By the time the events of Game of Thrones took place, the dragons of Westeros had mostly gone extinct. House of the Dragon, set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, the Targaryen family is at the peak of their dragon power.
HBO Max's House of the Dragon introduces a new cast of Targaryens, Velaryons, and Hightowers, each family fighting for the Iron Throne with their dragons.
If you are getting confused about who in the Targaryen family tree has a dragon (and who doesn't) look no further! Below is a full guide to every dragon in House of the Dragon so far!
Every Targaryen Family Member With a Dragon
- Viserys I Targaryen - Balerion the Black Dread
- Rhaenyra Targaryen - Syrax
- Laenor Velaryon - Seasmoke
- Jacaerys Velaryon - Vermax
- Lucerys Velaryon - Arrax
- Daemon Targaryen - Caraxes
- Laena Velaryon - Vhagar
- Baela Targaryen - Moondancer
- Aegon II Targaryen - Sunfyre
- Helaena Targaryen - Dreamfyre
- Aemond Targaryen - Vhagar
- Rhaenys - Meleys
- Daeron Targaryen - Tessarion
Viserys I Targaryen - Balerion the Black Dread
King Viserys I Targaryen was never shown riding a dragon in House of the Dragon Season 1, but it was revealed that he bonded with the largest dragon in the history of Westeros - Balerion, also known as The Black Dread.
Balerion, most notably, belonged to Aegon the Conqueror when he crossed the Narrow Sea and took over Westeros, with Viserys being the dragon's very last rider before it died.
House of the Dragon Season 1 featured Balerion's enormous skull, leaving many hoping to see the dragon in action one day in another spin-off.
Rhaenyra Targaryen - Syrax
Rhaenyra Targaryen was the firstborn child of Viserys I Targaryen and Aemma Arryn, and who Viserys named as his heir until his deathbed.
Rhaenyra also had one full brother, Baelon, who died just hours after her mother (who also passed) gave birth to him.
Rhaenyra's half-siblings are Aegon II Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen, Helaena Targaryen, and Daeron Targaryen (who has not been shown in the series yet).
Laenor Velaryon was once wed to Rhaenyra and was the supposed father of their three children, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey. However, their actual father was Harwin Strong.
The dragon who belongs to Rhaenyra is named Syrax, a female dragon who is around the same age as Rhaenyra. Syrax's egg was placed in Rhaenyra's cradle before her birth, meaning that the two grew up with one another.
In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra can be seen riding Syrax often as the two are extremely close.
Syrax is identifiable by her small size and yellow scales.
Laenor Velaryon - Seasmoke
Laenor Velaryon was the firstborn son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys and was, until his death, the heir to Driftmark.
After becoming promised to Rhaenyra, the two were officially wed. Legally, Laenor fathered three children (Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey) with Rhaenyra, but biologically, Harwin Strong was the father.
Knowing that he no longer wanted to live a life of royalty and that Rhaenyra wanted to be wed to her uncle, Daemon, Laenor and Rhaenyra devised a plan to fake his death. It is unclear if he will ever return to House of the Dragon, but some set photos from Season 2 seemingly included John MacMillan, the actor who played him.
While he was present, Laenor's dragon was named Seasmoke largely due to the dragon's grey appearance, Seasmoke stayed riderless at Dragonstone.
Jacaerys Velaryon - Vermax
Jacaerys Velaryon is the firstborn son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon (though his actual father is Harwin Strong), meaning that he is, in the eyes of the Blacks, the prince of the seven kingdoms and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne behind Rhaenyra.
Jacaerys, who normally just goes by Jace, is betrothed to the legitimate daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon, Baela Targaryen, who is also a dragon rider.
Jace rides a dragon known as Vermax, who he can be seen taming early on in Season 1.
Vermax has dark green scales and wing membranes that are extremely light orange.
Lucerys Velaryon - Arrax
Lucerys Velaryon is the second-born son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon and is the full brother of Jacaerys and Joffrey Velaryon.
The actual Dance of the Dragons technically began after Lucerys (better known as Luke) was killed by Aemond Targaryen and his dragon, Vermithor, in the skies above Storm's End, but fans will remember that Luke drew first blood years earlier when he cut Aemond's eye out with a knife.
As seen in the Season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra sought out revenge on Aemond for her son's murder, leading to Daemon hiring Blood and Cheese to take a son for a son.
Lucerys rode a dragon named Arrax, who is strongly implied to be one of Syrax's children.
Therefore, since Arrax was killed alongside Luke by Aemond in Season 1, both Rhaenyra and Syrax mourned the loss of their children when they found the remains of Arrax and Luke in the Season 2 premiere.
Daemon Targaryen - Caraxes
Daemon Targaryen is the only brother of Viserys I Targaryen and the current husband of Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Before Daemon was married to Rhaenyra, his wife was Laena Velaryon, Laenor Velaryon's sister.
Before that, he was married to Rhea Royce, heir to Rhunestone. He had no children with her.
With Laena, Daemon had two daughters, Baela and Rhaena, the former of which is betrothed to Jacaerys Velaryon.
Daemon also had three children with Rhaenyra named Aegon III, Viserys II, and Visenya. All three children have been present in House of the Dragon, but Visenya was stillborn.
Early on in Season 1, Daemon was the heir to the Iron Throne before Viserys named Rhaenyra as his heir.
Daemon was also the leader of the City Watch, a group of men who remained loyal to him even long after he stopped being their leader.
Daemon's dragon Caraxes has been featured in House of the Dragon multiple times, and it is easily identifiable by its fiery red scales and extremely long neck.
Nicknamed the Blood Wyrm, Caraxes has been seen in action at multiple points in House of the Dragon Season 1, such as in the war for the Stepstones.
Laena Velaryon - Vhagar
Laena Velaryon was the only daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, and the brother of Laenor Velaryon.
Early on in Season 1 of House of the Dragon, Corlys and Rhaenys proposed that Viserys and Laena be married so that the connection between the Velaryon and Targaryen houses could be strengthened.
Viserys and Laena met and went on a walk with one another, but seeing how young she was, Viserys chose not to pursue marrying her.
However, Viserys' brother, Daemon, did end up marrying her, resulting in the couple having two daughters, Baela and Rhaena.
Tragically, Laena passed away due to complications brought on by childbirth when she was giving birth to her and Daemon's third child. Instead of dying from childbirth, Laena wanted a dragon rider's death, so she asked her dragon, Vhagar, to burn her.
Vhagar hesitated, but would not disobey her master, so she ultimately burned Laena.
After Laena's death, Aemond claimed Vhagar as his own, and he is still her rider during Season 2 of House of the Dragon.
Baela Targaryen - Moondancer
Baela Targaryen is the eldest daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon and is betrothed to Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.
After her mother died, Baela became the ward of her grandmother, Rhaenys.
She, along with her sister, swore allegiance to Rhaenyra after Rhaenyra was crowned, and is now a member of the Black Council.
Baela is the rider of a dragon named Moondancer, who has only briefly been seen in House of the Dragon.
Aegon II Targaryen - Sunfyre
Aegon II Targaryen is the firstborn child of King Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Hightower and the first son of Viserys to survive past childbirth.
Although Viserys named Rhaenyra Targaryen his heir, his mumblings that occurred on his deathbed led Alicent Hightower to believe that his dying confession was for Aegon II to replace Rhaenyra, thus kicking off the Dance of the Dragons.
Aegon is married to his sister, Helaena, and the two have two children together in House of the Dragon, a boy, Jaehaerys, and a girl, Jaehaera.
Aegon II also has two other brothers, Aemond and Daeron.
A dragon by the name of Sunfyre is bonded to Aegon II. The pair were seen in action for the first time in Season 2, Episode 4 during the Battle at Rook's Rest.
However, Aegon and Sunfyre weren't a part of the battle for long, as Aemond commanded Vhagar to spew fire in the direction of Aegon, Sunfyre, Rhaenys, and Meleys.
This attack severely injured Aegon, leaving him with burns over half of his body and a missing ear. Sunfyre was also wounded, and, as of Season 2, Episode 7, was unable to fly.
Helaena Targaryen - Dreamfyre
As mentioned, Helaena Targaryen is the sister-wife of King Aegon II Targaryen, and also the mother of their two children, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.
Helaena is just younger than Aegon II, but just older than her brother, Aemond.
Known formally as Dreamers, Helaena Targaryen possesses a rather rare ability where she has prophetic dreams about events that have not yet come to pass.
For example, in Season 1, she prophesied that Rhaenys and her dragon would break through the floor of the Dragonpit during Aegon II's coronation and that Aemond would have to lose one of his eyes before he could claim a dragon.
Helaena rides a dragon known as Dreamfyre, who, in the source material, was first ridden by Rhaena Targaryen, the sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror.
Dreamfyre has pale blue scales and pale blue wings with silver crests, making her a unique dragon.
It is important to note that, both in the show and in the source material, Helaena rarely rides Dreamfyre.
Aemond Targaryen - Vhagar
Aemond Targaryen is yet another son of Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Hightower.
As of the Season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon, Aemond Targaryen is not married to anyone or even betrothed, and fathers no children.
When he was younger, Aemond had one of his eyes slashed out by Lucerys Velaryon but then went on to claim Vhagar, the largest living dragon in the world, as his own.
As he ages, Aemond seems to grow more and more ruthless, with his murdering Lucerys Velaryon at Storm's End only proving that point further.
In the coming days of war, Aemond and Vhagar will be powerful allies for the Greens.
Rhaenys Targaryen - Meleys
Rhaenys Targaryen is the wife of Lord Corlys Velaryon, the cousin of Viserys I Targaryen, the mother of Laenor and Laena Velaryon, the legal (but not biological) grandmother of Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon, and the legal and biological grandmother of Baela and Rhaena Targaryen.
Rhaenys had a stronger claim to the Iron Throne when Jaehaerys I Targaryen named an official heir for him, but, since she was a woman, the king chose her cousin, Viserys, as his heir, thus leading to Rhaenys being dubbed "The Queen Who Never Was."
However, Rhaenys allied herself alongside Rhaenyra and the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons, becoming a member of the Black Council.
The dragon Meleys belongs to Rhaenys and has been seen multiple times in House of the Dragon.
Most notably, Rhaenys snuck below the Dragonpit and freed Meleys during Aegon II's coronation, breaking through the floor and flying away.
Unfortunately, both Rhaenys and Meleys were killed by Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar during the Battle at Rook's Rest.
Daeron Targaryen - Tessarion
Daeron is the youngest child of Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, but he has not yet been present in House of the Dragon.
However, the show confirmed his existence by including him in the opening credits of Season 1, teasing that he will be featured at some point.
In Fire & Blood, Daeron rides a dragon named Tessarion. Both have been mentioned on occasion, but the trailer for the Season 2 finale finally gave fans a glimpse at Tessarion, teasing that both the dragon and its rider could show up in that last episode.
Every Targaryen Bastard With a Dragon
Here is a list of every House of the Dragon character who is either a Targaryen or Velaryon bastard and claims a dragon, with more details on each respective character below:
- Addam of Hull
- Hugh Hammer
- Ulf the White
Addam of Hull - Seasmoke
Addam of Hull was introduced early on in House of the Dragon Season 2. After a few appearances, it was all but confirmed that he was a bastard son of Corlys Velaryon.
Addam mainly worked in the shipyards throughout Season 2, but, at the end of Episode 6, Addam's big moment came.
When the dragon Seasmoke (who was once bonded to Laenor Velaryon) found Addam, it tried to get his attention. However, Addam thought it was trying to attack him, so he ran away.
Seasmoke finally was able to corner Addam, though, and the two officially bonded, making Addam a dragonrider.
Hugh Hammer - Vermithor
Hugh Hammer was a blacksmith in King's Landing who, like Addam, was introduced early in Season 2.
Hugh and his wife, Kat, unfortunately had to witness the death of their daughter, but Hugh felt a higher calling when Rhaenyra sent word for all Targaryen bastards to come to Dragonstone so that they could attempt to claim a dragon.
In Episode 7, Hugh revealed that his mother was a white-haired sex worker in King's Landing, and that he was the first cousin of Viserys I Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen.
This would mean that Jaehaerys I Targaryen would have been Hugh's grandfather, making his mother most likely Saera Targaryen, the ninth child of Jaehaerys.
In Fire & Blood, Saera is disowned by Jaehaerys and finds her place in a brothel.
In House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 7, Hugh successfully claimed Vermithor in the Dragonmont beneath Dragonstone.
This makes Hugh's lineage rather notable considering his grandfather was Jaehaerys, who was the last person to ride Vermithor.
Ulf the White - Silverwing
Ulf the White was also introduced in House of the Dragon Season 2.
His true parentage is a little less certain, but he claimed to be the bastard half-brother to Viserys Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen.
However, whether he was telling the truth or not was irrelevant, seeing as how he successfully claimed a dragon during the Sowing of the Seeds.
During that event, Ulf fled deep into the Dragonmont where he stumbled upon Silverwing. A few moments later, Ulf was seen atop Silverwing flying around King's Landing.
Every Targaryen Family Member Without a Dragon
Here is a list of every member of the Targaryen family tree who doesn't control a dragon, with more details on the respective character below:
- Aemma Arryn
- Baelon Targaryen
- Joffrey Velaryon
- Aegon III Targaryen
- Viserys II Targaryen
- Visenya Targaryen
- Rhaena Targaryen
- Alicent Hightower
- Jahaerys II Targaryen
- Jaehaera Targaryen
- Corlys Velaryon
Aemma Arryn
Aemma Arryn was the first wife of Viserys I Targaryen and the mother of Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Although she was only featured in the premiere episode of House of the Dragon, Aemma was an extremely important character.
Her existence and marriage to Viserys directly led to the birth of Rhaenyra, but her death also caused Viserys to then marry Alicent Hightower.
Although she was half-Targaryen on her mother's side (explaining her silver-white hair), Aemma never claimed nor rode a dragon.
Baelon Targaryen
Baelon Targaryen was the only son of Viserys I Targaryen and Aemma Arryn. He was born in the premiere episode of Hosue of the Dragon, but unfortunately only lived a few hours before he passed away.
Baelon was set to be Viserys' undisputed heir and future king of Westeros, but, since he died, it forced Viserys to name a new heir.
Joffrey Velaryon
Joffrey Velaryon is the youngest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon (legally), though his actual father was Harwin Strong.
Of Rhaenyra's three sons with Laenor, Joffrey has been shown the least since he is so young at this point in the timeline.
In the source material, Joffrey bonds to a dragon named Tyraxes.
Aegon III Targaryen
Aegon III Targaryen is the eldest son of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen, and, at the time of House of the Dragon, he is just an infant.
Therefore, Aegon III has not been featured all that much yet, but he does go on to play an important role in the bigger picture.
When Aegon III was born, a dragon egg was also placed in his cradle, as is the Targaryens' custom. The dragon that hatched was named Stormcloud, but he has not been featured in the show yet.
Viserys II Targaryen
Viserys II Targaryen is the youngest child of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen, and, like Aegon III, he has not been shown in House of the Dragon that much.
If the show faithfully adapts the events of Fire & Blood, fans can expect Viserys II to be at the forefront of an event sometime soon.
Visenya Targaryen
After Rhaenyra Targaryen returns to Dragonstone in House of the Dragon Season 1, Rhaenys Targaryen arrives and informs her of her father's death and Aegon II's coronation.
This causes Rhaenyra to go into premature labor and give birth, but she ultimately delivers a stillborn deformed child with dragon scales.
However, the child was recognized as a part of the Targaryen family and was named Visenya after one of Aegon the Conqueror's sister wives.
Rhaena Targaryen
Rhaena is the youngest daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon, the sister of Baela Targaryen, and the granddaughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen.
Unlike her sister, Rhaena is not betrothed to anyone in House of the Dragon and does not yet have a dragon.
In Season 1, it seemed as though Daemon preferred Baela over Rhaena since Baela was bonded with a dragon.
However, just because she does not have a dragon does not mean that Rhaena is not a major player in House of the Dragon, as she is still on the Black Council.
Alicent Hightower
If Rhaenyra Targaryen is on one side of a coin, Alicent Hightower is on the other.
The two faces of their respective alliances (the Greens and the Blacks), Rhaenyra and Alicent were childhood best friends.
However, after Aemma Arryn's death, Alicent's father, Ser Otto Hightower, urged her to become close with Viserys I Targaryen.
Eventually, Alicent and Viserys got married and had four children together, Aegon II, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron Targaryen.
Before Viserys' passing, Alicent was Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She was supposed to relinquish that title to Rhaenyra Targaryen but claimed that Viserys' dying wish was for her son, Aegon II, to be named as his heir.
Being a Hightower and not possessing any Targaryen blood means that Alicent has not claimed a dragon, and never will.
Jaehaerys II Targaryen
Jaehaerys II Targaryen is the only son of Aegon II and Helaena Targaryen.
His most notable appearance came in the Season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon, where Aegon II brought him to court.
Sadly, Jaehaerys was later murdered by Blood and Cheese on the orders of Daemon Targaryen.
Before his death, Jaehaerys was in line to be the next King of Westeros in the eyes of the Greens.
In the source material, a dragon named Shrykos was born alongside Jaehaerys, but that is not the case in the show.
Jaehaera Targaryen
Jaehaera Targaryen is the twin sister of Jaehaerys II Targaryen and the daughter of Aegon II and Helaena Targaryen.
Jaehaera has not been featured much in House of the Dragon as she is very young, but fans can expect her to play a major role in future episodes and seasons.
Like Jaehaerys, Jaehaera does not yet have a dragon in House of the Dragon. However, in Fire & Blood, a dragon egg hatches in her cradle when she is born, thus birthing a dragon named Morghul.
Morghul could show up at some point in House of the Dragon, but at this point, it does not seem likely.
Corlys Velaryon
Corlys Velaryon is the husband of Rhaenys Targaryen, the father of Laenor and Laena Velaryon, and the grandfather of Baela and Rhaena Targaryen and Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon.
Corlys served on Viserys I's Small Council as Master of Ships while he was King of Westeros.
When Viserys was deciding who to name as his heir, Corlys vouched for Daemon, but he did eventually support Rhaenyra as the heir to the throne.
Corlys and his fleet of ships are helpful for Rhaenyra to have at her disposal, and they will likely come into play at some point in House of the Dragon's future.
Season 1 of House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max and new episodes of Season 2 are released every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
Read more about House of the Dragon:
House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 Release Date & Remaining Schedule
What Does Aemond Find on the Floor In House of the Dragon Season 2?
Who Becomes King If Aegon Targaryen Dies? House of the Dragon's Line of Succession Explained
