Dragon

Dragons are huge four-limbed, two-winged reptilian predators. These powerful and intelligent serpentine creatures exist across the multiverse. They have formidable physical strength, and many of them also score high on intelligence and magical capabilities. Head shape, wing shape, body shape, scale colors and breath weapons vary from plane to plane and from dragon to dragon. They can be found in all colors, although more dragons are aligned with red than with any other color. In fact, dragon is the iconic creature for the color red, and at least one red Dragon has appeared in every core set.

Baby or miniature dragons are referred to as "hatchlings" and "whelps".

Ancient dragons

Elder Dragons

The Elder Dragons were ancient dragons of Dominia. Their vast power rivaled that of planeswalkers. The chronologically oldest bit of Magic lore we have is that about the Elder Dragon Wars, a conflict that shook the planes and killed most of their kind. The winners of the war became the ancestors of all dragons and drakes, while the losers were stripped of their wings, limbs and most of their power and became the Elder Land Wurms, which spawned all other wurm species. Viashino are also descendants of them, although it is unknown how.

There is some debate about how many Elder Dragons actually survived. We know for sure that the siblings Nicol Bolas, Chromium Rhuell, Arcades Sabboth, Palladia-Mors, and their cousin Vaevictis Asmadi survived, but were there any others? Some prerevisionist lore says there were none, and that Piru was a Lesser Elder, but it seems unlikely that a race as powerful as the dragons could arise from five close relatives. It could be that the five Elder Dragon Legends were simply the most prominent of the survivors. Presently, Nicol Bolas is the only known Elder Dragon that still lives and is the most powerful of the Elder Dragons. However, more recent lore seems to imply that Ugin may also be considered an Elder Dragon.

Lesser Elders

Also known as Lower Dragons. Their name suggests that they are insignificant or weak, but this is only the case when compared to the Elder Dragons. The Lesser Elders where the firstborn children of the Elders. They were less powerful than their parents but still very mighty and they sired the many races of dragons we know today.

Known Lesser Elders are Scarzam dragons, and possibly Piru.

Scarzam dragons

The Scarzam dragons were a race of dragons sired by the Lesser Elder Scarzam and used by a woman, Sivitri Scarzam, to wage war on Corondor. They were nearly wiped out by a magical, poisonous flower created by Sol'Kanar to destroy Sivitri's power. Only one, and the biggest of these dragons, survived.

Hellkites

Hellkites are among the most powerful dragons. The dragons that destroyed Rashida Scalebane's village were Crimson Hellkites.

The hellkites of Bogardan survived even in the post-apocalyptic rift-tortured Dominaria.

Powerful Hellkites known as Hellkite Overlords inhabit the shard of Jund

Alaran dragons

Grixian Dragons

In the Shard of Alara known as Grixis, there is one known dragon remaining, the demon-dragon Malfegor. The bones of a massive dragon do exist though, encircling the necropolis of Unx.

Jundian Dragons

In the Shard of Alara known as Jund, dragons are the dominant race on the top of the food chain. They are worshiped by the goblins who consider it an honor to be eaten alive by them.

Dominarian dragons

Primeval Dragons

The five Primeval Dragons were self-proclaimed gods and once ruled Dominaria until the Numena managed to imprison them and steal their power. The Primevals were ordinary dragons until all of them were awakened, when their combined magic unlocked their magnificent powers.

During the Phyrexian Invasion, Tevesh Szat revealed the existence of the Primevals to Rhammidarigaaz, also known as Darigaaz, who was in fact a reincarnated Primeval himself. After they were all reawakened, they went on a rampage against both Dominarians and Phyrexians, until Karn convinced Darigaaz of his folly. Darigaaz committed suicide by plunging into a volcano after which the other Primevals could be defeated.

Their names had a special meaning in Old Draconic describing the stages of a dragon's life. The first Primeval was Rhammidarigaaz ("conception"), the second was Rith ("childhood"), the third was Treva ("youth"), the fourth was Dromar ("adulthood"), and the last was Crosis ("death").

In addition to being godlike themselves, each dragon has a characteristic associated with belonging to the Ur-Dragon, the spirit of all dragonkind. Each characteristic can be found in the flavor text of its respective attendant golem.

Dragon species

Alabaster dragons

The Alabaster dragons were white-aligned dragons from Argive. They were said to be at home among the clouds.

Artifact dragons

Draco is a powerful artifact dragon. It is not known what Draco is or originally was, but the artwork suggests that it might had been a natural dragon (Instead of a pure artificial construct) that was later modified with certain metallic parts. other artifact dragons are Tek and the Clockwork Dragon Teeka's dragon was an artificial dragon created by the artificer Teeka in the short story "Better Mousetrap" in the Distant Planes anthology.

Canopy dragons

Canopy dragons are native to the Mwonvuli Jungle in Jamuraa.

Krosan dragons

The Krosan dragons of Otaria have no wings but have six legs, are covered in thorny armor and breathe a magical vapor that causes wild vegetation to grow in their presence. Smaller Krosan dragons called dragonettes were used in the Cabal's pits. However, this caused a fully-grown dragon to come to Cabal City to try to avenge its kin.

Nalathni dragons

A Nalathni dragon communicating with an Olesian ally.

The Nalathni dragons are small but intelligent dragons. They helped their Olesian allies fight against the goblin hordes of Pashalik Mons.

Nekoru

Nekoru, or Cat-Dragons, are cat-like beings with reptilian wings from Jamuraa. It is unknown whether they where actually descendants from the Elder Dragons, although their non-reptilian bodies seem to suggest otherwise.

The nekoru Wasitora played an important role in the second Legends Cycle. The race was revisited in Time Spiral — when Teferi's host is transported to Madara near Talon Gates thanks to the call of Nicol Bolas, the party meets the nekoru prince Yurei-teki.

The name "Nekoru" comes from the Japanese word "Neko", for "cat", and "ru" (or "ryu"), for "dragon". Literally translated it means "cat-dragon".

Shivan dragons

Shivan dragons were the most powerful red-aligned dragons and hailed from the island of Shiv. Sometimes they allied themselves with the Viashino of their homeland; sometimes they fought against them. After Teferi phased out a large chunk of Shiv, some of these dragons tried to rebuild their native land, many journeyed away to seek any opportunity to restore the broken pride of their race; Rorix Bladewing was one of those dragons. Rorix fought and died in the Grand Coliseum, but after his death he was reanimated as Bladewing the Risen.

Rhammidarigaaz and his mother Gherridarigaaz were also shivan dragons.

Viashivan Dragons

Viashivan dragons were Jamuraan dragons rivaling the Shivan dragons in power.

Vampiric dragons

A Vampiric Dragon wreaked havoc on Otaria in the short story "Seasons of Slaughter" in the Monsters of Magic anthology. It is unknown if it is unique.

Innistrad Dragons

Little is known of the Innistradi Dragons, but they are considered to be lesser threats in comparison to the many scourges of the plane, likely only because of their sparse numbers.

Mercadian dragons

Two-headed dragons

Two-Headed Dragons can be found on Mercadia.

Mirrodin dragons

Clockwork dragons

Clockwork Dragons are artificial dragons found on Mirrodin.

Furnace dragons

The furnace dragons lived on Mirrodin. They were brought there by Memnarch's soul traps and parts of their bodies were turned into metal by the mycosynth that grows inside Mirrodin. The metal components augmented their offensive power and mobility. Furnace dragons had a literal furnace inside their chest, which generated both their breath weapon and bursts of fire from "exhaust vents" in their wings. Unlike most other dragons, they didn't glide on wind currents; they flew through Mirrodin's skies on pure explosive power. Their metallic modifications left them inherently unstable. Overloading their furnaces for particularly large periods of flame-production could have explosive repercussions. A known (although possibly mythic) furnace dragon is Chiss-Goria.

New Phyrexian dragons

Skithiryx, a pawn of Sheoldred, was a compleated dragon.

Kamigawa dragons

Dragon Spirits

The dragon spirits are powerful kami of Kamigawa. There are five, one for each color of magic. During the Spirit War, they did not side with O-Kagachi, but remained true to their pledge to protect several important places of the mortals.

• Yosei, the Morning Star protected Eiganjo. He was ripped apart in the battle against O-Kagachi, but survived and helped the Eiganjoan refugees in the battle against the hordes of the Myojin of Infinite Rage.
• Keiga, the Tide Star protected Minamo. She was killed (if kami can be killed) by Hidetsugu and his yamabushi minions during their attack on the school.
• Jugan, the Rising Star protected the forest of Jukai. In the initial stages of the war, he was summoned by the monks of the Order of the Sacred Bell to fight in the Battle of Silk. He was killed, but blessed the monks with power even after he was gone. During the final stages of the war he was summoned by Sosuke and Sachi to aid the Orochi against the Soratami invaders. Apparently he had the ability to come back from the dead (perhaps all kami can).
• Kokusho, the Evening Star was the guardian of the Takenuma swamp.
• Ryusei, the Falling Star was the guardian of the Sokenzan mountains.

The Kamigawa vignette on Kiki-Jiki reveals that there are more dragons on Kamigawa and that not all of them sided against O-Kagachi. Nothing more is known about them though.

It is important to note that while they have the shape of a dragon, they are in fact spirits foremost. This is an important distinction when considering the planeswalker Ugin who is known as a spirit dragon and therefore does not have as much in common with them as one would assume.

Phyrexian dragons

Dragon engines

Dragon engines were dragon-like creatures of unknown origin that lived in the first sphere of Phyrexia. They were used by Mishra during the Brothers' War (he used real Phyrexian dragon engines and his own versions which were inferior) and by Phyrexia itself in the Invasion.

Remains of them can still be found in Dominaria among the wreckage of the Invasion.

Ramos, a construct worshipped as a god by the Cho-Arrim, is perhaps the most well-known example of a dragon engine.

Ravnican Dragons

On the plane of Ravnica, with dragons deemed too dangerous to exist, the Guildpact was signed in part to rid the world of such beings; around the Decamillennial nearly all of them had been killed. The most significant exception being Niv-Mizzet, the parun and Guildleader of the Izzet League who had led the hunt against the others of his kind.

Zomaj Hauc tried to revive some ancient dragon eggs some years after the Decamillennial, but was foiled by Agrus Kos, Teysa Karlov, and their allies.

There are also lesser dragons still free, who are either hunted (Hunted Dragon) or trained as pets (Rakdos Pit Dragon, by the Rakdos).

Shadowmoor Dragons

In Shadowmoor there is a Knollspine Dragon who is believed to be hidden in the Spinerock Knoll during the Lorwyn phase.

Shandalar Dragons

Astral dragons

Also known as faerie dragons these dragons were unique to the plane of Shandalar. One of them defeated planeswalker Faralyn.

Tarkir Dragons

In present day Tarkir, dragons were originally extinct, leading to Sarkhan Vol's fascination with them as a planeswalker. They were born from Ugin's elemental storms, which spawned different types of dragons in accordance to the mana in different terrains. These beasts once terrorized the plane's inhabitants; as such, the local clans hunted them to extinction, a task made easier by Ugin's death at the hands of Nicol Bolas and the subsequent end to the elemental storms. However, Sarkhan eventually traveled back in time, bringing dragons back to life as he saved Ugin's life, and thus the storms. As the dragon slumbered, the storms increased over several years, to the point that Tarkir was more overrun by dragons than ever. Eventually, however, each of the clans surrendered to the reptiles, and the dragons have lorded over them ever since in the timeline.

Dragon Broods

• Dromoka's Brood, named after their female champion, were revered by the Abzan Houses for their endurance. They were robust, ankylosaur-like beasts well protected by scaly armor, and breathed beams of light. They were drawn to Tarkir's hot and sunlit deserts. They attacked the Abzan over their "necromantic" ways, seeing their summoning of the spirits of the ancestors as an affront to nature and life, and thus massacred them until their khan, Daghatar, was brought before Dromoka's presence in the new timeline, years after Ugin's injury. Learning why she acted as she did, he ordered the end of the Abzan kin-tree traditions, installing instead a pact with the dragons.
• Ojutai's Brood, named after their male champion, were admired by the Jeskai Way. They were lithe, feathered winged creatures drawn to Tarkir's cold peaks, and with an icy breath. They were cunning and treacherous, forcing the Jeskai into a battle of wits for their own survival. Though Ojutai's motivation to kill the Jeskai was never made entirely clear, he and his brood established themselves as exceptionally dogmatic individuals after taking over the Jeskai, when they attacked the meeting of the khans. Accepting Shun Yun's terms of surrender, Ojutai ordered the execution of every ghostfire Jeskai warrior. Finally, as the new leader, he demanded that the records of the Jeskai were edited to rewrite history in his favor, declaring himself ruler and the clan abolished.
• Silumgar's Brood, named after their male champion, were inspirational to the Sultai Brood. They were snake headed creatures with a corrosive, venomous breath, associated with the misty jungles and swamps, stealing treasure and spreading death everywhere. In the new timeline, the Sultai khan offended the Rakshasa and the Nagas, prompting them to abandon the clan, forcing them thus to make a pact with Silumgar and his brood. Tasigur betrayed the other khans by revealing to the location of their meeting, under the promise of a special place of power under Silumgar's regime.
• Kolaghan's Brood, named after their female champion, were imitated by the Mardu Horde. They were slim creatures with four feathered wings and an assortment of frills and spines, capable of conjuring lightning. Taking dominion over the hills and steppes, they fought viciously against the Mardu. In the new timeline, Kolaghan and her brood established themselves as the sole non-tyrannical dragons, not interested in enslaving the Mardu.
• Atarka's Brood, named after their female champion, were honored by the Temur Frontier. They were robust, bestial dragons with antlers and horns and fur, breathing green flames. Preferring the cold slopes, they were driven by hunger alone. In the new timeline, Atarka's barely sapient mentality proved to be the salvation to the Temur, as Yasova satiated her hunger by feeding her mammoth carcasses, distracting the dragons from attacking her clan.

Tarkiran Elders

Following the rise of the broodlords and the passage of time, the dragons matured to new levels of power, gaining the additional title of Elder. While these five dragons are no doubt the most powerful on Tarkir, the term is used separately of the Elder Dragons that once waged war across the multiverse, making them a distinct breed of dragon rather than dragons of the same caliber as those ancient creatures.

Dragon tokens

Token Name	Color	Type Line	P/T	Text Box	Source	Printings
Dragon	Red	Creature — Dragon	2/2	Flying : This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.	Brood Keeper Dragon Egg Nesting Dragon
	Red	Creature — Dragon	4/4	Flying	Broodmate Dragon Descent of the Dragons Dragon Cultist Dragon Whisperer Rith, Liberated Primeval Rohgahh, Kher Keep Overlord Sarkhan the Masterless Sarkhan Unbroken Sarkhan Vol The Elder Dragon War
	Red	Creature — Dragon	5/5	Flying	Awaken the Sky Tyrant Day of the Dragons Death by Dragons Draconic Disciple Dragon Roost Dragonkin Berserker Dragonmaster Outcast Lathliss, Dragon Queen Look Skyward and Despair Loot Dispute Rith, the Awakener Avatar Sarkhan, Fireblood Sarkhan the Mad Shiv Skyline Despot
	Red	Creature — Dragon	6/6	Flying	Utvara Hellkite
	Black/​Red	Creature — Dragon	6/6	Flying, menace Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, gain control of target artifact that player controls.	Wake the Dragon
	Red/​Green	Creature — Dragon	1/1	Flying, devour 2	Dragon Broodmother
	Gold	Creature — Dragon	4/4	Flying	Sword of Dungeons & Dragons
Dragon Egg	Red	Creature — Dragon Egg	0/2	Defender When this creature dies, create a 2/2 red Dragon creature token with flying and ": This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn."	Nesting Dragon
Dragon Elemental	Red	Creature — Dragon Elemental	4/4	Flying Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)	Elemental Eruption Eris, Roar of the Storm
Karox Bladewing	Red	Legendary Creature — Dragon	4/4	Flying	Verix Bladewing
Smaug	Red	Legendary Creature — Dragon	6/6	Flying, haste, and "When this creature dies, create fourteen Treasure tokens"	There and Back Again
Dragon Spirit	Blue	Creature — Dragon Spirit	5/5	Flying	Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang
	Red	Creature — Dragon Spirit	5/5	Flying	Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei Goro-goro and Satoru
	Red/​Green	Creature — Dragon Spirit	5/4	When this creature deals damage, sacrifice it.	Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients
Dragon Illusion	Red	Creature — Dragon Illusion	X/X	Flying, Haste	Manaform Hellkite
Cat Dragon	Black/​Red/​Green	Creature — Cat Dragon	3/3	Flying	Wasitora, Nekoru Queen
Faerie Dragon	Blue	Creature — Faerie Dragon	1/1	Flying	Ancient Gold Dragon Elminster Feywild Caretaker Feywild Trickster Feywild Visitor Rasaad, Dragon Monk
Scorpion Dragon	Red	Creature — Scorpion Dragon	4/4	Flying, haste	Magda, the Hoardmaster
Timeless Dragon	Black	Creature — Zombie Dragon	4/4	Flying Plainscycling	Timeless Dragon
Tiamat's Fanatics	Red	Creature — Dragon Warrior	4/3		Tiamat's Fanatics

Trivia

• Dragon Engine isn't a dragon, it is a construct.
• Nalathni Dragon is the only dragon with banding.
• The lord-like enchantment Crucible of Fire grants +3/+3 to dragons you control.
• Dragonshift changes creatures into 4/4 blue and red dragons with flying.
• Dance of the Skywise changes creatures into 4/4 blue dragon illusions.
• The Shichifukujin Dragon is one of only a handful of unique Magic cards in existence (meaning there's only one copy in existence).
• Catacomb Dragon and Crux of Fate are the only cards that refers to non-dragons.
• "Dragons" is used as an anchor word for the Siege-cycle in Fate Reforged

See also

• Drakes
• Viashino
• Wurms

External links

• Doug Beyer (November 14, 2007). "Drakes and Dragons, Wurms and Worms". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• List of all MTG Dragons