Game Of Thrones: 10 Unpopular Opinions About The Dragons, According To Reddit

House of the Dragon, even more than Game of Thrones, puts a great deal of emphasis on the importance of its title creatures. In the hands of the Targaryens, they are mammoth weapons of mass destruction, capable of raining down fire and ruin on the enemies of the dynasty (and sometimes on fellow family members).

However, these beasts are also quite crucial to the original series. And, while they are undeniably visually stunning and a key part of its appeal to those who love the high fantasy aspect of Game of Thrones, the users of Reddit haven’t been shy about sharing some of their unpopular opinions about these creatures.

They Look Better In “Game Of Thrones”

The dragons often play a key role in House of the Dragon, and they are a key part of the power that many dragonriders wield. However, Sir_Cloudy argues that “the original Game of Thrones dragons looked much better than the House of the Dragon.”

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It’s hard to see why this would be the case. Among other things, the dragons in House of the Dragon display a remarkable array of appearances and, as the battle between Vhagar and Arrax demonstrate, these different appearances have very significant consequences for the unfolding of events.

Viserion’s Death Was Boring

There are many notable deaths in Game of Thrones. For some, the death of the dragon Viserion at the hands of the Night King was wrenching, but for others, such as vonillips, this wasn’t the case. They write that “I felt nothing when Viserion died.”

While some might not feel that the dragons are worthy of emotional investment, many others recognize the dragons not just as weapons in the hands of Daenerys but also as beings with their own intelligence and minds of their own. Thus, it’s difficult to imagine what it would be like not to feel anything when they perish in such a gruesome fashion.

Westeros Would Be Better Off Without Them

Dragons are some of the most undeniably fascinating creatures in Game of Thrones. This doesn’t endear them to all Redditors, however. One user says, for example, “I think Westeros would be better off without the dragons so I think they should be all killed off.”

Dangerous though the dragons are, and as much as they can be abused by those who have the power to ride them, it does seem rather vexing that people would argue so explicitly for the extermination of a living being. This is especially distressing given that dragons have shown themselves to be remarkably intelligent beings, capable of understanding what is happening to them.

Direwolves Are Better Than Dragons

For some Redditors, it’s very clear which creature ends up being more compelling. In the opinion of Arya1100, direwoves win in this contest, hands down.

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Direwolves do, it is true, have some things in their favor. In particular, their bond with the Stark children is notable. However, in terms of sheer physical might alone, dragons are vastly superior, and this is buttressed by how stunningly they are wrought on the visual field. Even now, it is hard not to be simply overwhelmed by the sight of Drogon in all of his fiery majesty, raining destruction down on Daenerys’ enemies.

They Bring Down The Quality Of The Show

In the views of many, Game of Thrones is one of the best HBO shows. However, deathpr0fess0r believes the dragons drag it down in terms of quality and that they “turn it into The Evil Dead meets Dragonheart/How to Train Your Dragon.”

While it is true that dragons are an extraordinary addition to the story, this is precisely the point. They are, as with so many other elements of Martin’s world, built into the very fabric of the world. They are key to the Targaryens’ belief in their own inviolability and, far from being just another element of fantasy, are a key part of the social and political structure, for good and for ill.

Rhaegal Should Have Died in Season 8

Of the many significant battles in Game of Thrones, one of the most notable was Daenerys’ sack of King’s Landing. Some Redditors believe that Rhaegal should have been slain there rather than at the hands of Euron. As kah_alan argues: “Season 8 would’ve been way better if the second dragon was killed during the battle at King’s Landing. Daenerys would’ve gone mad while looking at his corpse.”

This might have given Daenerys’ villainous turn some better motivation than what she was given. On the flip side, however, it would have been one more thing to keep track of in an already very packed episode, and, more to the point, having Rhaegal on her side would, in all likelihood, have led to King’s Landing surrendering, whatever Cersei had to say.

The Dragons Were The Only Interesting Part Of Daenerys’ Story

Though some believe that Daenerys is one of the best Game of Thrones characters others, such as Pandaraama, think that she is quite boring. From their point of view, the dragons were the only thing that made her at all interesting or worth watching.

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While the dragons were certainly a great part of the Daenerys’ story, this statement grossly undersells what she was doing and how exciting her narrative was. She is, after all, an extraordinary young woman who overcame unspeakable obstacles and horrendous abuse at the hands of many in her life to become the conqueror and savior of Westeros. To claim otherwise simply flies in the face of the series as it has been presented.

Dragons Necessitated Daenerys Villainy

Given how powerful dragons are, they have always played a key role in the Targaryens’ reign, and they help to explain why the royal house is one of the most powerful houses in Westeros. However, as Evolving_Dore writes, they also set the stage for Daenerys’ eventual decline into villainy.

It is, indeed, tempting to see this as a causal explanation for why she ended up the way she did. However, this is, on the whole, a far too simplistic explanation for why she became the very person she had so long fought against becoming.

They Only Exist So A Bad Ruler Can Rule

There are many notable Targaryens, but it has to be said that, as a dynasty, they do have more than their fair share of bad rulers. In the views of some Redditors, the only reason Daenerys could command loyalty was because of her dragons. T-reptar, for example, writes that “She’s proven to be a terrible leader who can only control people out of fear of being eaten by dragons. If she makes it across the sea all those ex slaves will probably just be slaves again.”

From this point of view, dragons are a convenient excuse for bad people to do bad things. In reality, though, they are far more than that. They are, in fact, intrinsically tied up to the return of magic to this world. Moreover, it is more than a little reductive to argue that their presence is the only reason that Daenerys could command loyalty, given that she has already shown herself to be a leader of rare vision.

The Dragons Are Boring

Though they are a key part of the action of Game of Thrones–particularly when it comes to Daenerys’ storylines–some Redditors did not like this particular aspect of the story. 208327 writes simply: “I don’t care about the Wall or dragons either.”

This is, it must be said, a rather baffling opinion for someone to have. While certainly, the politics are a very fascinating component of the story in Game of Thrones, it’s impossible to imagine the series having the dramatic bite it possesses without either the dragons or the Wall. These two elements add greater weight to the political storylines.

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