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For imaginary creatures, dragons sure seem to be everywhere these days. How to Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks Animation’s live-action remake of its 2010 animated favorite, topped the box office charts this past weekend. Meanwhile, HBO is busy filming the third season of its hit series House of the Dragon. And “Onyx Storm,” the third volume in the Empyrean fantasy book series by Rebecca Yarros, came out earlier this year.
Filmmakers have been bringing these fantastic beasts to life for decades, and we’d like to spotlight 14 of the most unforgettable dragons to ever roar their way onto the silver screen. We’re confining our list to live-action movies (apologies to Mulan’s buddy Mushu and Dragon from Shrek). Likewise, sea serpents, Japanese Kaiju, and actual dinosaurs aren’t featured (sorry, Cecil, King Ghidorah, and all velociraptors). Let’s face it, the field is crowded enough as is. In chronological order, our roster of (sometimes) winged wonders includes:
Fafnir, Die Nibelungen: Siegfried’s Death (1924) – What many consider the first dragon depicted in film came in director Fritz Lang’s silent fantasy opus, based on the medieval German epic poem. Still impressive over a century after its debut, the full-size Fafnir is peacefully drinking from a waterfall pool when the titular warrior Siegfried (Paul Richter) arrives ready to slay it. Fafnir roars, swings its tail around, and breathes fire, but is no match for Siegfried’s sword. Our “hero” then bathes in the dragon’s blood and becomes invincible…almost.
The Dragon, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) – Who else but stop-motion animation icon Ray Harryhausen could give 1950s moviegoers a fight to the death between a cloven-hooved, horn-headed cyclops and a giant, flame-belching dragon guarding an evil wizard’s cave? Called “Taro” in some sources but unnamed in the movie script, this reptilian terror was actually “cannibalized” from the prehistoric Rhedosaurus model used in Harryhausen’s earlier The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
The Hydra, Jason and the Argonauts (1963) – If you think animating a dragon is hard work, try animating one with seven heads! Five years after Sinbad, Harryhausen turned to Greek mythology for his next dragon. The result was the multi-noggined nemesis Hydra, fearsome guardian of the fabled Golden Fleece sought by Jason (Todd Armstrong) and the crew of the good ship Argo. Sadly, we don’t get to see Jason cut off one of the Hydra’s heads so that two more can take its place.
H.R. Pufnstuf, Pufnstuf (1970) – So, whoever said all dragons were scary or malevolent? This feature-length adventure based on the popular Sid and Marty Krofft Saturday morning kids’ show followed young Jimmy (Oliver’s Jack Wild) and his talking flute Freddy to Living Island. There the duo are pursued by the evil Witchipoo (Billie Hayes), but saving them is the island’s mayor, good-hearted dragon H.R. Pufnstuf (because, as you know, he’s “your friend when things get rough”). Oddly, Pufnstuf’s TV voice actor, Lennie Weinrib, was replaced in this film by Allan Melvin.
Elliott, Pete’s Dragon (1977) – Yeah, I know, Elliott is an animated dragon. The rest of this Disney romp is live-action, though, so I say it qualifies. Besides, no list of movie dragons would be complete without this children-loving leviathan who uses his flying and invisibility powers to help young orphan Pete (Sean Marshall) escape his cruel guardians and find a home with a lighthouse keeper (Mickey Rooney) and his daughter (Helen Reddy) in a small coastal Maine town. Comedian Charlie Callas supplied Elliott’s voice. There was also a more serious 2016 remake, but we shan’t talk about it.
Vermithrax Pejorative, Dragonslayer (1981) – Well, that’s quite a mouthful! Old Vermy (whose look was based on the Jurassic pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus) has been terrorizing the kingdom of Urland for years, leading to a semi-annual lottery where virgin girls are offered as a sacrifice. The apprentice (Peter MacNicol) of a powerful sorcerer (Ralph Richardson) and a young woman (Caitlin Clarke) disguised as a soldier set out to track the dragon back to its lair and…well, slay it. Nearly a quarter of the Paramount/Disney co-production’s budget went to bringing the title behemoth to cinematic life, with groundbreaking practical effects. While the film was a box office disappointment, it has gone on to achieve cult status.
Quetzalcoatl, Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) – “It’s (sic) name is Quetzalcoatl… just call it Q…that’s all you’ll have time to say before it tears you apart!” So read the posters for writer/director Larry Cohen’s slick little “B” shocker. A giant flying serpent, which may or may not be the bloodthirsty Aztec deity, takes up residence in Midtown Manhattan’s Chrysler Building (obviously the Empire State Building was another monster’s turf) and starts chowing down on New Yorkers. Michael Moriarty shines as a small-time crook who learns the monster’s location and tries to milk the city for money. The stop-motion Q came courtesy of model animators David Allen and Randall William Cook.
Falkor, The NeverEnding Story (1984) – Using his powers of flight, blue fire breath, and good fortune, lovable “luck dragon” Falkor is an important ally in child warrior Atreyu’s quest to find a cure for the ailing Childlike Empress and save the magical realm of Fantasia. With his fuzzy ears and mix of fur and scales, Falkor is one part dog and one part dragon and one of the most popular characters in the book and film series. There’s even a life-size Falkor prop visitors to the Bavaria Film Studio in western Germany can climb on and pose for pictures. Fun Fact: The dragon’s original German name, Fuchur, was based on the Japanese term for “luck-dragon,” Fukuryū, but was changed for English translations because it sounded like a certain obscenity.
Eborsisk, Willow (1988) – As title hero Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) and his mercenary ally Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) battle a squadron of trolls, the diminutive sorcerer attempts to stop one of their foes with a spell, but winds up turning the troll into a giant fire-spewing, two-headed dragon known as an Eborsisk. The name–courtesy of story writer George Lucas–is a not-too-subtle dig at famed Chicago movie critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, of whom Lucas was not a fan. As it turned out, the Sneak Previews duo weren’t exactly flattered with the “salute” themselves, giving Lucas’ and director Ron Howard’s fantasy mixed reviews. But as Crow T. Robot once said on Mystery Science Theater 3000, “Hey, I liked Willow!”
Draco, Dragonheart (1996) – If there was ever an actor meant to voice a movie dragon, it would have to have been Sean Connery. When dragon-killing knight Sir Bowen (Dennis Quaid) and the last surviving dragon battle to a stalemate, the pair decide to form a partnership. Wandering the countryside, the beast, dubbed Draco, will threaten to attack villages and Bowen will ride in and “slay” it to collect a sizeable payday. The Oscar-nominated mix of the legend of St. George and 1971’s The Skin Game was followed by a 2000 sequel and a trio of prequel adventures.
Norbert, The Harry Potter Series (2001-2011) – There are many breeds of dragons–Chinese Fireball, Hungarian Horntail, Swedish Short-Snout, Ukrainian Ironbelly, and so forth–depicted in the Potter film saga. The beastie that most connected with audiences, though, was Norbert, the adorable baby Norwegian Ridgeback that Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) hatches from an egg in 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. After trying–and failing–to raise it on his own, Hagrid turns Norbert over to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. It’s later learned that “he” is actually a female dragon which Hagrid renames Norberta.
The Dragons, Reign of Fire (2002) – What they lacked in personality, the antagonists in this fantasy/action misfire made up for in lethalness. Accidentally freed from their subterranean lair beneath a London construction site in 2002, a slew of fire-breathing dragons quickly spread across the planet and, within 18 years, have driven Mankind to the brink of extinction. A community of survivors living in a castle in Northeast England teams with a squad of Americans armed with a tank and other weapons to wipe out the dragons and make the world safe for humanity once again. Stars Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey gave it their all, and the dragons’ look was good if inconsistent, but the film’s reign in theaters was short-lived.
Saphira, Eragon (2006) – High time we had a she-dragon in this roster. Rachel Weisz lends her voice to Saphira, a blue-tinted beast who hatches from an egg found by farm boy Eragon (Ed Speelers) and forms a telepathic bond with the lad. Together the pair take to the skies as they and their allies must fight to free the land from the clutches of a corrupt king (John Malkovich) and restore the ancient tradition of the Dragon Riders. Based on the first book in writer Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle series, Eragon’s mediocre box office and poor critical reception stopped 20th Century-Fox’s plans for further films in mid-flight.
Smaug, The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-14) -Perhaps the most dangerous–not to mention well-spoken–dragon on this list, J.R.R. Tolkien’s gold-hoarding leviathan was brought to life by an Oscar-winning effects crew, director Peter Jackson, and the malevolently dulcet tones of actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Smaug is briefly glimpsed near the end of An Unexpected Journey, revels in trying to catch Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) hiding in his treasure-filled lair in The Desolation of Smaug, and (SPOILER ALERT!) meets his comeuppance in The Battle of the Five Armies.
Yeah, just as I thought. No room left to give honorable mentions to the dragons featured in 1962’s Jack the Giant Killer and The Magic Sword or the title monster of Terry Gilliam’s 1977 comedy Jabberwocky. Not even time for a shout-out to such TV favorites as Oliver J. Dragon from Kulka, Fran and Ollie, family pet Spot on The Munsters, or Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion from Game of Thrones. If I failed to list your favorite live-action cinema dragon, let me know in the comments below.