All 38 Dragonriders In Game Of Thrones Canon

Aug. 1, 2024, 12:20 a.m.

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All 38 Dragonriders In Game Of Thrones Canon

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INCLUDES MAJOR SPOILERS from Fire & Blood, including events that will occur in House of the Dragon.

Summary The array of dragonriders in the Game of Thrones universe expanded in the prequel House of the Dragon, showcasing additional characters and dragons.

Aegon the Conqueror united the Seven Kingdoms on the back of the Black Dread, Balerion, and established the Targaryen dynasty.

The potential spinoff Aegon's Conquest will focus on Aegon I's vision of a Targaryen leader defending the realm against the Long Night.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Game of Thrones universe is the array of dragonriders. Based on the novel series A Song of Ice & Fire by George R.R. Martin, the original Game of Thrones show introduced Daenerys Targaryen as the primary representative of dragons in this fantasy universe. The original HBO series only saw three characters take flight on dragonback, while the prequel House of the Dragon continues to add on several more in the visual medium.

Targaryens like Princess Jaehaera won't be included, as they never rode their dragons.

Aside from his main book series, Martin has expanded on his world and the history of the Targaryen dynasty in books like The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood, which provide details on the many dragonrriders who haven't been depicted on television. Future Game of Thrones spinoffs will continue to show more of these figures, but brief overviews of many of the dragonriders are already known in show and book canon.

38 Lucerys Velaryon

Dragon: Arrax

Born: 115 AC

Died: 129 AC

Lucerys Velaryon was the second-born son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon, who rode the young dragon Arrax. Following the death of King Viserys I Targaryen, Lucerys flew his dragon to Storm's End, hoping to bring House Baratheon to his mother's side for the impending war. There, he came face to face with Prince Aemond, who he had bullied as a child. In House of the Dragon's season 1 ending, Aemond gives chase to Lucerys, killing him and his dragon.

37 King Aegon I Targaryen

Dragon: Balerion

Born: 27 BC

Died: 37 AC

Aegon I, commonly known as Aegon the Conqueror, flew from the Valyrian outpost, Dragonstone, to bring the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to their knees. On the back of the massive Balerion, the Black Dread, he united the kingdoms under one banner for the first time in history, establishing King's Landing, the Red Keep, and the Targaryen dynasty. He was motivated by his prophetic dream, where he envisioned a Targaryen leader defending the realm against the Long Night. This will be the subject of the Aegon's Conquest spinoff series.

36 King Maegor I Targaryen

Dragon: Balerion

Artwork by Amok.

Born: 12 AC

Died: 48 AC

Maegor I, known as Maegor the Cruel, was the third Targaryen king to rule the Seven Kingdoms and the second rider of Balerion. His reign was marked by war and tyranny, and he was known for taking swift and violent action against his many foes. His most drastic actions included burning down the Sept of Remembrance aback Balerion and killing his own nephew, Aegon.

35 Princess Aerea Targaryen

Dragon: Balerion

Born: 42 AC

Died: 56 AC

Following the death of Maegor the Cruel, Balerion remained unclaimed for six years until Princess Aerea Targaryen went to Dragonstone and claimed it. Much to the dismay of King Jaehaerys I, Aerea disappeared with Balerion for over a year before returning to King's Landing in 56 AC in an awful state. Aerea was found dreadfully ill, dying soon after, leaving a mystery behind regarding their disappearance and what had occurred.

34 Prince Viserys Targaryen

Dragon: Balerion

Born: 77 AC

Died: 129 AC

During the reign of King Jaehaerys I, the king's grandson and heir, Viserys, became the last rider of Balerion. By this time, the massive dragon was nearly two centuries old, and Viserys only bonded it for the final year of its life. Years later, Viserys I ascended the Iron Throne and never claimed another dragon. This served as a perfect metaphor for his reign, as he was known for his weakness and inaction, eventually leading to the Dance of the Dragons.

33 Prince Aemon Targaryen

Dragon: Caraxes

Born: 55 AC

Died: 92 AC

Prince Aemon Targaryen was the third son of King Jaehaerys I and the first rider of Caraxes. He was also the father of Rhaenys from House of the Dragon. Like the good king's other sons, Aemon died tragically by a crossbow bolt to the neck, which had been aimed at Lord Cameron Tarth by a Myrish scout. Aemon's death added to the conflict of succession surrounding Jaehaerys that led to the Great Council of 101.

32 Prince Daemon Targaryen

Dragon: Caraxes

Born: 81 AC

Died: 130 AC

The younger brother of King Viserys I, Daemon Targaryen, rode the Blood Wyrm, Caraxes. Despite his often unpredictable, violent nature, he was regarded as a powerful warrior in his time, actively taking part in the War of the Stepstones and later the Dance of the Dragons. Though Caraxes wasn't the most massive dragon during this period, the pair were skilled and experienced enough to contend with the mightiest of opponents, even defeating Prince Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar in the Battle Above the God's Eye, though they also died in the process.

31 Princess Rhaena Targaryen

Dragon: Dreamfyre

Born: 23 AC

Died: 73 AC

Princess Rhaena Targaryen was the eldest child of King Aenys I Targaryen and the first rider of Dreamfyre. She was initially married to her brother, Prince Aegon, before Maegor the Cruel killed him and took her for himself. After Maegor's death, she was denied the monarchy, with the realm favoring her younger brother, Jaehaerys, instead.

30 Queen Helaena Targaryen

Dragon: Dreamfyre

Born: 109 AC

Died: 130 AC

Queen Helaena Targaryen was the sister and wife of King Aegon II and the daughter of Viserys I and Alicent Hightower. Her dragon, Dreamfyre, was among the oldest alive during the Dance of the Dragons, though it was known primarily for breeding rather than fighting. In House of the Dragon, Helaena is shown to have prophetic visions of future events and is severely traumatized by the events of Blood & Cheese, where her son is murdered in front of her.

29 Daenerys Targaryen

Dragon: Drogon

Born: 281 AC

Died: 305 AC

Over a century after the last dragon died and over a decade after House Targaryen was overthrown, Daenerys Targaryen hatched three petrified dragon eggs on the far side of the world. Years later, she mounted Drogon, named after the late Khal Drogo, for the first time. Daenerys and the return of the dragons was seen as a miracle, causing many to devoutly follow her in her mission to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms under the Targaryen banner. She was nicknamed the "Mother of Dragons."

28 Princess Alyssa Targaryen

Dragon: Meleys

Born: 60 AC

Died: 84 AC

Alyssa Targaryen was the daughter of King Jaehaerys I and the mother of King Viserys I and Prince Daemon Targaryen. She was the first rider of Meleys, whom she claimed at a young age, eventually giving both of her sons rides on the dragon in their youths. She eventually passed away, giving birth to a third son, Aegon, who also died shortly after.

27 Princess Rhaenys Targaryen

Dragon: Meleys

Born: 74 AC

Died: 129 AC

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the "Queen Who Never Was," rode the dragon Meleys. At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, Rhaenys and Meleys had been bonded longer than any other rider & dragon duo alive at the time. She chose to side with Rhaenyra Targaryen in the conflict, bringing the powerful House Velaryon over to the side of the Blacks, and later fought bravely for her queen at the Battle of Rook's Rest. Though she and Meleys perished in the conflict, she dealt a significant blow to the Greens by severely injuring King Aegon II.

26 Queen Rhaenys Targaryen

Dragon: Meraxes

Born: 25/26 BC

Died: 10 AC (roughly)

Aegon I wasn't alone in his conquest of Westeros, as he flew with his two sister wives and their dragons. Queen Rhaenys Targaryen was commonly believed to be Aegon's true lover and was known as a warrior queen who lived riding her dragon. During her attempt to bring Dorne into the realm, she and Meraxes were killed by a scorpion bolt, causing Aegon to retaliate in anger in an event called the Dragon's Wroth.

25 Baela Targaryen

Dragon: Moondancer

Born: 116 AC

Died: 136-176 AC (Unknown)

Baela Targaryen was one of the daughters of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon. She's often regarded for taking after her father's wildness and lust for action and rode her dragon, Moondancer, during the Dance of the Dragons. Moondancer sadly perished in a fight with King Aegon II's Sunfyre, but Baela lived on and married Addam Velaryon, carrying on the family line in Driftmark.

24 Rhaena Targaryen

Dragon: Morning

Born: 116 AC

Died: Unkown

Rhaena Targaryen was the sister of Baela and the daughter of Daemon and Laena Velaryon. At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, she was one of the few members of her family not to have a dragon large enough to take flight. She was responsible for escorting the younger sons of Queen Rhaenyra, two baby dragons and four dragon eggs, to the Vale. According to Fire & Blood, she later rode the dragon Morning, though it's possible the TV series will change this to pull her into the action sooner.

23 King Aenys I Targaryen

Dragon: Quicksilver

Following Aegon the Conqueror, his son, Aenys I, became the second Targaryen monarch. He rode the dragon Quicksilver, who'd been born shortly after the conquest, and bonded with Aenys in their shared youth. Aenys was a kind and intelligent king, leading to conflicts with much of the realm, as he lacked the strength of his father and struggled to maintain control over the united kingdoms.

Born: 7 AC

Died: 42 AC

22 Prince Aegon Targaryen

Dragon: Quicksilver

Born: 26 AC

Died: 43 AC

Prince Aegon was the son of King Aenys, who rode his father's dragon after his death. Following Aenys' death, Aegon's uncle Maegor declared himself king, leading to a brief conflict of succession. When they met in battle, Maegor killed Aegon and Quicksilver with Balerion, solidifying his own rule. This Aegon was known as "Aegon the Uncrowned."

21 Jon Snow

Dragon: Rhaegal

Born: 281 AC

Died: Unknown

Jon Snow was born as the bastard son of Ned Stark, but later discovered he was the true-born son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, making him the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Because of his romance with Daenerys Targaryen, Jon was able to bond with her dragon, Rhaegal, though it seems likely the dragon was still more connected with Dany. Jon rode Rhaegal during the Battle of Winterfell, but the dragon was killed shortly after by a scorpion bolt from Euron Greyjoy's fleet.

20 Laenor Velaryon

Dragon: Seasmoke

Born: 94 AC

Died: Unknown

Laenor Velaryon was the son of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. As a young man during the reign of King Viserys I, Laenor aided his father and Prince Daemon in the War of the Stepstones alongside his young dragon, Seasmoke. He later married Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and was the legal father of her three sons. House of the Dragon later depicts that he faked his own death to leave Westeros with his lover, allowing Rhaenyra to marry Prince Daemon.

19 Addam Of Hull

Dragon: Seasmoke

Born: 114 AC

Died: 130 AC

Addam of Hull was one of the many dragonseeds (bastards of Valyrian descent) who claimed dragons during the Dance. Addam was the bastard son of Lord Corlys Velaryon, and was chosen by the dragon Seasmoke to be its next rider, raising questions about dragon autonomy. He remained a supporter of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and the Blacks throughout the war, riding for her cause in conflicts like the Battle of the Gullet. He later died in a dragon melee at the Second Battle of Tumbleton.