House of the Dragon has featured plenty of dragons to date, and most still remember the introduction of the fiery Drogon and his brothers in Game of Thrones. In this world, dragons are powerful creatures, even considered god-like. While there is much speculation about the strength and age of a dragon in determining its value, one element often overlooked is the bond each dragon shares with its rider. Dragons are intelligent creatures, and as Daenerys once proclaimed: “A dragon is not a slave,” but a partner bonded for life with his rider.

In Season 2, the dragon Seasmoke actually claimed his rider Addam instead of being chosen, proving that a dragon has a certain level of autonomy in this universe. According to the lore, dragons and riders influence each other’s personalities, even share some form of telepathic connection. The Targaryen legacy has plenty of dragon rider stories, yet some of these bonds are truly special.

10Vermithor & Jaehaerys Are a Royal Duo

The ferocious Vermithor, also known as the Bronze Fury, was one of the largest dragons during the Dance of the Dragons. According to legend, his egg was placed in Jaehaerys’s cradle, cementing the future bond between the two. Vermithor and Jaehaerys spent over 50 years together and had a strong bond.

After Jaehaerys’s death, Vermithor remained in the caves of Dragonstone for many decades before accepting another rider. Vermithor was eventually claimed by Hugh Hammer who was the illegitimate grandson of Jaehaerys.

9Aegon & Sunfyre Represent a New Era of Dragonriders

Sunfyre belonged to Aegon II, the son of Viserys and Alicent. Despite their lack of screen time on HotD, they had a strong bond. Sunfyre was a gorgeous golden dragon with pink trimmings on his wings. According to legend, Aegon claimed him when he was about 13. In House of the Dragon, Sunfyre appears only sparingly, but the audience witnesses one precious moment when Sunfyre chest-bumps Aegon before he mounts him to fly to Rook’s Rest, which turns out to be a tragic mistake.

Aegon and Sunfyre had no battle experience, leaving them extremely vulnerable when encountering Rhaenys and Meleys. Sunfyre suffers severe injuries yet manages to flip over before he crashes into the ground to protect his beloved human companion. In Fire & Blood, Sunfyre survives the battle, yet in the TV show adaptation it is implied that he might have passed away from the serious wounds he endured during the Battle of Rook’s Rest.

8Rhaenyra & Syrax Preside Over the Seven Kingdoms

Rhaenyra and Syrax bonded when the she-dragon was very young. It is suggested that Syrax’s egg was placed in Rhaenyra’s cradle. Syrax, named after a goddess by Rhaenyra, was loyal and even-tempered. She was yellow-golden with a clubbed tail and featured slightly curved horns crowning her horse-shaped face.

Syrax was closely connected to Rhaenyra, feeling her pain when she suffered a miscarriage on Dragonstone. When Rhaenyra discovers Lucerys’s remains on the beach, both express their pain. Rhaenyra is crying while Syrax screeches because both have lost their sons. Arrax was one of Syrax’s eggs and died with Luke. While Syrax wasn’t the most ferocious dragon, she was fiercely loyal to Rhaenyra.

7Rhaena & Dreamfyre Spent a Lifetime Together

The she-dragon Dreamfyre is one of the oldest dragons in current Westeros. She was claimed at three years of age by Rhaena Targaryen, daughter of King Aenys I. Rhaena named her Dreamfyre. Once a shy and withdrawn girl who preferred the company of animals over people, she changed once she bonded with her dragon. According to lore, the dragons and their riders often influence each other’s personalities. Dreamfyre inspired Rhaena to be fiercer and independent. Dreamfyre was never involved in any battles, but the duo frequently took to the skies.

Many years later, Dreamfyre was claimed by Helaena, who was equally withdrawn from society as Rhaena. Dreamfyre laid eggs several times, and according to rumors, she might be the mother of Daenerys’s dragons Drogon, Viseryon, and Rhaegal. To date, Dreamfyre has only appeared once in HotD, but she looks very similar to Dany’s dragons.

6Visenya & Vhagar Helped Take Over Westeros

Vhagar is the only remaining dragon from the days of Aegon’s Conquest, and she is heavily featured in House of the Dragon. She had four different riders, but she shared her closest bond with Visenya, sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror. She was Vhagar’s first rider, and the duo spent many decades together. They fought alongside Aegon I, when he decided to conquer Westeros.

After Aegon was crowned King of the Six Kingdoms, Visenya and Vhagar stayed quite active, participating in the First Dornish War after the death of Rhaenys and Meraxes. Visenya died of old age in 44 AC on Dragonstone. Vhagar remained riderless for 29 years until she was claimed by Prince Baelon Targaryen.

5Rhaenys & Meraxes Made a Worthy Partner to Aegon the Conqueror

Meraxes was a silver she-dragon, ridden by Rhaenys Targaryen, one of the sister-wives of Aegon the Conqueror. Meraxes was the second-largest dragon of her time, second to Balerion. Rhaenys loved being a dragon rider and spent much more time with Meraxes than her brother and sister did with theirs.

Meraxes and Rhaenys supported Orys Baratheon in his fight against Argilac Durrandon, the last Storm King, who subsequently seized Storm’s End. This duo fought successfully in several battles, with the legendary “Field of Fire” battle being one of them. Both died trying to force Dorne into the fold, with Meraxes shot out of the sky by a scorpion bolt. Viewers saw her skull displayed in Dragonstone in House of the Dragon.

4Daemon & Caraxes Were Machines of War

Caraxes, nicknamed the Blood Wyrm, was truly unique. He had a lean body with a very long neck and was bright red. He had little wings on his legs, counterbalancing his extremely long neck to be able to fly. Even though he was not the largest dragon of his time, his viciousness was feared by many.

Caraxes was quite temperamental and unpredictable, just like his rider Daemon. They were bonded for over 40 years and fought many battles together. In one of the battles at the Stepstones, Daemon gets hit by an arrow. Caraxes could feel Daemon’s pain and screeched loudly. When Daemon demands that the Queensguards swear their fealty to Rhaenyra and her heir Jaecerys, Caraxes shows up to support him. In Fire & Blood, these two soulmates die together after a spectacular fight against Aemond and Vhagar over the God’s Eye.

3Daenerys & Drogon Threw the Entire World into Upheaval

In Game of Thrones, Dany hatched her three petrified dragon eggs on the funeral pyre for Drogo, and Drogon’s egg was one of them. Drogon was black with some red trimming. Named after Khal Drogo, his personality was quite similar to Dany’s late husband. He was ferocious, fiercely independent, and very protective of his mother.

Drogon had an extraordinary bond with Dany. Even though he would sometimes go off and do his own thing, he always knew when Daenerys was in danger. He could sense her emotions from far away and was always willing to fight for her. When Daenerys gets stabbed by Jon Snow in the series finale of Game of Thrones, Drogon appears and nudges her in an attempt to wake her up. After he realizes that she has died, he releases a harrowing screech expressing his agony. A moment later, he melts the throne with his fiery breath, takes Dany’s lifeless body, and leaves, never to be seen again.

2Meleys & Rhaenys Were Respected Throughout the Realm

Meleys, known as “The Red Queen,” and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen shared a very close bond, lasting over four decades. The she-dragon had scarlet scales, yellow-green eyes, and a crown of bright copper horns. Despite her formidable size, Meleys had incredible speed and many cool tricks up her sleeve. She was impressively fierce, just like her rider Rhaenys, The Queen Who Never Was. Rhaenys and Meleys were no strangers to battles and emerged victorious on many occasions. However, Rook’s Rest ended the life of this legendary duo.

Rhaenys volunteered to fight Cole’s army in Rook’s Rest to defend the allies of Team Black and unexpectedly encounters Vhagar and Sunfyre. Rhaenys knew her dragon well and used various Valyrian terms to command her loyal companion. Meleys’s specialty move was the dragon roll, spinning under her opponents and attacking them from underneath before they could counterattack. Throughout the battle, they share moments of reassurance with one another. After several successful attacks on Sunfyre and Vhagar, Meleys and Rhaenys lose their final battle when Vhagar ambushes them with a sneak attack. Dragon and rider exchange one last heartbreaking look before they plummet to the ground.

1Vermithor & Silverwing Were Closer Than Any Other Dragons

This last one is a dragon pairing, and with good reason. The dragons Vermithor and Silverwing spent many years side by side during King Jaehaerys’s long reign. The she-dragon Silverwing was Queen Alysanne’s dragon, Jaehaerys’s wife. Both bonded with their dragons around the same time, and the quartet spent a lot of time together.

While the Targaryen lore mainly features stories of the bond between dragons and their riders, these two dragons were exceptionally close. Their relationship mirrored the love Jaehaerys and Alysanne had for each other. Silverwing and Vermithor were inseparable and coiled up together. According to rumors in Fire & Blood, Silverwing landed next to Vermithor, when he was killed in the Battle of Tumbleton decades later. Upset over her companion’s death, she tried to lift his wing to see if she could make him fly again. Silverwing had lost her last rider, Ulf, after he drank poisoned wine. She spent the rest of her days alone at Red Lake.