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Who can ride a dragon, and what actually makes a dragonseed?Fiction

In-universe lore. Claims are judged against the fiction's own canon, not the real world.

During the Dance of the Dragons one side had more dragons than riders, so it threw the saddle open to anyone willing to risk it. Sixteen men died, four riders emerged, and the history never says why those four.

7 established, 3 disputed, 1 debunked, 3 unresolved. We do not pick an answer; the evidence places each claim. How we decide

32 citations from 6 independent sources - 26 echo the same voices and count once. Graded A1-D1.

Added 4 Aug 2026 - canon current as of 4 Aug 2026

What the four states mean
  • Establishedsupported, uncontested
  • Disputedcredible sources disagree
  • Debunkedrefuted by the evidence
  • Unresolvedno settled answer

Established 7supported, uncontested

  • Nettles took her dragon by feeding it. She left out a freshly slaughtered sheep for Sheepstealer every morning, causing the dragon to grow accustomed to her presence, until he allowed her to mount him.▰▰▰▱▱ likely2 points
    Supports
  • On when and how various Targaryens have become dragonriders, the answer given is that it varies, on the model of real world horse riders: some begin very young, some as teenagers, some not until adulthood.▰▰▰▱▱ likely2 points
    Supports
  • Addam and Alyn had silver hair and purple eyes, and no man who looked upon them could doubt they were dragonseed, yet Addam won Seasmoke while Alyn sought Grey Ghost and could not find him, was burned when Sheepstealer set fire to his cloak, and carried the scars for the rest of his life.▰▰▱▱▱ likely3 points
    Supports
    • That Addam and Alyn were dragonseed no man who looked upon them could doubt, though their mother steadfastly refused to name their father.Addam Velaryon - A Wiki of Ice and Fire, writings of Gyldayn primary
    • Addam managed to win Laenor Velaryon's old dragon Seasmoke, and Alyn sought the wild dragon Grey Ghost but could not find him. He then attempted to tame the wild dragon Sheepstealer. When he entered his lair, the dragon set fire to his cloak. His brother Addam used his own cloak to beat out the flames, while Seasmoke drove off Sheepstealer. While Alyn was burned and scarred by the experience, he counted himself fortunate to have lived, as other dragonseed and seekers who had aspired to ride Sheepstealer ended being eaten by him instead.Alyn Velaryon - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • Alyn and his brother Addam had silver hair and purple eyes. They were small and quick like their mother, Marilda of Hull. After his failed attempt to tame the dragon Sheepstealer, Alyn carried scars from the dragonflame on his back and legs for the rest of his life.Alyn Velaryon - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
  • The term names a bastard of Valyrian descent fathered in the islands in the Blackwater Bay, including Dragonstone and Driftmark. Such bastards were said to be born of dragonseed, and in time became known as dragonseeds or seeds.▰▰▱▱▱ likely2 points
    Supports
    • Dragonseeds is a term to describe the bastards of Valyrian descent who are fathered in the islands in the Blackwater Bay, including Dragonstone and Driftmark. They are sometimes also called "seeds" for short.Dragonseed - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • A child born of the union was greatly valued, and the lord would grant the mother generous gifts of gold and silk and land. The bastards were said to be "born of dragonseed", and in time, became known as "dragonseeds" or "seeds".Dragonseed - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
  • The call went out to all dragonseeds, with knighthood, lands and wealth promised to anyone who could master a dragon. Household knights, squires, scullions, sailors, mummers and two maids made attempts as well, and according to Munkun's True Telling sixteen men died and forty-eight were burned or maimed.▰▰▱▱▱ likely3 points
    Supports
    • Regardless, a call was made out to all "dragonseeds", Targaryen bastards or their descendants. Prince Jacaerys promised knighthood, lands and wealth to anyone who could master a dragon.Sowing - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • The attempt of the many men and some women to claim a dragon became known as the Sowing. Besides "dragonseeds", a score of Rhaenyra's household knights, including Ser Steffon Darklyn, made an attempt, as did squires, scullions, sailors, men-at-arms, mummers, and two of Rhaenyra's maids.Sowing - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • According to Munkun's True Telling, sixteen men died during the Sowing, and forty-eight men were burned or maimed. One of those who died was Ser Steffon Darklyn, who attempted to mount Seasmoke but was burned to death. Lord Gormon Massey was burned to death in his attempt to claim Vermithor.Sowing - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
  • Four claimants bonded with dragons: Hugh Hammer, a blacksmith's bastard, with Vermithor, Ulf White, a man-at-arms, with Silverwing, Addam of Hull with Seasmoke, and Nettles with Sheepstealer.▰▰▱▱▱ likely2 points
    Supports
  • A prince who planned to tame at least one of Daenerys's dragons due to his Targaryen ancestry was bathed from behind with dragonfire and died three days later, covered in burns.▰▰▱▱▱ likely2 points
    Supports
    • Quentyn's companions are keen to return to Dorne, but the prince plans to tame at least one of Daenerys's dragons due to his Targaryen ancestry.Quentyn Martell - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • Gaining access to the dragons, Quentyn eventually attempts to tame Viserion, but Rhaegal bathes Quentyn from behind with dragonfire. The Windblown mercenaries flee, and both dragons escape. Missandei takes care of Quentyn, but he dies in Daenerys's bed three days later, covered in burns.Quentyn Martell - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis

Disputed 3credible sources disagree

  • None denied that Silver Denys had Valyrian blood, given his silver hair and purple eyes. He had his arm ripped off in his attempt to mount Sheepstealer, and while his sons were trying to staunch the wound the Cannibal descended on them and devoured him along with his sons. In the television version he steps forth to try and claim Vermithor, and the dragon immediately rejects him and burns him to death.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
    Supports
    • While none denied that Silver Denys had Valyrian blood due to his silver hair and purple eyes, his claim of being a descendant of Maegor is called into doubt as the king was infamously unable to produce a living heir, despite marrying multiple fertile women.Silver Denys - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • When Prince Jacaerys called for dragonriders, Denys had his arm ripped off in his attempt to mount Sheepstealer. While his sons were trying to staunch the wound, the Cannibal descended on them and devoured Denys along with his sons.Silver Denys - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • A dragonseed named Silver Denys steps forth to try and claim Vermithor, but the dragon immediately rejects him and burns him to death before unleashing a furious attack; killing dozens more in a fiery rampage.House of the Dragon, S2E7 'The Red Sowing' (HBO) - Wikipedia primary
  • Nettles is described as a small, skinny, brown-skinned girl with black hair and brown eyes. Rhaenyra's declaration is that you need only look at her to know she has no drop of dragon's blood in her, and that it was with spells that she bound a dragon to her. Separately from that declaration, readers are divided on Nettles' origins, some of them theorizing that she might not actually be Valyrian at all.▰▰▱▱▱ likely3 points
    Supports
    • Nettles was a small, skinny, brown-skinned girl, with black hair and brown eyes. She had crooked teeth and a scarred nose. According to Archmaester Gyldayn, she could not be called pretty.Nettles - A Wiki of Ice and Fire primary
    • She is a common thing, with the stink of sorcery upon her. My prince would ne'er lay with such a low creature. You need only look at her to know she has no drop of dragon's blood in her. It was with spells that she bound a dragon to her, and she has done the same with my lord husband.Nettles - A Wiki of Ice and Fire, declaration of Rhaenyra Targaryen primary
    • Readers are divided on Nettles' origins. Some speculated that Nettles was actually not a lover of Daemon Targaryen, but rather his secret bastard daughter, while others theorized that Nettles might not actually be Valyrian at all.Nettles - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
  • In the television version Rhaenyra searched through old family scrolls, learned that Ser Steffon Darklyn's grandmother's grandmother had been a Targaryen, and asked him to try to claim a dragon. That was entirely a creation of the series, and in both versions of the Sowing he died bathed in dragonflame.▰▰▱▱▱ likely1 source
    Supports
    • The prequel series began looking for new dragonriders by having Ser Steffon Darklyn be the first and only person to try and claim a dragon. That was entirely a House of the Dragon creation that changed the origins of the Sowing entirely. Rhaenyra specifically asked her Lord Commander to try after searching through old family scrolls following an idea by her son Jace. She learned Steffon's grandmother's grandmother had been a Targaryen. In both versions of the Sowing Ser Steffon died bathed in dragonflame.How HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Changed 'The Red Sowing' From the Book - Nerdist analysis

Debunked 1refuted by the evidence

  • A long-standing theory holds that Targaryens are the only people in Westeros who can ride and command dragons. Dragonriders could be found among the dragonlord families in the Valyrian Freehold, of which the Targaryens were one and far from the most powerful, and the Valyrian House Velaryon, which had not been one of the dragonlord families, welcomed Laena Velaryon as a dragonrider.Refuted byA dragonrider is a person whose mount is a dragon. Dragonriders could be found among the dragonlord families in the Valyrian Freehold, when the Freehold was still strong. The Targaryens were one of these dragonlord families, although far from the most powerful, and were the last known dragonriders to survive the Doom of Valyria and its aftermath.refuted2 against3 points
    The claim rested on
    Refuted by
    • A dragonrider is a person whose mount is a dragon. Dragonriders could be found among the dragonlord families in the Valyrian Freehold, when the Freehold was still strong. The Targaryens were one of these dragonlord families, although far from the most powerful, and were the last known dragonriders to survive the Doom of Valyria and its aftermath.Dragonrider - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • Around that year, the Valyrian House Velaryon, who had not been one of dragonlord families, also welcomed as a dragonrider Laena Velaryon, daughter of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.Dragonrider - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis

Unresolved 3no settled answer

  • Whether the successful claimants truly had Targaryen blood, and whether that ancestry is what let them master the dragons, is left unconfirmed.▰▰▱▱▱ likely2 points
    Supports
    • It is unconfirmed if the successful candidates truly had Targaryen blood, or if they did, if that ancestry is what allowed them to master the dragons. But whatever their origin in truth, the successful baseborn dragonriders were called dragonseeds for the remainder of the war and within historical records.Dragonseed - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
    • It is generally believed that Valyrian heritage plays a part in being able to bond with a dragon. In the Valyrian Freehold, the dragonlord families frequently married brother to sister to keep the bloodline pure, and during the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon called upon Targaryen bastards and their descendants, the so-called "dragonseeds", to try and mount one of the six riderless dragons on Dragonstone. Still, people with no known or uncertain Valyrian descent also made attempts to claim dragons during that time. Nevertheless, the possession of Valyrian blood (no matter how direct) is not a guarantee that bonding with a dragon will be successful.Dragonrider - A Wiki of Ice and Fire analysis
  • One account of a claiming offers boldness, madness, fortune, the will of the gods and the caprice of dragons as things to call it, rather than a mechanism, and asks who can know the mind of such a beast.▰▰▱▱▱ likely1 source
    Supports
    • Even for a son of House Targaryen, there are always dangers in approaching a dragon, particularly an old, bad-tempered dragon who has recently lost her rider. [...] Call it boldness, call it madness, call it fortune or the will of the gods or the caprice of dragons. Who can know the mind of such a beast? We do know this: Vhagar roared, lurched to her feet, shook violently... then snapped her chains and flew. And the boy prince Aemond Targaryen became a dragonrider.Dragonrider - A Wiki of Ice and Fire, words of Gyldayn primary
  • Neither the book nor the series explains the specifics. The stated aim across the arc of new riders claiming dragons was to show that it is different every time, and the rules are deliberately left unexplained as one of the great mysteries of the world.▰▰▱▱▱ likely3 points
    Supports

Spotted an error, or have a source to add? (tell us which claim). Missing a topic? .

asoiafgame of thronesdance of the dragonshouse of the dragonfire and bloodtargaryendragons

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