Daenerys’ dragons were initially too small to test the boundaries.
Daenerys has a disadvantage due to her lack of infrastructure for her dragons. The characters in House of the Dragon have a designated dragonpit and caves on Dragonstone for the dragons to stay in and recent experience to help them know how much a dragon eats, but Daenerys has none of that. But, even lacking the generations of knowledge and training her ancestors had, she does an incredible job and uses her dragons in a way no one else can. The fact that, with all of their advantages, the Targaryens in House of the Dragon struggle to keep control when only dealing with one dragon proves that Daenerys truly is the Mother of Dragons.
