Fourth Wing's Dragons Have One Huge Advantage Over A Song of Ice and Fire's

Published Oct 7, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Hannah is a senior writer and self-publisher at ScreenRant. There, she focuses on writing news, features, and list-style articles about all things comics, books, anime, and manga. She works as a freelance writer in the entertainment industry, focusing on video games, anime, and literature. Her published works can be found on Screen Rant, FinanceBuzz, She Reads, and She Writes. Sign in to your ScreenRant account At first glance, Fourth Wing and A Song of Ice and Fire seem to have dragons from opposite ends of the fantasy spectrum. Rebecca Yarros makes dragons that are in a magical military system, while George R.R. Martin treats them as ancient weapons whose return reshapes the balance of power. Both are terrifying, intelligent creatures, but their differences become especially interesting when their largest examples are compared. So, do the dragons of Basgiath actually put the Targaryen dragons to shame? Not exactly. Fourth Wing's dragons generally feel more integrated into their world's magic and more strategically useful to their riders, but A Song of Ice and Fire has dragons whose upper limits are almost absurdly huge. The fairest comparison depends on whether size, destructive power, intelligence, or the rider bond matters most. Fourth Wing's Dragons Are More Closely Connected to Magic Custom Image by Yailin Chacon One of the biggest advantages Fourth Wing gives its dragons is the bond itself. When a dragon chooses a rider, the connection allows communication and eventually lets the human channel a signet. Violet's bond with Tairn is therefore more than a partnership between soldier and mount; it becomes a direct source of supernatural power that changes what she can do in battle. The dragons also have an authority that makes them feel less like weapons humans happen to control. The Empyrean governs dragonkind, and dragons ultimately decide whom they bond with. Their intelligence, personalities, memories, and relationships are treated as parts of a distinct society. The companion book, Threshing Day, also expands the dragon-centered side of the world, making the species feel increasingly separate from human institutions. A Song of Ice and Fire's dragons are intelligent and emotionally connected to their riders as well, but their magic is presented differently. Targaryen riders do not receive a separate spell-like ability from their dragons, and the books never establish anything equivalent to a signet system. Dragons are still deeply tied to Valyrian magic, however, and their return is clearly connected to the supernatural balance of the world. The Biggest Basgiath Dragons Are Monsters, But So Are Westeros' Great Beasts Fourth Wing establishes Codagh as the largest known dragon on the Continent, with Tairn immediately behind him. Tairn is already enormous compared with normal dragons, while Codagh is specifically described as larger than Tairn. That means Basgiath's top tier is not simply populated by standard dragons with inflated reputations; these are exceptional creatures even within an already formidable species. This is where A Song of Ice and Fire becomes difficult to beat. Balerion the Black Dread is the largest Targaryen dragon in recorded history, with descriptions stating that he was massive enough to swallow an aurochs or even a mammoth whole. Vhagar eventually grew nearly as large as Balerion and became the largest living dragon during the Dance of the Dragons. The problem is that neither series uses a consistent measuring stick. Fourth Wing gives readers relative comparisons and occasional height references about the dragons, and its largest dragons are repeatedly described in relation to one another, while A Song of Ice and Fire has many recorded descriptions of length, wings, jaws, shadows, and what a dragon can physically consume. Because there is no canonical conversion between those measurements, claiming Balerion is definitively larger than Codagh, or vice versa, goes beyond what the books actually establish. Firepower Gives A Song of Ice and Fire a Strong Case If the contest is purely about battlefield destruction, Westeros' oldest dragons deserve serious respect. Balerion's flame was described as black, while Vhagar's breath was hot enough to melt a knight's armor and cook the person inside. In a world where castles, armies, ships, and cities are vulnerable to dragonfire, those abilities make ancient dragons terrifying weapons even without an elaborate magical system. Fourth Wing's dragons are no less dangerous, but their greatest strength typically comes from how their powers interact with riders. Tairn's bond contributes directly to Violet's lightning signet, while other riders develop abilities shaped by their own dragons and personalities. That creates combinations that can be more tactically specialized than the straightforward destructive force in Westerosi dragon warfare. An especially important distinction is that a dragon's power can indirectly determine how dangerous its rider becomes, so the creature's influence extends beyond claws, teeth, wings, and fire. There is also a major difference in how each world treats the dragon-human relationship. Fourth Wing makes the dragon an active participant in strategy, politics, and even the limits of magical power. A Song of Ice and Fire keeps more of that relationship between dragon and rider instinctive and mysterious. A Targaryen may have an unusually deep connection with a dragon, but the dragon is still a dangerous creature rather than an openly communicating magical partner. That makes the Fourth Wing bond feel closer to a supernatural partnership, while the Westerosi version feels closer to an unpredictable alliance between two living weapons. Which World's Dragons Are Actually Stronger? Custom Image by Yeider Chacon Fourth Wing dragons are way more versitile than any dragon from A Song of Ice and Fire. Its dragons communicate directly with riders, possess individualized traits and abilities, participate in their own social hierarchy, and function as magical partners rather than simply living siege weapons. For Violet in particular, Tairn is part of a chain of power that produces an ability no ordinary human soldier could replicate on their own with her lightning-wielding. The strongest argument for A Song of Ice and Fire dragons to be stronger is the huge scale of its dragons. Balerion and Vhagar represent generations of uninterrupted growth, war experience, and destructive potential. The series repeatedly frames its oldest dragons as forces capable of changing the fate of kingdoms. Even without signets or telepathic conversations, an ancient Westerosi dragon brings an enormous natural advantage to the battlefield. So, would the average Fourth Wing dragon put the average Targaryen dragon to shame? No. And would every great Westerosi dragon dwarf Basgiath's largest? That is also impossible to prove from canon. What can be said confidently is that Fourth Wing wins in magical integration and rider synergy, while A Song of Ice and Fire has the clearer claim to winning by legendary size. Codagh and Tairn are monsters, but Balerion and Vhagar were built to make entire kingdoms afraid of the sky. Publisher(s) Red Tower Books Publication Date 2023-04-05 ISBN# 9781649374042 Franchise The Empyrean Series Genre(s) Fantasy, Romance Author(s) Rebecca Yarros TV Show(s) Game Of Thrones, House of the Dragon, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms First TV Show Game Of Thrones Cast Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Iain Glen, John Bradley, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Liam Cunningham, Gwendoline Christie, Aidan Gillen, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Rory McCann, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jerome Flynn, Rhys Ifans, Matt Smith, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Emma D'Arcy, Matthew Needham, Olivia Cooke, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey Created by George R.R. Martin Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.