Author George R.R. Martin explains how Game of Thrones gets dragons right when so many other shows get the mythical creatures wrong. First airing on HBO in 2011, Game of Thrones would go on to become one of the network's most popular shows, chronicling a group of warring families in Westeros as they vie for the Iron Throne. Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), is among those seeking the Iron Throne's power, with the character eventually coming to control several powerful dragons, including Viserion, Rhaegal, and Drogon. Dragons also feature prominently in House of the Dragon, a Game of Thrones prequel show chronicling the Targaryen civil war.
In an interview on the House of the Dragon season 1 4K/ Blu-ray, as shared by CinemaBlend, Martin reveals that he thinks many other shows and movies get dragons wrong. The Game of Thrones author explains that, often, the dragons' bulky designs in other entertainment properties would leave them unable to actually fly, which is in contrast to how the creatures are rendered in HBO's adaptation of his work. Check out Martin's full comment below:
“You see some of these dragons in some of these shows, and they’ve got like little bitty wings and they’re big fat things. They would never get off the ground. The aerial dynamics just don’t work. They have to have very large wings and a relatively slender kind of serpentine body, a long tail, a long neck. They’re more like pterodactyl dinosaurs.”
How GOT & House of the Dragon Get Dragons Right
Although the dragons in Game of Thrones start off as relatively harmless babies, they soon evolve into devastating weapons of war. When Daenerys' dragons grow in size and power, the entire dynamic of the show changes, with Clarke's character suddenly representing a major threat to the Lannisters, Greyjoys, and other houses. This becomes especially apparent in Game of Thrones season 7 when Daenerys attacks a Lannister loot train with Drogon, giving fans the first proper look at what a fully grown dragon is capable of. The scene makes clear that dragons are not afterthoughts in Martin's fantasy realm, but are essentially equivalent to weapons of mass destruction.
House of the Dragon continues this trend but, instead of dragons being relatively rare, the show depicts the creatures as a more normal part of the Targaryen way of life. Targaryen children interact with dragons from a young age, with each family member given a chance to tame and bond with a different beast. The final episode of House of the Dragon makes clear that it's not just about whether one has a dragon or not, but how big the beast is. Aemond's dragon, Vhagar, dwarfs Arrax, Luke's dragon, and the final moments of the show see the creature devour Arrax and its rider in one bite. With dragons being more commonplace than in Game of Thrones, the prequel show establishes a hierarchy of the mythical creatures while maintaining their lethal potential.
It remains to be seen how dragons will be used in House of the Dragon season 2, but the beasts are likely to play an even more important role as the conflict heats up. While many viewers took issue with the final two seasons of Game of Thrones, the show undeniably nailed the look of its dragons and made the creatures even more formidable. It's unclear what new dragons may be introduced into the Game of Thrones universe in shows to come, but Martin's comment suggests that they will retain their practical and aerodynamic design.
Source: CinemaBlend