House of the Dragon: Stormcloud and his riders explained

Stormcloud might not have a long history in Fire & Blood, but he actually ended up being one of the most heroic dragons Westeros had ever seen.

When it comes to the most beloved House of the Dragon dragons, many favor size and aggression over smaller details. But the best dragons are often not the biggest, and Stormcloud is the perfect example of this.

If you’re unfamiliar with this particular beast, it’s because we’ve only seen him as a baby dragon in the TV show. But Stormcloud has an important role in the book House of the Dragon is based on, and it’ll be coming to screens soon.

Here’s everything you need to know about Stormcloud, who rides him, and what happens to this loyal creature. (Warning: book spoilers ahead!)

Stormcloud explained

Stormcloud is a very young male dragon who was gifted to Prince Aegon Targaryen when he was born.

That’s Aegon the Younger, aka Aegon III, Rhaenyra’s son. (Not the Targaryen king that’s currently in bed, charred to a crisp.)

He was gifted as a dragon egg, hatching shortly after. Not much is known about Stormcloud by way of appearance, though he would have been much smaller than the other dragons.

He can be spotted in the TV show in Season 2 Episode 6, when a baby Stormcloud is playing with Aegon in the Eyrie after he and his brother were sent away from Dragonstone.

Who is his rider?

Prince Aegon the Younger is Stormcloud’s rider.

He would end up being the only person to ever ride Stormcloud. Since the dragon was gifted to him when he was born, the two essentially grew up at the same time.

When Aegon and his brother Viserys were eventually sent away to live with the Prince of Pentos (to be kept away from the ongoing Targaryen Civil War), Stormcloud would save Aegon’s life.

Does Stormcloud die?

Yes, Stormcloud dies after helping Aegon escape the Battle of the Gullet.

While Aegon and his brother are being escorted to Pentos on the ship Gay Abandon, they are attacked by the Triarchy fleet, who are on the side of the Greens.

Gay Abandon was captured, but Aegon managed to fly away on Stormcloud – his first ever flight on the dragon.

He then managed to get back to Dragonstone, clutching to the dragon’s neck as they flew. However, Stormcloud had been wounded by the attack before they managed to get away.

With numerous arrows in his belly and a scorpion bolt through his neck, he just about managed to get Aegon back to land. He died within an hour, blood gushing from his body and smoke coming from his skin.

But Aegon was safe, and the young prince never rode another dragon again. Stormcloud’s heroic sacrifice at such a young age marks him as one of the most remarkable dragons of the bunch, and a huge loss for the Blacks.

For more dragon history, check out all the Game of Thrones dragons. You can also learn about Seasmoke, Vhagar, and Silverwing.