The folklore of this world has a lot of stories about Dragons and in these stories, they appear in various forms. In some communities, they are considered a good omen, while others find them as a symbol of evil. Speaking of the famous dragons, some of them have highly serpentine and long bodies, and some of them may be found with legs and sometimes without, like the famous Asian Lungs or Eastern European dragons. The Western European ancestry had a keen knowledge and they would conveniently identify dragons by their horns, wings, at least two legs, and a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth that are ideal for tearing. In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the most fascinating and famous dragons in mythology and literature today.
Famous Dragons of All Time
1. Campe
Green mythology is full of weird and horrifying characters. Have you heard of the name Campe dragon? It was one of the most fearless ones. She was quite distinct from the others in terms of his appearance. The dragon had the upper body and face of a woman, a tail like that of a scorpion, and the lower body of a dragon. This dragon always had serpents around her legs; scary, isn’t it? It is also known as Drakaina. Campe was the one who helped in keeping the Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires locked in Tartarus. Since she is the most fearless one, she makes sure to pass on all her fears to the other dragons.
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Image Source: Devianart
2. Viserion
Viserion is one of the three dragons born in the Dothraki Sea. The other two are Drogon and Rhaegal. Viserion, a mighty dragon was named after Daenerys Targaryen’s older brother Viserys. Speaking of its appearance, it has red-orange wings and multiple scales that are cream and gold in color. In the most recent season of Game of Thrones, Viserion played the role of an ice dragon, who was controlled by the Night King. He was killed by an ice spear hurled by the Night King. He used his ability of fire-breathing to melt the huge wall into a puddle. However, he failed to survive after the Night King launched an ice spear through his neck. The audience was kind of shocked seeing this incident because it always appeared to the public that the dragon was mighty enough to face such things.
Image Source: Westeros
3. Smaug
Smaug is a fire drake, it is another name for a fire-breathing dragon. It is regarded as the last “great” dragon to have existed in Middle-earth. You may know how creative and legendary the works of J.R.R. Tolkien are. Do you remember, The Hobbit? Smaug played the role of a fire-breathing dragon, throwing around golden and red flames. He had giant bat-like wings. The dragon was famous for his greed for gold, and that is why he invaded the dwarf kingdom Ebrebor and took away all their treasure. The arrogant dragon lived alone for 171 years in the lonely mountains. Smaug is one of the most popular dragons even thought he was an evil one.
Image Source: Wikipedia
4. King Ghidorah
One of the most well-known enemies that Godzilla has to contend with is King Ghidorah. None of his other enemies are as aggressive and violent as him. The three-headed creature made its debut in Toho’s 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Creature. In the film, it was originally shown as a dragon from another planet. Ghidorah was so fearless and powerful that Godzilla could never defeat him alone. He had to ask for help from his enemies like Rodan and Mothra, to stand against Ghidorah. Initially, he was a genetically modified monster from the future. However, it later served as a protector of ancient Japan. Ghidorah is essentially a modernized version of the Japanese folktale Yamata no Orochi, an eight-headed and eight-tailed dragon.
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5. Haku
The dragon-Haku is also known as Nigihayami Kohakunushi. Do you know what it looks like? A youthful young dragon with a bob-like haircut and grey-greenish eyes. cany to change into a silver-flying dragon with a serpentine, long body, antler-like whiskers, and a canine face. This river-spirited dragon got famous after the release of Spirited Away in 2001. The lead girl Chihiro seeks Haku’s help on her journey and the dragon eventually falls in love with Chihiro. This movie was one of the most successful animated movies till now.
Image Source: Fandom
6. Mushu
When we talk about Mushu, he is not a strong or big dragon like the others on this list. Mushu is the antagonist’s friend, guardian, and guide in the 1998 Disney animated movie Mulan. This dragon with an orange-yellowish body used to serve as Mulan’s family’s guardian spirit. However, there was a plot twist, after failing to stop a member of the family from having his head severed, the dragon was demoted to the role of an incense burner and gong-ringer. Mushu was both a funny and impulsive character. He persuaded Mulan to enlist in the army in hopes of regaining his status. Mushu was able to reclaim his position as a guardian spirit after aiding Mulan in defeating Shan Yu. No doubt he was a great friend but he was also a big troublemaker just like other dragons.
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Image Source: Wiki
7. Toothless
The main character of How to Train Your Dragon, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, had a Night Fury dragon named Toothless. It is one of the rarest dragon species. The dragon was quite loyal to his human friend and made sure to be there for him in turbulent times. As far as his appearance is concerned, he had bat-like wings, and a body similar to that of a gecko. He was one of the fastest dragons.
Image Source: Pinterest
8. Ao Guang
This dragon plays a significant role in Chinese mythology. It is one of those four dragon kings who are believed to have protected the sea around China. He is worshipped as a dragon god. It is a common belief that he looks after and protects the East Sea. The dragon also played a significant role in The Journey to the West, a classic novel. Among all the other four dragon kings, he is the most popular one, especially when it comes to Chinese mythology.
Image Source: Pinterest
9. Maleficent
Maleficent is a villain and self-described “Mistress of all Evil.” It turns into a dragon in the original 1959 Disney animated feature picture Sleeping Beauty. I hope you all must have heard this name. He possessed Prince Phillip’s Sword of Truth. It was used by him to kill a dragon by throwing it into its heart after being cursed by the three good fairies. Interestingly. He was Aurora’s love of life. Maleficent did not change into a dragon in the Angelina Jolie-starring fantasy movie from 2014. Insteadtoto defend herself against Stefan and his army, she transforms her raven assistant Diaval into one.
Image Source: Wikimedia
10. Shenron
Shenron is one of the most well-known Dragons of the present day. Want to know why? This dragon was a part of the most renowned anime series in history. Shenron is also known as the “Eternal Dragon” and in early English dubs as the “Dragon God.” He was called upon after all seven Earth dragon balls gattor to grant the gatherer’s wishes. Shenron resides in a roaring fire at the Earth’s core. He is by far the most well-known dragon in the series, however, Namek’s Porunga, the Ultimate Shenron in the Black Star Dragon Balls, and the Super Shenron in the Super Dragon Balls are stronger than this one.
These are the top 10 famous dragons in mythology and literature today. Kindly share and do post your comments.
