# Who is the world's greatest dragon?



## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

I'm guest blogging tonight at Amanda Hocking's blog, trying to rank the world's Top Ten dragons. Who is the toughest, greatest dragon?

What do you think? Am I missing anyone? Here's my list, copied and pasted from Amanda's blog:

*Ten: Norbert*










Hagrid's little dragon is just too cute to rank any higher. She does bite Ron Weasley's finger, which makes her somewhat tough, so she still gets a mention on the list. Hopefully Norbert (AKA Norberta) is still living happily in Romania.

*Nine: Saphira*










This dragon from _Eragon _is like a loyal dog, or maybe a younger sister. Friendly, cute, and nice to have around. But not very threatening.

*Eight: Pete's Dragon*










At first glance, he's a harmless cartoon. He's goofy. He has purple hair. And he stars in a children's movie. How tough could he be? Well, tougher than he seems. He managed to fight off Pete's mean hillbilly relatives. He flew through a storm to kindle a lighthouse. And he became a hero to countless kids. You wouldn't want to mess with Pete's dragon.

*Seven: Smrgol*










Smrgol, from the animated film _Flight of Dragons_, is an even tougher cartoon dragon. He's old, battle-hardened, and wise. He also befriends a human named Peter - only this Pete is trapped in another dragon's body. Smrgol ends his life in an epic battle, managing to defeat the evil Ogre of Gormley Keep. Smrgol was definitely a tough, noble dragon.

*Six: Daenerys's dragons*










At this point in _A Song of Ice and Fire_ (book five is not yet released), Daenerys's dragons are still small. But they show potential for growing big. Very big. Maybe even big enough to win the coveted Iron Throne. Right now, they're only ranked sixth, but they have potential for rising higher in the list in years to come.

*Five: Trogdor*










He burninates the countryside. He's made of an S and a different S. He's hilarious to those who know him, utterly perplexing to those who don't. Maybe it's all those thatch roofs he burned. Maybe it's his beefy arm. Whatever the reason, he makes the Top Five for toughest dragons.

*Four: Smaug*










Perhaps the world's most famous dragon, Smaug influenced countless dragons who followed. He sits on a mountain of jewels and gold. He terrorizes hobbits and dwarves. He stars in a fantasy novel that changed the world. He's one mean dragon.

*Three: Takhisis*










Takhisis has enchanted and terrified a generation of fantasy geeks. In her human form, she's a beautiful temptress. In her dragon form, she has five heads. She's also a goddess, powerful enough to torture Raistlin himself. Smaug might be tough, but Takhisis could probably kill him without breaking a sweat.

*Two: St. George's Dragon*










Painted, sculptured, illustrated -- St. George's dragon has inspired artists and storytellers for centuries. He is the ultimate dragon of legend. He's the granddaddy of all dragons. If even Shakespeare wrote about him, you know he's tough.

*One: Falcor*










Falcor, the luckdragon from _The Neverending Story_, inspired a generation. Countless children in the 1980s gawked at this pink, doglike creature and dreamed of riding him. True, Falcor sometimes seemed more canine than dragonish. And true, despite his wisdom and pacifism, he's kind of a jerk at the end when he chases those kids into a garbage bin. But Falcor was more than just a dragon. In many ways, he defined a decade. Because the 1980s were like Falcor--they were pink, they were fluffy, and they were a flying doglike creature. There's no denying it. For all his fluffiness, Falcor is a cultural icon, and he tops the list for greatest dragon.

But hey, you're saying -- what happened to poor Spyro? And shouldn't Saphira rank at least higher than Pete's dragon? Maybe I ranked them all wrong! What do you think?

Let's hear _your_ list. How would _you_ rank the world's Top Ten dragons?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

My favorite and one of the greatest (IMO): Kalessin, the eldest dragon in Ursula K. LeGuin's _The Farthest Shore_ (#3 of the Earthsea trilogy).


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## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

Totally agree with Falcor in top spot!

What about Chinese dragons?


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

You've already listed my favorite - Smaug. You could also add the dragon from DragonHeart (what was his name again?)


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

And while he's probably too small to make a "greatest" list, my other favorite is Errol the swamp dragon, the first (and only?) super-sonic jet-powered dragon of the Discworld.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

NogDog said:


>


He looks so sad that he was left out.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Daniel Arenson said:


> He looks so sad that he was left out.


Probably just indigestion after eating the kettle and a can of armor polish.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Smaug is my personal favorite.  But are those dudes in Avatar dragons (of a sort)?


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

DRACO (Dragonheart) was pretty cool...Sean Connery's voice really sold him...


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Then there's Stanley:  he's a Steamer who roams the gap in Xanth. . . . . .


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

You forgot Temeraire, from Naomi Novik's series.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

spotsmom said:


> But are those dudes in Avatar dragons (of a sort)?


I considered them for my list, but I'm not sure they're really dragons. I think they're just dudes that sort of look like dragons.


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## SheaMacLeod (Apr 13, 2011)

Temeraire is a fantastic dragon.  Very fierce.  RAWR! lol  I love those novels.

But Errol takes the kettle.  Er, cake.  I love him.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

SheaMacLeod said:


> Temeraire is a fantastic dragon. Very fierce. RAWR! lol I love those novels.
> 
> But Errol takes the kettle. Er, cake. I love him.


Adding both to TBR list.


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

Going with Elliot, Pete's dragon. How many dragons can say the word, "Passamaquoddy"?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

How about Puff the Magic Dragon? 










And the much more fearsome version:


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

I like Terry Brook's Strabo from the Magic Kingdom of Landover series. Powerful enough to go between dimensions and resist magic used against him. I named my Kindle (in the red Oberon Sky Dragon cover) after him.


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## SheaMacLeod (Apr 13, 2011)

And then there's pretty much any of the dragons from Pern.


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## Marcin Wrona (Apr 28, 2011)

Does Jormungandr count as a dragon? Because he's a bad enough dude to take down Thor, at the end of things (though he, alas, perishes in the doing).


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## J.M Pierce (May 13, 2010)

How about Toothless?


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## Cristian YoungMiller (Mar 3, 2011)

Bruce Lee!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

We named our poor little pound puppy for him. Someone had chopped his tail off, so the name fit.


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

Cristian YoungMiller said:


> Bruce Lee!


Excellent response!


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

WoW has a slew of dragons.  Not sure I'd nominate them for a top 10 list, but Deathwing is currently laying waste to a continent.  Lessee... the dragons from Robin Hobb's Farseer books.  I don't want to say much about them, though, 'cuz it might give it away.


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## thedragonchild "L&#039;Poni Baldwin" (Jun 21, 2012)

Daniel Arenson said:


> I'm guest blogging tonight at Amanda Hocking's blog, trying to rank the world's Top Ten dragons. Who is the toughest, greatest dragon?
> 
> What do you think? Am I missing anyone? Here's my list, copied and pasted from Amanda's blog:
> 
> ...


You forgot the most powerful dragon of them all! *Ashuton Karrucci*, prince of the *Draconizica Empire*, God and Father to all the space dragons and the ONLY dragon capable of forming the Mosaic. Married to the Mother of Dragons (not Daenerys, I'm talking about Narcissus/Lementia, the African American dragoness shifter), he is the third born in a lineage of powerful dragon gods originating from space. In his human form he is a caring man and cares for every dragon he births (there's an explanation for that). In his dragon form he can be a terror to behold, but unlike most dragons he does not revel in destruction. His empire has given life and changed the lives of the universe's inhabitants, from the Wolves of Neptune to the wasp-like Crotonians of High Windgrasp. He does share a common trait with most dragons: his undying love for butter pecan ice cream and his healthy body. At least he doesn't hoard treasure.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

How about Flinx' friend Pip, the Alaspinian minidragon.
He has lots of abilities - don't mess with Flinx and Pip.


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

Hello, y'all forgot The Sleeper!  (everquest)


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Ruth, the White Dragon.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

The one on my arm


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## kindleworm (Aug 24, 2010)

I also vote for Elliot (Pete's Dragon).  When my son Elliot was born, someone gave us a DVD of Pete's Dragon. Very clever and thoughtful gift.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Indy said:


> Hello, y'all forgot The Sleeper! (everquest)


Double vote for The Sleeper... honorable mentions to Vox & Naggy.


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2012)

I don't know about greatest, but I've got a soft spot for Vermithrax Pejorative from Dragonslayer. Large, threatening, very dangerous and nicely animated.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

You've missed out an important one, Dan. There is a dragon in the final section of Beowulf, after the hero has finished off Grendel and Grendel's mother. In fact -- if I recall the tale correctly -- the dragon ends up killing Beowulf. Can someone confirm this?


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## geniebeanie (Apr 23, 2009)

Hands down Smaug from the Hobbit.  The only dragon with a sense of humor.


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## thedragonchild "L&#039;Poni Baldwin" (Jun 21, 2012)

One other purple dragon that has been forgotten. He happens to be the coolest dragon of them all (except Ashuton).










*SPIKE from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!!!*


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## That Weird Guy.... (Apr 16, 2012)

NapCat said:


> DRACO (Dragonheart) was pretty cool...Sean Connery's voice really sold him...


He is my #1! Very regal.


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## That Weird Guy.... (Apr 16, 2012)

Let's See. My list would be

10.







Toothless from "How to Train Your Dragon"

9.







the Dragon form of Maleficent. Especially in the Disneyland show Fantasmic (which is where the picture is from).

8.







Mad Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone.

7.







Great Dragon Cascatheka Rendithius from Clive Barker's Abarat.

6.







Puff the Magic Dragon. Loved this cartoon when I was a kid. the sequel was not so good, but I still have fond memories of it.

5.







Bahamut ZERO from Final Fantasy VII. BEST SUMMON EVER!

4.







Frank from The Rescuers Down under

3.







Niner from Eyes of the Dragon. Not really the character itself, but rather his stuffed head. Used as a major plot device.

2.







FALCOR!!! Just for this face alone!

1.







[ DRACO... So regal. So wise. Sea Connery's voice. What more could you ask for?


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