Game of Thrones Theory: DROGON Is The Prince That Was Promised

Is Drogon, the most powerful of Daenerys' dragons, really the Prince That Was Promised in Game of Thrones season 8? When the show returns for its final season this spring, many fans expect it will reveal the identity of some long-prophesied savior figures, and one fan theory claims it's not Jon Snow or Dany as long suspected.

Like any fantasy series, HBO's Game of Thrones includes legends and prophecies aplenty, all helping to further develop and enrich the world in which the story is set. And as is the case with myths in the real world, it's debatable how much of Game of Thrones' legends are based on actual events from the past or fables that over the years have grown into fact. The forthcoming Game of Thrones spinoff series, tentatively referred to as The Long Night, will touch on just that topic seeing as it's set during Westeros' mythic Age of Heroes and is expected to include legendary characters from that time. It may also more shed light on many of the popular prophecies in the series - chief among them, the Prince That Was Promised.

In the case of Game of Thrones, there are a couple popular prophecies which factor into the story: that of Azor Ahai reborn and the Stallion Who Mounts The World. Both predict the coming of a savior or hero, and both may be the same, oft-mentioned Prince That Was Promised. This cool fan theory (via Reddit user, Doobla98), however, argues that not only are both Azor Ahai reborn and the Stallion Who Mounts The World the same legendary figure, they are also both Drogon - making him one of the strongest candidates yet to be the Prince That Was Promised.

This Page: Game of Thrones Savior Prophecies Explained
Page 2: How Drogon Fits Both Prophecies

The Prince That Was Promised & Azor Ahai Explained

Game of Thrones The Long Night Azor Ahai

The Prince That Was Promised is a popular prophecy in Game of Thrones that predicts the coming of a savior figure. Many characters believe this promised prince will be the reincarnation of a legendary hero who drove back the darkness (aka the White Walkers) and ended The Long Night some 8,000 years ago. Different versions of this mythic hero exist in both Westerosi legends (the unnamed Last Hero, for instance) and throughout Essos, but the most common telling of the prophecy is that of Azor Ahai reborn and it comes to us from Melisandre: "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone." This prophecy also mentions that savior will "draw from the fire a burning sword and that sword shall be Lightbringer," which Azor Ahai famously forged and wielded in the battle against the darkness.

This version of the Prince That Was Promised prophecy lays out several criteria that need to be met in order to be considered Azor Ahai reborn. This individual must have been born under a bleeding star and only after the White Walkers return; there needs to have been both smoke and salt at the time of their birth; and they must wield Lightbringer as well as awaken stone dragons. It's an interesting checklist of requirements, and there is debate over how literally these particular signs should be taken. However, a few characters appear as possible candidates.

Daenerys is, for many, the most obvious choice, checking off most (though not all) of the criteria to be the Prince That Was Promised and Azor Ahai reborn. For example, she can claim to have awoken stone dragons, but she wasn't necessarily born under a bleeding star (which most likely refers to the red comet). Jon Snow is another popular candidate, but he too only checks off a few of the necessary criteria - namely, his best claim is his wielding of a Valyrian steel sword which, while not flaming, can certainly drive back the darkness (aka destroy White Walkers).

The Stallion Who Mounts The World Explained

The entrance to the city of Vaes Dothrak in Game of Thrones.

The Stallion Who Mounts The World is a figure who the Dothraki believe will be the "khal of khals", a warrior so great and mighty that all Dothraki will join his khalasar and all people will be his herd. Whether the Stallion is another version of the Prince That Was Promised is unclear, but the prophecy is predicting the birth of a powerful prince; it may very well be the same savior figure as seen through the lens of the Dothraki's nomadic, warrior culture.

The clearest telling of the Stallion Who Mounts The World prophecy comes from the dosh khaleen, who proclaim that Daenery's unborn son, Rhaego, is this great khal. In the novels, they chant:

"As swift as the wind he rides, and behind him his khalasar covers the earth, men without number, with arakhs shining in their hands like blades of razor grass. Fierce as a storm this prince will be. His enemies will tremble before him, and their wives will weep tears of blood and rend their flesh in grief. The bells in his hair will sing his coming, and the milk men in the stone tents will fear his name. The prince is riding, and he shall be the stallion who mounts the world."

HBO's Game of Thrones includes something similar, though it's told to us via Jorah's translation to Viserys: "A prince is riding. I've heard the thunder of his hooves. Swift as the wind he rides. His enemies will cower before him and their wives will weep tears of blood." Both phrases paint a picture of a fearsome warrior, and while it's not as specific a prophecy as the one surrounding Azor Ahai reborn, the Stallion Who Mounts The World still includes a set of criteria. The Stallion Who Mounts The World must be swift and fierce; they must be bold, loudly signalling their arrival (be it ringing bells, thunderous hooves, or something else); and they will strike fear in all their enemies, even those who hide within impregnable, stone forts and castles.

Rhaego is the only character ever proclaimed as being the Stallion Who Mounts The World, but he's killed in the blood ritual Mirra Maz Dur performs in order to "save" Khal Drogo's life. This seemingly brought an end to any serious discussion of the Stallion Who Mounts The World prophecy, but since then, Daenerys has had more children of sorts - meaning it's possible that the dosh khaleen's prediction wasn't meant for Rhaego, but for one of her dragons.

Page 2 of 2: How Drogon Fits Both Game of Thrones' Prophecies

How Drogon Is The Best Match For Both Prophecies

At first, selecting a dragon to be the Prince That Was Promised, Azor Ahai reborn and the Stallion Who Mounts The World might seem ridiculous, but the evidence to support this theory is strangely compelling. As outlined by the Reddit theory, Drogon is the only character who clearly fits not just the criteria to be Azor Ahai reborn, but also that of the Dothraki's Stallion.

For starters, Drogon is born "when the red star bleeds" because the red comet first emerges the night he and his siblings, Rhaegal and Viserion, break out from their eggs. This happens at the end of a long summer, just before the winter starts and White Walkers come south (aka "the darkness gathers"). Khal Drogo's funeral pyre provides the smoke and Daenerys' tears the salt necessary at the moment of his birth, and Drogon is literally a dragon "awoken" from an egg that was thought to be petrified stone. Most notably, Drogon wields a weapon as powerful as any Lightbringer - dragon fire.

As for being the Stallion Who Mounts The World, who can claim to be swifter, fiercer, bolder (with a thunderously loud roar), and strike more fear in those hiding behind stone walls than a dragon? The language of the Stallion Who Mounts The World prophecy is remarkably like the description of a dragon - and not just any dragon, but Drogon, a dragon who is traveling across the world with a massive khalasar at his back - and by virtue of being Daenerys' son, Drogon is also a prince. Interestingly, because he is also a dragon and cannot ever actually succeed Dany and become king, Drogon will always be a prince - the Prince That Was Promised.

What This Means for Drogon In Game of Thrones Season 8

For Drogon to be revealed as the Azor Ahai reborn and the Stallion Who Mounts The World, somehow making him the savior figure the Prince That Was Promised in Game of Thrones season 8 would be absolutely bonkers. That's not to suggest it's impossible - as argued above, there is evidence to support the claim - but having a non-human, non-speaking character like Drogon named the Prince That Was Promised would surely be a letdown to many in the audience. Then again, perhaps such a reveal would best illustrate the folly of putting so much stock in prophecy - as both many characters and fans have done.

If anyone is expecting the reveal of the Prince That Was Promised to be some grand moment where the heavens part and light shines down on R'hllor's anointed chosen one, then they haven't been paying attention to the story Game of Thrones is telling. As is the case with both the A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the HBO series, Game of Thrones is a subversion of common fantasy tropes and it's therefore very unlikely this story ends with some savior hero single-handedly slaying the Night King and saving the world. And just because there are prophecies littered throughout the world of the story that predict just such an outcome, that doesn't mean that's how the story will end.

As for Drogon actually being the Prince That Was Promised or some other such hero figure, it may not matter all that much in Game of Thrones season 8. Drogon is certainly going to have a major role to play in the war against the White Walkers seeing as his dragon fire is an immensely effective weapon against them. And, in the end, winning the war is more important than crowning some savior prince.