Who is Meraxes? The fantasy series House of the Dragon has introduced us to plenty of legendary dragons. From the colossal Balerion the Black Dread, and the deadly she-dragon Vhagar all the way to the fierce Meleys, it’s clear now how the Targaryen family ruled unopposed for so long using these fire-breathing beasts.
Yet there’s one legendary dragon who we know comparatively little about, and we don’t mean Caraxes. Meraxes is often spoken of in the same breath as Balerion, Vermithor, and Vhagar, yet we’ve not been introduced to this mighty she-dragon. So what happened to this fearsome drake? Well, don’t worry, dear reader, if you’ve got questions about Meraxes, we have answers.
Who was Meraxes?
Meraxes was the silver dragon of Rhaenys Targaryen, the second sister wife of Aegon the Conqueror. Along with Balerion and Vhagar, Meraxes was used by Rhaenys to help Aegon the Conqueror take control of Westeros, forging it into the Seven Kingdoms we know so well.
Meraxes’s most notable achievement was helping Orys Baratheon take Storms End and the Stormlands. She also took part in the Field of Fire, where the Gardener King’s forces were crippled and any resistance to Targaryen rule crushed, after which Rhaenys and Meraxes were tasked with bringing Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms.
How did Meraxes die?
Unfortuantely Rhaenys and Meraxes’s attempt to bring Dorne into Aegon’s new kingdom would end in both of their deaths. During an attack on a Dornish town, a scorpion bolt pierced Meraxes’s eye sending the dragon crashing to the ground along with Rhaenys.
Following this, Aegon began a campaign of violence against the Dornish. Over the course of two years, which would later become known as the Dragon’s Wroth, Aegon and Balerion burned down every Dornish settlement except for the capital Sunspear. This only ended when the Dornish sent Meraxes’s skull back to King’s Landing as part of peace talks.
How big was Meraxes?
Of the three original Targaryen dragons, Meraxes was the second largest. That said, it’s worth remembering that the Vhagar we see in the House of the Dragon TV series has had a lot more time to grow, so she’s larger now than Meraxes ever was.
If you want to know more about what brought an end to the era of dragons, then check out our guide to House of the Dragons season 2, or we have guides on some of the best House of the Dragon characters, including Otto Hightower, Alicent Hightower, Daemon Targaryen, Larys Strong, Viserys Targaryen, and Ser Criston Cole.
Our sister site Wargamer also has a guide to the best Game of Thrones board games if you want to play this deadly political game for yourself.