12 Different Types of Dragons: Brief Overview
Most sources agree there are at least 12 types of dragons. These range from what Western culture typically thinks of as dragons – large, winged, four-legged beasts that sometimes breathe fire – to more exotic-looking creatures like the Quetzalcoatl – a serpent with bird feathers. Most of the legends and myths about dragons describe them as enemies of humans, but some of them actually provide assistance and even good fortune. Below is a full list of the dragon types this guide explores. Dragon Drake Wyvern Wyrm Cockatrice Amphiptere Quertzalcoatl Sea Serpent Lindwurm Salamander Chinese Dragon Hydra
In-Depth Guide to the 12 Different Kinds of Dragons in Myth & History
Dragon The dragon is the traditional type depicted in European heraldry and fantasy stories since the 13th century. It has four legs with claws on each foot, a powerfully built body, two expansive wings, a long snout, and horns or crests on top of its head. Its entire body is covered in scales, which range in colors all across the rainbow spectrum.
Drake A drake is smaller than a traditional dragon and has no wings. It has four legs and walks closer to the ground, similar to a reptile. The name is derived from the Greek word drakon and the Latin word draco, which is also where the word "dragon" comes from. For that reason, "drake" and "dragon" are often used interchangeably, but they are still two distinct subspecies.
Wyvern A wyvern has two back legs and wings instead of front legs. Its body is long and sinuous, and its equally long, skinny tail is usually pointed. "Wyvern" originates in the Latin word vipera, meaning viper, which explains why its tail resembles that of a snake more than a regular dragon.
Wyrm A wyrm is a long, serpentlike dragon with no limbs and no wings. Its head is the only body part that resembles what we tend to think of as a dragon, with its long muzzle, sharp teeth, and crests. "Wyrm" is also another word that ancient Europeans used to refer to dragons and serpents in general.
Cockatrice According to English mythology, the cockatrice was born in an egg laid by a cock that was later hatched by a serpent. It has two front wings instead of front legs, two back legs, and a long snakelike tail. From the neck up, it resembles a rooster, complete with feathers and a beak. This type possesses special powers, namely the ability to turn anyone they look at into stone, and often appeared in European heraldry (i.e., symbols of the nobility in medieval times).
Amphiptere The amphiptere is a dragon with a long, snaky body and two enormous wings that look like bat wings but no other limbs. According to some myths, this creature may have hypnotic powers, which it uses to guard treasure from humans. It was also depicted in heraldry for some of the nobility in Europe.
Quetzalcoatl Quetzalcoatl is an enormous "sky dragon" with plumes of feathers around his head. Instead of being viewed as an enemy of humans like most dragons, Quetzalcoatl was worshipped as a deity by the ancient Teotihuacán, Toltec, and Aztec cultures in Mexico. He has had various powers and ruled over different elements over the centuries. For example, the Teotihuacán believed he was a god of vegetation, whereas both the Toltecs and the Aztecs revered him as a god of the morning and evening star. The Aztecs also attributed several important inventions to Quetzalcoatl, including the calendar and books. He was also a patron of priests and a protector of artisans.
Sea Serpent A sea serpent is a huge snakelike creature with no limbs or wings that reportedly lives in large bodies of water. It has a long and storied history, having been mentioned in the Bible (as the Leviathan) and referenced in ancient Babylonian, Hittite, and Canaanite texts as various types of dragons and monsters. Though it's considered a myth or a legend, countless sailors over the millennia have reported seeing it in the water – though they may have mistaken it for other large marine animals, like the giant squid.
Lindwurm The lindwurm has three popular depictions. The first features only two front legs (no back legs), no wings, and a long body, which it holds close to the ground like a snake. The second possesses four legs and no wings, and the third has all four legs and two wings. Most sources say it lives in forests or marshes. Not much is known about its personality, except that it seems to have enmity toward humans. In Austria, the city of Klagenfurt was supposedly founded in the 13th century after a lindwurm began terrorizing the locals. The duke that reigned over the area built a tower and had his knights kill the dragon.
Salamander The salamander is a type of dragon with a large, flat head, a stodgy body, and four short legs. Its tail is about as long as its body and sometimes ends in a point or a frill. It's most commonly associated with fire and typically has the ability to lie down in flames for significant periods of time without burning up. Some legends also say that the salamander dragon produces poisonous breath or excretions.
Chinese Dragon The Chinese dragon has a long, sinuous, snakelike body with a particularly large snout and eyes and prominent crests around its head. It's been a popular figure in Chinese mythology and iconography for centuries and is associated with strength, power, good luck, prosperity, and water. Most of the time, they're depicted as wingless, yet they're still able to fly – one of many mysterious powers attributed to this powerful dragon type.
Hydra The hydra is a dragon-like monster with varying numbers of heads protruding from its torso. In ancient Greek mythology, the legendary demigod Hercules fought the hydra as part of his 12 Labors, which he had to perform as penance for a crime he committed. This beast has the unique ability to grow two heads when one head is cut off, making it a particularly nasty and challenging foe.
Other Types of Dragons in Movies & TV
Fire-Breathing Dragons in a Song of Ice and Fire In the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon television series on HBO, dragons are depicted as wyverns of varying sizes. (This means they have front wings but no front legs.) Their greatest asset – aside from flight, sharp fangs, and their ability to understand the human language of High Valyrian – is their ability to breathe fire.
Dragon Species in How to Train Your Dragon In the animated film series How to Train Your Dragon from Dreamworks, you'll find dozens of dragon species categorized into different classes based on their abilities. Those classes are: Stoker, Boulder, Tracker, Sharp, Tidal, Mystery, Strike, and Alpha. Toothless – the dragon companion of the main character, Hiccup the Viking – is a Night Terror and breathes fire, making him a Stoker class dragon.
Dragon Breeds in Harry Potter Dragons play a significant role in two of the Harry Potter films (and their corresponding books): The Goblet of Fire and The Deathly Hallows. In this universe, dragons are classified into breeds that vary in appearance and abilities. For example, in The Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter must escape a Hungarian Horntail as part of his Triwizard Cup trials. Other dragon breeds in Harry Potter include the Antipodaean Opaleye, the Chinese Fireball, the Common Welsh Green, the Hebridean Black, the Norwegian Ridgeback, the Peruvian Vipertooth, the Romanian Longhorn, the Swedish Short-Snout, and the Ukrainian Ironbelly.
Other Types of Dragons in Games
Dragons and Wyrms in Dungeons & Dragons Dungeons & Dragons is a popular role-playing game (RPG) in which players pretend to be various types of fantasy characters embarking on an exciting adventure. Dragons are impressive and dangerous foes in this game, often guarding treasure or blocking paths that the players need to take to progress. They also have a wide range of powers, and their body parts are useful in making armor, magical spells, and other items. The dragons in DnD are categorized into 3 types: true dragons (those that grow more powerful with age), lesser dragons (those that don't grow more powerful with age, but can still be fearsome), and miscellaneous dragons (those that don't fit into either of the first two types). The most popular and powerful of the true dragons are the Red Dragon and the Gold Dragon.
Drakes, Jills, and Dragonborn in the Elder Scrolls In the Elder Scrolls video game universe (particularly the Skyrim installments) dragons are powerful creatures that terrorize humans. According to game lore, the dragons once ruled over humans for a time until they were routed in the Dragon War. The males are called Drakes, and the females are called Jills. Meanwhile, a Dragonborn is a mortal with the soul of a dragon living inside them.
Dragon God Descendants in Elden Ring In the grimdark fantasy video game Elden Ring, dragons are brutal enemies who are challenging to defeat. They appear as wyverns with front wings and have unique powers, such as breath attacks that disable or slay opponents. The dragons' immortal ancestors once ruled over the Lands Between, the main realm in the game. Many centuries later, they can be slain and their hearts used for powerful incantations.
Different Types of Dragons FAQs
What is the strongest type of dragon? The strongest type of dragon is a traditional European dragon with four legs, two wings, a large body, and the ability to breathe fire. In DnD, the strongest dragon is Io, the Dragon God and creator of all his species. In Skryim, the strongest dragon is Sahrotaar, a Serpentine Dragon.
What are the five legendary dragons? The five legendary dragons in the anime B-Daman: Crossfire are Drazeros, Dracyan, Dragold, Dravice, and Dragren. In the mobile game Cookie Run: OvenBreak, the five legendary dragons are the Red Dragon, the Gold Dragon, the Blue Dragon, the Violet Dragon and the Ivory Dragon.
What is a 4-legged dragon called? A four-legged dragon may refer to the winged dragon in many European myths, or it could refer to the drake, which has four legs but no wings.
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