House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6: Who is the wild dragon in the Vale?

(Image credit: HBO)

House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6 is here, and along with a whole lot of family tensions, bloodshed, and Daemon still running from ghosts, we also got to see Rhaenyra set her plan in motion to appoint dragonseeds as riders of unclaimed dragons. But it looks like her list of beasts has just gotten bigger. Although we haven’t seen it yet, the recent episode hints that a brand new dragon is coming to the series, one that has been hiding out in the Vale.

Warning, the following article contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6, so make sure you are up to date before reading on.

One of the more uneventful storylines in House of the Dragon season 2 has to be Rhaena Targaryen’s. Since she has never claimed a dragon (her last attempt almost killed her) and cannot fight in the war, she has been sent to the Vale with Rhaenyra’s younger children. But it looks like her little holiday may mean something after all, and result in her finally claiming a dragon of her own.

While walking through the Vale with Rhaenyra’s son Joffrey, Rhaena stumbles upon a pile of bones, burned sheep, and a very large patch of scorched earth: one that only could have been created by a dragon. After she realizes she has been lied to about there being no large dragons in the Vale, Rhaena confronts her keeper. The Lady of the Vale replies that the beast arrived a long time ago looking for food, adding, "It is large and formidable, but alas, wild."

So far this season, all of the dragons introduced have been accounted for, meaning that this must be a new dragon altogether. And we think we know who it is…

Who is the new dragon in the Vale?

House of the Dragon season 2 — (Image credit: HBO)

From what we know about the dragon so far, we are pretty certain our new scaled friend is Sheepstealer. Now it's okay if you haven’t heard of him before, as Sheepstealer hasn’t been mentioned in the series. But those who have read George R.R. Martin's book Fire and Blood will know that Sheepstealer is a brown, skinny but quite large dragon who is best known for hunting sheep.

So where does he come from? Well, in the book it is said he hatched sometime during Jaehaerys I Targaryen’s lifetime and resided within the Dragonmont, but was known to travel far in search of his favorite meal, mutton. Sheepstealer went unclaimed for more than 70 years and spent all of this time mostly alone.

How does this change from the book?

Rhaena Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6 — (Image credit: HBO)

In Martin’s works, Sheepstealer was claimed when dragonseeds were asked to mount wild dragons and fight for Rhaenyra. Sheepstealer was one of four dragons that the dragonseeds attempted to claim, and in the end, the brown flyer ended up choosing a girl named Nettles after she bribed the beast with mutton.

But, it looks like things will go a little differently in the show, as we haven’t yet met Nettles, and at this point, we probably never will. Since Rhaena has never claimed a dragon, and she is the one to have found Sheepstealer’s home, she may be the one to tame the new dragon. The daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon, Rhaena is of full Valyrian blood and is the perfect candidate to tame Sheepstealer.

Moreover, her comment right before finding the dragon’s sizzled hunting ground, “Not all of us are called to great deeds. Some of us must serve in smaller ways, even if they are not what we would choose for ourselves,” might also foreshadow what is to come. Maybe Rhaena will play a bigger role in the fight other than being a glorified babysitter.

For the full lowdown on the show’s mentioned dragons, see our guide to House of the Dragon dragons, listed and explained.

House of the Dragon season 2 continues weekly on Sky and NOW in the UK and HBO in the US. For even more on the show, check out our deep dives below: