3 Clues You Don't Need Valyrian Blood To Ride A Dragon (& 3 You Do)

Summary House of the Dragon offers more insight into dragonriding, offering arguments for and against Valyrian blood being essential to it.

Nettles' uncertain heritage adds complexity to the debate on dragonriding concerning Valyrian blood.

The origin of dragons from Old Valyria supports the theory that Valyrian blood may be necessary to ride them, despite some conflicting clues.

Throughout House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, a debated topic has centered around whether dragonriders need Valyrian blood to mount the mythical beasts. More so than its sequel series, House of the Dragon aptly centers around the titular creatures and their downfall in the world of Westeros. The many dragons featured in House of the Dragon offer an insight into the details of dragonriding much more than Game of Thrones did, with the Targaryen family in a much more powerful position in comparison to Daenerys Targaryen's later story.

Another benefit the show has over Game of Thrones is the depiction of House of the Dragon's biggest dragons. Monstrous creatures like Vhagar and Vermithor are much bigger than Game of Thrones' Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal, making the battle sequences in House of the Dragon all the more epic. However, from a lore standpoint, House of the Dragon offers more of an insight into how dragons are tamed and ridden. The ending of House of the Dragon season 2, episode 7 detailed this heavily, bringing to mind the various arguments both for and against needing Valyrian blood to mount a dragon.

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6 Don't: Nettles Is Not Confirmed To Have Valyrian Blood

A Dragonseed Has Unclear Heritage

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In the Targaryen Dance of Dragons featured in House of the Dragon, several lowborn people were chosen to ride dragons for Team Black. While several were thought to have Valyrian heritage, there was one who was not. This character is Nettles, a girl who grew up on Driftmark before eventually taming the wild dragon known as Sheepstealer.

In House of the Dragon, Nettles' character is seemingly being merged with Rhaena Targaryen, Daemon's daughter.

In Fire and Blood - the prequel to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series on which House of the Dragon is based - it was never confirmed who Nettles' parents were. Across the varying points of view the story is written from, no teases about Nettles' heritage are provided. This hints that Valyrian blood is not needed to ride dragons, considering Nettles became a key dragonrider for the Blacks in the Dance of Dragons.

Related Every Upcoming A Song Of Ice & Fire Book That George R.R. Martin Has Planned The Winds of Winter has been famously delayed for over a decade, but it's not the only A Song of Ice & Fire George R.R. Martin has planned.

5 Do: Nettles' Upbringing Could Hint At Valyrian Blood

Nettles Is An Interesting Case Study Of A Dragonrider

Despite Nettles not being outright confirmed, or even rumored, to be of a Valyrian bloodline in Fire and Blood, there is one aspect of her backstory that provides a clue to the contrary. In the book, it is outlined that Nettles grew up on Driftmark, the island that holds the ancestral seat of House Velaryon. House Velaryon is not featured in Game of Thrones as much, but they are incredibly powerful during the time of House of the Dragon. The Velaryons are one of the few remaining Houses that come from Old Valyria, like the Targaryens.

With Nettles growing up on Driftmark where women of Targaryen descent have been confirmed, it could be theorized that she is the offspring of a Targaryen and Velaryon...

As such, Velaryons are recognized almost as kin to the Targaryens. While the only recorded Velaryons to have ridden dragons include Laenor and Laena, whose mother was a Targaryen, their blood still comes from the same home as the dragons. House of the Dragon's Addam of Hull also rode Seasmoke, with hints being provided that his mother was of Targaryen descent. With Nettles growing up on Driftmark where women of Targaryen descent have been confirmed, it could be theorized that she is the offspring of a Targaryen and Velaryon, uniting the two Valyrian bloodlines and allowing her to ride a dragon.

4 Don't: Jaehaerys I Targaryen Was Fearful Of Stolen Dragon Eggs

Jaehaerys Was Worried Others May Utilize The Hatched Dragons

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In Fire and Blood, a subplot surrounded the stealing of several dragon eggs during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen. A woman named Elissa Farman stole these eggs from Dragonstone and fled across the sea to Essos. The various points of view in Fire and Blood outlined that Jaehaerys I was fearful of the stealing of the dragon eggs for several reasons.

It has long been theorized that the stolen dragon eggs made their way to Daenerys Targaryen almost two centuries later, leading to the events of A Game of Thrones.

One such reason was that Jaehaerys was worried others in the world might receive dragons. If the eggs that were stolen were hatched in the hands of people in Essos, dragons could be tamed and ridden by those and threaten the Targaryen dynasty. While this was all subjective and nothing came of the stolen eggs for centuries, Jaehaerys' initial fear is a clue that dragons can be ridden by those without Valyrian blood.

Related Game Of Thrones: Where Daenerys’ Dragon Eggs Came From Daenerys Targaryen acquired three dragon eggs in the Game of Thrones pilot. Here's where the eggs came from and their significance to the series.

3 Do: Only Those Linked To Valyrian Blood Have Ridden Dragons

Aside From Nettles, All Other Dragonriders Have Been Confirmed To Connect To Valyrian Bloodlines

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Perhaps the biggest clue that one needs Valyrian blood to ride a dragon is that almost every dragonrider in history has a connection to a Valyrian family. Before the Sowing of the Seeds in the Dance of Dragons, only Targaryens rode dragons going back to the days of Aegon the Conqueror. Even during the Dance of Dragons, the dragonseeds who successfully tamed dragons were all confirmed to be somewhat connected to the Targaryen blood of Old Valyria.

This provides evidence that Valyrian blood could be necessary to ride a dragon. In Westeros, it has never been the case that a random Stark or Lannister with no Valyrian connections has managed to claim a dragon. The only outlier to this is Nettles, though even then, her close proximity to Driftmark and Dragonstone means she could be of Valyrian descent. House of the Dragon confirmed that Ulf White and Hugh Hammer have direct links to Baelon Targaryen and thus Jaeahaerys, further supporting this clue.

Team Black Dragonriders Dragon Rhaenyra Targaryen Syrax Daemon Targaryen Caraxes Jacaerys Velaryon Vermax Baela Targaryen Moondancer Addam of Hull Seasmoke Ulf White Silverwing Hugh Hammer Vermithor Nettles/Rhaena Sheepstealer

2 Don't: George R. R. Martin Has Hinted Anyone Could Have A Dragon

The Creator Of Westeros Seemingly Debunks Valyrian Blood As A Necessity

Image Created by Lukas Shayo

As House of the Dragon season 2 has aired, the original author of the Song of Ice and Fire books, George R. R. Martin, has been giving his opinion on his blog. After House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4's ending, Martin's blog went on somewhat of a tangent as the author started detailing his thoughts on dragons as a whole in the world of Westeros. At one point, Martin offered a clue that anyone could ride a dragon.

When writing about dragons, Martin had this to say:

"Similarly, the dragons of Westeros seldom wander far from Dragonstone. Elsewise, after three hundred years, we would have dragons all over the realm and every noble house would have a few."

This is a big clue that anyone can tame a dragon, coming from the franchise's creator himself. George R. R. Martin's blog implies that if the dragons had spread further over Westeros, they could have become tools of other Houses. This is as good a clue as any that Valyrian blood is not necessary to ride a dragon.

1 Do: Dragons Come From Old Valyria

The Dragons Themselves Have Valyrian Blood

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One of the final major clues that Valyrian blood is necessary for riding dragons comes from the origin of the dragons themselves. While the exact origins of the dragons are a matter of debate in the world of Westeros, it is at least known that they hailed from Valyria. Of course, this is the case for Houses Targaryen and Valyrian too.

Using simple logic, it makes sense for Valyrian blood to be essential to riding dragons for this reason. Just as the Targaryens and Velaryons are seen as ancestral allies and kin, so too are the Valyrian houses and the dragons. While it could be confirmed in the future that non-Valyrian people have managed to claim dragons or vice versa, the various clues to either side in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones will keep the debate raging.