Is Sheepstealer Dead In House Of The Dragon? What Happened To Rhaena's Dragon

Image via HBO Published Aug 3, 2026, 12:08 PM EDT Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 7, "The Dragon in Winter."The penultimate episode of House of the Dragon season 3 raises major questions about the fate of Rhaena Targaryen's dragon, Sheepstealer. After being teased at the end of season 2, the wild dragon has played a major role in the Game of Thrones prequel's third season, having been claimed by Rhaena. Since then, he's played a part in Jacaerys Velaryon's death, and while Daemon Targaryen initially tried to protect his daughter's identity, the truth comes out in fiery, furious fashion in episode 7, with Rhaenyra Targaryen learning who Sheepstealer's rider really is. That leads us into an epic four-way dragon showdown, as Sheepstealer is forced to contend with Rhaenyra's dragon, Syrax, Daemon's dragon, Caraxes, and Addam of Hull's dragon, Seasmoke. Eventually, Rhaenyra flies Rhaena back to King's Landing, accompanied by Addam, leaving Daemon and Caraxes to finish the job. Though Sheepstealer is actually an older dragon than Caraxes, the latter is much more battle-hardened, and in particular uses his long neck to get the advantage. Sheepstealer is gravely wounded, but is he actually killed in the fight? Dragonstone Archives · The Dance Begins The Dance of the Dragons Awaits “The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion.” 🐉The BlacksTeam Rhaenyra 👑The GreensTeam Aegon 🔥DragonsFire & Blood ⚔The CrownSuccession 🔮ProphecyA Song of Ice CHOOSE YOUR SIDE → 01 King Viserys I names his heir early in the series, defying tradition that would favor his firstborn son. Who does he name as his successor? ADaemon Targaryen BAegon Targaryen CRhaenyra Targaryen DAemond Targaryen ✓ Correct! Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne after the death of his first wife, Aemma, and their infant son. He forced the lords of the realm to swear oaths of fealty to her — oaths many would later break. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Rhaenyra Targaryen. Viserys defied Westerosi precedent by naming his daughter over his brother Daemon. Even after fathering sons with Alicent Hightower, Viserys never changed his decree. NEXT → 02 Alicent Hightower’s faction is known as “the Greens.” Who is her father, the cunning Hand of the King who orchestrates much of their political strategy? ACorlys Velaryon BOtto Hightower CLyonel Strong DTyland Lannister ✓ Correct! Otto Hightower served as Hand of the King and was the mastermind behind the Green faction. He strategically positioned his daughter Alicent to marry Viserys, and spent decades maneuvering to place Alicent’s son Aegon on the throne. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Otto Hightower. He served as Hand to both Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, and engineered the marriage between Alicent and the King. Corlys Velaryon sided with the Blacks, and Lyonel Strong served as Hand before Otto’s return. NEXT → 03 Daemon Targaryen rides a fierce, battle-scarred dragon known for its Blood Wyrm nickname. What is the name of his fearsome mount? ASyrax BVhagar CMeleys DCaraxes ✓ Correct! Caraxes, known as “the Blood Wyrm,” is Daemon’s dragon — a lean, red, battle-scarred beast. While Vhagar is the largest and oldest dragon alive, Caraxes is the most experienced in combat and fiercely loyal to Daemon. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Caraxes. Syrax is Rhaenyra’s dragon, Vhagar is the oldest dragon (ridden by Aemond), and Meleys “the Red Queen” is Rhaenys’s mount. Caraxes the Blood Wyrm is Daemon’s partner in the skies. NEXT → 04 Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is known by a nickname reflecting the fact she was passed over for the throne in favor of Viserys. What is she called? AThe Queen Who Never Was BThe Dragon Queen CThe Realm’s Delight DThe Black Queen ✓ Correct! Rhaenys was dubbed “The Queen Who Never Was” after the Great Council of 101 AC chose Viserys over her, despite her strong claim. Married to Corlys Velaryon, she became one of the most formidable figures in the Dance, riding Meleys the Red Queen. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Queen Who Never Was. “The Realm’s Delight” is actually young Rhaenyra’s nickname. Rhaenys earned her title when the lords of the realm chose Viserys over her at the Great Council, setting the precedent that later fueled the Dance. NEXT → 05 Vhagar is the largest living dragon during the Dance. Which Targaryen prince claims her — dramatically shifting the balance of power to the Greens? AAegon II Targaryen BJacaerys Velaryon CAemond Targaryen DDaeron Targaryen ✓ Correct! Aemond Targaryen claimed Vhagar at Driftmark after the funeral of Laena Velaryon — Vhagar’s previous rider. This bold act gave the Greens their most devastating weapon and sparked the confrontation that cost Aemond his eye. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Aemond Targaryen. Aegon II rides Sunfyre, Jacaerys rides Vermax, and Daeron rides Tessarion. Aemond’s daring claim of Vhagar at Driftmark was a pivotal moment that made him the Greens’ most dangerous warrior. NEXT → 06 Viserys shares a secret Targaryen prophecy with Rhaenyra about a threat from the North and a promised prince. What is this prophecy called? AThe Prince That Was Promised BA Song of Ice and Fire CThe Long Night Prophecy DAegon’s Conquest ✓ Correct! Aegon the Conqueror had a prophetic dream he called “A Song of Ice and Fire” — a vision of a terrible winter coming from the North that would destroy the world of the living. This secret was passed from king to heir, and Viserys shared it with Rhaenyra on the night he named her heir. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is A Song of Ice and Fire. Aegon the Conqueror’s dream foretold a great threat from the North requiring a Targaryen on the Iron Throne to unite the realm. Viserys revealed this to Rhaenyra, connecting House of the Dragon directly to the events of Game of Thrones. NEXT → 07 Corlys Velaryon is one of the richest and most powerful men in Westeros, famous for his legendary voyages. What is his well-known title? AThe Master of Ships BThe Lord of Tides CThe Kraken DThe Sea Snake ✓ Correct! Corlys Velaryon earned the name “The Sea Snake” through his legendary nine voyages across the known world aboard his ship. He amassed a fortune that made House Velaryon wealthier than even the Lannisters, and his naval power proved crucial in the Dance. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Sea Snake. While Corlys did serve on the Small Council, his legendary title comes from his nine great voyages. “Lord of the Tides” is the formal title of the head of House Velaryon, but “The Sea Snake” is his personal epithet. NEXT → 08 The Season 1 finale ends with a devastating loss for Rhaenyra when one of her sons is killed in a dragonback confrontation. Which son does she lose, and who kills him? ALucerys, killed by Aemond and Vhagar BJacaerys, killed by Aegon and Sunfyre CJoffrey, killed by Daeron and Tessarion DLucerys, killed by Daemon and Caraxes ✓ Correct! Lucerys Velaryon, riding his young dragon Arrax, was pursued and killed by Aemond on the colossal Vhagar above Shipbreaker Bay near Storm’s End. The show portrays this as partly accidental — Vhagar acted on her own — but the result ignited the Dance of the Dragons into open war. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Lucerys, killed by Aemond and Vhagar. Luke was sent as an envoy to Storm’s End but was confronted by Aemond. The massive Vhagar devoured young Arrax and his rider above Shipbreaker Bay — the act that turned a succession dispute into a full-scale civil war. REVEAL MY SCORE → Dragonstone Archives · Sealed by Fire Your Dragon Rider Record 🐉 / 8 Did you ride to glory — or fall from the sky? ↻ DANCE AGAIN Based on what we see, the answer is no. The formerly wild dragon is allowed to limp away, and given that we see in this episode just how much dragons can survive with the reveal that Sunfyre is actually still alive, it's fair to assume that Sheepstealer is as well. It's a good rule of thumb that if we don't directly get confirmation of a death, it didn't happen, and the dragon may still have a role to play in House of the Dragon's future. Why Daemon & Caraxes Didn't Kill Sheepstealer In House Of The Dragon Season 3, Episode 7 Image via HBO Assuming that Sheepstealer really is still alive, then it raises the question of why Daemon (and Caraxes) allowed him to live. Though Daemon was knocked from his own mount, there was still ample opportunity to finish the job, especially given how badly injured Sheepstealer was and how slowly he was walking away, so this seems to have been a conscious decision from Daemon not to kill him. And the main reason for that is his daughter, Rhaena, with Daemon unable to bring himself to destroy the dragon that she had always wanted. Before the arrival of Rhaenyra and Addam, House of the Dragon season 3, episode 7 drew a clear parallel between Daemon and Rhaena. He revealed that, like her, his mother had died when he was very young, and that he too had always wanted a dragon, but had long been without one. It's a level of connection that we've never seen between the father and daughter duo, and even by Daemon's standards it would be extremely cruel of him to follow that up by killing her dragon. Daemon knows Rhaena may not have much of a happy future anyway, given what happened to Jace, but if he were to take her dragon's life, it would not only condemn her to an even more miserable existence. Dragonriders only bond with one dragon, so she'll never get that opportunity again, and it would also likely sever any bond between himself and his daughter completely. It may also be that there's a small part of Daemon that hopes Sheepstealer could be used in the war. Certainly, he is more aware than anyone of the power of dragons and the numerical advantage Team Black has, and he's been shown throughout the series to be very attuned to the beasts as a whole (e.g. his song to Vermithor). He might think that if there is a chance Rhaena will successfully learn to control Sheepstealer, they could yet play a part in helping to win the Dance of the Dragons. What We Know About Sheepstealer's Fate Based On George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood Image via HBO Warning: This section contains spoilers for future events from Fire & Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based.Turning to George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood does not give a clear blueprint for Sheepstealer's fate, but it might still help with where things are headed. House of the Dragon has made major changes with Rhaena's story, as she has taken on the role of Nettles from the book. Nettles is a bastard girl who claims the wild dragon in the source material, and flies him into the Battle of the Gullet (but notably does not play a role in Jacaerys' fate there). After that, she spends a lot of time in the riverlands with Daemon, the two of them hunting Vhagar (something this episode loosely nods towards in their conversation). During this period, Rhaenyra becomes increasingly paranoid, convinced that there is more to Daemon and Nettles' relationship, and has the dragonrider declared a traitor, which leads to her having to stop being involved in the war efforts. However, both Nettles and Sheepstealer survive beyond the end of the civil war. After the Dance has finished, Nettles and Sheepstealer live in caves deep within the Mountains of the Moon in the Vale. This is something else that Episode 7 alludes to, with Jeyne Arryn remarking that the villagers are gossiping of a "wild girl living among nettles and sheep." It's possible that this will still be the endpoint for both Rhaena and Sheepstealer, but given the former declared that she found that life away from her family unbearable, it may just be where the dragon ends up instead. Rhaena has a more clearly defined future if following the book: she gets married, has kids, and is generally quite happy in King's Landing, and what's more, she does have her own dragon. Named Morning, the dragon comes from an egg that hatches while she's at the Vale. However, that's the problem. In Fire & Blood, Rhaena is at the Vale for almost the entirety of the civil war, and none of this storyline happens to her. That means it's extremely hard to predict what happens next to both her and Sheepstealer, but don't rule out a reunion of some sort yet. New episodes of House of the Dragon release on Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max. Release Date August 21, 2022 Network HBO Directors Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel Cast Fabien Frankel Ser Criston Cole Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. Creator(s) George R. R. Martin Seasons 3