George R.R. Martin breaks down the dragons of House of the Dragon

People loved the dragons on Game of Thrones, but we can be honest: it was hard to tell Daenerys’ dragons apart sometimes. Drogon was the biggest, so he was easy enough to spot, but Rhaegal and Viserion were pretty interchangeable.

House of the Dragon is doing things a little differently. The dragons we’ve met so far have all been pretty distinct, which is on purpose. This is an era in Westeros when dragons are everywhere, and the producers wanted to make sure that they stood out from each other.

The cast and crew of House of the Dragon break down that approach below in a behind-the-scenes video. Watch!

Rhaenyra’s dragon Syrax is like “a bird of prey”

The first dragon we meet on House of the Dragon is Syrax, Rhaenyra Targaryen’s mount. According to showrunner Ryan Condal, Syrax was designed to look a little like a “bird of prey,” specifically an eagle. “She’s very proud and honorable.”

In Westeros, a dragonrider can find a dragon and mount it, as Aemond Targaryen did with Vhagar in the newest episode, or a dragon egg can put in the rider’s cradle when they’re a baby. When it hatches, infant and dragon are bonded. Such was the case with Rhaenyra and Syrax. “I think the dragons that are borne to their riders share a deeper bond than any other dragons,” Condal said.

Daemon’s dragon Caraxes is “vicious” and “short-tempered”

Daemon Targaryen rides Caraxes. Caraxes was already around when Daemon was born, so Daemon had to claim him.

George R.R. Martin himself weighs in on the bond between these two. “Vicious, some would say, short-tempered,” the author said of Caraxes. “Maybe the dragon and the rider have a little in common there.”

Vhagar, the biggest and oldest dragon in the world, is “like an old cat”

And then there’s Vhagar, the biggest and oldest dragon in the world at this time. Until recently, Vhagar was ridden by Laena Velaryon, but was just recently claimed by Aemond Targaryen.

Vhagar is easily the biggest dragon we’ve ever seen, on House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones. And as Ryan Condal reminds us, in this world, dragons keep growing their entire lives until they die. “Part of their death cycle is getting too large, too big for the world,” he said.

Vhagar is getting to that point. “She’s very grumpy, she sleeps a lot,” Condal said. “She’s like an old cat.”

And there are more dragons we have yet to meet. Have any favorites so far?

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