House of the Dragon is not only known for its outstanding plotline but also for showcasing some of the finest dragons from the world of Westeros (and Essos).
However, not all dragons were featured on the show and it is quite evident from the storyline of Season 2 of House of the Dragon. A mighty dragon that lived on Dragonstone was completely eliminated from the story.
House of the Dragon Removed An Iconic Dragon From The Show
People who have read Fire & Blood know that there are hundreds of dragons mentioned throughout the entirety of the Targaryen rule over Westeros. From Aegon The Conqueror’s Balerion the Black Dread to Baela Targaryen’s Moondancer, the world was riddled with dragons.
However, not all of them had something to add to the storyline. Several dragons simply existed without a rider and were called strays or wild dragons. One of the wild dragons lived on Dragonstone (where Stannis Baratheon and Daenerys Targaryen stayed in Game of Thrones).
This dragon was called Cannibal and as the name suggests, ate other smaller dragons, dragon eggs, and, newborn dragons for survival. In George R.R. Martin’s books, Cannibal is described as a black menace with piercing green eyes that lived in the cracks and caves in and around Dragonstone.
Since the dragon did not have much impact on the overall narrative of Dance of the Dragons, it seems that House of the Dragon decided to omit the creature completely from the series.
To avoid using Cannibal in the series, the creators decide to kill a certain character from House of the Dragon using a different dragon.
The Fans Were Robbed of Silver Denys’ Death
Appearing in Season 2 Episode 7 titled The Red Sowing, we were introduced to Silver Denys. A Targaryen claiming to be a b*stard of Maegor The Cruel. When he approaches Vermithor at Dragonstone to calm him down, things get a little out of hand.
According to the show, Vermithor burns him alive and that is the end of Silver Denys. Well, fans of the show were robbed of one of the greatest deaths ever witnessed in Westeros.
According to Fire & Blood, Silver Denys was born and raised in Dragonstone and approached Sheepstealer (another riderless dragon). Trying to calm him, Sheepstealer bit his arm off and while he was bleeding, he was surrounded by his three kids.
Cannibal descended from the skies and devoured them all in one single swoop. And that… was the end of Silver Denys and his bloodline. However, since Cannibal wasn’t mentioned or referenced in House of the Dragon (till now), the storyline of how Denys died, had to be changed.
With 2 seasons to its name, the iconic show currently stands at a rating of 8.4/10 on IMDB and a whopping 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
