This is a list of dragons in popular culture. Dragons in some form are nearly universal across cultures and as such have become a staple of modern popular culture, especially in the fantasy genre.
Dragons in fiction This list of dragons in fiction is a list of draconic characters that appear in various works of fiction. It is limited to well-referenced examples of dragons in literature, comics, film, television, animation and video games.
Dragons in literature Western literature tends either to affirm or pointedly subvert the traditional portrait of dragons from Western myth and folklore, as evil and greedy.
Name Source Author NotesAncalagon the BlackLegendariumJ.R.R. TolkienThe greatest of the winged dragons. Created by the Dark Lord Melkor and destroyed by Eärendil during the War of Wrath.Balerion A Song of Ice and FireGeorge R.R. MartinNicknamed the black dread, he was the greatest dragon in Westeros history. Ridden by Aegon I Targaryen.CaraxesA Song of Ice and Fire George R.R. MartinNicknamed the Blood Wyrm, he was a long serpentine red dragon. Ridden by Daemon Targaryen. Chrysophylax DivesFarmer Giles of HamTolkienJ. R. R. TolkienA wily dragon who loses a battle of wills to Farmer Giles.DagurashibanipalGrunts!Mary GentleAn ancient dragon, whose looted horde provides a tribe of orcs with the means to rise above their cannon-fodder station in the Evil Horde of Darkness.DragonJane and the DragonBayntonMartin BayntonAn orphaned 300-year-old dragon and friend of Jane. DrogonA Song of Ice and FireGeorge R. R. MartinA black-red dragon, hatched by Daenerys Targaryen. The largest and most vicious of her three dragons.Ember HillTalon SagaJulie KagawaModern dragon.ErrolPratchettTerry PratchettSmall, underdeveloped dragon given to the Watch of Ankh-Morpork as a mascot by Sybil Ramkin.FaranthMcCaffreyAnne McCaffreyThe last gold dragon hatched from the first dragon hatching on Pern, and the most influential dragon in Pernese history.FírnenPaoliniChristopher PaoliniA green, young, and kind dragon who has Arya as his rider.FitzMiss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British DragonsQuenby OlsonThe first dragon hatched in at least a thousand years, when dragons have long been considered only myths.GlaedrBrisingrPaoliniChristopher PaoliniAn old, golden, and wise dragon who had Oromis as his rider.GlaurungTolkienJ. R. R. TolkienA wingless dragon who is the first of the dragons, and the main antagonist in the tale of The Children of Húrin. Can manipulate human minds.GleepMythAdventuresRobert AsprinA baby dragon who befriends the series protagonist Skeeve.GriffinGriffin the DragonKen MaskA dragon who learns morals from wrongdoing, such as lying and bullying.Heavenly BeingsSorcerous Stabber OrphenYoshinobu AkitaHumanlike dragons.IcefyreHobbRobin HobbA black male dragon buried under ice who breaks free to mate with Tintaglia, a blue dragon, to save the dragon race.IgjarjukMemory, Sorrow, & ThornWilliamsAn ancient ice dragon who dwells far in the north of Osten Ard.KatlaLindgrenAstrid LindgrenA fictional female dragon from the Swedish children's book.KazulPatricia C. WredeA fictional dragon from the young adult fantasy novel, Dealing with Dragons, the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles series. The novel chronicles the adventures of the princess Cimorene, who escapes her ordinary family to become the princess of the dragon Kazul. Kazul assigns Cimorene to cook for her and organize her library and treasure hoard.MeleysA Song of Ice & FireGeorge R. R. MartinA huge scarlet she dragon with pink membranes nicknamed the Red Queen. She was ridden by the queen who never was, Rhaenys Targaryen.MeraxesA Song of Ice & FireGeorge R. R. MartinOne of Aegon I Targaryen's Dragons. A silver she dragon ridden by his sisterwife, Rhaenys Targaryen.MnementhMcCaffreyAnne McCaffreyA bronze dragon ridden by F'lar, Weyrleader of Benden Weyr.Montague Bunsen-BurnerDragon BoyKing-SmithDick King-SmithA dragon on a human-free diet who finds and raises an orphaned boy John. He has a wife named Albertina and gains a daughter named Lucky.MoonBaby Unicorn and Baby DragonMarzolloJean MarzolloA young dragon named for the crescent mark on his head. Became a great friend of Star after the Eight-Horn Friendship Spell in the prequel The Baby Unicorn.Unnamed dragonBeowulfUnknownA dragon who battles with and is slain by Beowulf.NinerThe Eyes of The DragonStephen KingA dragon slain by King Roland, ruler of Delain, the head of which hangs as a trophy in the King's study. Through a secret passageway, one can peer through the eyes of the dragon head and into the King's quarters. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneRowlingJ.K. RowlingPreviously named Norbert, she is a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon that Hagrid acquired as an egg from a stranger in the Hog's Head. Hagrid raises Norbert until Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally persuade Hagrid to send the dragon to Ron's older brother Charlie. Hagrid later learns that the dragon is female and has been renamed Norberta.PyralspiteHomestuckAndrew HussieThe companion of Neophyte Redglare.RamothMcCaffreyAnne McCaffreyThe golden queen dragon ridden by Lessa of Benden Weyr and Ruatha Hold.Reluctant DragonThe Reluctant Dragon (short story)Kenneth GrahameA friendly and intelligent poetry-loving dragon.RhaegalA Song of Ice and FireGeorge R. R. MartinA green-bronze dragon, recently hatched by Daenerys Targaryen.RuthMcCaffreyAnne McCaffreyA white dragon, one of a kind in Pern, ridden by Lord Jaxom of Ruatha Hold. Has an unusually acute memory. Instrumental in the final end of Thread.SaphiraEragonPaoliniChristopher PaoliniA kind, fierce, and blue dragon who has Eragon as her rider.SelendrileDragon's BaitVivian Vande VeldeA dragon with shapeshifting powers who decides to help a woman get revenge on the villagers who sacrificed her to him after she was accused of witchcraft.SlathbogSlathbog's GoldMark FormanAn evil dragon with a large hoard of gold, who Alex and his company of Adventurers seek to kill for his evil deeds and to take the hoard for themselves. Alex kills him after looking him in the eye to prove dominance over him.ShurakaiMemory, Sorrow, & ThornWilliamsThe great red dragon of the Hayholt, who was eventually turned into the Dragonbone Chair, and killed three kings of the Hayholt before being mythically slain by High King Prester John.SmaugTolkienJ. R. R. TolkienA greedy and wicked golden-red dragon who slaughtered Thrór's dwarf clan along with the town of Dale and took the dwarves' treasure. As Bilbo Baggins talked with Smaug, he found a weak spot in Smaug's impenetrable scales. Hearing this from the Thrush, the archer Bard killed Smaug.SparklesGoosebumps Series 2000: Be Afraid — Be Very Afraid!R.L. StineSparkles is a sentient dragon who was drawn by Emily to play in Connor's board game, which his friends insist on playing, despite his objections. Emily draws the cards needed to become a dragon, and the dragon manifests in reality before being defeated after Connor slides the dragon's cards back into the box.SunfyreA Song of Ice and FireGeorge R.R. MartinNicknamed Sunfyre the Golden, he was a gold dragon with pink wing membranes and ridden by King Aegon II Targaryen. SyraxA Song of Ice and FireGeorge R.R. MartinSyrax was a yellow dragoness rode by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.TemeraireTemeraireNovikNaomi NovikA black Chinese Celestial whose captain is William Laurence.Terezi's LususHomestuckAndrew HussieUnborn parent figure and psychic mentor to Terezi Pyrope.ThornEldestPaoliniChristopher PaoliniA red, immature, and vicious dragon who has Murtagh as his rider.TintagliaHobbRobin HobbA female blue dragon, believed to be the last of her kind. She ultimately mates with Icefyre and saves the dragon race.EldraxRobert MunschRobert MunschA dragon who destroys Princess Elizabeth's kingdom and kidnaps her beloved Prince Ronald. Princess Elizabeth defeats the dragon by getting him to show off his full skills, exhausting him.ViserionA Song of Ice and FireGeorge R. R. MartinA cream-white dragon, recently hatched by Daenerys Targaryen.VhagarA Song of Ice and FireGeorge R. R. MartinOne of the dragons of Aegon I Targaryen. A bronze she-dragon rode by his sisterwife Visenya Targaryen. Was also ridden by Laena Velayron and Aemond Targaryen. Various dragonsThe Frog Princess (novel) and its sequelsE. D. BakerVarious dragons with the ability to speak; some can transform into humans and back.Various dragonsTalon SagaJulie KagawaVarious dragons can shift into human form and act like them.Various dragonsWings of Fire (novel series)Tui T. SutherlandEpic children's fantasy series which features dragons as the heroes of each story.VillentretenmerthThe Witcher, Sword of DestinyAndrzej SapkowskiA golden dragon, possibly the only of his kind, who travels with a pair of Zerrikania warrior woman while shapeshifted and assuming the false name Borch three Jackdaws. FestusThe Heroes of OlympusRick RiordanA mechanical dragon, made by the ninth cabin to protect Camp Half-blood. In The Lost Hero, it was found by Leo.ZogZog (children's book)Julia DonaldsonA keen yet accident prone young dragon trying to earn a gold star at dragon school; also an animated short film by the BBC.
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Dragons in comics Dragons appear in various manga and American comics, in the form of comic books, comic strips and webcomics.