House of the Dragon Is Finally Introducing Its Biggest Wild Card
You can never have too many dragons.
The latest episode of House of the Dragon resets the power scales between Team Green and Team Black in a major way. Though both sides took heavy losses in Season 2’s first big battle at Rook’s Rest, the Greens have always had a huge advantage in the form of Vhagar, the world’s largest dragon. The Blacks, meanwhile, have plenty of dragons at their disposal, but no riders for them. Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) takes desperate measures in Episode 7, matching her riderless dragons with Targaryen bastards. That risk pays off: when the dust finally settles, Rhaenyra has six dragons ready for battle... and one more could be on the way.
House of the Dragon has been rounding up every known dragon for the Targaryen face-off, but there are still a few dragons left unclaimed. Aside from the rogue Daemon (Matt Smith) and his mount Caraxes, previous episodes have teased the presence of a wild dragon in the Vale, where Rhaenyra’s stepdaughter Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and Rhaenyra’s youngest children are sheltering. Rhaena is seen searching for it in Episode 7, so there’s a high chance we’ll finally get to see this dragon in the Season 2 finale. Until that happens, though, here’s everything we know about House of the Dragon’s mystery dragon, from its origins in George R. R. Martin’s source material to its potential in the HBO adaptation.
Spoilers for House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood follow!
Who is the dragon in the Vale?
Rhaena may finally get the dragon she’s always wished for.
In Fire & Blood, the prequel book that inspired House of the Dragon, there are a handful of wild dragons roaming Westeros. One of these dragons is called Sheepstealer, a large male dragon with a big taste for mutton. In the source material, Sheepstealer is claimed by a Targaryen bastard (or dragonseed) named Nettles: she tames him by feeding him sheep until he trusts her. Nettles hasn’t yet been seen in House of the Dragon, but it’s safe to assume the wild dragon hiding in the Vale will be the show’s take on Sheepstealer.
With Rhaena searching for this dragon in earnest, her season arc is becoming clear. She’ll likely end up claiming Sheepstealer for Team Black, and finally becoming the dragonrider she’s always dreamed of becoming. That also means she’ll be replacing Nettles in the narrative, a choice that’s sure to disappoint fans of Fire & Blood.
If Rhaena succeeds in taming Sheepstealer, then Team Black will have seven dragons at its disposal (eight, if Daemon ends up reconciling with Rhaenyra and rejoining her ranks). That would make them virtually unstoppable against Team Green. Vhagar is, again, the biggest dragon alive — but she may not be able to hold her own against seven very-large adversaries. The Greens have two more dragons at their disposal, Dreamfyre and Tessarion; whether they’ll be a match for Team Black remains to be seen. Though there’s only one episode left, House of the Dragon is finally headed for the clash we’ve all been waiting for — and with all these dragons in the mix, it’s unlikely to disappoint.
