Get to Know the Dragons of "House of the Dragon"

The dragon Balerion is known as the Black Dread — and for good reason. One of the most significant dragons in "Fire & Blood," he's ridden by Aegon I during the Targaryen conquest of Westeros. Other Targaryen descendants also ride him throughout his long life. But unlike many of the other dragons in the book, he lives out a long life, dying of old age during the reign of Jaehaerys I long before the civil war.

But Balerion still appears in "House of the Dragon"; it's his skull that resides in the Red Keep, and many of the character walks by it. Viserys also talks to Lady Laena Velaryon (Nova Mosé-Foueillis) about being Balerion's last rider.