Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Fire & Blood, Game of Thrones, and potential spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2.

Throughout the Game of Thrones franchise, dragons have perished through several different means. The House of the Dragon season 1 ending saw Lucerys Velaryon’s dragon, Arrax, get killed by the far larger dragon, Vhagar, which is only a glimpse of what’s to come. At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, roughly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House Targaryen is at the pinnacle of its power, with multiple dragons and a reliable system of breeding to maintain their power for generations to come.

As Game of Thrones fans know, however, dragons are considered extinct by the time the original show begins, meaning death is coming to many of the dragons in House of the Dragon. Season 2 will see war break out in Westeros, with dragon combat becoming commonplace on the battlefield, given the number of them bonded to members of both factions. Dragon deaths were also seen in Game of Thrones, adding to the mythology established in George R.R. Martin’s books.

6

Old Age

Balerion Died Of Old Age During Viserys’s Reign

Presumably, throughout the course of Valyria and the wider history of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy universe, many dragons died from old age. In the context of Westerosi history and the stories Martin has explored, Balerion is the only notable dragon that lived long enough to die from getting old. Balerion, the Black Dread, is the largest known dragon and was ridden by Aegon the Conqueror in his conquest of Westeros. Seeing as dragons continuously grow as they age, Balerion being over 200 years old upon its death made it quite large. Comparatively, Vhagar is roughly 180 in season 2.

Old age isn’t exactly “being killed,” but it’s important to note that they do die from time; it just doesn’t happen very often. After Aegon the Conqueror, Balerion was ridden by King Maegor the Cruel, Princess Aerea Targaryen, and finally King Viserys. By the time Viserys bonded with Balerion, the dragon was already bloated and sedentary, and he could barely ride it. Balerion passed away before Viserys became King, and the monarch never bonded with another dragon.

5

Sickness

The Last Dragon Died At A Young Age, Presumably To Sickness

Game of Thrones fans may remember an anecdote from the early seasons regarding the dragon skulls that once lined the Iron Throne. The most enormous skull was Balerion’s, while the skull furthest from it was the size of a dog’s. That mini dragon skull belonged to the last dragon, a puny green whelp that died shortly after its death due to sickness. While these are also natural causes, it’s important to note that there are other speculative reasons for its death.

The last dragon’s death had enormous implications for the Targaryen reign, branding Aegon III as “The Dragonbane.” Dragons were a significant source of Targaryen power, and without them, they became just as vulnerable as any other noble house in Westeros. Therefore, the last dragon dying and causing the species to go extinct was a factor that led to their downfall. Some speculated that her death caused magic to leave the world.

Another possibility that ties to a broader Game of Thrones universe theory that spin-offs could confirm is that maesters poisoned the last dragon. The theory that maesters orchestrated events in the Dance of the Dragons to pit Targaryens against each other has been prevalent in House of the Dragon, with audiences suggesting they’d been poisoning Viserys to begin the war. The basis of the theory is that the maesters have more power in a Westeros ruled by science and logic rather than magic and dragon fire, providing them the motive to see dragons killed.

4

Dragon Combat

House Of The Dragon Season 1 Saw Arrax Die To Another Dragon

Dragon combat is the most prevalent reason for dragon deaths, especially in the Dance of the Dragons, when many of them are killed off by one another. Game of Thrones season 8 saw dragon vs dragon combat when Drogon and Rhaegal fought Viserion, but the shows haven’t demonstrated an actual dragon fight that ends in death. Of course, Arrax was killed by the much larger Vhagar, but it’s a bit more interesting when both sides have something to say.

House of the Dragon season 2 should have a climactic dragon fight at the Battle of Rook’s Rest. There, Criston Cole will lead the Green’s armies, seemingly out of its depths, causing the Black faction to underestimate their attack. Rather than Daemon or other dragonriders going in full force, Rhaenys rides Meleys to thwart the siege herself. There, she’s ambushed by Vhagar and Aegon’s Sunfyre, resulting in bloodshed for both parties. Meleys dies in the fight, and Sunfyre is badly injured but survives the encounter.

One of the most exciting dragon fights from Fire & Blood, which could come in season 3, is the confrontation between Caraxes and Vhagar. Daemon and Aemond are natural rivals, given their positions as some of the most powerful House of the Dragon characters, and the book sees Daemon goad his nephew into a duel at Harrenhal. The two dragons face off over the Gods Eye lake, resulting in everyone involved falling to their deaths. Several other less-known dragons are killed by one another in the Dance of the Dragons, including Seasmoke, Vermithor, Tessarion, and Vermax.

3

Scorpion Bolts

Scorpion Ballistas Have Killed Dragons Like Rhaegal In Game Of Thrones

Game of Thrones introduced the scorpion in season 7, brought to Cersei’s attention by Qyburn as a method to defend King’s Landing from a dragon invasion. They’re essentially high-powered artillery bolt weapons that can be used for long-range fires on a flying target. While it seems like it’d be an immense challenge to land a hit on a highspeed dragon, the scorpion is actually effective in Game of Thrones and in Westerosi history in Fire & Blood.

In Game of Thrones season 8, Rhaegal is killed by Euron Greyjoy from a surprise naval attack when Daenerys kind of forgets about the Iron Fleet. It’s one of the show’s more ridiculous moments, but it at least demonstrates the effectiveness of the weapon. They’re later used to no avail when Daenerys rides Drogon, burning King’s Landing in “The Bells.”

The first known use of scorpions was in the First Dornish War when Rhaenys Targaryen (Aegon the Conqueror’s sister-wife, not Rhaenys from HOTD) and her dragon Meraxes were killed. Meraxes was one of the dragons that conquered Westeros, though their conquest of Dorne was considerably more difficult, as the southern region employed tactics to mitigate the effects of dragons. This included not only scorpions but also the use of harsh terrain to repel threats.

2

Killed By Rioting Humans

Dragons Were Killed By Human Rioters With Weapons In Fire & Blood

While landing a scorpion shot is a surefire way to make a dent in dragon scales, Fire & Blood shows that humans were able to slay dragons with enough effort and sacrifice. One of the most heartbreaking upcoming House of the Dragon moments, likely in season 3, will be the Storming of the Dragonpit, an event that saw a rioting mob break into the Dragonpit and claim the lives of five dragons. This included Dreamfyre, Shrykos, Tyraxes, Morghul, and Rhaenyra’s Syrax.

The means of death for these dragons vary, but they were all essentially overrun by physical attacks from humans. Shrykos was killed by a man jumping onto her neck and bashing her skull several times with an axe. Shrykos was a young, small dragon, and something like this probably couldn’t have happened to a dragon like Vhagar. Morghul and Dreamfyre both suffered from attacks to the eyes. In each case except for Syrax, the dragons were restricted by chains and unable to move.

The important takeaway from these dragon deaths is that smaller dragons are susceptible to blows from human strikes. Their scales aren’t impenetrable by human strength and weaponry, and they have vulnerable striking points for humans to target. Still, getting within striking distance and dealing enough damage before a dragon could escape would be nearly impossible in most circumstances, hence why the Storming of the Dragonpit is the only prevalent instance of this occurring.

1

Killed By White Walker

Viserion Was Killed By The Night King In Game Of Thrones Season 7

“Beyond the Wall” is one of the more ridiculous episodes toward the end of Game of Thrones, as the premise of a team of main characters venturing north to capture a wight and return it is quite far-fetched. In the context of dragon killings, however, it’s the first time in the series a dragon gets killed, demonstrating some of their limitations. Daenerys’ Viserion is pierced by an icicle lance hurled at it by the Night King, showing the immense strength of the White Walkers. The episode also ends with Viserion being re-animated, becoming the first undead dragon.

There are several differences between the White Walkers in A Song of Ice & Fire and the ones in the show, and it’s unknown if Martin will follow a similar storyline in his books. The idea that there are frost zombies with the throwing arm strength of a scorpion is pretty outrageous for a low-magic fantasy. At least in Game of Thrones, the Night King might by the only single being powerful enough to stand up to a dragon.