House of the Dragon has spent more time politicking than dragon-riding so far in its first season, but in episode 7 the real dragons of House Targaryen took center stage for a brief time. With Laena dead, her dragon Vhagar was without a rider, and while everyone else was grieving during her funeral, it became the perfect time for a new rider to claim the oldest remaining dragon in Westeros.
Now that Vhagar has a new rider, it’s worth taking a second to account for each of the dragons that House of the Dragon has set up so far, whose side they’re on, and who their rider is.
[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for episode 7 of House of the Dragon.]
Riders: Laena (deceased), Aemond Targaryen
The oldest and biggest of the Targaryen dragons in Westeros, and the only living remnant of Aegon’s conquest, Vhagar was once ridden by Visenya Targaryen when she, her brother, and her sister united the seven kingdoms. Vhagar then passed to Baelon Targaryen, before being claimed by her most recent (previous to episode 7) rider, Laena Velaryon. After Laena’s death, the dragon remained riderless for only a short time before being claimed by Aemond Targaryen, whose dragon egg baby gift did not hatch. Despite Vhagar’s age, she remains one of the most fearsome and dangerous dragons in Westeros, and is now ridden by one of the Greens’ most ardent supporters.
Rider: Aegon Targaryen
A bright-gold dragon with pink-membraned wings, Sunfyre is the dragon of Aegon Targaryen and a swift flier, though far from the biggest of the Targaryens’ remaining dragons.
Rider: Helaena Targaryen
Dreamfyre is a pale-blue dragon, older but more slender than most of the others. She is at some point claimed by Helaena Targaryen, though it’s not really clear
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