“House of the Dragon”: That’s why Daenerys is the greatest dragon rider of Westeros

• In “House of the Dragon” there are 17 different dragon creatures.
• Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen fly on their dragons like other horses ride.
• But Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones” is still the better dragon rider.

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The numerous dragons are an absolute figurehead for the “House of the Dragon” series. In the first 4 episodes numerous high-quality scenes with them and their riders were shown. However, they still cannot match the skills of Daenerys Targaryen. Because Dany in “Game of Thrones” was able to turn a major disadvantage into a decisive advantage.

That was Daenerys’ starting point for her Dragon Rider career

When Daenerys raises her dragons from stone eggs in the finale of the first season of “Game of Thrones”, she is completely on her own. Unlike her Targaryen ancestors, she does not have the ancient knowledge of Valyria to train her dragons. Nor does it have its own dragon pit or dragon keeper. Not to mention the luxurious dragon saddles featured in House of the Dragon.

Only when she conquers the slave town of Meereen and her dragons grow larger and larger does Daenerys lock her in the town’s catacombs at the urging of her advisors. But not for long. Because a dragon must be able to develop and fly freely in order to grow.

Raising and controlling the dragons was something Dany had to learn all by herself throughout the series. It was a long process, during which the dragons in their “puberty” also refused Daenerys. However, since she accompanied her entire development process and was always at her children’s side, they became her most loyal and dangerous companions.

Mother of Dragons and Queen of the Dragon Riders

Daenerys’ bond with her dragons is much deeper than what we see with the Targaryens in House of the Dragon. Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion are Daenerys’ children and so she had a very special relationship with them from the start. Something the Targaryen rulers tried to emulate by giving their offspring a dragon egg, but never with as much success as they did with Daenerys.

Gradually, Daenerys learned to control her dragons through maternal care but also strict discipline. She had an intuitive bond with her dragons. This is particularly evident when Drogon obeys her blindly and rushes to the rescue from the Sons of the Harpy.

When the magic moment finally arrives and Daenerys mounts Drogon for the first time, it happens. She becomes the first female dragon rider after a long time after dragons were thought to be extinct. Completely without a saddle, Valyrian reading or tutor, she not only manages to stay on top, but single-handedly burns down armies.

While there have been situations in the past where Targaryens were completely free on their dragons, this was rare. It makes Daenerys’ performance all the more amazing. How Jon Snow managed to ride one and keep up with Dany the first time he encountered a dragon, well, that’s another question entirely.

The dragon riders at the height of their might but or strength

Already in the first episodes of “House of the Dragon” one gets the impression that the dragons are just slightly larger, more dangerous and flying horses for the Targaryens. The Dragon Pit and its keepers appear like oversized stables with stable hands.

The dragon riders don’t live with their dragons, they only use them for excursions (literally) and “park” them back in the dragon pit afterwards. The dragon saddles only reinforce this impression, but are at least a nice addition to the dragon lore in the world of “Ice and Fire”.

This is probably due to a creative decision on the part of the series makers. At the time of the reign of Viserys I, dragons were nothing unusual or rare. Every Targaryen offspring had one, and there were even numerous free-roaming, untamed dragons left on Dragonstone. Later, in Daenerys’ time, as we know, things looked very different again.