The House of the Dragon season 2 trailers have shown a glimpse at Aegon II’s dragon, revealing an unfortunate, harsh reality after several years of waiting. The show’s first season saw events building up toward a Targaryen civil war called the Dance of the Dragons. The two factions, Blacks and Greens, are represented by Rhaenyra Targaryen and Aegon II, both of whom believe themselves the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegon was primarily characterized by his apathy and irresponsibility in season 1, but the appearance of his dragon indicates he could see some action going forward.
The House of the Dragon season 1 ending saw war become inevitable when Aemond Targaryen and his dragon Vhagar killed Lucerys Velaryon. With season 2’s reduced count of eight episodes and the Dance of the Dragons beginning, the upcoming conflict should see dragon combat happen more frequently, and thus, more dragons will be introduced. Season 1 already saw a significant number compared to Game of Thrones, but there are still several dragons that have yet to be shown, from those bonded members of the Targaryen family to the untamed dragons on Dragonstone.
Out of all the dragons in House of the Dragon, Aegon’s dragon, Sunfyre, is known explicitly for its vibrant gold color and is noted in Fire & Blood as being the most beautiful dragon in the world. Especially after the epic but relatively non-colorful dragons in Game of Thrones, the hype around Sunfyre made it one of the most anticipated in House of the Dragon. The HBO series succeeded in demonstrating variety with Caraxes, Syrax, and Vhagar, but making a dragon stand out for being especially beautiful is an immense challenge while maintaining the show’s tone.
The Game of Thrones universe is undoubtedly fantasy, but the TV shows have a reputation for gritty, almost realistic tones. While it’s hard to make dragons realistic, there’s a stark difference between having a black-scaled dragon like Drogon and a glittering gold dragon like Sunfyre. The design they ultimately ended up with for Sunfyre looks excellent, but it doesn’t live up to the book’s description or stand out with much significant beauty. However, it’s important to remember Fire & Blood is a fictional historical text, so certain elements being exaggerated to fit the historians’ narratives makes sense.
In an interview with EW, House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal explained the strategy in Sunfyre’s design, saying, “I think it was incumbent upon us to try to rise and meet that challenge, but doing so in a way that didn’t seem like we were making a dragon from a different show — a ‘fantasy dragon,’ for lack of a better word.” Audiences still haven’t seen a clear look at Sunfyre in the trailers and will likely have to wait until House of the Dragon season 2 to see him. Regardless, toning down the book’s appearance is an understandable decision.
Sources: EW