Sunfyre in House of the Dragon Season 2: The Dragon Everyone's Talking About

Summary

• House of the Dragon wouldn't be House of the Dragon without dragons.
• And yet the dragon that belongs to Aegon himself was underused in the first season.
• All indications are that it will be a major threat to the blacks in the new season.

Soon, the second season of House of the Dragon will hit our small screens, two years after the first season premiered. Fan excitement is only growing as the first season ended with the shocking and incredibly tragic deaths of Lucerys Velaryon and Arrax — the last straw before the massive conflict between the blacks and the greens escalates. Nothing but fratricidal bloodshed and devastation awaits the lands of Westeros.

Another reason for such high anticipation is that the new season promises to deliver not only more powerful drama, but also a slew of memorable action scenes. And of course, what is the Dance of the Dragons without the dragons themselves? Fans are looking forward to the appearance of old and new fire-breathing creatures, but judging by the mood, most people are waiting for the appearance of Aegon's dragon — Sunfyre.

But why is it Sunfyre who is getting the attention of the fans? Let's get to the bottom of it.

The Most Beautiful Dragon Ever Seen

First, it's worth talking about what Sunfyre is in general. Martin does not specify when exactly Aegon's dragon hatched, but the author does indicate that it is a very young dragon, younger even than Daeron's Tessarion.

And yet it is Sunfyre who is the magnificent symbol of Aegon Targaryen's greatness, admirable yet terrifying in appearance. He is described as having shimmering golden scales and pale pink membranes on his wings that both delight and terrify those around him. He is also, according to Archmaester Gyldayn, the most beautiful dragon he has ever seen.

Underwhelming Appearance in Season 1

Such an influential dragon just couldn't be left out of the show, so we were all looking forward to Sunfyre's appearance in the first season. But the revelation turned out to be underwhelming, as it was impossible to capture the beaty of the dragon for three seconds.

And yet, we'll see him many more times! Without spoiling anything for those unfamiliar with the source material, Aegon first appears on the battlefield in Fire & Blood riding an inexperienced Sunfyre shortly after the deaths of Lucerys and Arrax.

Given that Sunfyre's paltry three-second appearance last time polarized opinions, the VFX team will have to work extra hard to convince viewers that he is indeed 'the most beautiful dragon' this time around.

Is Sunfyre Getting a Redesign?

Incidentally, one of the reasons Sunfyre was neglected last season may have been that while the concept was elaborate and undeniably beautiful, Sunfyre's final appearance fell short of expectations. Looks like we're in for a major redesign — it's about time we had someone to outshine Syrax on screen!

This is nothing more than speculation, so take the following with a grain of salt, but fans have spotted one notable thing that could possibly prove to be confirmation of the upcoming dragon redesign.

Coinciding with the release of the final episodes of the first season in October 2022, the official House of the Dragon Instagram account shared a series of stories featuring dragons and their dragonriders. The selection includes every dragon known at the time of the show, from the long-dead Balerion to Syrax and Vhagar, and even Arrax.

The only ones not on the list were Helena with her Dreamfyre and, as you might have guessed, Aegon with Sunfyre. It looks like not only will we get more time with the majestic dragon, but the dragon will finally and deservedly become the main protagonist of the show.

Well, we'll soon see how Sunfyre transforms — after all, Vhagar isn't the only popular dragon! The second season of House of the Dragon will premiere on June 16 on HBO and Max.