Vermithor: House of the Dragon introduces gnarliest-looking dragon yet in season finale

*Warning – Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragonepisode 10*

Daemon Targaryen is on a recruiting drive.

In the House of the Dragon series finale, the warrior prince – played by Matt Smith – suggests that Rhaenyra rounds up other “unclaimed dragons” in order to ensure victory over the Greens (Alicent Hightower, her son, King Aegon II, and their supporters).

“Seasmoke still resides on Driftmark, Vermithor and Silverwing dwell on the Dragonmont, still riderless. Then there are the three wild dragons, all of whom nest here,” he tells the would-be Queen.

While the Greens have four dragons, claiming the others would leave the Blacks with an overwhelming majority.

Later in the episode, Daemon is seen entering a cave in Dragonmont, singing in High Valyrian.

As he delves deeper, a monstrous, blind-looking dragon reveals itself to him.

Judging by the dragon’s appearance, the signs point to this being Vermithor, nicknamed “the Bronze Fury”.

According to George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood (the book on which House of the Dragon is based), Vermithor is second only in size to Aemond’s Vhagar – the importance of which is made obvious at the end of the episode.

“Vhagar is 130 years old. One of the concepts for this series is that dragons keep growing and growing,” Visual Effects Supervisor Angus Bickerton said in one behind-the-scenes clip. “As they get older and older, we see they get more battered, more weather-worn, and they start to struggle to support their own weight.”

Vermithor, similarly, is around 100 years old – his only previous rider was King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.

If Daemon is able to mount Vermithor, it would prove an exceptional boost to the Blacks’ chances in their war against the Greens.