Image credit: HBO

This dragon was a tough nut to break, but fans agree it was worth it.

During House of the Dragon seasons 1 we have already seen a bunch of dragons. All of them have their unique traits and appearances.

VFX artists have done a great job making the dragons look authentic and real. However, as it turns out, some of the dragons required more effort than others.

VFX artist Kirill Barybin spoke out in his recent Instagram post on the toughest dragon to design — it was Vhagar.

In Westeros, Vhagar holds the honour of being both the oldest and the largest dragon alive.

The she-dragon was first claimed by Queen Visenya, and according to the Game of Thrones books, she was so massive that she could cast a whole town into shadow.

Vhagar’s fiery breath is hot enough to melt armor and cook a knight inside it — a testament to her fearsome power.

 

Barybin says Vhagar design was the toughest nut to crack as the dragon went through a bunch of iterations. He also mentions that they worked on different Vhagar’s parts with his fellow designers.

One of the iterations ended up being what we saw in the show, while another version became Vermithor, who may play a major role in season 2.

The VFX team’s struggles were not in vain as fans point out how well designed Vhagar is. She looks truly ancient, yet dangerous and fierce.

However, some people think that the only flaw of Vhagar’s design is that she should have been even larger, just like the original books described her.

Seems like fans can’t get enough of it, as they ask the designer to post some other dragon arts related to the show. And we can’t help but agree as it is always interesting to get on the inside of your favorite TV show.

For his part, Barybin shared early renders of other dragons such as Syrax and teen Arrax.

On top of that, such production members as VFX artists do not always get enough credit or recognition for their spectacular works, so posting their drafts or some inside details is a good way for them to get some acclaim.