House of the Dragon continues to present the unique bond between dragons and their riders, reiterating how unique it was for Daenerys Targaryen to control her dragons throughout Game of Thrones. Before Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion were born, dragons were said to be extinct, dying out after the Dance of the Dragons. With the Targaryen conflict getting more serious within House of the Dragon‘s timeline, dragons have been in the spotlight more than ever. The dragons seen in House of the Dragon have been a highlight, but it also makes Daenerys’ power more remarkable.
One of the most interesting concepts throughout House of the Dragon thus far has been the relationship between dragons and their riders. This bond has been most evident through Rhaenyra and her dragon, Syrax, who can even feel her rider’s pain and mental anguish. House of the Dragon has also made it clear how selective dragons can be when choosing their rider. While the process involves House Targaryen ancestry, that doesn’t mean anyone with family ties can become a rider, and even when they do, sometimes the dragon can’t be fully controlled, even in the case of an extra special bond.
Daenerys Had A Unique Bond With Her Dragons Compared To Other Targaryens
Daenerys’ Dragons Had A Magical Birth, Proving A Bond Like No Other
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The births of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion were seen as miracles…
In Game of Thrones season 1, Daenerys was gifted three petrified dragon eggs. From the start, she felt a special connection to the eggs through her Targaryen heritage. However, the eggs didn’t hatch without some help from blood magic and a funeral pyre, which allowed her to emerge as the “Mother of Dragons,” a title that stuck through all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. The births of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion were seen as miracles, but for Daenerys, they served as her children.
From the start, it was clear that Daenerys shared a deeper bond with her dragons than any Targaryen likely ever experienced. House of the Dragon effectively showcases the connection between a dragon and their rider, but it’s not to the same degree as Daenerys’ bond to Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion. In Game of Thrones, Daenerys was even able to lead all three of her dragons into battle in the case of season 6’s attack on Mereen and the fight against the Night King’s army in season 7’s “Beyond the Wall.”
| Daenerys’ Dragons | Game of Thrones Fates |
|---|---|
| Drogon | Alive (went missing after Daenerys death) |
| Rhaegal | Dead (killed during the Battle at Dragonstone) |
| Viserion | Dead (killed by the Night King, reanimated, and then destroyed at Winterfell) |
Even Daenerys Couldn’t Fully Control Her Dragons In Game Of Thrones
The Dragons Were Young And Disobedient At Times
Though Daenerys didn’t need extra riders for her dragons, Rhaegal did allow Jon Snow to serve as his dragonrider in Game of Thrones season 8. Like the case with Rhaenerys’ search for dragonriders in House of the Dragon, dragons are brilliant assets, but they are still complicated and unpredictable. For a time, Daenerys couldn’t fully control her dragons as they started growing, leading to Rhaegal and Viserion being locked up in the Great Pyramid. Their reckless nature was brief, but it got so bad that Daenerys felt separation was the only option.
If Rhaenyra had the power to control several dragons into battle without riders, it would solve a lot of Team Black’s problems in House of the Dragon. Instead, she’s forced to rely on a new set of dragonriders. Rhaenyra may not have to worry about growing dragons learning to feed or the beasts turning their aggression toward her like Daenerys experienced in Game of Thrones, but she’s fully aware that her only chance to win the Dance of the Dragons is if she has more control over the dragons in existence. She can’t do it alone, but then again, Daenerys having multiple dragons didn’t result in a happy ending either.
Daenerys Had Another Difference To House Of The Dragon’s Dragonriders
Game Of Thrones’ Absence Of Dragons Caused Major Differences Than House Of The Dragon
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As alluded to, dragons were extinct for around 150 years before the hatching of Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal. As such, Daenerys’ woes with raising the dragons did not only come from a lack of knowledge about the beasts themselves but also how Targaryen society had moved beyond the need to cater to dragons. In Game of Thrones, Daenerys was the last surviving Targaryen, Jon Snow’s surprise heritage notwithstanding, meaning the ways of her family had all but died out with the Mad King Aerys.
Therefore, Daenerys did not have the same accessories for her dragons that are present in House of the Dragon. In the latter show, all of the tamed dragons are well cared for, living in designated areas with regular feeding and House of the Dragon‘s Dragonkeepers to look after the beasts. Similarly, all of the dragons have saddles and straps that can make life easier for their riders. In Game of Thrones, Daenerys did not have these luxuries and had to resort to flying bareback on Drogon whenever she took to the skies.
How Daenerys’ Dragons Compare To House Of The Dragon’s
The Depiction Of Dragons Between Both Shows Is Very Different
The differences between Daenerys’ dragons in Game of Thrones and the biggest dragons in House of the Dragon do not solely relate to elements like saddles and facilities, but other aspects like size, strength, power, and experience. For one, Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal are much younger than the older dragons of House of the Dragon like Meleys, Vhagar, and Vermithor to name but a handful. This also means that Daenerys’ dragons are smaller than most from House of the Dragon.
Admittedly, Drogon was depicted as slightly too big for his age based on the descriptions of how dragons grow in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series. That said, he would still be dwarfed in comparison to dragons like Vermithor, Vhagar, and even a lesser-seen dragon like Dreamfyre. This smaller size means Daenerys’ dragons are not quite as powerful as some of the more formidable from House of the Dragon. Drogon undoubtedly had the most experience of Daenerys’ three, yet is still less powerful than the strongest dragons of the Game of Thrones prequel.
The battles that Daenerys’ dragons fought in Game of Thrones tended not to end well given that only Drogon survived the series…
Finally, Daenerys’ dragons have much less battle experience than some of the more powerful in House of the Dragon. Vhagar fought in Aegon’s Conquest and other major wars like the Faith Militant Uprising and the Dance of Dragons. Daemon’s dragon, Caraxes, also had a wealth of battle experience including the Fourth Dornish War, the War for the Stepstones, and the Targaryen civil war. The battles that Daenerys’ dragons fought in Game of Thrones tended not to end well given that only Drogon survived the series, proving a key difference between them and the titular beasts from House of the Dragon.
