Warning: Some spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon season 2.
Summary
House of the Dragoncontinues to present the unique bond between dragons and their riders, reiterating how unique it was for Daenerys Targaryen to control her dragons throughoutGame 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 withinHouse of the Dragon’s timeline, dragons have been in the spotlight more than ever. Thedragons seen inHouse of the Dragonhave been a highlight, but it also makes Daenerys' power more remarkable.
One of the most interesting concepts throughoutHouse of the Dragonthus 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 Dragonhas also made it clear how selective dragons can be when choosing their rider. While the process involvesHouse 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.
The births of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion were seen as miracles…
InGame of Thronesseason 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 ofGame 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 thatDaenerys shared a deeper bond with her dragons than any Targaryen likely ever experienced.House of the Dragoneffectively 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. InGame 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.”
Alive (went missing after Daenerys death)
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 inGame of Thronesseason 8. Like the case with Rhaenerys' search for dragonriders inHouse 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 inHouse 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 inGame of Thrones, but she’s fully aware that her only chance towin the Dance of the Dragonsis 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.
Game Of Thrones' Absence Of Dragons Caused Major Differences Than House Of The Dragon
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. InGame 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 inHouse of the Dragon. In the latter show, all of the tamed dragons are well cared for, living in designated areas with regular feeding andHouse of the Dragon’s Dragonkeepersto look after the beasts. Similarly, all of the dragons have saddles and straps that can make life easier for their riders. InGame 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 inGame of Thronesand thebiggest dragons inHouse of the Dragondo 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 ofHouse of the Dragonlike Meleys, Vhagar, and Vermithor to name but a handful. This also means thatDaenerys' dragons are smaller than most fromHouse 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’sA Song of Ice and Firebook 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 fromHouse of the Dragon. Drogon undoubtedly had the most experience of Daenerys' three, yet is still less powerful than the strongest dragons of theGame of Thronesprequel.
The battles that Daenerys' dragons fought inGame of Thronestended 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 inHouse 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 inGame of Thronestended not to end well given that only Drogon survived the series, proving a key difference between them and the titular beasts fromHouse of the Dragon.
