Warning! This article contains spoilers for Fire and Blood, and House of the Dragon.

Summary

• 20 dragons are alive at the beginning of the Dance of Dragons, with only 4 surviving.
• The surviving dragons have varying fates after the war, some linked to their riders.
• Dragons go extinct after the reign of King Aegon III, around 20 years after House of the Dragon's events.

Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of Dragons catalyzes the downfall of both the great Westerosi House and their fire-breathing companions.

With House of the Dragon season 2 accelerating the conflict between Aegon and Rhaenyra, the burning question is how many dragons will survive the very war their name is lent to. At the beginning of House of the Dragon, at least according to George R. R. Martin's House of the Dragon's biggest creatures can be, it is no shock that only four survive beyond the Dance.

4 Dragons Survive The Dance Of The Dragons

The Majority Of Dragons Meet Their End During The Targaryen Civil War

By the time the Dance of Dragons' ended in 131 AC, four dragons were left standing. These dragons were Sheepstealer and Cannibal, two of the wild dragons of Dragonstone at the onset of the Dance, alongside Silverwing and Morning. Beginning with the wild dragons, Cannibal is one of the few beasts who was not actively involved in the Dance. His name comes from his tendency to feast on the bodies of dead dragons on the island of Dragonstone, with no one brave enough to attempt to tame him for either the Greens or the Blacks.

Sheepstealer was again aptly named for the stealing of sheep on and around Dragonstone. In Fire and Blood, Sheepstealer is tamed by a dragonseed named Nettles, with the two fighting for Rhaenyra Targaryen during the Dance. House of the Dragon's Sheepstealer is different from this, instead existing in the Vale.

The other two dragons, Silverwing and Morning, were more domesticated. Silverwing was ridden by Ulf White in the Dance of Dragons, a dragonseed teased in House of the Dragon season 2. Finally, Morning hatched from an egg during the war, likely one of the four sent to the Vale in House of the Dragon season 2. In Fire and Blood, Morning is ridden by Rhaena Targaryen.

House of the Dragon has removed Nettles from the story, likely combining it with that of Rhaena Targaryen.

What Happens To The Targaryen Civil War's Surviving Dragons

The Fates Of The Surviving Dragons Explained

Concerning what became of these dragons, their fates vary. As alluded to, Sheepstealer was claimed by a dragonseed named Nettles, with both surviving the war. After the Dance concludes, the two fly off deep into the Mountains of the Moon in the Vale, never to be seen again. There are rumors in Martin's universe that one of the clans of the Vale worshiped a "fire-witch" who would test their manhood by facing her dragon's flames. Many believed these rumors to reference Sheepstealer and Nettles.

Regarding Morning, the young dragon continued to live with Rhaena until its death...

The other surviving wild dragon, the Cannibal, simply vanished after the war and was only rumored to be seen again briefly during the funeral of Corlys Velaryon. Silverwing, after the death of Ulf White, returned to the wilderness during the reign of King Aegon III. Silverwing lived on a small island in Red Lake, in the northwest section of the Reach. Regarding Morning, the young dragon continued to live with Rhaena until its death sometime between 136AC and 153AC.

How Long After House Of The Dragon Do Dragons Become Extinct

The Dragons Do Not Live For Long After The Targaryen Civil War

Game of Thrones established that dragons have been extinct for a while at the onset of the series, begging the question of exactly when they went extinct from Westeros. After the death of the surviving dragons from the Dance, only one further dragon egg hatched in 153AC. This dragon was a sickly, deformed creature that died shortly after hatching, marking the extinction of dragons in Westeros.

The king at the time was King Aegon III, the son of Rhaenyra and Daemon. Due to the dragons dying out under his reign, Aegon was dubbed Dragonbane. After this point, dragons remained extinct until the hatching of Daenerys' dragon eggs in Game of Thrones, almost 150 years later, explaining why this was such a monumental event in the original show and Martin's books. Despite four dragons surviving the events of House of the Dragon, they were not enough to prevent their extinction.