In anticipation of the premiere of House of the Dragon, fans are contemplating whether the series will feature more than one type of giant reptile.
Redditor yashtiwariart posted a promotional photo featuring Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen standing in front of her colossal yellow dragon, Syrax, and asked if other fans agreed that the dragons in the spinoff of Game of Thrones looked like a different species from their descendants.
The source material describes Syrax as an egg-laying female dragon, which might explain why she looks different from the majestic trio of scene-stealers in Game of Thrones. However, fans pointed out that it would make sense for the Valyrians to produce different breeds of dragons, in the same way, that various strains of horses and dogs are bred to enhance certain traits.
Maddiemandie followed this train of thought, imagining the different attributes that might emerge from a dragon breeding program and how this might play out in warfare.
Other fans think the jury is still out on whether different breeds of dragons exist in the new series, as no one has seen all the dragons yet. It’s still possible that some of the new dragons will resemble Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.
Whatever the reason for the appearance of the new dragons, some fans are holding on to hope that there will be similarities between Dreamfyre and Game of Thrones dragons to confirm the long-held fan theory that she is their mother.
It’s safe to say that all the dragons will play a central role in the new series, given that the source material is G.R.R. Martin’s A Dance With Dragons. However, it remains to be seen whether there will be different breeds. While it was never mentioned in the book, all things are possible with artistic license.
House of the Dragon premieres Aug. 21 on HBO Max.