The Targaryens’ relationship with their dragons goes back centuries.
The Targaryens are among the most iconic and powerful families in Game of Thrones, with their dragons being the key to their power. They are direct descendants of the Valyrians, an ancient civilization that flourished in Essos owing to their dragons and expertise in magic. The Valyrians lived in Valyria and discovered dragons in a volcanic region known as the Fourteen Flames. They used their sorcery skills to tame and control the dragons, eventually making them their biggest assets. Valyria became the most powerful empire in the world until a devastating calamity called the Doom destroyed the city and killed many dragons.
In Game Of Thrones, The Targaryens were one of the few dragonlord dynasties that miraculously survived the Doom as they had moved to the island of Dragonstone during the disaster. The Targaryens settled down in Dragonstone for over a century until Aegon Targaryen decided to conquer the seven kingdoms with his sister wives. Aegon’s conquest toppled the whole political scenario in Westeros and formally started the reign of the Targaryens.
The Targaryens and Their Bond with Dragons, Explained
The Targaryens share an intimate connection with their dragons, which goes beyond just training and control. The Targaryens believe that they have the blood of the dragon running through their veins, indicating that they have traits and qualities that match their fire-breathing dragons. The Targareyens are marked by their iconic silver hair and purple eyes and are infamous for their incestuous marriage practices to preserve their bloodlines.
The intimate bond the Targaryens and the dragons shared allowed the former to communicate and control the ferocious beasts. The Targaryens further could speak to their dragons using the ancient High Valyrian language. The Dragons, in return, were loyal and respectful towards their riders, and they would not let anyone else ride them until their original rider died.
The Targaryens also had an age-old tradition of placing a dragon egg in the cradle of their newborns with the hope that it would hatch and eventually bond with the child. However, this tradition did not always reach fruition as some eggs never hatched, and some Targaryen children never became Dragonriders.
| Dragon | Rider | Color | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balerion | Aegon I Targaryen | Black and Red | The Black Dread |
| Caraxes | Aemon Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen | Red | The Blood Wyrm |
| Meleys | Rhaenys Targaryen | Red and Pink | The Red Queen |
| Tessarion | Daeron Targaryen | Blue | The Blue Queen |
| Vermithor | Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Hugh Hammer | Bronze and yellow | The Bronze Fury |
Who Were The Last Survivors of the Valyrian Dragonlords
The Targaryens were not the only Valyrian family to escape the Doom of Valyria. Other surviving families include the Velaryons and the Celtigars, who settled on the islands of Driftmark and Claw Isle, respectively. However, neither of these families were true dragonlords as they did not have their dragons. The Velaryons and Celtigars were loyal allies of the Targaryens and intermarried with them regularly. Several Velaryon and Celtigar family members had the opportunity to become dragon riders during the infamous Dance of the Dragons. This became possible as, during that time, there were more dragons than riders. Few of the dragons accepted new riders who shared the blood of the Targaryens.
Sadly, The Dance of the Dragons turned out to be a massive setback for the Targaryens as it led to the killing of several dragons. By the end of the deadly conflict, only four dragons survived. The last dragon, also known by his alias Dragonbane, died during the reign of King Aegon III. The Targaryen had no dragons for over a hundred years and relied solely on their political and military might to rule Westeros.
How The Targaryens Conquered And Ruled Westeros With Dragons
The Targaryens used the full might of their Dragons to attack, conquer, and rule all over Westeros in an event known as Aegon’s Conquest. Aegon I, also known as Aegon the Conqueror, along with his sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya, invaded Westeros with their three vicious dragons: Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar. Quite effortlessly, they brought six out of the seven kingdoms to their knees and unified them under their rule. The only kingdom that managed to resist was the southern kingdom of Dorne, which was later merged into the realm through marriage.
The Targaryens and their dragons invoked a sense of fear and respect among the people of Westeros. They used the dragons to enact and enforce their laws, kill their enemies, and flaunt their power. The Targaryens built the iconic Iron Throne by melting the swords of their fallen enemies with dragonfire.
The Targaryens faced several adversities during their rule, including rebellions, mutinies, plagues, wars, and murders. Their reign finally ended during the War of the Usurper, with Robert Baratheon killing the last Targaryen king, Aerys II, aka the Mad King. Robert further ordered the murder of every member of the Targaryen family, leaving only two survivors: Viserys and Daenerys.
Viserys and Daenerys escaped to Essos and remained in exile for several years, Daenerys eventually became the Mother of Dragons after miraculously hatching three dragon eggs. She named her three dragons Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion and used them to liberate slaves and build an army to conquer Westeros.
Eventually, Daenerys’ conquest came to a tragic fate as she became a tyrant and almost destroyed King’s Landing using Drogon, leading to the massacre of thousands of innocent citizens. Following these surprising events, Jon Snow reluctantly kills Daenerys to stop her madness once and for all, thus ending the rule of the Targaryens forever. Daenerys Targaryen, during a conversation with a slave trader in Astapor, said:
‘A dragon is not a slave.’
The Targaryens and their dragons remain among the most intriguing and influential elements in the Game of Thrones saga. They marched in with fire and blood and eventually shaped the history and destiny of Westeros. Their origin, relationship, and legacy effectively reflect power, magic, and tragedy themes.