Overview

A war fought from dragonback

The Dance of the Dragons was a brutal Targaryen succession war fought between the factions known as the Blacks and the Greens. Triggered by competing claims to the Iron Throne after the death of King Viserys I Targaryen, the conflict saw dragon battle dragon across Westeros. The war resulted in the deaths of many dragons and members of House Targaryen, permanently weakening the dynasty and accelerating the decline of dragons in the Seven Kingdoms. The events are depicted in Fire & Blood and adapted in House of the Dragon.

At its heart the Dance was a clash of cousins and kin — the children of Viserys I Targaryen set against one another. Trace the rivals through the House Targaryen family tree or follow the beasts they rode in the Targaryen dragon lineage.

Category: Event
Universe: A Song of Ice and Fire
Period: Targaryen Era (129–131 AC)
Type: Civil War

Two crowns, one throne

The Blacks and the Greens

House Targaryen split into two factions, each with its own claimant, banner, and dragons.

The Blacks

Led by Rhaenyra Targaryen · Seat of Dragonstone

Loyalists to Rhaenyra Targaryen, the firstborn child whom King Viserys I named his heir. Centred on Dragonstone and backed by House Velaryon's fleet and the realm's most numerous dragonriders.

Dragons of The Blacks

Vermithor

The Bronze Fury

Ridden by Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Hugh Hammer

Syrax

Ridden by Rhaenyra Targaryen

Caraxes

The Blood Wyrm

Ridden by Prince Aemon Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen

Meleys

The Red Queen

Ridden by Alyssa Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen (the Queen Who Never Was)

Silverwing

Ridden by Alysanne Targaryen, Ulf the White

Seasmoke

Ridden by Laenor Velaryon, Addam of Hull

Vermax

Ridden by Jacaerys Velaryon

Arrax

Ridden by Lucerys Velaryon

Tyraxes

Ridden by Joffrey Velaryon

Moondancer

Ridden by Baela Targaryen

Stormcloud

Ridden by Aegon III Targaryen

Key riders

Rhaenyra Targaryen on Syrax — The Black Queen, named heir of Viserys I.Devoured by Sunfyre on the orders of Aegon II.
Daemon Targaryen on Caraxes — Prince Consort and warlord of the Blacks.Died slaying Vhagar above the God's Eye.
Rhaenys Targaryen on Meleys — The Queen Who Never Was.Slain with Meleys at the Battle of Rook's Rest.
Jacaerys Velaryon on Vermax — Heir to the Iron Throne under Rhaenyra.Killed at the Battle of the Gullet.
Lucerys Velaryon on Arrax — Envoy to Storm's End.Killed by Aemond and Vhagar — the spark of open war.
Baela Targaryen on Moondancer — Daughter of Daemon and Laena.Survived; her young dragon died crippling Sunfyre.
Addam of Hull on Seasmoke — Dragonseed legitimized as a Velaryon.Fell at the Second Battle of Tumbleton.
Hugh Hammer on Vermithor — Dragonseed turned Two Betrayer.Defected to the Greens; killed at Tumbleton.

The Greens

Led by Aegon II Targaryen · Seat of King's Landing

Supporters of Aegon II, Viserys I's eldest son, crowned in King's Landing by Queen Alicent Hightower and the Small Council. Holders of the Iron Throne, the City Watch, and the largest living dragon, Vhagar.

Dragons of The Greens

Vhagar

Ridden by Visenya Targaryen, Laena Velaryon, Aemond Targaryen

Sunfyre

The Golden

Ridden by Aegon II Targaryen

Dreamfyre

Ridden by Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys), Helaena Targaryen

Tessarion

The Blue Queen

Ridden by Daeron Targaryen

Shrykos

Ridden by Jaehaera Targaryen

Morghul

Ridden by Maelor Targaryen

Key riders

Aegon II Targaryen on Sunfyre — The self-crowned King, the Elder.Poisoned at war's end and succeeded by Aegon III.
Aemond Targaryen on Vhagar — Prince Regent and the Greens' deadliest rider.Died duelling Daemon above the God's Eye.
Helaena Targaryen on Dreamfyre — Queen to Aegon II.Took her own life after the murder of her son.
Daeron Targaryen on Tessarion — The Daring, youngest son of Viserys I.Slain at the Second Battle of Tumbleton.

The dragons

Beasts of the Dance

Dragon set upon dragon for the first time in Westerosi history. Few survived the fire.

The Blacks

Vermithor

The Bronze Fury

Ridden by Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Hugh Hammer

Syrax

Ridden by Rhaenyra Targaryen

Caraxes

The Blood Wyrm

Ridden by Prince Aemon Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen

Meleys

The Red Queen

Ridden by Alyssa Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen (the Queen Who Never Was)

Silverwing

Ridden by Alysanne Targaryen, Ulf the White

Seasmoke

Ridden by Laenor Velaryon, Addam of Hull

Vermax

Ridden by Jacaerys Velaryon

Arrax

Ridden by Lucerys Velaryon

Tyraxes

Ridden by Joffrey Velaryon

Moondancer

Ridden by Baela Targaryen

Stormcloud

Ridden by Aegon III Targaryen

The Greens

Vhagar

Ridden by Visenya Targaryen, Laena Velaryon, Aemond Targaryen

Sunfyre

The Golden

Ridden by Aegon II Targaryen

Dreamfyre

Ridden by Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys), Helaena Targaryen

Tessarion

The Blue Queen

Ridden by Daeron Targaryen

Shrykos

Ridden by Jaehaera Targaryen

Morghul

Ridden by Maelor Targaryen

Important battles

The turning points

From the first dragon to fall over Storm's End to the duel above the God's Eye.

Death over Storm's End

129 AC

Shipbreaker Bay

Aemond's Vhagar hunted down Lucerys Velaryon and Arrax, killing the boy and his dragon. The first dragon to die turned a cold war into open slaughter.

Vhagar Arrax

Battle of Rook's Rest

130 AC

The Crownlands

Aegon II and Aemond ambushed Rhaenys and Meleys. The Red Queen was slain, Sunfyre was crippled, and Aegon II was burned near to death.

Meleys Sunfyre Vhagar

Battle of the Gullet

130 AC

Mouth of Blackwater Bay

A savage sea battle against the Triarchy's fleet. The Blacks held Westeros's shores but lost Jacaerys Velaryon and his dragon Vermax.

Vermax

First Battle of Tumbleton

130 AC

The Reach

The dragonseeds Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White betrayed the Blacks, turning Vermithor and Silverwing against Rhaenyra and sacking the town.

Vermithor Silverwing Tessarion

Battle Above the God's Eye

130 AC

Isle of Faces

The most famous duel of the war. Daemon and Caraxes fell upon Aemond and Vhagar over the great lake; all four perished, ending the Greens' aerial dominance.

Caraxes Vhagar

Storming of the Dragonpit

130 AC

King's Landing

A maddened mob broke into the Dragonpit and killed the chained dragons within — Dreamfyre, Shrykos, Morghul, and Tyraxes — gutting the bloodline in a single night.

Dreamfyre Tyraxes Shrykos Morghul

Timeline

How the Dance unfolded

129 ACDeath of Viserys I
King Viserys I Targaryen dies. The Greens crown Aegon II in King's Landing while the Blacks crown Rhaenyra on Dragonstone — two monarchs, one throne.
129 ACFirst dragon falls
Aemond and Vhagar kill Lucerys Velaryon and Arrax over Storm's End, igniting the war in earnest.
130 ACBlood and Cheese
Assassins sent by Daemon murder Prince Jaehaerys in the Red Keep, answering blood with blood.
130 ACBattle of Rook's Rest
Meleys is slain, Sunfyre crippled, and Aegon II gravely burned.
130 ACThe Sowing of the Seeds
Rhaenyra calls dragonseeds to claim the riderless dragons of Dragonstone — Seasmoke, Vermithor, and Silverwing find new riders.
130 ACFall of King's Landing
Rhaenyra takes the capital and sits the Iron Throne — briefly.
130 ACBattle Above the God's Eye
Daemon and Aemond destroy one another over the Isle of Faces.
130 ACStorming of the Dragonpit
The smallfolk of King's Landing rise and slaughter the dragons housed in the city.
130 ACDeath of Rhaenyra
Aegon II feeds Rhaenyra to Sunfyre on the shores of Dragonstone before her son.
131 ACThe Hour of the Wolf
Aegon II is poisoned and the boy-king Aegon III is crowned, ending the Dance. Fewer than a handful of dragons survive.

Consequences

The price of the Dance

The war ended in 131 AC, but its shadow fell across the rest of Targaryen history.

The dragons all but died

Of the score of dragons alive at the war's start, only a handful survived. None of the great beasts of legend remained, and the last Targaryen dragon would die within a generation.