Every Game of Thrones Dragon Names from Balerion to Rhaegal

The Game of Thrones dragon names are some of the most iconic in all of fantasy literature. I have spent hours combing through George R.R. Martin’s books, the show, and the supplementary materials to track down every single named dragon. There are 21 dragons with confirmed names in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. Some are famous conquerors. Some are tragic hatchlings that never grew. All of them have incredible stories. This guide covers every dragon name, who rode them, their fate, and what the names actually mean.

What Are Game of Thrones Dragon Names?

Game of Thrones dragon names are the identities given to the dragons in George R.R. Martin’s world of Westeros and Essos. Unlike generic fantasy dragon names, these names are rooted in the Valyrian language. They sound harsh, powerful, and ancient. Most end with the suffix “-ion,” “-es,” or “-ax.” The names often include elements like “baler” (meaning death), “rhaen” (a Targaryen princess), or “mer” (meaning sea). The best Game of Thrones dragon names feel like they come from a civilization that mastered fire and blood.

Balerion the Black Dread (The Conqueror’s Dragon)

Balerion is the most famous dragon in Game of Thrones history. He was named after an old Valyrian god. Aegon the Conqueror rode Balerion during the Conquest of Westeros. His skull was so large that it could swallow a horse whole. His fire could melt stone and steel. Balerion died of old age during the reign of King Jaehaerys I, approximately 200 years before the events of the main series.

Rider: Aegon the Conqueror (and later King Viserys I, though only briefly)
Fate: Died of old age
Color: Black
Distinction: Largest dragon in Targaryen history. His skull is still displayed in the Red Keep.

Meraxes (The Conqueror’s Second Dragon)

Meraxes was the second largest dragon during Aegon’s Conquest. She was named after a Valyrian goddess. Queen Rhaenys Targaryen rode Meraxes. During the First Dornish War, a scorpion bolt struck Meraxes through the eye at Hellholt. The dragon crashed to the ground, killing Rhaenys. This was the first time a Targaryen dragon died in battle. The Dornish kept Meraxes’s skull as a trophy.

Rider: Queen Rhaenys Targaryen
Fate: Killed in Dorne by a scorpion bolt
Color: Silver
Distinction: First Targaryen dragon to die in battle

Vhagar (The Conqueror’s Third Dragon)

Vhagar was the third dragon of the Conquest. She was named after a Valyrian god. Visenya Targaryen, Aegon’s older sister and second wife, rode Vhagar. Vhagar survived the Conquest and lived for nearly 200 more years. During the Dance of the Dragons, Vhagar was the largest dragon alive. She was ridden by Aemond One-Eye. Vhagar killed Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax at Storm’s End. She later died fighting Caraxes above the God’s Eye. Both dragons fell into the lake.

Rider: Visenya Targaryen, then Aemond One-Eye
Fate: Killed in battle with Caraxes
Color: Bronze with greenish blue wings
Distinction: Largest dragon during the Dance of the Dragons

Syrax (The Queen’s Dragon)

Syrax was the dragon of Rhaenyra Targaryen. She was named after a Valyrian goddess. Syrax was a young dragon during the Dance of the Dragons. She was kept in the Dragonpit in King’s Landing. During the Storming of the Dragonpit, Syrax flew out to fight the mob. She was killed by the mob after landing. Her death was one of the final blows to Targaryen dragon power.

Rider: Rhaenyra Targaryen
Fate: Killed by a mob in the Dragonpit
Color: Yellow
Distinction: Rhaenyra’s personal dragon

Caraxes (The Blood Wyrm)

Caraxes was the dragon of Prince Daemon Targaryen. He was called the Blood Wyrm because of his red color and fierce temper. Caraxes was a large dragon, second only to Vhagar during the Dance. He fought Vhagar above the God’s Eye. Caraxes fatally wounded Vhagar but was mortally wounded himself. Caraxes crawled onto the shore and died. Daemon’s body was never found.

Rider: Prince Daemon Targaryen
Fate: Killed in battle with Vhagar
Color: Red
Distinction: Called the Blood Wyrm

Meleys (The Red Queen)

Meleys was the dragon of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, known as the Queen Who Never Was. also Meleys was called the Red Queen because of her scarlet scales. She was one of the fastest dragons. During the Battle of Rook’s Rest, Meleys fought Aegon II’s dragon Sunfyre and Aemond’s dragon Vhagar at the same time. Meleys wounded Sunfyre badly but was killed by Vhagar. Rhaenys died with her dragon.

Rider: Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
Fate: Killed in battle at Rook’s Rest
Color: Scarlet
Distinction: Called the Red Queen for her color and her rider

Sunfyre the Golden

Sunfyre was the dragon of King Aegon II Targaryen. He was considered the most beautiful dragon in the world, with gleaming gold scales and pale pink wings. Sunfyre was badly wounded at the Battle of Rook’s Rest. He could barely fly after that. He later killed and ate the dragon Grey Ghost. Sunfyre died of his wounds after the Dance of the Dragons ended. He was the last dragon to die in the civil war.

Rider: King Aegon II Targaryen
Fate: Died of wounds from the war
Color: Gold with pink wings
Distinction: Considered the most beautiful dragon ever

Tessarion (The Blue Queen)

Tessarion was the dragon of Prince Daeron Targaryen. She was called the Blue Queen because of her cobalt scales and copper colored wings. Tessarion was a young but fierce dragon. During the Second Battle of Tumbleton, Tessarion fought against the dragon Seasmoke. Both dragons killed each other. Daeron died in the battle as well.

Rider: Prince Daeron Targaryen
Fate: Killed in battle at Tumbleton
Color: Cobalt blue with copper wings
Distinction: Called the Blue Queen

Vermithor (The Bronze Fury)

Vermithor was the dragon of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the Old King. Also Vermithor was the third largest dragon after Balerion and Vhagar. His scales were bronze. After Jaehaerys died, Vermithor lived in the Dragonpit and was unridden for decades. During the Dance, Vermithor was claimed by a dragonseed named Hugh Hammer. Hugh betrayed the Blacks. Vermithor was killed at the Second Battle of Tumbleton.

Rider: King Jaehaerys I, then Hugh Hammer
Fate: Killed at the Second Battle of Tumbleton
Color: Bronze
Distinction: Called the Bronze Fury

Silverwing

Silverwing was the dragon of Queen Alysanne Targaryen, wife of King Jaehaerys I. Her scales were silver. She was a gentle dragon compared to most. Silverwing was one of the dragons that survived the Dance of the Dragons. She flew away after the war and was never seen again. Some believe she is still alive in a hidden cave, waiting to be found.

Rider: Queen Alysanne Targaryen, then Ulf the White
Fate: Fled and never seen again after the Dance
Color: Silver
Distinction: Survived the Dance of the Dragons

Dreamfyre

Dreamfyre was the dragon of Queen Rhaena Targaryen, daughter of Aegon the Conqueror. Rhaena was the first dragon rider after the Conquest. Dreamfyre laid many eggs, including the eggs that would later become Dany’s dragons. During the Dance, Dreamfyre was claimed by Helaena Targaryen. She was killed in the Storming of the Dragonpit by the mob.

Rider: Queen Rhaena, then Queen Helaena
Fate: Killed in the Storming of the Dragonpit
Color: Blue and silver
Distinction: Laid the eggs that became Dany’s dragons centuries later

Seasmoke

Seasmoke was the dragon of Laenor Velaryon. His scales were pale silver. After Laenor faked his death, Seasmoke lived wild for years. During the Dance, Seasmoke was claimed by Addam of Hull, a dragonseed. Seasmoke fought at the Second Battle of Tumbleton. He killed Tessarion but was killed in the same battle.

Rider: Laenor Velaryon, then Addam of Hull
Fate: Killed at the Second Battle of Tumbleton
Color: Pale silver
Distinction: Had two riders during the Dance

Grey Ghost

Grey Ghost was a wild dragon that lived on Dragonstone. No one ever rode him. He was called Grey Ghost because his pale grey scales made him almost invisible in fog. He was a shy dragon that avoided humans. During the Dance, Sunfyre found Grey Ghost and killed him. Sunfyre ate Grey Ghost to regain strength after his wounds.

Rider: None (wild dragon)
Fate: Killed and eaten by Sunfyre
Color: Pale grey
Distinction: Only wild dragon that avoided all humans

Sheepstealer

Sheepstealer was a wild dragon on Dragonstone. He got his name because he preferred eating sheep. During the Dance, a dragonseed named Nettles claimed Sheepstealer. Nettles did not use Valyrian blood to claim him. She brought him sheep every day until he accepted her. After the Dance, Nettles and Sheepstealer flew to the Mountains of the Moon and were never seen again. Mountain clans still tell stories of a dragon in the hills.

Rider: Nettles
Fate: Fled and never seen again after the Dance
Color: Brown
Distinction: Claimed by a dragonseed with sheep, not Valyrian blood

Cannibal

Cannibal was the wildest dragon on Dragonstone. He was black as coal with green eyes. He got his name because he ate dead dragons, baby dragons, and dragon eggs. No one ever claimed him. He attacked anyone who tried. Cannibal survived the Dance of the Dragons. He flew away after the war and was never seen again. Some say he still lives in a hidden cave.

Rider: None (wild dragon)
Fate: Fled and never seen again after the Dance
Color: Black with green eyes
Distinction: Ate other dragons. Most feared dragon on Dragonstone

Morning

Morning was the last dragon hatched during the Dance of the Dragons. She was the dragon of Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon, not the older Rhaena). Morning was only a hatchling during the war. She survived the Dance and grew to be a young dragon. She was the last dragon to live in the Targaryen dynasty before the dragons died out.

Rider: Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Daemon)
Fate: Died sometime after the Dance (unknown cause)
Color: Pink and black
Distinction: Last dragon hatched during the Targaryen era.

The Last Dragon (Unnamed)

After the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryens kept trying to hatch new dragons. The eggs stopped hatching. The dragons grew smaller and weaker. The last dragon was a stunted, sickly creature. It was no larger than a cat. It laid a single malformed egg. Then it died. King Aegon III, who had seen his mother Rhaenyra eaten by a dragon, was called the Dragonbane. He did nothing to save them.

Rider: None
Fate: Died of sickness
Color: Unknown
Distinction: The very last dragon of the Targaryen dynasty

Drogon (Daenerys’s Dragon)

Drogon was the largest of Daenerys Targaryen’s three dragons. He was named after her husband Khal Drogo. Drogon was black with red wings. He was Daenerys’s personal mount. At the end of the series, after Daenerys was killed, Drogon melted the Iron Throne with dragonfire. He picked up Daenerys’s body and flew away. His fate is unknown.

Rider: Daenerys Targaryen
Fate: Unknown (flew away with Daenerys’s body)
Color: Black with red wings
Distinction: Largest of Dany’s dragons. Melted the Iron Throne.

Rhaegal (Daenerys’s Dragon)

Rhaegal was named after Daenerys’s older brother Rhaegar Targaryen. He had green scales with bronze markings. Rhaegal was ridden by Jon Snow briefly. In the show, Rhaegal was killed by Euron Greyjoy’s scorpion bolts. In the books, Rhaegal is still alive at the end of A Dance with Dragons.

Rider: Daenerys Targaryen, then Jon Snow
Fate: Show: killed by scorpion bolts. Books: still alive.
Color: Green with bronze markings
Distinction: Named after Rhaegar Targaryen

Viserion (Daenerys’s Dragon)

Viserion was named after Daenerys’s brother Viserys Targaryen. He had cream and gold scales. In the show, Viserion was killed by the Night King and turned into an ice dragon. He used Viserion to break down the Wall. Jon Snow later killed the undead Viserion. In the books, Viserion is still alive at the end of A Dance with Dragons.

Rider: Daenerys Targaryen (show: the Night King)
Fate: Show: killed by Jon Snow. Books: still alive.
Color: Cream and gold
Distinction: Turned into an ice dragon by the Night King (show only)

Complete List of All Game of Thrones Dragon Names

Here is every named dragon in the Game of Thrones universe in one place.

Dragon Name	Rider(s)	Fate
Balerion	Aegon I, Viserys I	Died of old age
Meraxes	Rhaenys	Killed in Dorne
Vhagar	Visenya, Aemond	Killed by Caraxes
Syrax	Rhaenyra	Killed by mob
Caraxes	Daemon	Killed by Vhagar
Meleys	Rhaenys	Killed by Vhagar
Sunfyre	Aegon II	Died of wounds
Tessarion	Daeron	Killed by Seasmoke
Vermithor	Jaehaerys I, Hugh Hammer	Killed at Tumbleton
Silverwing	Alysanne, Ulf	Fled, never seen again
Dreamfyre	Rhaena, Helaena	Killed by mob
Seasmoke	Laenor, Addam	Killed at Tumbleton
Grey Ghost	None (wild)	Killed by Sunfyre
Sheepstealer	Nettles	Fled, never seen again
Cannibal	None (wild)	Fled, never seen again
Morning	Rhaena (younger)	Died after Dance
The Last Dragon	None	Died sickly
Drogon	Daenerys	Fled (show) / Alive (books)
Rhaegal	Daenerys, Jon	Killed (show) / Alive (books)
Viserion	Daenerys, Night King	Killed (show) / Alive (books)

How To Choose Game of Thrones Dragon Names

If you want to create your own Game of Thrones style dragon name, follow Valyrian naming patterns. Most end in “-ion,” “-es,” “-ax,” “-or,” or “-on.” Use harsh consonants like B, D, G, K, M, R, V, and Z. Use dark vowels like A, E, and O. Avoid soft letters like S, F, and L in the middle of names. Combine elements that mean something. “Baler” might mean death. “Mer” might mean sea. “Rhaen” refers to the Targaryen princess. The best Valyrian dragon names sound like they could crack stone.

What Makes a Game of Thrones Dragon Name Effective

The most effective Game of Thrones dragon names share a few traits. They sound harsh. Valyrian is not a soft language. They have rhythm. Most are two or three syllables. They have meaning. The names connect to gods, people, or places in the world. They are memorable. You hear Balerion once and you never forget it. And they fit the dragon’s personality. The Black Dread sounds like a black dread. The Bronze Fury sounds like a bronze fury.

Mistakes To Avoid When Creating Dragon Names

A few common mistakes ruin otherwise good dragon names. Making the name too long is the biggest one. Valyrian names are not usually four syllables. The second mistake is using too many soft letters. Balerion is hard. Ssserion is not. The third mistake is copying existing names exactly. Make your own. The fourth mistake is forgetting that the name should be pronounceable. Your readers need to say it. The fifth mistake is giving the name no meaning. Every Valyrian name meant something to the people who spoke the language.

Tips To Make Your Own Valyrian Style Dragon Names

Start with a Valyrian sounding prefix. “Bal,” “Mer,” “Vh,” “Rhae,” “Car,” “Ver,” “Sil,” “Dre,” “Sea,” “She.” Add a Valyrian sounding suffix. “-ion,” “-es,” “-ax,” “-or,” “-on,” “-ys,” “-ar,” “-ir.” Combine them. Bal + ion = Balion. Change one letter. Balerion instead of Balion. Use double letters. Vhagar has a Vh sound. Caraxes has a hard C and an X. Test the name out loud. Does it sound like a dragon or a medicine? If it sounds like a medicine, keep trying. Keep a list. The best names come when you are not trying too hard.

FAQs

What is the most powerful Game of Thrones dragon name?

Balerion the Black Dread is the most powerful. His name alone inspired fear across all of Westeros. No dragon before or since matched his size or his reputation. The name Balerion means death in Valyrian.

How many Game of Thrones dragon names are there total?

There are 21 named dragons in the Game of Thrones universe. This includes the original Targaryen dragons, the wild dragons of Dragonstone, and Daenerys’s three dragons. Some minor hatchlings are mentioned but not named.

What does Drogon mean in Valyrian?

Drogon is named after Khal Drogo, Daenerys’s husband. The name itself does not have a Valyrian meaning. It is a Dothraki name adapted for a dragon.

Which Game of Thrones dragon killed the most other dragons?

Vhagar killed the most dragons during the Dance of the Dragons. She killed Arrax, Meleys, and Caraxes (though Caraxes killed her too). Cannibal also killed many dragons, but those were hatchlings and eggs.

Are there any named dragons in House of the Dragon?

Yes. House of the Dragon features many of the dragons from the Dance of the Dragons era. Syrax, Caraxes, Meleys, Vhagar, Sunfyre, Tessarion, Vermithor, Silverwing, Dreamfyre, Seasmoke, Grey Ghost, Sheepstealer, Cannibal, and Morning all appear or are mentioned.

What is the rarest Game of Thrones dragon name?

Morning is the rarest because she only appears in the books and supplementary materials. She is not in the show. She was only a hatchling during the Dance and died young. Most casual fans do not know her name.

Conclusion

I have spent years reading about these dragons. I still get chills thinking about Balerion’s skull in the Red Keep. About Vhagar and Caraxes falling into the God’s Eye together. About Drogon melting the Iron Throne and flying away with Daenerys’s body. These are not just dragon names. They are histories. They are tragedies and They are the fire and blood that made the Targaryens who they were. So here is what I want to know. What is your favorite Game of Thrones dragon name? Is it Balerion for the terror? Vhagar for the legend? Caraxes for the blood wyrm energy? Drogon for the show? Drop your answer in the comments below. Let us settle this. I will go first. My favorite is Caraxes. The Blood Wyrm. Daemon’s dragon. That fight above the God’s Eye is the greatest dragon battle ever written. What is yours?