Vhagar is a female dragon ridden by Queen Visenya Targaryen during the War of Conquest of Westeros. Vhagar together with the "
Balerion" (of King Aegon I – the Conqueror) and "
Meraxes" (of Queen Rhaenys) formed a powerful trio in the conquest of the 7 kingdoms.
Vhagar hatched from an egg during the "Century of Blood", the period after the Valyrian Empire on the continent of
Essos was destroyed by a volcanic disaster. It is named after a goddess of Ancient Valyria. Vhagar is nicknamed "
Queen of All Dragons".
Size & Appearance
The color of Vhagar's scales, horns, wings, wing bones and crest is green. In the timeline of the series, Vhagar is about 180 years old, roughly the same size as "Balerion" of the past, and twice the size of Daemon's Caraxes, Meleys. According to legend, it is so big that people can ride a horse to run straight into its throat.
The heat of Vhagar's fire could melt a knight's armor and cook him from within. At the present time, Vhagar is considered the largest and most experienced dragon among the living dragons on the continent of Westeros.
Before the Dance of the Dragons
After the death of Queen Visenya Targaryen, Vhagar was without a rider for 29 years, spending most of her time living on Dragonstone and then residing in the Dragonpit in King's Landing.
In 73 AC, during the reign of King Jaehaerys I, Prince
Baelon the Brave (later being father of Viserys I and Daemon Targaryen) claimed her. During this period, Vhagar, along with the Caraxes and Vermithor, set fire to the Dornish fleet attempting to invade the Stormlands during the Fourth Dornish War in 83 AC.
After Balerion's death of old age in 94 AC, Vhagar became the last of the three dragons alive to have participated in the Conquest. Vhagar was riderless again after Prince Baelon's death in 101 AC.
In the House of the Dragon's timeline, Lady Laena Velaryon became Vahgar's new rider. According to the book, after Laena married Prince Daemon Targaryen in 115 AC, they often traveled with Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen: a spectacular sight that was often witnessed and cheered by the crowd as Vhagar, Caraxes and Syrax flying together.
Laena died early in 120 AC. According to the book, Laena tried to get to Vhagar in her dying minutes to fly one last time with her, but she didn't have the strength to dot it. In the show, Laena ordered Vhagar to burn her with fire because she was too painful to be unable to give birth. After Laena's funeral in Driftmark, 10-year-old Prince Aemond Targaryen secretly claimed Vhagar.
Dance of the Dragons Period
In the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, Vhagar rode by Aemon bite and slayed Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Queen Rhaenyra's second son) in a storm after leaving Lord Borros Baratheon's Storm's End. In the book, Aemon did not hesitate to kill Lucerys.
In The Dance of the Dragons, Vhagar played an important role in the power balance between the Greens and the Blacks. During the battle at Rook's Rest, Vhagar ridden by Aemond and Sunfyre ridden by King Aegon II ambushed and eliminated Princess Rhaenys Targaryen's Meleys the Red Queen.
After the Greens lost King's Landing, Aemond used Vhagar to undertake a solitary journey of revenge: she flew across the riverlands and burned down the villages and towns beneath, causing terrible destruction.
The Queen Escort Daemon with Caraxes declared a fight of death with Aemond and Vhagar at Harrenhal. All four men and the dragons died in this battle. It was in the year 130 AC – Vhagar was 181 years old then.
