The world of Harry Potter has dozens of fantastic creatures, but perhaps the most iconic is the dragon. Dragons have made several appearances in the series, from the time Hagrid tried to raise one, to the time Harry and his friends freed one.
But not all dragons are considered equal. You likely already know that there are several breeds of dragons – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire did a solid job of showing us that. But you might not know about all of the dragons to be found. So here we've gone ahead and listed the best and worst of the dragons.
Best: Chinese Fireball
The Chinese Fireball is one of the dragons that famously made its way into one of the books. During the Triwizard Tournament, Victor Krum faced off against an angry Chinese Fireball mother. Krum succeeded in getting the dragon, but he also made her crush her eggs by accident.
As the name indicates, these guys are native to China and are beautiful shades of red and gold. Their flame attack is the true reason for their name; these dragons can shoot balls of fire from their nostrils – so don't get on their bad side!
Worst: Antipodean Opaleye
The Antipodean Opaleye dragon originates from New Zealand but has been seen as far from their homeland as Australia. This makes it a little bit difficult to keep them out of the eyes of muggles, understandably.
As does the fact that this dragon is without a doubt the most beautiful of the dragons known to this world. They have pearly scales and glittering eyes, both suit the name perfectly. These dragons are relatively harmless (unless threatened or very hungry), preferring to eat the stereotypical sheep over humans.
Best: Hungarian Horntail
The Hungarian Horntail is native to Hungary and is quite possibly the most aggressive and dangerous dragon known to wizards. Naturally, that means that this is the dragon Harry was forced to face during the Triwizard Tournament.
The Hungarian Horntail black scales, with bright yellow eyes that have vertical pupils – much like a cat's. Because of these traits, the Horntails have a slightly lizard-like appearance. But it would be your death to mistake them for something as benign as your everyday non-magical lizard. If you're anywhere within fifty feet of these dragons, you've within their fire range. So stay far back from these ones.
Worst: Common Welsh Green
The Common Welsh Green is one of two dragons known to commonly appear in Great Britain. Given that keeping dragon sightings quiet isn't an impossible task, this should tell you a little bit about these guys.
The Common Welsh Dragon, unsurprisingly, is native to Wales. They prefer to live higher up in the mountains, and for the whole are not known for attacking muggles or wizards (without provocation, that is). There's a couple of famous examples of their attacks, but otherwise, they're content to live and let live.
The Common Welsh Dragons are a beautiful shade of green and are particularly well known for their song-like cry. Fleur faced one during the Triwizard Tournament, with only a little bit of difficulty.
Best: Norwegian Ridgeback
The Norwegian Ridgeback has cemented its name during the time of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Here we saw Hagrid desperately try to raise a baby dragon as his own – the infamous Norbert. Obviously, things didn't go quite as planned.
Native to Norway, the Norwegian Ridgeback can be mistaken for a Horntail, though they're not quite as lethal, and have more brown on their scales. It's still best to keep a distance from these guys, as they can shoot flame from a very young age. And their bite doesn't seem to do humans any good either – just ask Ron.
Worst: Swedish Short-Snout
The Swedish Short-Snout is a stunning silver and blue dragon that tends to live in the mountains of Sweden. Their fire is even blue – though we'd advise against taking too much time to enjoy the view. Cedric Diggory famously had to face a Short-Snout during the first challenge in the Triwizard Tournament.
The Swedish Short-Snout is a dragon species that have a complex relationship with wizards. They prefer to live in uninhabited regions, which is the main reason why they haven't killed more muggles and wizards. Unfortunately, their hides make for excellent protective gloves and thus are hunted by wizards.
Best: Peruvian Vipertooth
The Peruvian Vipertooth is a dragon that has earned its name – they are without any doubt the most venomous dragon known to man. They originate from Peru, and appropriately have a copper color in their scales.
The Vipertooth doesn't have the best history when it comes to interacting with wizards (and muggles). They tend to enjoy humans as a tasty snack, for one thing. That made their sudden and rapid population increase a significant danger – forcing a team to be designed to track and hunt the dragon, in order to bring their numbers down. They are also the origin of the lethal Dragon Pox.
Worst: Hebridean Black
The Hebridean Black dragons are the second species known to live within Great Britain. This species prefers to live in Scotland, specifically in the Hebrides. An island chain. They have beautiful purple eyes, ridges down their back, and darker colored scales.
The Hebridean Black prefer to eat deer, as it is their favorite meal (we assume). But they'll settle for a cow when they're hungry enough. They are a bit more aggressive than the Common Welsh Green, but keeping people (muggles) out of their territory seems to do the trick.
Best: Ukrainian Ironbelly
The Ukrainian Ironbelly is the largest dragon species known to wizards and prefers to live within Ukraine. The Ironbelly's claim to fame was set in stone back in 1799 – when one dragon carried off an entire ship from the Black Sea. Admittedly, the ship was empty, but that's not the dragon's fault.
The Ironbelly is grey in color – hence of the reasons for the name. It has long talons and exceptionally tough scales. The Ironblly can easily crush objects, buildings, and people when landing, and can do so offensively when needed. And of course, the Ironbelly can also breathe fire. The Ironbelly made an appearance later in the Harry Potter series, as one was forcibly guarding the Lestrange vault. Here the dragon had been dealt with years of abuse, and thus we were not shown a healthy example of the species.
Worst: Romanian Longhorn
The Romanian Longhorn, unsurprisingly, is native to Romania. It prefers to live in the Carpathian Mountains and has a dark green coloring to match their homes. They also have two golden horns, used to graphically gore their prey, which they'll then cook (via their fire) before eating.
The Longhorns have long been hunted by potion makers, as the horn is used in many potions. Thankfully for the Longhorns, they have one of the largest territories available, and wizards and witches work hard at keeping muggles away.