Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon, up to season 2, episode 4.

Vhagar claimed blood in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, but it’s not the first time the she-dragon of House Targaryen has been a menace, and it won’t be the last. Out of the many dragons in House of the Dragon, Vhagar is the biggest and oldest, with battle experience dating back to Aegon’s Conquest. The dragon was born on Dragonstone in 52 BC, decades before Aegon united the continent on his dragon, Balerion. Vhagar’s first rider was Aegon the Conqueror’s sister and wife, Visenya Targaryen, who first steered the dragon toward its path of destruction and death.

In the several decades following Visenya’s death, Vhagar was ridden by Prince Baelon Targaryen, Lady Laena Velaryon, and finally, Prince Aemond Targaryen. In House of the Dragon’s cast, Aemond is played by Ewan Mitchell, who’s terrifically turned the young Prince into one of the show’s most formidable and fascinating antagonists. Following the Blacks and Greens split after King Viserys Targaryen’s death, Aemond has already killed two dragons and two dragonriders from the Blacks, using Vhagar’s immense size to his side’s advantage.

9

The Arryn Fleet

Aegon’s Conquest

One of the first bits of carnage Vhagar laid in Westeros was against House Arryn of the Vale, who sent their fleet out from Gulltown to combat the Velaryon navy, which supported Aegon the Conqueror. Visenya and Vhagar descended upon them and lit the ships ablaze, resulting in an easy victory for the Targaryens.

Visenya later caused the Vale to surrender to Aegon in a much different manner, though still utilizing Vhagar. Visenya and Vhagar landed in the Eyrie to treat with Sharra Arryn, who was ruling in place of her young son, King Ronnel Arryn. The boy requested to ride on Vhagar’s back, which was ultimately the condition of House Arryn’s surrender. Visenya and Vhagar took the little boy for a ride, bringing the Vale into Aegon’s domain.

8

House Gardener

Aegon’s Conquest

While House Arryn survived the Conquest and even had a fun little bonus dragon ride, House Gardener was not so fortunate. Before the Tyrells became Lords Paramount of the Reach, it was House Gardener who ruled as Kings of the region. Knowing Aegon would soon come for their lands, House Gardener allied themselves with House Lannister and amassed an enormous host to meet Aegon in battle.

The conflict was known as the Field of Fire and is regarded in House Targaryen’s history as one of the most deadly battles to have taken place on the continent. Along with Balerion and Meraxes, Vhagar participated in the Field of Fire. This was the only battle in the Conquest where all three dragons arrived, and they killed four thousand men throughout the conflict. Among these men was King Mern IX Gardener and his entire lineage, causing their house to go extinct.

7

Every Dornish Stronghold (Except Sunspear)

First Dornish War

By House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, Dorne is part of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, though they’ve always been the most isolated. The Martells of Dorne were the only noble house to withstand Aegon’s Conquest, even claiming the life of Queen Rhaenys and her dragon, Meraxes. This resulted in a two-year period called the Dragon’s Wroth, where Balerion, Vhagar, and their riders set fire to every Dornish stronghold at least once.

Despite the might of their dragons, Aegon and Visenya never assaulted Sunspear. However, their destruction of the rest of Dorne was consistent and widespread over the timespan. Following the death of Princess Meria Martell, her son Nymor Martell arranged for a peace treaty with Aegon. Dorne still didn’t join the realm at this time, but it established a period of peace where Vhagar didn’t kill anything.

6

Several Riverlands Houses

During Maegor’s Reign

The Targaryen king Maegor the Cruel had his reign met with conflict from the Faith Militant, resulting in rebellions for the king to put down. Maegor was the son of Aegon and Visenya, and the old queen, who had outlived her brother/husband, supported Maegor’s rule and utilized Vhagar to challenge his enemies. After a series of battles, Visenya and Vhagar flew to the Riverlands and destroyed the castles of several minor houses.

This wouldn’t be the last time Vhagar was flown around the Riverlands, torching everything, as the destruction of the Riverlands is fairly consistent throughout Westeros’ timeline. In one night, Visenya and Vhagar burned the seats of House Blanetree, House Terrick, House Deddings, House Lychester, and House Wayn. All of these houses still exist during Game of Thrones’ period, so Vhagar didn’t eliminate them like with House Gardener.

5

The Dornish Fleet

Fourth Dornish War

The Fourth Dornish War was one of the few conflicts to occur during the reign of King Jaehaerys I, and it only lasted one day with one battle. Prince Morion Martell sailed his troops to begin an invasion of the Stormlands, but they were met by a dragon attack before they even reached the ship. Ridden now by Prince Baelon the Brave, Vhagar aided King Jaehaerys in the conflict, burning the entire fleet.

Following Queen Visenya’s death, Vhagar was riderless for 29 years. Baelon eventually claimed her, while Baelon’s father rode the dragon Vermithor. Baelon’s brother, Prince Aemon Targaryen, was the first rider of Caraxes, who was also present. Vhagar and Caraxes have a history together, as they were previously ridden by two brothers and then by wife and husband when Laena rode Vhagar and Daemon rode Caraxes.

4

Lucerys Velaryon

The Dance of the Dragons

In House of the Dragon, Vhagar’s rider, Laena Velaryon, dies young. On the night of her funeral, young Aemond Targaryen, who was the only boy in the family not to have a dragon, successfully tamed the enormous Vhagar. This instantly made a young boy one of the most powerful people in the realm, as Vhagar had been the realm’s biggest dragon following Balerion’s death. On that night, however, Aemond got into a scuffle with the Velaryon boys, and Lucerys Velaryon sliced out his eye.

Vhagar’s first kill in the House of the Dragon timeline was Lucerys, Rhaenyra’s second son. After both parties arrived at Storm’s End to delegate with House Baratheon, Aemond gave chase to the younger Lucerys on dragonback, hoping to scare the boy who’d taken his eye many years before. Unfortunately, Aemond lost control of the enormous dragon, who went in for the kill, taking out Lucerys.

3

Arrax

The Dance of the Dragons

Arrax is one of the smallest dragons in the Game of Thrones universe, as it was quite young at the time of its death at roughly 14 years. Arrax was bonded to Lucerys Velaryon, who was also quite young, and neither had the opportunity to grow to their full potential as Aemond and Vhagar claimed their lives. House of the Dragon’s season 2 premiere sees Syrax, Rhaenyra’s dragon, reacting to this death, as Arrax had come from an egg she laid.

Arrax was quite a fast dragon and managed to evade Vhagar for some time. While the Meleys vs. Vhagar fight in season 2 proved that speed can be a significant asset in a dragon fight, Arrax never stood a chance against Vhagar, as it was simply too small to make a difference. Vhagar chomps down on Arrax in one quick bite while it takes the dragon a decent effort to bite its way through Meleys at the Battle of Rook’s Rest.

2

Rhaenys Targaryen

The Dance of the Dragons

House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, saw the pivotal Battle of Rook’s Rest. In his first act as Hand of the King, Criston Cole decided to advance his troops up along the coast, hoping to cut Rhaenyra’s faction off from the mainland of Westeros by taking small strongholds. Cole hoped to lure the Blacks into sending a dragonrider to meet them, where the larger Vhagar would be waiting for an ambush.

Rhaenys Targaryen was the dragonrider selected to meet Cole’s force in battle, as Rhaenyra and Jacaerys Velaryon were deemed too valuable to be lost. Rhaenys was the viable option, as Baela didn’t have much battle experience with Moondancer, and Rhaenys seemed to have enough to easily put down an armed force, particularly one as small as Cole’s. After battling for some time, Vhagar caught Rhaenys as she was exiting, killing her and her dragon.

1

Meleys

The Dance of the Dragons

Rhaenys and Meleys had a long history together, as they were the rider and dragon pair who’d been together for the longest period of time at the start of the Dance. Rhaenys and Meleys first arrived at the Battle of Rook’s Rest and were contended by King Aegon II, riding his dragon Sunfyre. Meleys made quick work of the golden dragon but had a much harder time once Vhagar arrived.

Rhaenys and Meleys decided to turn back and face off against the much larger Vhagar even after they had the opportunity to flee. Despite Meleys’ size, the dragon was much quicker than Vhagar and put up a decent fight. In the end, Vhagar managed to catch Meleys with a sneak attack, ripping the dragon apart by its neck and sending it to the ground, dead. This is Vhagar’s most recent kill in House of the Dragon, but it undoubtedly won’t be the last as the Dance of the Dragons fully begins to unfold.