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

In the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale, Rhaena finally finds Sheepstealer, the wild dragon that roams the Vale – a reveal that could ruffle some fans’ feathers.

Earlier in House of the Dragon, we see Rhaena walking with Joffrey in the Vale. Suddenly, they find the remains of sheep, with nothing left but bones, ash, and a huge area of grass rendered black and burned. She confronts Jeyne Arryn, who confirms rumors of a dragon in the area.

In Season 2 Episode 8, after breaking away from her escort, she runs across the Vale’s mountainous terrain in search of it. She finally catches a glimpse of it, and in the finale’s closing moments, they come face to face.

Olivious viewers may have just stumbled onto a very contentious change to George R.R. Martin’s source material. So, let’s get into it (beware of spoilers from the book).

Which dragon does Rhaena find?

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

HBO

“Rumor of it began shortly after the war; ranging more broadly for food, my maesters surmise. It is large and formidable, but alas, wild,” Jeyne tells Rhaena earlier in the show.

While Sheepstealer’s presence in the Vale is already divisive (more on that later), it isn’t a ridiculous leap. In the source material, a clan known as the Burned Men were believed to “worship a fire-witch, sending their boys to bring her gifts and risk the flames of her dragon to prove their manhood,” as per AWOIAF.

That lines up with what Rhaena found: a flock of dead sheep. What if these mysterious men shepherded the 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’re going to meet five new dragons,” showrunner Ryan Condal teased about the second season.

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

Sheepstealer explained

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

Ashley Hunter Rice

He resided in Dragonstone’s caverns, failing to bond with any rider and becoming increasingly uneasy with human contact. Without a dragonrider, he lived a relatively harmless life… if you’re a person, that is. Sheep were his main targets (plus the odd dog), and he’d often fly across Blackwater Bay to feed his appetite.

In Fire and Blood, several people tried to mount Sheepstealer as part of the Sowing (Jacaerys convincing Rhaenyra to seek out Targaryen bastards and other potential dragonseeds, like 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 just made it out alive.

And then came Nettles, a bastard girl who lured him with sheep every morning until he got used to her. Soon, he allowed her to hop on, and the pair became a strong force in the Dance of the Dragons. She also developed a weird relationship with Daemon, a major source of insecurity for Rhaenyra later in the story.

While we won’t go into any other spoilers, here’s an important thing to remember: in the book, Nettles and Sheepstealer were last seen in the Vale, so it may not be an unfamiliar location for the dragon.

Why Sheepstealer in the Vale would spark (further) controversy

Sheepstealer being found in the Vale indicates two things: firstly, Nettles has almost definitely been erased or changed in the TV show; and secondly, it adds extra context to one of George R.R. Martin’s suspicious posts.

HBO

Unlike Daeron Targaryen, who’s been name-dropped but never seen, Nettles hasn’t been mentioned once. The Sowing has only just started, so there’s still time – but if she’s been written out of the story, we’re missing a major player in the Dance.

Nettles is assumed to be of Valyrian descent, but there isn’t any proof of this… and many readers have argued her existence debunks the long-held belief that only Targaryens and Velaryons can mount dragons.

Condal told Black Girl Nerds he couldn’t comment on any character who hasn’t appeared in the show “yet”, so she’s not completely off the table.

There are three possibilities: Nettles is cut from the story, so Rhaena bonds with Sheepstealer, and her dragon Morning never appears; Sheepstealer dies in battle, after which Morning hatches; or Nettles makes a surprise appearance, and Sheepstealer’s presence in the Vale was nothing more than a tease.

There’s just one problem with the latter part, and it’s clearly something that grinds Martin’s gears: his dragons aren’t nomadic creatures.

In the House of the Dragon Season 1 finale, Daemon tells Rhaenyra “there are the three wild dragons, all of whom nest here [in Dragonstone].”

According to Martin, that’s exactly where they should be. “The three wild dragons mentioned in Fire & Blood have lairs on Dragonstone… you won’t find dragons hunting 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 have overrun half of Essos, and the Doom would only have killed a few of them. Similarly, the dragons of Westeros seldom wander far from Dragonstone.”

While Nettles’ removal would fan the flames of complaints about Season 2, Rhaena finding Sheepstealer in the Vale would bolster people’s suspicions that Martin isn’t happy with the show’s direction.

“Fantasy needs to be grounded. It is not simply a license to do anything you like… ignore canon, and the world you’ve created comes apart like tissue paper,” he added.

If you want more House of the Dragon content, check out our breakdown of the Season 2 ending, our guide to the Targaryen kings, and you can find out how Criston Cole, Aemond, and Jacaerys die in the book.