Written by novelist and screenwriter George R.R. Martin, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ is a series of fantasy novels. Martin originally planned for the series to be a trilogy but later on settled on publishing seven books. Five of these seven have been published so far which include ‘A Game of Thrones’ (1996), ‘A Clash of Kings’ (1998), ‘A Storm of Swords’ (2000), ‘A Feast for Crows’ (2005), and ‘A Dance with Dragons’ (2011). Yet to be released are ‘The Winds of Winter’ and ‘A Dream of Spring’.
This series is based in the fictional world of Westeros and Essos and follows three main plotlines which are interconnected: a dynastic war among royal families for control of the throne, the threat of supernatural beings rising in northernmost Westeros, and finally, the exiled king’s daughter’s ambition to sit on the Iron Throne. An important aspect of the storyline is the dragons of this fictional universe who help in advancing the story. One of the major attractions of this world is dragons. Which are the largest ones among the mighty creatures?
Which Dragons Are The Largest Ones In ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’?
Balerion
Named after a Valyrian god, Balerion was the dragon of King Aegon I Targaryen or Aegon the Conqueror. Balerion the Black Dread is mighty, so big that it was said that when he flew his shadow drowned entire towns in darkness. He was capable of swallowing a horse along with its rider and his flame – big, black, and red just like him – was so hot it could melt stone. The swords of Aegon’s enemies were forged into the Iron Throne using Balerion’s fire. One of the three dragons involved in the War of Conquest was Balerion.
Vhagar
Ridden by Queen Visneya Targaryen during the War of Conquest, Vhagar is the second largest dragon in ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’. During the War of Conquest, she was the smallest of the trio which included Balerion and Meraxes but still large and strong enough to melt armor with her flames and swallow horses. Years later, she became the largest of all living dragons during the reign of Viserys I Targaryen and also the only dragon remaining from Aegon’s conquest.
Vermithor
Also known as the Bronze Fury, Vermithor was ridden by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. After the Old King died, he remained unridden and stayed in one of the smoking caverns of the Dragonmoont for decades. He was a large, powerful, and old male and of all the dragons at Westroes only Vhagar was older and larger than him. He was bronze in color with tan wings and was thus nicknamed Bronze Fury. While Vermithor was accustomed to the presence of men, he could prove dangerous and fatal when vexed. He was feared for raining down fires straight from hell during the Dance of the Dragons.
Meraxes
Meraxes was ridden by Rhaenys Targaryen during the War of Conquest and named after one of the gods of Valyria. She was also considered capable of swallowing an entire horse. Meraxes had golden eyes and silver scales and was also involved in the Last Storm and Field of Fire. She finally fell when hit by a Dornish arrow in the First Dornish War and took her last breath with Rhaenys still on her back.
Caraxes
Caraxes has been described as the “formidable huge blood-red dragon, fearsome and battle savvy.” He is said to be a hostile, fierce yet smart dragon who was nicknamed the Blood Wyrm. He was first ridden by Prince Aemon Targaryen and later by Prince Daemon Targaryen. He played a particularly significant role during the Dance of the Dragon. All those who have ridden Caraxes said that he liked to spit fire which made him an effective weapon to be used in battle, feared and dreaded by all.
Everything We Know About The Story’s Unreleased Parts
Of the two books yet to be released, one is ‘The Winds of Winter’ which will follow the appearance of supernatural being Others and take the reader to the north of Westeros. According to George R.R. Martin he couldn’t cover all the plot points he wanted to in ‘A Dance with Dragons’ which include one large battle sequence and several character threads that ended in cliffhangers. The author intends to resolve all these storylines at the beginning of ‘The Winds of Winter’.
‘A Dream of Spring’ is supposed to be the seventh and final book of the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series. Previously it was titled ‘A Time For Wolves’ and very little is known about the book and when it will be released. Martin has only revealed he’s firm on ending the series with this one but nothing about the plot and characters. Fortunately for fans, HBO’s ‘House of Dragons’ is here to keep them busy while they await the release of the last two books.
