As Rhaenyra Targaryen continues plotting her next moves against the Greens in House of the Dragon season 2, her comments about a potential matchup reveal a harsh truth about Syrax. Not only is Syrax one of Team Black’s most significant assets, but she’s also Rhaenyra’s dragon, making her extra meaningful to the cause. Though dragons have been a significant aspect since the beginning of the Game of Thrones prequel series, action involving dragons has dramatically increased since House of the Dragon season 1’s shocking ending. The story is clearly setting up more dragon battles, but Syrax may want to stay out of the conflict.
Before residing in Dragonstone as part of Rhaenyra’s relocation, Syrax lived in King’s Landing’s Dragonpit. While it’s important dragonriders bond with their dragons, Rhaenyra’s link to Syrax was shown to be especially strong. When Rhaenyra suffered a miscarriage in House of the Dragon season 1, even Syrax experienced grief and pain. The same could be said when the pair searched for Luke and Arrax’s remains. That said, the trust surrounding Syrax might not translate as well in battle as Rhaenyra might be hoping.
Talk Of Syrax vs. Vhagar Highlights How Small Rhaenyra’s Dragon Really Is
Syrax’s Size Would Be A Major Disadvantage
Following the easy defeat of Arrax, Aemond Targaryen proved once again why Vhagar should be the most feared dragon within the realm. House of the Dragon season 2 already featured Aemond and Vhagar defeating Meleys in battle, leading to Rhaenys’ death. Despite that loss, Rhaenyra discusses using Syrax to fight Vhagar in season 2, episode 5, “Regent.” The problem is that House of the Dragon continues to highlight how much smaller Syrax is compared to Vhagar, even if Rhaenyra refuses to believe that fact.
When discussing the prospect with her son, Jace, Rhaenyra feels she’s running out of options. As she is struggling sitting on the sidelines while sending others to fight, Rhaenyra figures she might need to use Syrax to fight Vhagar. Syrax’s speed is mentioned, and while she might be fast, Syrax’s small size would be no match for Vhagar, especially alongside the lack of battle experience. Meleys’ defeat proved how easily Vhagar would destroy Syrax, considering Rhaenys’ dragon was bigger than Rhaenyra’s and more battle-ready.
Syrax Should Be A Lot Bigger In House Of The Dragon Season 2
Rhaenyra’s Dragon Has Hardly Grown
Oddly enough, Syrax’s size in House of the Dragon season 2 is a bit confusing based on earlier mentions of the dragon. In season 1, episode 1, it was mentioned that “Syrax is growing quickly” before it was revealed that she would grow to “be as large as Caraxes.” However, over two decades later, Syrax is nowhere near the size of Daemon’s dragon, Caraxes. In fact, she hardly seems to have grown since she was introduced in House of the Dragon’s first episode and is not presented as big as the A Song of Ice and Fire books have described.
What Happens To Syrax In The Dance Of The Dragons
Rhaenyra’s Dragon Had A Big Role During A Dragonpit Conflict
With Syrax serving as one of the prominent dragons featured in House of the Dragon, she’s obviously a vital element of the Dance of the Dragons. Syrax’s size and appearance might be slightly different when comparing the book series and the show, but it’s still unclear how House of the Dragon will depict the fate of Rhaenyra’s dragon. After Team Black took back King’s Landing during the Dance of the Dragons, Syrax was put in the Red Keep while other dragons were kept in the Dragonpit. At one point, a knight named Ser Byron Swann attempted to kill Syrax but ended up getting himself killed instead.
Sadly, Syrax still met a sad fate in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire lore. During the Storming of the Dragonpit, a prophet named Shepherd led a mob of angry King’s Landing citizens. Claiming the death of the dragons would lead to salvation, the mob broke into the Dragonpit, killing four dragons. Syrax was set loose from the Red Keep by Rhaenyra’s son, Joffrey, who was then killed when trying to mount the beast. The dragon tried to fight the crowd using her teeth and claws rather than dragonfire, but it wouldn’t be enough.
Syrax died during the Storming of the Dragonpit, but Martin’s stories have featured characters arguing about the actual cause of Syrax’s death. The tales involved an axe, Valyrian steel swords, and even Shepherd taking the dragon down himself. The important point was that Rhaenyra’s dragon was gone. She suffered several significant losses before fleeing King’s Landing, which then set up who eventually won the Dance of the Dragons. It’s likely House of the Dragon season 3’s story or a future installment will feature the Storming of the Dragonpit. If so, it could easily become one of the most impactful moments in the franchise’s live-action adaptation.