| Dragon | Wyvern |
|---|---|
|
|
| Wins 57.00% of 1k fights | Wins 43.00% of 1k fights |
Dragons and Wyverns are two of the most iconic reptilian creatures in all of fantasy. They are both winged beasts that often breathe fire and wield immense strength, speed, and the ability to fly. They do differ, however, in a few unique ways that we'll get into below.
| Feature | Wyvern | Dragon | Notable Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limbs | Two legs, wings used for locomotion | Four legs, wings used for flight | Drogon (GoT), Caraxes (HotD), Rathalos (MH) |
| Combat Style | Relies heavily on aerial attacks and fire breathing | Uses all four limbs for combat, in addition to fire breathing | Smaug (The Hobbit), Drogon (GoT), Alduin (Skyrim) |
| Size | Generally smaller and more agile | Larger and more powerful | Smaug (The Hobbit), Vermithrax Pejorative (Dragonslayer) |
| Intelligence | Less intelligent, more animalistic | Highly intelligent, often portrayed as wise and cunning | Smaug (The Hobbit), Balerion (ASOIAF) |
| Flight | Flight is central to combat and mobility | Flight is used for mobility, but combat often occurs on the ground | Toothless (HTTYD), Stormfly (HTTYD) |
| Fire Breathing | Primary weapon, often used to dominate from the skies | Powerful but used in conjunction with physical combat | Smaug (The Hobbit), Drogon (GoT) |
A Wyvern only has two legs and uses its wings for locomotion when traveling on the ground. Dragons, on the other hand, are quadrupedal and use all four of their limbs for combat and travel. Other than this, dragons and wyverns are very similar in appearance. In battle, however, they can behave vastly different due to their respective anatomies.
As we've seen in shows like House of the Dragon, wyverns rely heavily on their fire-breathing abilities and conduct melee combat similar to eagles. Two wyverns are likely to lock talons and engage in what is known as a 'death fall' to determine the victor.
The little claws on their limbs will generally not be used for offense as much due to their lack of power. These relatively tiny body parts are strictly for making trips on the surface. Their wings, however, can be a powerful tool as wyverns have strong chest and arm muscles that allow them to propel their massive bodies skyward.
Dragons also wield fire as their main ranged weapon, but they are less reliant on it during battle with other beasts as they have four formidable limbs. So, in head-to-head combat they might be able to kick, scratch, grapple (possibly), and strangle their opponents.
Given the higher-than-normal intelligence displayed by dragons, it's not hard to imagine one learning to use its limbs similarly to how other powerful quadrupedal animals like the Grizzly Bear and lion do.
Though it depends on the lore, dragons are generally bigger and stronger than wyverns. In most cases, dragons possess all the same strengths a wyvern does. The only difference is the dragon will be more versatile in combat since it has two more limbs.
So, unless there is a clear size, power, or ranged-type weapon advantage, the dragon is almost always going to be the stronger of the two mythical beasts. But the two are so similar it's hard for even experienced fantasy writers to tell the difference. Here are some famous 'dragons' that are technically of the wyvern species.
Due to their similar appearance, people often refer to wyverns as dragons. This occurs throughout fantasy and film. Here are some of the most famous cases of mistaken identity in all of fiction.
Drogon from Game of Thrones - Drogon was Dany's mount in Game of Thrones. He and his siblings are constantly referred to as dragons, but in reality, they only have two limbs, making them technically wyverns.
Caraxes the Blood Wyrm from House of the Dragon - Caraxes is called a dragon throughout the series and even referred to as a wyrm due to its long serpentine neck. But he is still a wyvern and most certainly not a wyrm, as those creatures do not possess any limbs or wings.
King Ghidorah from the Godzilla franchise - Godzilla's most fearsome and deadly foe is often referred to as a dragon. And though he possesses a head very similar to a dragon, the guy only has two legs.
Rathalos from the Monster Hunter series - Rathalos is one of the coolest monsters in the Monster Hunter franchise and a top Monstie in Monster Hunter Stories 2. But he is often incorrectly referred to as a dragon, like many of the other wyvern-inspired creatures.
In a head-to-head battle between these mythical titans, there is a clear winner. The dragon would somewhat easily trample a wyvern. Having more limbs than your opponent is a clear advantage when it comes to close-range combat.
Wyverns certainly possess stronger wings given their heavy reliance on them for terrestrial movement. But wings are of little utility should the battle take place at close range. So, in this bout, the W goes to the drakes.
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Posted by: Matt Irving on 08/17/2024
