Summary
WithThe Winds of Winterdiverting from the plot of HBO’sGame of Thrones,there are several characters who could potentially ride Daenerys' dragons in the books. With three dragons alive during the events ofGeorge R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice & Firebook series, there are many options and variables in place that could determine who ends up riding them. Dany has already mounted Drogon, leaving Rhaegal and Viserion open for other potential candidates.
TheGame of Thronesendingsees two new riders claiming Rhaegal and Viserion in Jon Snow and the Night King. For multiple reasons, the books will likely take a different direction. Most importantly, the Night King doesn’t exist in the same form inASOIAF, so that leaves Viserion’s plot entirely unknown.Jon Snow could still end up atop a dragon and is the most likely candidate, but there are plenty of other options as well.
The books have commonly suggested “the dragon has three heads,“leading readers to speculate on whom the other two might be, assuming Daenerys is the first. The answer to that question has massive implications regardingThe Winds of Winter’sevents and thePrince that was Promised prophecy. With so many more characters and elements in play, the books could differ significantly from the TV series, and George R.R. Martin could have some major twists planned for the final two installments.
7Jon Snow
Jon Snow Is The Most Likely Candidate To Ride A Dragon
As previously mentioned, Jon Snow is still the most likely candidate to ride one of Daenerys' dragons. Many of the mostcommon theories regardingASOIAFpoint to Jon being “ice” and Dany being “fire,“with the pair ultimately being the show’s heroes. While there should be drastic differences between the show and the book’s events, it’s still widely assumed that Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, giving him the blood and narrative purpose to end up on dragonback. If he is Rhaegar’s son, as expected, his mounting Rhaegal seems consistent with the HBO series.
There are some hurdles for the book series to overcome before Jon can mount a dragon, however. The most important is that the ending ofA Dance with Dragonssaw him getting murdered by the Night’s Watch. Jon returned to life in the TV series, and it’s commonly assumed that he’ll be brought back in a similar manner in the books. Next, he’s still a world away from the dragons, and Dany is still narratively distant from beginning her voyage to Westeros. It’s possible characters in closer vicinity to her could find themselves riding dragons before Jon.
The nature of Jon’s origin and his relationship with Dany isn’t entirely set in stone for the books. Martin could still throw fans for a loop with Ashara Dayne being Jon’s mother or some other circumstance. But regardless of the outcome of his parentage, it wouldn’t necessarily prevent him from being a dragonrider, as it isn’t 100% confirmed that one has to have Valyrian blood to mount a dragon.
6Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion Is Commonly Believed To Be One Of The Dragon’s Heads
Regarding characters needing Valyrian blood to mount a dragon, Tyrion is one who likely has no Valyrian heritage yet could very likely wind up a dragonrider.If Jon and Daenerys are two of the three “heads,” Tyrion is a common suspect to be the third, with some interesting evidence from the books to back the idea. The trio are generally perceived to be the saga’s three main protagonists, so the theory fits together cleanly. Though, it can’t be understated thatASOIAFoften isn’t a clean story where the most agreeable possibilities come to pass. It’s generally quite the opposite.
As for Tyrion riding a dragon, an external piece of evidence is George R.R. Martin’s words in ablog postregarding Tyrion flying, where he said: “Only this version of Tyrion could fly! Ah, if only the Tyrion in the books could fly, what mischief he will… ah… could… ah, never mind.” The primary book reasons for this theory are thatTyrion has dreams of dragons and that there is constant foreshadowing about him “casting a large shadow.“More unlikely theories even suggest that Tyrion is also a secret Targaryen.
Though it’s doubtful, many readers have suggested the possibility that Tyrion’s true father is Aerys Targaryen, which would’ve contributed to Tywin’s serious disdain for him. His mother is undoubtedly Joanna Lannister, but the idea is that she conceived Tyrion with Aerys at some point in King’s Landing. The reason this seems unlikely is Tyrion’s familial relationships, especially with Tywin, are important in terms of his growth.
5Bran Stark
Bran Could Warg A Dragon
Saying Bran Stark willridea dragon may not be entirely accurate, as there’s no reason to suspect he’ll physically mount a dragon. TheGame of Thronesending builds up Bran’s powers to have some importance in the Long Night, though he doesn’t end up doing anything significant and later becomes king. It’s one of the messier aspects of season 8, and there will probably be significant differences in his book arc. One possibility is him using his warg abilities to control a dragon during the Long Night.
Dany’s dragons are effective on their own, but, like with the direwolves, there could be an extra benefit to having a human steering the ship. There are important questions raised by this possibility, such as whether dragons can be warged in the first place or if their magic prevents it. The main reason for the theory is theThree-Eyed Crow telling Bran, “You will never walk again, Bran.Butyou will fly,“which could refer to using warg powers to fly birds, but the dramatic implication suggests a more climactic possibility.
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4Young Griff
Young Griff Has Targaryen Blood
Young Griff is one of the biggest X factors forThe Winds of Winter, with him only being recently introduced and having massive implications on the outcome of King’s Landing’s political events and Dany’s narrative. It’s currently unknown what direction Griff will take, buthis claim to the Iron Throne undoubtedly undermines Daenerys, creating the leading suspicion that they will be enemies, and Griff will contribute to Daenerys going mad, reaching the mental state she did inGame of Thronesseason 8.
If Aegon rides the green Rhaegal and Dany rides the black Drogon, it creates a neat, symbolic parallel with the historical event.
Regardless of whether Griff is a Targaryen or a Blackfyre, his having Targaryen blood makes him one of the most likely candidates to claim a dragon. A common theory suggests he’ll claim Rhaegal since Rhaegar is allegedly his father and becauseit would create some symmetry with the Dance of the Dragons. If Aegon rides the green Rhaegal and Dany rides the black Drogon, it creates a neat, symbolic parallel with the historical event. Alternatively, Griff could be the third head of the dragon, along with Jon and Dany.
3Euron Greyjoy
Euron Claims He’s Going To Take Dany’s Dragons
Euron Greyjoy’s television variant is a far cry from the fascinating villain that is Euron Crow’s Eye inASOIAF. The magic-obsessed Euron arrives in the Iron Islands for the kingsmoot, similarly to how he does in the show, but wins over the crowd with an artifact called Dragonbinder, a horn made from dragon remnants that are said to bring a dragon under its command. In the show, Euron is able to kill Rhaegal with a scorpion bolt, thoughhe poses a far greater threat in the novels in that he may actually be able to steal a dragon.
Euron taking one of Dany’s dragons for himself is commonly believed to be one of the contributing factors to her eventual downfall into madness.Euron is the only character who’s directly established his intent to ride a dragonand allegedly has the tool from Old Valyria to make it happen. However, the capabilities and potential threats of the horn are still unknown, and this could easily backfire for Euron.
2Victarion Greyjoy
Victarion Has The Dragon Horn And Is In Meereen
While Euron Greyjoy found Dragonbinder and intends to use it, Victarion Greyjoy is the one who currently holds it.Euron sent Victarion and part of the Iron Fleet to Meereen, giving him the hornwith the intent of bringing Daenerys back to him with her dragons. The issue here is that Victarion hates Euron, and if he holds an item that he believes can grant him control over dragons, it seems possible he’d attempt to use it himself. The problem with a man like Victarion scheming and making a play for his own good, however, is that he isn’t very intelligent.
Victarion could plausibly sound Dragonbinder and manage to bring a dragon to his control, but it’s doubtful that he’d be its final rider or end up being an endgame dragonrider. It’s possible that he’s being tricked into playing his hand and that utilizing the horn will quickly lead to his own death. It’s not impossible he’ll make off with a dragon before this happens, but it’s doubtful that Victarion will accomplish many wonders with it.
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1Brown Ben Plumm
House Plumm Is Descended From House Targaryen
Brown Ben Plumm is another character who probably won’t have any drastic endgame effects on the story, but it’s not impossible for him to mount a dragon. House Plumm of the westerlands is one of thehouses of Westeros descended from Targaryens, so the primary reason for him being a candidate is his proximity to the dragons and the fact that he has Valyrian blood. He’s a character who won’t be familiar toGame of Thronesshow fans, as he’s the captain of the Second Sons in the book, but doesn’t have an enormous role.
Game Of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
