Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 Episode 6 of House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragonhas no shortage ofdragons, but as of Season 2, Episode 5, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and the Blacks are looking for more. Specifically, they plan to find more dragon riders to claim the three beasts with no rider. However, Seasmoke, Vermithor, and Silverwing are not the only dragons who lack a dragonlord. In Season 2, Episode 6, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) discovers a secret thatJeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin)was keeping.The Vale is plagued by a wild dragon.Coming across a wide swath of scorched earth, Rhaena sees the destruction the creature caused, realizing why Jeyne so desperately wanted protection from a grown dragon. Jeyne admits that the wild dragon began ranging towards her home shortly after the war began, likely searching for food. Though the episode doesn’t name it,fans familiar withFire & Bloodhave a good idea of who the dragon could be, especially considering only three wild dragons appear inFire & Blood.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
Who Are the Wild Dragons in ‘Fire & Blood’?
House of the Dragonhighlights that dragons are difficult to control even for their chosen riders, but some are more willful than others. While the Targaryens control most of the dragons,occasionally, a dragon egg will hatch and not be claimed by a riderdue to a lack of Targaryens or the dragon’s nature. These dragons grow up wild and untamed. Though they have free reign, the creatures are usually found near Dragonstone, where they were born. Like any dragon, the wild dragons are dangerous, especially now, considering the series has emphasized food scarcity.
During the Dance of the Dragons, there were three such dragons, referred to by the descriptive names of Cannibal, Sheepsteeler, and Grey Ghost. Though all are large beasts who Rhaenyra or Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), for that matter,would love to have to fight for them, they are generally not suited to be around people. Cannibal gets its name from eating dragon eggs and attacking other dragons if they are not careful. Sheepsteeler’s name is self-explanatory as well, and Grey Ghost is described as more shy than feral. But in each case, these unbonded dragons are more of a predator than a pet and unaccustomed to people, making it near impossible to claim them.
Which Wild Dragon Is in the Vale?
The show does not confirm which dragon is in the Vale, but all the signs point to Sheepsteeler.Though all officially reside on or around Dragonstone, only one of these candidates makes a trip to the Vale inFire & Blood, though this happens later in the story. Sheepsteeler is said to be the inspiration for the myths the Vale’s Mountain Clans tell about a dragon living in a cave with a fire-witch. And in the years following the Dance of the Dragons, the Arryns' men met Sheepsteeler on their land. Not only is Sheepsteeler the only wild dragon connected to the Vale specifically, but the episode shows the bones of sheep in the burned field Rhaena discovers, suggesting it is the work of Sheepsteeler. Described as a mud-brown dragon,Sheepsteeler is supposed to be old, having hatched whenKing Jaehaerys(or at least his rule) was young,making him a large beast. Despite his thieving ways, Sheepsteeler is considered nonaggressive unless provoked, which could explain why he is the only wild dragon to accept a rider inFire & Blood.
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What Does the Wild Dragon Mean for Rhaena?
Rhaena is the only Targaryen present in the Vale for whom this wild dragon can hold any significance, though this specific storyline does not exist inFire & Blood.At the very least, it is another chance for her to claim a dragon. Rhaenyra makes it a point that Rhaena has already tried to bond the tame riderless dragons to no avail. However, the fact that she survived three attempts is impressive.Her experience trying to claim a dragon may make her confident in approaching this wild one. It would, after all, be a sure way to protect the Vale if she could tame the beast.
The plotline is certainly possible.Rhaena eventually does get a dragoninFire & Bloodbut through an egg hatching rather than a risky claiming. Yet, the character who claims Sheepsteeler,Nettles, has notably not been castin the series. It wouldn’t be the first major changeHouse of the Dragonhas made forRhaena to get to join the Dance of the Dragons on the back of Sheepsteelerrather than sitting on the sidelines, and she is the last dragonless Targaryen who could attempt it.
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