All the dragons in House of the Dragon, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel

The Mounted

Dragons are the nuclear weapons of Westeros. If you have one, you can be a king. If you have more than one, you can be a conqueror. Since Aegon I Targaryen conquered Westeros alongside his dragon-riding sisters, the Targaryens had been able to hold the highest seat in the land due to their unique connection to dragons. Prior to the dance, Westeros had never seen a dragon rider without Targaryen blood. But when the House of the Dragons splits in two, both sides start an arms race to see who can amass the most (dragon)fire power, and things start to change.

At the beginning of the war, the Greens — which was the name for those on Aegon II’s side — had far more dragon-riders than the Blacks, led by Rhaenyra Targaryen. After all, a dragon is only useful as a weapon if there’s a person who can ride it. Dragons roamed riderless on the island of Dragonstone, either because their original riders were dead or because they were too new to ever have one. In order to even the odds, Rhaenyra’s eldest son Prince Jacaerys offered a knighthood to anyone who could claim one of these dragons and ride it into battle. These trials became known as “the Sowing of the Seeds,” and the new dragon-riders as “dragonseeds.” While many died people in the attempts, eventually all but one of the wild dragons were mounted.

Silverwing

Silverwing is one of the oldest dragons to play a role in the Dance, and one of only four to survive the conflict. The slender silver she-dragon was once the mount of the Good Queen Alysanne. Her deep connection to her rider was solidified through decades of peaceful diplomatic travels to all corners of Westeros.

After Alysanne’s death, Silverwing seemed unwilling to accept another rider, but during the Sowing of the Seeds was mounted by a young man known as Ulf the White, named for his long white hair that marked him as a Targaryen bastard child. Silverwing fought bravely at the Battle of the Gullet, a four-dragonseed assault of both sky and sea that was instrumental in Rhaenyra’s conquest of Kings Landing.

For reasons unclear, Ulf the White betrayed the Blacks at Tumbleton, turning his dragon on his Rhaenyra’s unsuspecting troops and joining with the Greens alongside fellow dragonseed Hugh the Hammer. Ulf grew increasingly arrogant and drunk, believing himself worthy of being king of the Seven Kingdoms. He was poisoned by his own allies, and when Addam Velaryon attacked Tumbleton again, Silverwing was riderless. That meant she survived the battle and found herself once again without a human companion. Seemingly devastated by the death of Vermithor, who had once been ridden by Alysanne’s husband Jaeherys, Silverwing fled the battlefield. After many died trying to claim her in the aftermath, Silverwing made her lair on a small island in the Reach, living out the remainder of her days alone.

Seasmoke

Seasmoke was once ridden by Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s first husband, who was never much of a dragon-rider. After his death, Seasmoke remained unclaimed until Jacaerys put out his call.

Seasmoke was eventually claimed by Addam of Hull, later known as Addam Velaryon. The fall of House Velaryon is one of the tragedies of the Dance; by the time of Game of Thrones, it’s vanished into obscurity, but at start of this civil war it’s one of the most powerful houses in Westeros, and had intermingled much with House Targaryen over the years. Corlys Velaryon, the head of the house, presented Addam of Hull as his bastard grandson by his son Laenor. Since Laenor was known to prefer men, it is believed that Addam was actually Corlys’ own son.

Addam was able to successfully mount Seasmoke and played a pivotal role in taking King’s Landing for the Blacks. However, after the Tumbleton Treasons, where two of the dragonseeds betrayed the Blacks for the Greens, Rhaenyra became incredibly suspicious of all bastards and ordered Addam’s arrest. Corlys was able to warn his son in time and Velaryon escaped on Seasmoke. Addam set out to prove that not all bastards are turncloaks and bravely rode his dragon to Tumbleton against three other dragons. Addam and Seasmoke died in the attempt, but he took two dragons down with him. Addam’s sacrifice turned the tide of war to Rhaenyra’s favor and saved Kings landing from an all-out assault.