From Caraxes to Syrax: The deadliest dragons driving House Targaryen’s civil war in House of the Dragon Season 3

The war within House Targaryen has reached a point of no return. With immense implactions of characters' deaths, introductions and choice, the story culminates in a boiling point of little to no peaceful resolution at the end of House of the Dragon (HOTD) Season 3. At the heart of this war are the most consequential elements of the story — the Targaryen dragons. Across the third season the dragons have been the biggest deterrents proving to tbe the defining weapons of war and mass destruction and turmoil, even being pitted against one another due to the conflict.

With the devastating ending of the season, we witnessed many of these dragons in their full might, some much more than the others. As we look ahead to the final season of this Game of Thrones spin-off show, this makes for the perfect oppurtunity to recoup and take account of the most consequential dragons and rank them by the impact they have had this season.

As the Dance of the Dragons reaches a brutal crescendo, Season 3’s fiercest beasts—from Caraxes to Syrax—reshape the balance of power and leave House Targaryen’s civil war beyond any hope of peace. 

Lean, massive, red and almost serpentine in structure — Caraxes is ridden by King Consort Daemon Targaryen, whose battle experience and daunting nature is almost a mirror reflection of Daemon's ambitions. In this chapter of the Dance of the Dragons the duration within which this entire season is set, Caraxes plays a vital role in giving the offensive headstart to the Black faction of the Targaryen during Battle of Tumbleton a vital impact in the story brought about during the runtime of the final episode of the season.

While majestic and grand, Silverwing's rider Ulf the White betrayed the Blacks at the Battle of Tumbleton, deeply affecting the legitimacy of Rhaenyra Targaryen's ascent to the Iron Throne. Revealed at Ormund Hightower's secret piece to foil the Black's battle plan, Silverwing plays her part to terrifying perfection.

Sheepsteeler's wild tendencies paired with the inability of Rhaena Targaryen to tame him amount to huge plot progressions in HOTD Season 3. With Jacaerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra's eldest surviving son, being killed in the final minutes of the opening episode (during the Battle of the Gullet) in Season 3, Sheepstealers frantic movements and disobedients triggers an ariel chaos forcing Jacaerys and his dragon Vermax to fly dangerously low and eventually get attacked by the arrows launched by the enemy ships of the Greens. Jacaerys angers and saddens Rhaenyra, triggering an offensive step of measures taken by her causing the power in King's Landing to change subsequently.

Syrax, Rhaenyra Targaryen's trusted beast becomes the symbol of power when she approaches King's Landing with Daemon and his dragon Carxes by her side. Syrax also plays an important role later in the season when a greiving Rhaenyra comes to learn of Sheepstealer's rider's true identity — Rhaena. What follows then is a brawl between the dragons with Syrax initally subuing Sheepstealer and helping Rhaenyra escape with Rhaena and Caraxes ultimately maiming the untamed dragon forcing him to burrow back into an unknown location.

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