If HBO decided to make Game of Thrones season 9, it would inevitably need to address Daenerys Targaryen and her last remaining dragon, Drogon, in some way. Game of Thrones‘ ending was controversial, and Dany’s death was a huge reason for that. But while her fate was as certain as it was divisive, there was still some room for ambiguity when it came to the Mother of Dragons.

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The big question is where Drogon took Daenerys’ body, and what happened to the dragon afterward. This isn’t just raised by seeing him fly away, but is directly addressed by King Bran Stark too, giving it greater pertinence. Drogon is believed to have taken Dany to Volantis, leading to theories she’ll be resurrected by the Red Priestess, Kinvara. I can see why it’s been a popular theory since the finale aired, at least for anyone angry about her demise. However, if Game of Thrones season 9 happens, there is a better option for explaining where Drogon is.

Why Game Of Thrones Season 9 Shouldn’t Resurrect Daenerys

There’s No Need To Bring Her Back From The Dead

Although I get that there’s still a lot of love for Daenerys and ire at how the final episodes handled her, I do think a hypothetical Game of Thrones season 9 bringing her back would be a mistake. After all, it’s not like it can undo her actions: Daenerys still burned King’s Landing and killed a lot of civilians.

“No, I think I’m done.” – Emilia Clarke on appearing as Daenerys in the Jon Snow spinoff show when asked back in 2022 (the show is no longer in active development).

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Similarly, Dany already had a very complete arc. She was a hero, a villain, a figure of divine destiny and ultimate tragedy; a liberator, and then a person corrupted by power; someone who suffered great losses but caused them in equal measure and then some. She fought in multiple battles, defeated multiple enemies, had multiple romances, brought back dragons, and more – what else is there to do after the “Mad Queen” turn and subsequent death?

Given what we’ve seen in House of the Dragon and Targaryen funeral customs, I think it’d be more fitting to show Drogon burning her body…

The most interesting part of Daenerys for the show’s future is what happened to her body, which is why the resurrection theory existed in the first place. Given what we’ve seen in House of the Dragon and Targaryen funeral customs, I think it’d be more fitting to show Drogon burning her body, if we see anything at all. That could provide a true capstone on her arc and more of a fitting farewell, rather than undoing her death and just risking more controversy with it.

Could Drogon Get A New Dragonrider Instead Of Daenerys Returning?

Game Of Thrones History Suggests It’s Very Possible

If Daenerys isn’t resurrected, and Drogon truly says goodbye to his mother, then it raises the question of what happened to the dragon? Certainly, we know that King Bran Stark was keeping a close (third) eye on him as Game of Thrones season 8 came to a close. It would make sense to follow-up on that and give it a greater purpose, so I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion we’ve seen the last of Drogon, even if Daenerys herself doesn’t return.

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Looking back through House Targaryen’s history, most major dragons did take another rider after the death of another.

The theory I prefer is that he does take a new rider, even if it’s some time later (and really, if HBO made season 9, a significant time jump would likely be needed anyway). Dragons can live for over 100 years, and Drogon isn’t even 10-years-old – that’s a very long time to be alone. And looking back through House Targaryen’s history, most major dragons did take another rider after the death of another.

Dragons With Multiple Riders

Dragon
Rider 1
Rider 2
Rider 3
Rider 4

Balerion
Aegon I Targaryen
Maegor I Targaryen
Aerea Targaryen
Viserys I Targaryen

Caraxes
Aemon Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen
N/A
N/A

Dreamfyre
Rhaena Targaryen
Helaena Targaryen
N/A
N/A

Meleys
Alyssa Targaryen
Rhaenys Targaryen
N/A
N/A

Quicksilver
Aenys Targaryen
Aegon Targaryen
N/A
N/A

Seasmoke
Laenor Velaryon
Addam Velaryon
N/A
N/A

Silverwing
Alysanne Targaryen
Ulf the White
N/A
N/A

Vermithor
Jaehaerys I Targaryen
Hugh Hammer
N/A
N/A

Vhagar
Visenya Targaryen
Baelon Targaryen
Laena Velaryon
Aemond Targaryen

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There’s an argument to be made that Drogon is different, because his rider was. Daenerys controlled three dragons, which isn’t something we’ve seen others do. She wasn’t just a dragonrider, but the Mother of Dragons, meaning there’s a deeper connection which could make it harder for Drogon to move on. But given how little we truly know about how and why dragons bond, it’s absolutely not out of the question he takes another human.

A Cut House Of The Dragon Character Could Make Drogon Getting A New Rider Better

Game Of Thrones Season 9 Could Fix An Apparent Spinoff Mistake

The parallel I’d most like to see with Drogon getting a new rider is with Nettles from Fire & Blood. During the Dance of the Dragons, she was a young bastard girl who managed to tame the wild dragon Sheepstealer. She did this in a clever way, feeding it sheep every day until it got used to her, and eventually came to accept her as its rider.

Unfortunately, House of the Dragon looks to have cut Nettles from the story, with Rhaena Targaryen set to claim Sheepstealer instead. Because of that, then, if Game of Thrones season 9 were to happen, it’d be cool to see it doing its own take on it. Martin loves cyclical storytelling and history repeating itself, and so a young girl claiming Drogon and becoming a new dragonrider, honoring part of Dany’s legacy, could be good for its story.

This wouldn’t need to have her be a villain, but it could give her a separate story in Essos (especially as there’s much of that continent still unexplored, and a new season should have new characters and storylines). But it could also exist as a potential threat, and something Bran continues keeping a watchful eye on, and perhaps looking to bring the dragon and the new rider to Westeros in Game of Thrones season 9.

Is Drogon Actually The Last Dragon?

There Are Ways Others Could Exist

While there’s a possibility Drogon takes another rider, there’s also another intriguing option on the table: there are other dragons alive too. This was never addressed during Game of Thrones, but it can’t entirely be ruled out. While Dany’s dragons are referred to by male pronouns in both the show and books, the truth is a little more complicated, because dragons are capable of changing gender, as the books reveal via Maester Aemon:

“What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise! The error crept in from the translation. Dragons are neither male nor female, Barth saw the truth of that, but now one and now the other, as changeable as flame. The language misled us all for a thousand years.”

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Even if Daenerys’ dragons didn’t have eggs that then hatched, it’s not impossible there are other dragons out there. Dany’s eggs presumably weren’t the only ones left – the books reference Euron Greyjoy once had a dragon egg, for instance – and while it took a rare magical event for hers to hatch, the return of said magic to the world could have prompted things elsewhere. Other parts of the world have their own versions of The Long Night, so maybe they have their own versions of dragons too.

Whether it’s Drogon or another, I think that, if Game of Thrones season 9 did happen, HBO would want dragons involved.

Whether it’s Drogon or another, I think that, if Game of Thrones season 9 did happen, HBO would want dragons involved. They’re a core part of the show’s iconography, and something they clearly love using for marketing and to sell the massive scale of these series. Daenerys may be gone, but dragons don’t need to be.