Earlier this week, HBO pulled off a spectacular publicity stunt by unveiling not one, but two shiny new trailers for House of the Dragon season 2. Each focused on one of the factions at play in the coming war known as the Dance of the Dragons, the main event of this Game of Thrones prequel series. On the one side we have Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her allies, known as the "Blacks." On the other, we have King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), his mother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and their co-conspirators, known as the "Greens." Which side will you choose?
We broke down both the Black Trailer and Green Trailer in extreme detail. But now that we've done that, we'd be remiss not to spend an extra minute gushing over all the dragons we saw in the trailers. After all, what would House Targaryen be without them?
Some are returning favorites from season 1, while others are beloved fixtures from George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood who are just now making their small screen debut. Let's run through all six dragons we saw in the new House of the Dragon trailers.
1. Syrax
First up we have Syrax, the mount of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. Syrax was the very first dragon we met in House of the Dragon season 1, and it's no surprise that she's going to feature prominently this time around as well. There are multiple shots of this lithe, golden dragon in both trailers. Above, she roars in sympathy while Rhaenyra makes a heart-wrenching discovery on the beaches outside of Storm's End, where her son Lucerys Velaryon was killed by her half-brother Aemond during the season 1 finale.
2. Vhagar
Speaking of Aemond, we also saw his mighty dragon Vhagar in the trailers. Vhagar is the oldest and largest dragon in Westeros. She's been alive for more than a century; long before the Dance of the Dragons civil war, she was once ridden by Visenya Targaryen, one of the sister-wives of Aegon the Conqueror. During season 1, she was the mount of Daemon Targaryen's late wife Laena Velaryon. After Laena's passing, she bonded with young Aemond.
Vhagar is the most dangerous weapon in the Greens' arsenal. When she arrives on the field of battle, you know things are going to get horrific fast. Which is fitting, considering her riders' own propensity for violence.
3. Sunfyre
On to a new dragon: Sunfyre, the mount of King Aegon II Targaryen. While Sunfyre did feature very briefly in the seventh episode of season 1, "Driftmark," we'll finally be getting a proper introduction to the dragon in season 2. Sunfyre is a graceful golden dragon which inspires Aegon's new green-and-gold Targaryen banners. Sunfyre is said to be the most beautiful dragon of them all. This proved a good challenge for the production team who had to bring him to life, as showrunner Ryan Condal told Entertainment Weekly.
"That dragon was described so specifically in the book as the most beautiful dragon who ever lived," Condal said. "I think it was incumbent upon us to try to rise and meet that challenge, but doing so in a way that didn't seem like we were making a dragon from a different show — a 'fantasy dragon,' for lack of a better word. So Sunfyre had to exist as a cut above that would be recognized as distinctly beautiful within a world that has 17 other dragons running around."
4. Seasmoke
The Green Trailer ends with some ominous footage of a grayish dragon approaching a group of dragonkeepers. Thanks to another quote from Condal in that same interview, we know this is Seasmoke, the former mount of Laenor Velaryon. Laenor faked his own death in season 1 in order to go live across the Narrow Sea with his lover, Ser Qarl Correy. That left Seasmoke abandoned. What has happened to him in the intervening years?
House of the Dragon season 2 will answer that question. Condal said that Seasmoke is "now aged since the last time that we saw him in the Stepstones," during Episode 3 of season 1. Seasmoke has "grown up a bit and matured" since then. Thus his rougher appearance in the trailer.
5. Moondancer
Next up is the dragon I'm personally most excited for: Moondancer, the mount of Baela Targaryen. Moondancer is a young dragon, and that's reflected in her smaller size. Moondancer is swift and maneuverable compared to larger beasts like Sunfyre or Vhagar. In the hands of a fearless rider like Baela, Moondancer becomes even more formidable.
Moondancer is a pale green and white dragon, and the trailer did those colors splendid justice. I can't wait to see more.
6. Caraxes
The red, ornery dragon Caraxes is the mount of Daemon Targaryen. He's pretty much a given in any new House of the Dragon trailer; few dragons have had as much screen time as Caraxes. He's easy to pick out due to his crimson coloration, his horned head, and his long, sinuous neck.
Like his rider, Caraxes is a mercurial force of nature. He was tempered in battle during Daemon's years warring in the Stepstones. With war now coming to Westeros, Daemon and Caraxes stand as the most seasoned dragon and rider pairing of the conflict.
Bonus: Mystery dragon (but probably Vermax)
There is one other dragon who appears in the pair of new House of the Dragon trailers, only briefly visible in the distance of the shot above, just over the heads of the people standing at the parapet of Dragonstone.
Obviously, it's pretty much impossible to be certain which dragon that speck is. But we do know which it isn't: Syrax. Rhaenyra is one of the people standing in the foreground. But in the brief glimpses we get, we can see that that dragon is roughly the same size as hers, perhaps a little smaller, and she's watching it approach.
My best guess is that this is Vermax, the mount of Rhaenyra's son Jacaerys Velaryon. We last saw him leave to secure allies for his mother's cause at Winterfell and the Vale. At some point in season 2, Jace will return to Dragonstone, where his mother awaits with the terrible news of what happened to his brother Lucerys.
Whether this dragon is Vermax or not, rest assured that he will appear in season 2, as will plenty of other dragons. The Dance of the Dragons civil war is about to get underway,
House of the Dragon season 2 premieres on HBO and Max on June 16.
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