The Swift Flight of Dragons in Game of Thrones
When it comes to the iconic dragons in Game of Thrones, their flight capabilities have always been one of the most fascinating and mysterious aspects of the show. But just how fast can these magnificent creatures fly? Let's dive into the data and analysis to estimate the speed of dragons in Game of Thrones.
Fast but Not Unreasonably So
The show often portrays dragons as incredible fliers, yet there is limited specific information provided on their exact speed. One of the most iconic scenes that catch our attention is when Daenerys Targaryen, with the help of her dragons, rescues her followers in a day. This implies rather impressive speed, possibly around 400 km/h which is comparable to early World War I fighter planes.
During a specific scene where Daenerys' dragons accompany her ships, we can estimate the relative speed. Assuming the ships are similar to 15th-century vessels, they cover 30-40 km per day. Given that the dragons are moving past the ships at the end of the scene, it suggests a speed closer to 45-50 km/day. This estimate, while reasonable, might be quite fast, so we should consider it with caution.
Key Evidence from the Books and Scene Analysis
There are some valuable clues in the books and scenes that can help us estimate the speed of dragons. Let's look at a few key points:
1. Aegon the Conqueror's Flight from Dragonstone to King's Landing
Aegon the Conqueror, another Targaryen dragon rider, flew from Dragonstone to King's Landing. While we don't have an exact travel time mentioned, this journey likely took several days, indicating that the dragons are capable of covering significant distances but not at breakneck speed.
2. Daemon's Sacrifice
Daemon Dormont, a skilled warrior, sacrificed his dragon Vhagar to jump onto Aemond Targaryen's dragon, Dark Sister. This indicates that the dragons must have been moving slow enough for a skilled rider to make that in-flight maneuver. Therefore, it further suggests that the dragons aren't flying at top speeds all the time.
3. The Distance Between Yunkai and Meereen
The distance between Yunkai and Meereen is 163 miles, which is roughly the distance Dany and her dragons traveled. Given the amount of time the journey took, this provides us with an estimated speed. If we assume the dragons could cover significant ground in a relatively short amount of time, it still doesn't indicate extremely high speeds.
4. Drogon's Flight from Mereen to Essos
During the pivotal scene where Drogon flies from Meereen to Essos at an incredible speed, covering 17 seconds to travel about 50 miles. This is likely an exceptional speed rather than the usual pace for dragon flight.
Estimates and Speculations
While the exact speed of dragons isn't explicitly stated, we can make educated guesses based on the available information:
‘He is fast. We couldn’t clock him. I once tried to drag race with him in my Prius but I barely started when I saw he crossed the finish line. The drag race was about 1/4 mile. I think he can match a Ferrari.’
Based on the flight speed estimates and the data from the show and books, we can infer that dragons might be capable of flying somewhere between 250-350 km/h, especially under exceptional circumstances. This would be several times faster than conventional medieval ships but not reaching the supersonic speeds of modern fighter jets.
Conclusion
The flight speed of dragons in Game of Thrones is a matter of speculation, but the available evidence suggests that they are capable of impressive speeds, but not unbelievably fast. The show and books paint a picture of dragons as fearsome and swift creatures, but their typical flight speed seems to be more in the realm of supersonic rather than hypersonic, matching the speed of a high-performance car like a Ferrari under optimal conditions.