Dragons are the stars of House of the Dragon that steal every scene. For MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes, there is much more behind the flying lizards than just a weapon for the Targaryens.
I love dragons, and I’m surely not alone in that, as there are few fantasy creatures as popular as the fire-breathing monsters. According to the New York Times, legends about creatures that could be called dragons already existed 2700 years BC in China and India.
In fantasy works, they are an important creature, Tolkien also uses them in his stories set in Middle-earth. For me, the dragons from Westeros, particularly from the series House of the Dragon, are among the best I have ever seen. This is not only because of the great design but also due to their role in the plot and in the world.
Dragons are the nuclear weapons of Westeros
In Westeros, dragons are one of the main reasons why the Targaryens ruled the kingdom for so long. A single rider can obliterate entire armies with their dragon. This makes dragons true weapons of mass destruction, elevating them to a higher level than in many other films and series.
What makes House of the Dragon so wonderful is its use of dragons as a plot element without showing them actively all the time. Dragons are a resource that represents the power of the two sides (Green and Black). Following the dialogues on the topic, dragons become not just the pets of the Targaryens, but are elevated to a myth, a deterrent weapon – at least as long as neither side deploys them.
In an interview with Penguin Random House (Source: YouTube), George R. R. Martin discussed dragons as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. He states: They are the most devastating weapon and cause great destruction and massive loss of life
. In this interview, he talks about the fear of nuclear weapons after the USA used them and how there were considerations to use them in other conflicts as well. But we never did, we always held back. We were the dragon riders who used their dragons only for deterrence
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A war before the use of dragons is different from one after their use. No knight, no matter how skilled, is anything more than cannon fodder in the inferno of fire. This thought is embodied very well by House of The Dragon.
The dragons from Westeros are not only special because they are an analogy for weapons of mass destruction. They are creatures with a personality and a will of their own, just like their riders.
The Targaryens and the Dragons
As riders of dragons, the Targaryens are born into great power. Unlike weapons such as a Valyrian sword or a bomb made of wildfire, the Targaryens bond with a dragon as children. They treat these creatures as pets, sometimes even as friends. The use of dragons in battle also takes place on an emotional level.
Above this lies the personality and temperament of the dragons themselves. Even if characters like to portray it as a form of symbiosis: Ultimately, the riders are subordinate to the dragons.
This was especially well seen in the first episode of Season 3. If a dragon feels threatened and does not understand the situation, a friend can quickly become an enemy. They can influence the outcome of a battle, but not always on the side that the rider represents. Viserys I. Targaryen himself said: The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion
This creates a dread or a threat that I do not feel with weapons of mass destruction in series and films. A nuclear weapon is used. It has no feelings of its own and is only based on the will of the person who presses the red button
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With a dragon in Westeros, you never know if it might snap and destroy everything uncontrollably. For me, every episode with the dragons in House of The Dragon develops a conflict because, in fact, I think they are quite amazing.
I love the dragons of Westeros, but they have to go
Apart from the thematic level, I love how the series depicts the dragons. They are graceful, beautifully designed, and visually so different that one can remember their personality. When a dragon dies, I even mourn – the riders often do not matter to me, but when something happens to the flying lizards, that is just not acceptable.
They are probably the most visually stunning dragons I have ever seen, but they must go. Even though I clearly stand on Rhaenyra’s side, I see the destruction. No battle won feels satisfying because how much did the victory cost? It is not just lives. Each time the threshold of how much one uses the dragons rises.
The best thing that ever happened to Westeros is probably the extinction of the dragons. No one should possess such power, and no one should suffer the fate of being in a battle with a dragon. The White Walkers are not the greatest threat to humanity; it was the Targaryens.
In their lust for power, they even threw their own principles overboard. This is best demonstrated by the dragon seeds, the bastards of the Targaryens. They pose a great threat to heirs to the throne, but the dragons are more important than the throne over which one actually fights – this is a hunger for power that is even scarier than the creatures themselves.
What do you think about the dragons in Westeros? Do you have another favorite from movies, series, and books? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. There are and have been many dragons in Westeros, but which are the strongest: The 10 most powerful dragons in the universe of Game of Thrones in the power ranking
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