Dragons have always been core to D&D. It’s right there in the name, Dungeons & Dragons. I have always been a dragon lover and my favorite thing to do is to curl up with a good book, maybe Dragonology or A Practical Course in Dragons and immerse myself in the world of these scaly friends. And foes, of course, because there’s nothing that makes a dragon special quite like power. Fizban, a cataloguer and guide to dragons makes similar observations in Wizard of the Coast’s new D&D supplement book, Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons
The treasury introduces a new type of dragon to 5e to complicate the previous dichotomy of the evil chromatic dragons and the much friendlier metallic dragons. Originally introduced in 3E, gem dragons tend to be aloof and solitary. Fitzban also notes that a number of gem dragons like to be entertained, and will help or harm heroes depending on what’s more interesting to them.
In celebration of this new categorization system, we’re taking a look at some beloved dragons from the screen and applying Fizban’s classifications to them!
SMAUG (THE HOBBIT) – RED
It’s impossible to talk about dragons without bringing up the most famous of them all, Smaug the Terrible. Smaug is best known for his glittering mound of gold hoarded in The Lonely Mountain and, of course, the arrogance that leads to his downfall. Leave it to a red dragon to brag about his only weakness, a vulnerable belly under a pile of gems.
Smaug is not only the prototypical red dragon, he very well could be the inspiration for red dragons. Red dragons tend toward chaotic evil, they are vain, cruel and known for their fiery breaths and mountainous lairs. Red dragons prefer to dominate through sheer force of might and power than any sort of trickery or cleverness – though that doesn’t mean they aren’t highly intelligent. A red dragon simply doesn’t see the point in bribing a lesser being when he can cast dominate person on them or, as Smaug does, fly out to the nearest settlement and set it on fire. Why converse with dwarves when you can simply terrorize them?
Some red dragons do enjoy conversation though, especially to brag about their hoard and great deeds. Mind Controlled underlings don’t work too well for that but hobbits do quite nicely.
SAPHIRA (ERAGON) – BLUE
While Eragon may have been a disappointment as a movie, one thing that it absolutely delivered on was its dragon, Saphira. From her gorgeous feathered wings to Rachel Weisz’ sonorous vocal performance, Saphira was absolutely the best part of the Eragon movie.
A calm dragon who is wise beyond her years, Saphira’s main concern is her rider, Eragon, though that doesn’t mean that she can’t look to the future when the situation calls for it. Saphira most closely resembles a blue dragon, and not just because of her scales! Blue dragons tend to be more family oriented than most dragons and will strike hard against those that threaten the people they care about. Blue dragons are lawful evil, while they see value in relationships with other creatures, they acknowledge that those relationships must always serve the dragon first and foremost. Blue dragons have family like the mob is family, they run protection rackets, they make sure their young ones are strong and they impose rules that benefit themselves.
Saphira doesn’t quite have the same superiority complex as most blue dragons, and she’s certainly not evil, but she takes on pupils in a very similar way to a blue dragon. While her relationship with Eragon is far more equitable than one might expect from a blue, it is one of a dragon using her superior knowledge and understanding of the world to teach an adventurer. And as Eragon gains an ego, Saphira gets to indulge hers, just a little bit. For the most part though, she’s looking ahead to the future, training her small family to keep them safe in a wide and hostile world. Blue dragons know that the only people (or dragons) you can trust are your family.
TOOTHLESS (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON) – FAERIE
Toothless, the cat-like companion to Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, seems to defy Fizban’s classifications at first. He’s neither interested in dominating other creatures nor in helping a great hero to their chosen destiny. He doesn’t observe humans to understand how they tick, or test himself against their might as an emerald dragon might. Instead, he’s content to fight, fly around with Hiccup, and most importantly play. Toothless teases Hiccup about his crush on Astrid, even orchestrating a romantic moment between the two of them – by almost dumping Astrid into the sea.
When it comes to a focus on playing and having fun, Fizban has us covered. He introduces us to faerie dragons, creatures of the feywild that are more interested in tricks and humor than conquests and underlings. Toothless’ humor is most on display when meeting a new person – first with the way he mimics Hiccup, then as he mocks Astrid, but even though he’s a terrifying night fury, he’s a terrifying night fury with a goofy toothless smile and he tends to back down before anyone gets hurt. Most faerie dragons wouldn’t be so concerned about that aspect, but then, they don’t have Hiccup as a best friend either.
DROGON, RHAEGAL, AND VISERION (GAME OF THRONES) – WHITE
Proving that not every dragon can be classified simply by the color of their scales Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion (black, green AND gold, respectively) all fit neatly into the archetype of white dragons. More bestial than most of their counterparts, white dragons have been forged by the hard winters and harder people in the environments where they live. Daenarys’s dragons were forged by the harsh conditions of the politics of their world and, though intelligent, rely on their instincts and satisfy their base urges before their more complex ones.
Usually when dragons are found in the company of other creatures, they’re in control of those creatures, but Fizban notes that white dragons prefer not to make alliances, even advantageous ones. A white dragon that’s not alone is usually a white dragon that’s been forced into servitude. Like many white dragons, if Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion had their way, they would listen to no one but themselves, but they have to rely on Daenerys as their mother and protector. And even then, she doesn’t have complete control over them. Drogon is aggressive, even with Daenerys, but when push comes to shove, he protects his mother, because he understands her.
ASH’S CHARIZARD (POKÉMON) – TOPAZ
Charizard, specifically the charmander that Ash raises from episode 11, exemplifies the best part about being a dragon- being better than everyone else. While moody as a charmeleon, Charizard gains his wings and distinctive dragon design (even if it took until Generation 6 for Nintendo to get the memo) at the same time he realizes his superiority to the rest of his team. After being insulted over and over again by an Aerodactyl, Charmeleon evolves, almost through sheer willpower, into Charizard so he can roast that pesky Aerodactyl with his flamethrower. And is there anything more dragon-y than evolving simply to prove your superiority? Many topaz dragons would understand. Uninterested in anyone but themselves, Topaz dragons are moody and quick to anger. Even helping a topaz once will not necessarily keep an adventurer safe. Topaz dragons prefer to keep to themselves and rarely even tolerate their own kind. After a rocky start with Damian, his first trainer, Charizard is slow to trust Ash. He prefers to be his own master and it takes Ash saving his life from a super effective water gun for him to accept how much his trainer cares about him and he cares about Ash.
