Sunfyre

"Sunfyre - Said to be the most beautiful creature to command the airs."

―Munkun^[src]

Sunfyre,^[c] also known as Sunfyre the Golden,^[2] was a dragon bred by House Targaryen. He was bonded to King Aegon II Targaryen and the third dragon to die during the Dance of the Dragons.

Biography

Background

Sunfyre is said to be the most eye-catching of the dragons. He has golden scales that glisten in the sunlight,^[2] pink wings,^[4] amber eyes, and orange frills on his neck and body.^[5]

House of the Dragon: Season 1

Sunfyre stays at High Tide along with several other dragons during the funeral of Laena Velaryon. The next day, he flies back to King's Landing with Aegon Targaryen riding him.^[4]

Sunfyre nuzzles Aegon in the Dragonpit before they fly from King's Landing to Rook's Rest to join the ensuing battle. Upon sighting him and his dragon, Ser Criston Cole declares to his men that the King himself is joining them on the battlefield. Aemond spots the golden dragon and issues Vhagar to wait before engaging in the battle. Upon spotting Meleys and Rhaenys attacking Cole's army, Aegon commands Sunfyre to blast them with his fire breath, after which a fierce aerial melee ensues. After being brutally slashed in the chest by Meleys's claws, Sunfyre briefly breaks free, dousing many of the Green soldiers below with his spilled, smoking blood before almost immediately being attacked by the larger dragon once more. As Meleys clamps her jaws around Sunfyre's right wing, the golden dragon bites off one of her horns in return. When Vhagar and Aemond enter the fray, the young prince commands Vhagar to blast both Sunfyre and Meleys with her fire breath. The blast of Vhagar's flames sets fire to both of Sunfyre's wings, causing him along with Aegon to plummet and crash into a nearby forest. Sunfyre and Aegon survive the fall, but both are severely injured, with Sunfyre instinctively protecting Aegon by coiling around him even in such a wounded state.^[5]

Upon returning to King's Landing, Criston informs Alicent that a garrison of men was left to occupy Rook's Rest as well as to look after Sunfyre, who was left behind due to his severe injuries, and that there is little chance of him recovering from his wounds. Rhaenyra and Aegon assume that Sunfyre has been slain.^[1]^[6]

In the books

In Fire & Blood, Sunfyre's egg hatched at the Dragonmont. He had shining gold scales and pale pink wing membranes, and he breathed golden fire. He was, according to Archmaester Gyldayn, the most beautiful dragon in recorded history: his scales were not just similar to a golden yellow, but literally looked like gold metal shining in the sunlight. Sunfyre was a young adult dragon by the time of the Dance, older than Vermax and Tessarion but still younger than some of the blacks' dragons, like Syrax and Meleys. Despite his relative youth, he quickly grew to be quite strong and formidable.

Aegon II took a golden three-headed dragon as his personal sigil to honor Sunfyre.

Sunfyre was severely harmed at the Battle at Rook's Rest; one of his wings was half torn from his body, thus could not fly. He could still resist the attempts to kill him, but never fully recovered.

Appearances

– "And Now His Watch Is Ended" (mentioned)
– "The Red Keep" (illustrated)
– "The Death of Kings" (illustrated)
The Dance of Dragons (illustrated)
– "The Last Dragons" (mentioned)
– "The Princess and the Queen" (mentioned)
– "Driftmark"
– "The Black Queen" (mentioned indirectly)
– "A Son for a Son" (mentioned)
– "The Burning Mill" (mentioned)
– "The Red Dragon and the Gold"
– "Regent" (mentioned)
– "The Queen Who Ever Was" (mentioned)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 5: "Regent" (2024).
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Sunfyre. HBO. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
↑ House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 6: "The Princess and the Queen" (2022).
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 7: "Driftmark" (2022).
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 4: "The Red Dragon and the Gold" (2024).
↑ House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 8: "The Queen Who Ever Was" (2024).

Notes

↑ Conjecture based on information from Fire & Blood; may be subject to change.
↑ In "A Son for a Son," Daemon Targaryen and Otto Hightower mention that days have passed since Viserys Targaryen and Lucerys Velaryon's deaths. Unlike the first season, no major time jumps are expected; therefore, House of the Dragon: Season 2 takes place in 132 AC.
↑ High Valyrian: Vēsperzys

External links

Sunfyre on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)
Sunfyre on The Official Guide

[HOTD_205-3] 1.0 ^1.1 House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 5: "Regent" (2024).

[Sunfyre-4] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Sunfyre. HBO. Retrieved March 15, 2023.

[HOTD_106-5] House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 6: "The Princess and the Queen" (2022).

[HOTD_107-7] 4.0 ^4.1 House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 7: "Driftmark" (2022).

[HOTD_204-8] 5.0 ^5.1 House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 4: "The Red Dragon and the Gold" (2024).

[HOTD_208-9] House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 8: "The Queen Who Ever Was" (2024).

[F&B-1] Conjecture based on information from Fire & Blood; may be subject to change.

[House_of_the_Dragon_Season_2_year-2] In "A Son for a Son," Daemon Targaryen and Otto Hightower mention that days have passed since Viserys Targaryen and Lucerys Velaryon's deaths. Unlike the first season, no major time jumps are expected; therefore, House of the Dragon: Season 2 takes place in 132 AC.

[6] High Valyrian: Vēsperzys

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v • d • e Dragons
Before Conquest	Archonei · Balerion · Essovius · Ghiscar · Meraxes · Valryon · Vermithrax · Vhagar
First century after Conquest	Caraxes · Dreamfyre · Meleys · Quicksilver · Sheepstealer · Silverwing · Syrax · Vermithor
Second century after Conquest	Arrax · Moondancer · Seasmoke · Stormcloud · Sunfyre · Tessarion · Tyraxes · Vermax
Unknown	Cannibal · Grey Ghost