House of the Dragon finally reveals Sheepstealer, the wild dragon of the Vale

Emma BowmanAugust 5, 2024

House of the Dragon finally reveals Sheepstealer, the wild dragon of the Vale

In the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale, Rhaena finally finds the Sheepstealer, the wild dragon that roams the Vale – a revelation that may upset some fans.

Previously on House of the Dragon , we saw Rhaena with Joffrey in the Vale. Suddenly, they find the carcass of a sheep, nothing more than bones, ash, and a large area of burnt grass. She confronts Jeyne Arryn, who confirms the rumors of a dragon in the area.

In Season 2 Episode 8 , after escaping her escort, she runs through the mountainous terrain of the Vale in search of it. She eventually spots it, and in the closing moments of the finale, they come face to face.

Olivious viewers may have just stumbled upon a very controversial change to George RR Martin’s source material. So, let’s find out (beware of spoilers from the book).

Which dragon did Rhaena find?

Rhaena found the Sheepstealer at the end of House of the Dragon Season 2.

“Rumors of it began shortly after the war; it was more for food, my scholars surmise. It was large and fearsome, but alas, wild,” Jeyne tells Rhaena earlier in the show.

While the Sheepstealer’s presence in the Vale has been divisive (more on that later), it’s not an unreasonable leap. In the source material, a clan called the Burned Men are said to “worship a fire witch, send their sons to bear her gifts, and risk the flames of her dragon to prove their manhood,” according to AWOIAF.

That fits with what Rhaena found: a flock of dead sheep. What if these mysterious men were herding sheep to feed Sheepstealer… or maybe he was just hungry.

How many wild dragons are there?

There are three wild dragons in Westeros: Sheepstealer, Cannibal, and Grey Ghost.

None of them have appeared in House of the Dragon… yet. “You’ll meet five new dragons,” showrunner Ryan Condal teased of season two.

In Episode 6, we caught a glimpse of Aegon III’s Stormcloud, and we previously saw Baela riding Moondancer, but this is the first time we’ve seen any wild dragons.

Sheepstealer explained

Sheepstealer is a wild dragon that hatched in the early years of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, though his exact hatching date isn’t known (we know he’s smaller than Vermithor, but that’s about it).

He lives in the caves of Dragonstone, unattached to any riders, and increasingly uncomfortable with human contact. Without a dragon rider, he lived a relatively harmless life… if you were a human. Sheep were his main target (plus the odd dog), and he often flew over Blackwater Bay to satisfy his appetite.

In Fire and Blood, some attempted to ride Sheepstealer as part of the Sowing (Jacaerys convinced Rhaenyra to seek out Targaryen bastards and other potential dragon offspring, such as Ulf the White and Hugh Hammer). It didn’t go well, as he killed more candidates than Vermithor, Seasmoke, and Silverwing combined – Alyn of Hull barely made it out alive.

And then came Nettles, a wildling who lured him with sheep every morning until he got used to her. He soon allowed her to dance, and the pair became a powerful force in the Dance of the Dragons. She also develops a strange relationship with Daemon, a source of great unease for Rhaenyra later in the story.

While we won’t spoil any more details, it’s important to remember: in the books, Nettles and Sheepstealer were last seen in the Vale, so this may not be an unfamiliar location for the dragon.

Why Sheepstealer in the Vale is (more) controversial

The fact that Sheepstealer was found in the Vale suggests two things: first, Nettles was almost certainly deleted or changed in the TV show; and second, it adds context to one of George RR Martin’s questionable posts.

Unlike Daeron Targaryen, who was mentioned but never appeared, Nettles has never been mentioned at all. Sowing has only just begun, so there’s still time – but if she’s been written out of the story, we’re missing a major character in Dance.

Nettles is said to be of Valyrian descent, but there’s no evidence to support this… and many readers have argued that her existence disproves the long-held belief that only Targaryens and Velaryons can ride dragons.

Condal told Black Girl Nerds that he couldn’t comment on any characters who haven’t appeared on the show “yet,” so she’s not completely out of the picture.

There are three possibilities: Nettles was cut from the story, so Rhaena bonded with Sheepstealer, and her dragon Morning never appeared; Sheepstealer died in battle, and Morning hatched; or Nettles showed up unexpectedly, and Sheepstealer’s presence in the Vale was just a tease.

There’s just one problem with the latter, and it clearly bothers Martin: his dragons aren’t nomadic.

In the House of the Dragon season 1 finale, Daemon tells Rhaenyra that “there are three wild dragons, all nesting here [Dragonstone].”

According to Martin, that’s exactly where they should be. “The three wild dragons mentioned in Fire & Blood have lairs on Dragonstone… you don’t see dragons hunting in the riverlands or the Reach or the Vale, or roaming the northlands or the mountains of Dorne,” he wrote.

“Think about it. If dragons were nomadic, they would overrun half of Essos, and Doom has killed only a handful of them. Likewise, the dragons of Westeros rarely venture far from Dragonstone.”

While Nettles’ removal may have sparked a wave of complaints about Season 2, Rhaena’s finding the Sheepstealer in the Vale would have cemented people’s suspicions that Martin was unhappy with the direction of the show.

“Fantasy needs to be exercised. It’s not just a license to do whatever you like… ignore canon, and the world you create will disintegrate like tissue paper,” he added.

If you want more House of the Dragon content, check out our Season 2 ending analysis, our guide to the Targaryen kings, and you can learn how Criston Cole, Aemond, and Jacaerys died in the books.

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