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Who That Red Dragon Is In HOTD Episode 5 (It's Not Caraxes!)
Warning: this article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon, episode 5 and Fire & Blood.
House of the Dragon introduces another red dragon besides Caraxes into the world of Westeros in episode 5, "We Light The Way." Caraxes, the dragon ridden by Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), made his debut in episode 1. With his characteristically long neck, threatening screeching sounds, and fierceness in battle, Caraxes is quickly making his mark on the show. Flying over to King's Landing with Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate) on Seasmoke, the red dragon shown in episode 5 shares none of Caraxes' more unique traits yet isn't mentioned by name.
With such a quiet introduction, however, the red dragon from House of the Dragon episode 5 will still hold a powerful presence eventually. Considering that there will be 17 dragons in the show, not every dragon in House of the Dragon will get a detailed introduction. As of episode 5, House of the Dragon has only shown four dragons and has mentioned just three other dragons by name.
The red dragon in House of the Dragon's episode 5 is Meleys, nicknamed "The Red Queen" for her vibrant color. Her rider during House of the Dragon's time period is Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best), the "Queen Who Never Was." Before Rhaenys, Meleys' rider was Alyssa Targaryen, the mother of Daemon and King Viserys (Paddy Considine).
Why Meleys Will Be Important In The Dance Of The Dragons
Even though Meleys isn't introduced until the halfway point of House of the Dragon's first season, she's still expected to hold a significant presence in the Westerosi civil war that the first season is leading up to known as the Dance of the Dragons. King Viserys and House of the Dragon's House Velaryon have already developed a simmering tension that will result in the Velaryons' eventual involvement in the civil war. According to the show's source material Fire & Blood, Rhaenys fights in the Dance of the Dragons on Meleys' back, which eventually leads to both of their deaths.
House of the Dragon is presenting how the Dance of the Dragons comes about by establishing the rivalry for Viserys' succession, the changing alliances among the nobles, and all the actions that will eventually explode into violence. By going to Driftmark to establish the marital arrangement between Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) and Laenor, House of the Dragon episode 5 further develops how the Velaryons will be impacted by the Dance of the Dragons. Rhaenys warns her husband Corlys (Steve Toussaint) that marrying Laenor off to Rhaenyra will put him in "danger" because of the imminent bloodshed surrounding Rhaenyra's accession. The Dance of the Dragons' setup in House of the Dragon episode 5 is rightfully establishing the Velaryons' direct involvement in the civil war, which is further accentuated by the introduction of Rhaenys' dragon Meleys.
