Top 20 Dragons from Movies and TV
#20: The Bull
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“Reign of Fire” (2002) Most dragons naturally stem from the fantasy genre, but were going to start things off a little differently. “Reign of Fire” is a post-apocalyptic film, having one of the most unique and creative armageddons; one caused by dragons. There is nothing mystical or magical about these beasts, they just burn everything in their wake and are nearly impossible to kill. The strongest, a gigantic male dragon, nicknamed “The Bull,” being the one to kick off the end times to begin with. As expected, the film’s climax centers around taking down the Bull in order to ensure humanity’s survival.
#19: The Great Protector
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“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021) Not this is what you call a traditional dragon; magical, benevolent, and forever seeking to keep the peace. As its name would imply, this entity protects the mystical land of Ta Lo, most notably from the ancient evil known as the Dweller in Darkness. After slumbering for centuries beneath the waters, the Great Protector is awakened in order to fight its primal foe once more, acting as both a flying steed/platform to allow Shang Chi the chance at landing the killing blow.
#18: Dragon
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“Shrek” Franchise (2001-10) Like fairy tales of old, in “Shrek” a sleeping princess awaits the arrival of her true love in the tallest castle tower, guarded by a fierce dragon. Of course there is one little catch, this dragon is female, single and oh so ready to mingle. After initially being a hurdle for Shrek and company to overcome when rescuing Fiona from her prison, Dragon became an ally in the finale, due to falling in love with Donkey of all people. The heart wants what it wants, I guess.
#17: Avizandum
“The Dragon Prince” (2018-) This animated series explored the conflict between humans and the realm of Xadia’s (zay-dee-uh) magical creatures, including dragons. The titular prince Azymondias (azzih-MAWN-dee-iss), or Zym for short, certainly deserves a mention but his father, king of the dragons, takes the spot. Reigning for three centuries, Avizandum was a respected leader by his subjects, and an absolute powerhouse. He was equally feared by his enemies, who simply called him Thunder, since he could, you know, make it rain lightning on a whim?
#16: The Dragon
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“The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” (1958) One of the most prolific and influential special effects creators of all time, Ray Harryhausen, was the creator of this action-adventure classic. Over the decades Harryhausen created dozens of iconic creatures, and this creation is up there as a contender for his magnum opus. The impressive look of the dragon (nicknamed Taro (tawrro) by some) was created with Harryhausen’s signature stop motion style, known as Dynamation. The model, which was over three feet long and featured vibrant paint, taking advantage of Harryhausen's first color film. All the hard work was worth it when the dragon came head to head with a Cyclops during the climax, which is still a technical marvel over fifty years later.
#15: Blue-Eyes White Dragon
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“Yu-Gi-Oh” (2002-06) In Duel Monsters, few cards are as memorable or powerful as Seto Kaiba’s (setto kye-buh) signature beast. The sole owner of these now iconic dragons, they were often the trump cards that afforded Kaiba jhis many victories (when he wasn’t losing to Yugi of course). Despite one of them being nearly unbeatable with its high number of attack points, Kaiba would often bust out all three out at once to help him devastate opponents. When he was feeling particularly prideful, he would fuse them together creating the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which possessed an attack power that made it practically invincible.
#14: Sisu
“Raya and the Last Dragon” (2021) This film draws its inspiration from the varied cultures and peoples of Southeast Asia, including the dragons that make up their myths. Unlike the fire breathing beings some may be used to, Sisu is a water dragon, with power over the rain, but more importantly a true and loyal friend to Raya. Voiced by Awkwafina, Sisu is uniquely hilarious among dragons, but also possesses boldness and nobility. She’ll make you laugh, spit up some wisdom and make it rain all at the same time!
#13: Draco
“Dragonheart” (1996) Who better to cast as someone that is equal parts distinguished and rough around the edges to play the world’s last dragon than James Bond himself, Sir Sean Connery. Connery gives immense personality to the ancient dragon, who strikes up an uneasy truce with a dragon-slaying knight burdened by guilt. Although the special effects are terribly dated by today’s standards, seeing a fully CGI character perfectly lip-synching to Connery’s dialogue was nothing short of incredible at the time, tempered by a captivating character arc.
#12: Elliot
“Pete’s Dragon” (2016) The original Eliot from the 1977 adaptation is unquestionably a popular figure in Disney fandom, famously being featured in the Main Street Electrical Parade. However, we think he is edged out by his counterpart in the film’s remake. Acting a bit like a gigantic flying green fluffy dog, Elliot is the best friend and defender of the lost child Pete. Possessing the power to become invisible, the so-called “Millhaven dragon” has become a bit of a folk legend. There’s such a grand sense of joy and wonder whenever Elliot rolls onto screen, it’s a sheer delight.
#11: Mushu
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“Mulan” (1998) The Disney animated renaissance of the 1990s was filled with memorable sidekicks, with the pint sized dragon Mushu being no exception. Voiced by the hilarious Eddie Murphy, Mushu provided comic relief and some much needed levity to the flick. Originally only meant to awaken the Great Stone Dragon, Mushu ended up taking on the role of Mulan’s protector. His arc even mirrored hers with both determined to regain the honor of the Fa family while pretending to be something they were not. Short on size and big on personality, Mushu is irreplaceable.
#10: Hungarian Horntail
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005) While a number of dragons appear across the “Harry Potter'' franchise, they are featured most integrally and prominently in his fourth cinematic outing. With each champion in the Triwizard Tournament having to face down a dragon, it should come as no surprise that Harry would draw the fiercest of them all, the Hungarian Horntail. True to its name, this creature was a mass of spikes and rage. If not for some expert flying skills, the boy who lived would have been toasted, because the Horntail is pretty determined when it comes to getting to its prey.
#9: Drogon
“Game of Thrones” (2011-19) Long after dragons were thought to be extinct following the downfall of House Targaryen, three were hatched into the world by the line’s survivor - Daenerys Targaryen. She sought to use her dragons to retake her birthright, and over the course of several seasons, all three grew into tremendous war machines. While Viserion and Rhaegal were respectable, Drogon was the largest, most powerful, and the personal mount of Daenerys. As Drogon grew he became fierce and unruly, dangerous and very unpredictable. He also razed most of King’s Landing to ash in a single afternoon.
#8: King Ghidorah
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“Godzilla” Franchise (1954-) One of the most fearsome kaiju, this three headed monster stands over five hundred feet tall, is capable of shooting gravity beams, and has been a blight on humanity across every incarnation. Although its origin story has varied over the years, King Ghidorah has consistently remained the archenemy of the king of monsters himself, Godzilla, with enough power to match him in combat every step of the way. This is definitely one dragon in dire need of getting all three heads lopped off.
#7: Maleficent
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“Sleeping Beauty” (1959) Cunning, magically adept, flamboyant, and incredibly well dressed, Maleficent remains one of the best animated villains of all time. Of course, when spells and trickery don’t suffice, she has this little transformation up her sleeve. Her draconic form is as iconic as her natural state, if not more so. Black and purple, gargantuan in size and able to unleash emerald flames, Maleficent truly was the best part of this entire classic. She would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for Prince Phillip and his cheat-code sword!
#6: Vermithrax Pejorative
“Dragonslayer” (1981) The dragon from this dark cult classic was brought to life by technical wizard Phil Tippett’s incredible stop motion technique, which he called “go motion.” This marked the first time that the effects company Industrial Light and Magic worked on a non-Lucasfilms movie. These spectacular special effects helped bring the despicable dragon to life, giving it a truly terrifying aura, with over a quarter of the film’s budget going into the dragon’s effects. Vermithrax is a monster straight out of a medieval tale of adventure and wizardry, and will happily incinerate anyone who says otherwise.
#5: Shenron
“Dragon Ball” Franchise (1986-2019) Whoever completes the monumental task of collecting all seven Dragon Balls is granted an audience with the God Dragon himself, Shenron, wherein the almighty entity will grant the summoner the greatest gift of all - a wish. Impartial as he is powerful, Shenron will grant boons to both the benevolent and the wicked. Appropriately the eternal dragon looks all too intimidating, drawing inspiration from the dragons of Chinese mythology. Although there are some rules and limits to Shenron’s power, a super version of Shenron’s powers are limitless, sporting golden scales and incomprehensible size.
#4: Falkor
“The NeverEnding Story” (1984) As his title might imply, Falkor the luck dragon is incredibly fortunate in all he does. Of course, that’s far from the only great thing about him. As wise as he is kind, Falkor is a loyal friend that never lies. Given his nature, it’s no surprise that there’s very much a canine quality about him, serving as a guide and ally to the likes of Atreyu on his journey to defeat the likes of the Nothing, as well as helping to give Bastian some much needed payback against some school bullies. Why can’t we have a Falkor?!
#3: Hakuu
“Spirited Away” (2001) Like most of the residents of the spirit world, there is much more to Haku than what he seems. Although he typically appears as a young human boy, Haku’s frue form is that of an elegant and regal dragon, who certainly has some bite to him. As both a beast and a young man, Haku stood firm as Chihiro’s adamant protector and friend, with their relationship being as beautiful and pure as Ghibli’s most lyrical of animations. Like many of Hayo Miyazaki’s creations, Haku has a deep connection to nature, being revealed as a wayward spirit of a river, one worth every prayer imaginable.
#2: Toothless
“How to Train Your Dragon” Franchise (2010-19) Described as “the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself,” Night Furies are feared above all other dragons by the Vikings of Berk. When one is downed by chance by the chief’s son Hiccup, he’s able to discover its true nature - being that of a playful and intelligent animal, which he subsequently names Toothless. The two develop an unbreakable bond, as both dragon and rider, where they prove that together they can overcome the worst their two species produce. Though let’s not pretend Toothless isn’t the one packing the firepower!
#1: Smaug
“The Hobbit” Trilogy (2012-14) Created by one of the 20th century's most revered authors JRR Tolkien, Smaug was brought to life on the big screen in Peter Jackson’s “Hobbit” trilogy. Smaug was a monumental achievement in film history, brought to life with the smooth yet sinister voice of Benedict Cumberbatch. The bane of Lake Town is, however, far more than just a technical marvel - it’s a beast as cunning as it is dangerous. Slinking through mountains of gold and unleashing his fiery fury upon those who disturb it, Smaug remains the ultimate cinematic dragon.
