Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

'Game of Thrones' fan theory claims Daenerys Targaryen's dragons are a different creature altogether

Dragons are traditionally supposed to have four legs, not two, as is the case for Daenerys's creatures

Clémence Michallon
Paris
Thursday 27 December 2018 12:40 EST
Comments
Game of Thrones final season teaser trailer released

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

By now, Daenerys Targaryen's affinity with dragons is one of the best known facts in the Game of Thrones universe – but a fan theory now suggests the creatures aren't actually dragons.

Reddit user 4h0y1m4p1r4t3 pointed out on the platform that, in most fantasy works, dragons are meant to have four legs and wings.

Creatures with two legs and wings – such as Daenerys's "dragons" in the show – are instead known as wyverns.

While the observations were initially related to the video game Skyrim, another Reddit user was prompt to draw a link with Game of Thrones, writing: "Oh s***.

"[Today I learned] Daenerys is not the Mother of Dragons but the Mother of Wyverns."

The mythical creatures controlled by Emilia Clarke's character on the cult HBO show have two legs, meaning they would technically qualify as wyverns, not dragons.

Several fan websites, however, claim that George R R Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, on which the show is based, deliberately gave his dragons two legs instead of four because he believed that made more biological sense.

Game of Thrones's eighth and final season is currently scheduled to air in April 2019.

Clarke previously described how the production team heightened its attention to detail while filming the last season, to end on a high note.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“Everything feels more intense," she told Entertainment Weekly.

"I had a scene with someone and I turned to him and said, ‘Oh my God, I’m not going to do this ever again,’ and that brings tears to my eyes.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in