Balerion the Black Dread | Balerion the Dread

Balerion the Black Dread | Balerion the Dread | How Balerion the Black Dread Died? | Balerion the Black Dread and his Riders | Balerion the Black Dread Size | Balerion the Black Dread Skull

Balerion the Black Dread was a massive dragon that was reportedly the largest and most feared of all the dragons in the world. Some people call him “Balerion the Dread”. Balerion the Dread was the last of the five dragons Aenar Targaryen brought with him when his family fled Valeria before the Doom and settled on Dragonstone. Balerion was the dragon of House Targaryen, and it played a crucial role in their conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. The Targaryens used Balerion to burn their enemies’ castles and cities to the ground, instilling fear and terror in those who dared to oppose them. Despite its fearsome reputation, Balerion was also known for its loyalty to the Targaryens.

Balerion the Black Dread and his Riders

Balerion the Black Dread was the dragon of House Targaryen, and it was ridden by many of the Targaryen lords and kings throughout its lifetime. The first known rider of Balerion was King Aegon the Conqueror, who used the dragon to burn down the castles and cities of his enemies during the Targaryen conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. Balerion’s flames were so hot that they could melt steel, and its massive size and strength made it a formidable weapon on the battlefield.

After King Aegon’s death, Balerion was ridden by his son, King Maegor the Cruel. Maegor was known for his ruthless tactics and willingness to use Balerion to burn entire cities to the ground in order to quell rebellion. Balerion was the instrument of destruction during the rule of Maegor the Cruel.

In its later years, Balerion was ridden by Princess Aerea Targaryen, after Princess Aerea the Prince Viserys Targaryen rode the Balerion. Prince Viserys Targaryen played by Paddy Considine in House of The Dragon was the last rider of Balerion.

Balerion the Black Dread Size

Balerion the Black Dread was a big dragon, even by dragon standards. It is said that Balerion’s wingspan was so vast that it could blot out the sun, and its body was large enough to easily swallow a horse. His teeth were as large as sword. Appearance wise Balerion’s scales and wings were Black. The exact size of Balerion is not known, but it is believed to have been significantly larger than the other dragons of its time. In fact, many stories and legends tell of Balerion’s size and power, describing it as a monstrous beast that struck fear into the hearts of all who saw it. Despite its enormous size, Balerion was also incredibly agile and fast, able to outmaneuver and outpace its enemies in combat.

Also Read: Aegon the Conqueror | Fire and Blood

Balerion the Black Dread size Comparision

Balerion the Black Dread, was Aegon’s personal mount and is regarded as the biggest dragon to have ever existed. Although he was never fully depicted on film, George R. R. Martin’s books and television productions have provided hints and descriptions that support this. Despite still being smaller than the Black Dread, Vhagar is recognised as the closest dragon to have ever matched Balerion’s size. Given that Balerion died some seven years before the events of the series, which is touched upon with the Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon. Vhagar is believed to be the biggest dragon in the world during the period of House of the Dragon.

it is generally accepted that Balerion was the largest of the three dragons ridden by the Targaryen kings, with Vhagar being the second largest and Meraxes being the smallest. According to the stories and legends, Balerion was significantly larger than Vhagar.

Also Read: What Happens in Vhagar Vs Caraxes Fight ? | House of the Dragon

Balerion the Black Dread Skull

Balerion’s skull was placed in the Red Keep’s throne room when he passed away as a reminder of the influence the Targaryens had there. He was after all the largest and most powerful dragon in the Targaryen dynasty’s history.

How Balerion the Black Dread Died?

Balerion passed away from old age in 94 AC. That indicates that Balerion, unlike the other dragons, who perished in battle, passed away from natural causes because he was already close to 200 years old. He became the only dragon in the Targaryen dynasty’s recorded history to pass away from old age. Balerion was also the last living creature to have personally experienced Valyria because it was born there before the Doom of Valyria, which occurred about 200 years ago.

Websites:
Wikipedia	House of the Dragon
HBO	Balerion the Black Dread