House of the Dragonis a title that primarily references the Targaryen dynasty. The members of that noble family based everything on the mighty beasts that helped them claim dominion over the Seven Kingdoms. Their heraldry, iconography, nicknames, and aspects of their personalities seem to grow from the dragons. The series depicts quite a few winged monsters, but there’s at least one legendary dragon that never appears in the series alive. Balerion, the Black Dread, is a historically important dragon, but what made him so special?
After one and a half seasons,House of the Dragondepicts the dragon battles that fans cried out for.The Battle of Rook’s Restfeatures a brutal encounter between Rhaenys' Meleys, Aemond’s Vhagar, and Aegon’s Sunfyre. It’s one of the most exciting action sequences in the franchise so far. The prequel took a ton of time establishing how dangerous dragons could be, and as the civil war for the Iron Throne escalates into mounted conflict, the series may only become more intense.
Where did Balerion come from?
Balerion was hatched in Old Valyria around 114 yearsbefore Aegon’s Conquest. Shortly after Balerion left his egg, Aenar Targaryen took him and four other young dragons with him to a bleak island called Dragonstone. Aenar was the patriarch of House Targaryen, one of the lesser dragonlord families of Old Valyria. His daughter, Daenys the Dreamer, experienced prophetic visions of a nightmarish cataclysm that would see Valyria burned to ashes. She convinced Aenar that her premonition would come to pass, prompting him to sell his holdings and sail away. 12 years later, Daenys was proven right, andthe Doom of Valyriaconsumed nearly every other dragon and rider. Over the next 100 years, known as the Century of Blood, House Targaryen’s other four dragons would die as well. Balerion outlived generations of humanity and all of his siblings to become the last living thing who ever saw Old Valyria. Recounting the histories, Daenerys Targaryen describes Balerion like this:
Balerion … his fire was as black as his scales, his wings so vast that whole towns were swallowed up in their shadow when he passed overhead.
Who rode Balerion?
Balerion’s first and most important riderwas Aegon the Conqueror. When historians tell the tale of Aegon’s Conquest, they say that he accomplished his absurd feats because he had access to dragons when almost no one else did. Balerion was almost 100 years old when Aegon claimed him. Dragons continue growing as long as they are alive, granting special consideration to those that live long lives. Aegon claimed Balerion while his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, claimed Vhagar and Meraxes. Aegon rode Balerion into every major conflict of his campaign of conquest. He decimated noble houses in the Riverlands, destroyed the Ironborn, and burned the impenitrable castle, Harrenhal, beyond recognition.In the Fields of Fire, Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes burned 4,000 men to death. Kings knelt before Aegon, almost exclusively thanks to Balerion. Balerion’s fire forged the Iron Throne from the swords of Aegon’s fallen enemies. His legend was secure by the time Aegon died of a stroke 37 years after his conquest. However, Balerion far outlived his first master.
Maegor Targaryen was Aegon’s second son. He had many dragons to choose from when it came time to bond, but Maegor only had eyes for Balerion. Maegor was 25 when his father passed away. He claimed Balerion the same year. Maegor was one of the worst kings ever to rule Westeros. For all of Aegon’s violence, the Conqueror made great efforts to rule with fairness and decency.Maegor the Cruel quicklybecame a tyrant. He used Balerion to brutally eliminate any resistance to his rule. In the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye, he used Balerion to kill his nephew for daring to assert his rightful claim to the throne. Maegor’s tyranny inspired endless resistance. He died under mysterious circumstances. Balerion had outlived his second rider.
Balerion lived long into the impossibly long reign of Jaehaerys the Conciliator. Princess Aerea, daughter of Maegor’s nephew Aegon, claimed Balerion when she was twelve. He sat without a rider for six years, but his relationship with Aerea was very different. The day Aerea claimed Balerion, the dragon took off into the sky. They didn’t return for two years. King Jaehaerys sent out hunting parties and offered rewards for information, but no one could find the massive beast. When Balerion finally did return, he was covered in huge, fresh wounds. Aerea was sick and weak after the voyage. She died shortly thereafter. Onlookers suspected that Balerion dragged Aerea to Valyria, undertaking the wounds of that cursed land as he attempted to return to his birthplace. Finally, Balerion became the first dragon to enjoy life in the Red Keep’s dragonpit.Prince Viserys Targaryen becameBalerion’s final rider in 93 AC.
How did Balerion die?
Balerion was old, slow, and weak when Viserys claimed him. Viserys' mother, Alyssa, chose not to claim Balerion when she realized how age had impacted the Black Dread.Viserys only flew onBalerion three times, abandoning his initial plans when he noticed how severely Balerion struggled. Viserys wasn’t much of a rider. He probably didn’t mind the fact that Balerion was so far past his prime. Balerion died of old age a few months after he bonded with Viserys. He was over 210 years old. Viserys never claimed another dragon.
Balerion is mostly special for his legacy. He was the living weapon that allowed Aegon the Conqueror to accomplish his impossible quest. His legend would be secure if he’d died the day afterAegon sat on the Iron Throne. He went on to become the largest dragon since the Doom of Valyria. InGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon, Balerion’s skull sits in the Red Keep. He’s a reminder of the potential power of dragons. Even among the mightiest beasts in Westeros, the Black Dread stands out.
