Dragon

Dragon is a creature type used for huge four-limbed, two-winged reptilian predators. These powerful 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".

The Ur-Dragon
The Ur-Dragon is the essence of all dragonkind within the Multiverse. The Elder Dragons were spawned from the storms caused by its wings. The Primeval Dragons of Dominaria each bear its characteristics and its scion is known to be found there. This may be related to Dominaria being the Nexus of the Multiverse.

Elder Dragons
The Elder Dragons were ancient dragons of Dominaria. Their vast power was said to rival that of planeswalkers. The chronologically oldest bit of Magic lore we have is about the Elder Dragon War, a conflict that shook the plane of Dominaria and killed most of their kind. The winners of the war became the ancestors of all dragons and drakes, while the losers were said to have been 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.

The Elder Dragons differed from other dragons in being conscious the moment they hatched, instinctively knowing their name. Their internal hierarchy originally derived from the time it costed them to hatch. According to Nicol Bolas, they have multiple hearts.

Only seven Elder Dragons seem to have actually survived the war. They are the siblings Chromium Rhuell, Arcades Sabboth, Palladia-Mors, Nicol Bolas, Ugin (the latter two are actually twins), their cousins Vaevictis Asmadi, and Piru, Chromium's lover. However, only the five Elder Dragon Legends were remembered as the survivors, because Ugin had become a planeswalker before the war began and never participated, and Piru was largely forgotten after she was killed by Dakkon Blackblade in ages past. Presently, Nicol Bolas and Ugin are the only known Elder Dragons that still live.

An eighth Elder Dragon, Merrevia Sal was killed in ages past, shortly after her "birth". Others were Rubra, Ravus, and Lividus.

Scarzam dragons
The Scarzam dragons were a race of dragons that took their name from a planes-traveling being, Sivitri Scarzam, that used them 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 a type of fierce and powerful dragon found on many planes.

On Dominaria, hellkites inhabit Bogardan and Shiv. These dragons survived even in the post-apocalyptic rift-tortured Dominaria. The dragons that destroyed Rashida Scalebane's village were.

On Alara, powerful hellkites known as inhabit the shard of Jund. Hellkites also inhabit Akoum on Zendikar and Ravnica. Hellkites, both organic and mechanical, were also among the creatures native to Mirrodin before its conquest by Phyrexia.

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, and surround the necropolis of Unx. Malfegor was ancient and powerful, with breath that could easily incinerate his enemies. At one point, Malfegor was in Bant. There, he killed an archangel named Asha but was exiled to Grixis, which led to the denizens of Bant to believe him killed. After the Mending, the elder dragon Nicol Bolas told Malfegor to prepare an army to attack the other Shards. After advancing through Esper and nearly driving the Sphinxes extinct, he attacked Bant, where he was killed by Elspeth Tirel and Rafiq.

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. The most powerful dragons were known as hellkites, ruled by hellkite overlords. Hellkite overlords are among the most powerful dragons in the multiverse—they attack swiftly and mercilessly, incinerating or devouring their prey with brutal ease. Overlords are also difficult to kill, as they possess the ability to regenerate from wounds that would kill lesser dragons.

Hellkite overlords are dark red in color, with massive, crimson wings. They have a row of spines down their back, which prevents an attack from behind, and also deters anyone from riding them. A hellkite overlord's head is angular, with a crown of spikes along the back. These spikes protect the overlord's neck and look like a crown, which could have earned the overlord its name.

Amonkhet dragons
The dragons of Amonkhet are fierce firebreathing monsters with heavy reptilian bodies, crocodilian heads and leathery wings. These dim-witted beasts live mostly in the remote reaches of the desert. On occasion, they are taken captive to be used in the Trials.

Primeval Dragons
The five Primeval Dragons are supposedly the second generation after the elder dragons, with at least Crosis sired by the Elder dragons Chromium Rhuell and Piru. They 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. Each were represented in Invasion as a Legendary shard-colored, 6/6 Flying creature for 6, with an ability that triggered on damage on the opponent and scaling with a chosen color.

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 Primevals' Glorious Rebirth, 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.

An alternate-world version of the Primevals were printed in Planar Chaos as wedge-colored dragons, but little is known about them otherwise. Those legendary dragons are Numot, the Devastator, Vorosh, the Hunter, Oros, the Avenger, Intet, the Dreamer, and Teneb, the Harvester.

Alabaster dragons
The 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</c> Teeka's Dragon</c> was an artificial dragon created by the artificer Teeka in the short story "Better Mousetrap" in the Distant Planes anthology.

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
The 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 were 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 had 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
The red and gold are the most powerful red-aligned dragons and hail from the island of Shiv. They are believed to be the descendants of the Elder Dragon Vaevictis Asmadi, are as intelligent as humans, and are adept at spellcasting. They are bound together in bands called broods, each led by a broodlord. Sometimes they allied themselves with the Viashino of their homeland; sometimes they fought against them. Historically, the strongest of the Shivan Dragons bears the title of Champion of Shiv. After Teferi phased out a large chunk of Shiv, some of these dragons tried to rebuild their native land and 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.

The champion Rhammidarigaaz and his mother Gherridarigaaz were also Shivan dragons.

The dragons of Shiv have spent centuries in hiding after the devastation of the Phyrexian invasion, but they have taken flight again after the Great Mending. They are now part of the Shivan Nation. However, the reign of the reincarnated Darigaaz is contested by the Bladewing brood.

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

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

Eldraine dragons
Dragons on Eldraine largely exist in the Wilds, away from the Realm. Icy-blue dragons from remote caves are known to form a ring of magical blizzard force by flying in a circle, each chasing the other’s tail. There also exists a subspecies called Indigo Dragons, who are aligned toward blue mana as well.

Ikoria dragons
Counterintuitively, on the plane of Ikoria, all of the known dragons are small, evasive, and Faerie-like.

Innistrad dragons
Dragons are extremely rare on Innistrad, always hiding and just unexpectedly showing up to swiftly hunt their prey, like the do. They are mostly confined to the remotest parts of the Geier Reach in Stensia. Most of these dragons are brutal fire-breathers that prey on any creature that strays into their territories. However, some do prefer Vampire or Werewolf game, making them "benevolent". These are the, named for their shimmering wings that reflect moonlight, which are considered good omens when seen flying.

Kaldheim dragons
Several types of dragons live in Kaldheim. Hellkites live in Bretagard, while vampiric dragons roam the skies of Immersturm.

Kylem dragons
Dragons on Kylem have a distinctive bony, shield-shaped head. They are known to sometimes have two heads and are sentient, often being willing participants in the Martial Magic tournaments at Valor's Reach.

Two-headed dragons
can be found on Mercadia.

Clockwork dragons
are artificial dragons found on Mirrodin.

Furnace dragons
The 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.

Hellkites
were dragons that lived on Mirrodin before its corruption like the who were known to wreath themselves into flame when taking flight. This kind of dragons fought against beings like the Consecrated Sphinx</c> during the war between Mirrodin and Phyrexia.

hoarded large amounts of metal, collecting the precious metals and smelting the rest.

New Phyrexian dragons
Skithiryx, a pawn of Sheoldred, was a compleated dragon. Others, aligned with Urabrask, are the

Kaladeshi dragons
Dragons on Kaladesh are more feline, with tiger-like features. Their favorite prey is the sky whales that drift through the aethersphere, but they also hunt other large creatures that intrude into their territory. Some are believed to nest in the highest towers of the Freejam, where they occasionally harass.

Dragon spirits
The Dragon Spirits are powerful kami of Kamigawa. There are five, one for each color of magic. Unlike most dragons, they have neither limbs nor wings. Instead, they are giant serpentine beings akin to wurms, however, they still maintain the ability to fly. During the Kami War, they did not side with O-Kagachi (who himself is considered a dragon, but this has no relevance in the plot), 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</c>.
 * Keiga, the Tide Star protected Minamo. He 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.

Plane of Mountains and Seas
On the Plane of Mountains and Seas Dragons are more closely based on the lung of Chinese mythology, much as Kamigawa's dragons are based on the Ryu. They are divine creatures associated with white mana, Dragon's Presence</c>. The primordial dragon Yinglong gave birth to kirin and phoenixes and latter to all hairy and flying creatures of the world, granting it the title of Ancestor Dragon</c>.

Dragon engines
were dragon-like creatures of unknown origin that lived in the first sphere of Phyrexia. Phyrexian dragon engines are as intelligent and swift as organic dragons, not in the slightest hampered by their mechanical origins. They were used by Mishra during the Brothers' War (he used real Phyrexian dragon engines and his own versions, only pale shadows of the original Phyrexian ones) and by Phyrexia itself in the Invasion.

Remains of them can still be found in Dominaria among the wreckage of the Invasion. Many of Dominaria's goblin tribes believe that carrying one of the gears or cogs from a dragon engine will keep other dragons from attacking the bearer.

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

Ravnican dragons
Ravnican Dragons, in truly ancient times, were immense and god-like, warring and devastating to nearly as great an extent as the Elders of Dominaria. With dragons deemed too dangerous to exist (Hellkite Tyrant</c>), 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 of the Izzet League and current Living Guildpact, who had led the hunt against the others of his kind to eliminate potential rivals.

There are dragons still free, some really wild and threatening like the Utvara Hellkite</c>s and some lesser ones who are either hunted (Hunted Dragon</c>) or trained as pets (Rakdos Pit Dragon</c>, by the Rakdos). Niv-Mizzet has many cloned dragon underlings.

Zomaj Hauc tried to revive several ancient dragon eggs some years after the Decamillennial, but was foiled by Agrus Kos, Teysa Karlov, and their allies. The incubating dragons were meant to be the contemporaries of the Firemind and the ancient Ravnican dragons that "burned the world into being." Teysa commented on her interactions with the albino hatchling before it died that it was able to speak upon birth and possessed knowledge that it could not have personally gained, indicating strong, ancient magic that even she could not comprehend.

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

Shandalar dragons
Not much is known about the dragons of Shandalar, only that they seem to prefer to make their lairs away from civilization, like in the mountains of Valkas. One specimen, Kalyntri, lived near the Kapsho Sea and ruled over the local drakes. His rule was ended by Talrand when the dragon refused to submit to the hydromancer.

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

Theros dragons
Dragons are also among the numerous beasts found in Theros. Theran Dragons range from about the size of a monitor lizard to the size of a small kraken. They rule the skies above the highest mountains of Theros, preying on rocs, griffins, and large animals such as boar. The Akroans revere the majesty of the large dragons and fashion their helm crests to resemble a dragon's dorsal crest. Most of the dragon broods are associated with a powerful dragon called Thraxes, who is believed to rest in Purphoros sacred peak. Sparks from Purphoros forge are told to fill the belly of every dragon. Some Theran dragon variants have been observed to use lightning and magma besides their usual fiery breath.

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 Dromoka, the Eternal</c>, 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 Ojutai, Soul of Winter</c>, 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 Shu 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 Silumgar, the Drifting Death</c>, 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 <c title="their female champion">Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury</c>, 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 initially established themselves as the sole non-tyrannical dragons, not interested in enslaving the Mardu. In time, however, the dragonlord became a fearsome leader, using violence, cruelty, and her trademark unpredictability to keep the clan in line.
 * Atarka's Brood, named after <c title="their female champion">Atarka, World Render</c>, 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.

Zendikar dragons
The dragons of Zendikar are mainly found on Akoum, but have appeared in mountainous regions all over the plane. The dragons of Zendikar are not particularly intelligent, focusing solely on the hunt for prey and the devastation of perceived threats.

Dominaria
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
 * Elder Dragons
 * Nicol Bolas
 * Ugin
 * Arcades Sabboth
 * Palladia-Mors
 * Chromium Rhuell
 * Vaevictis Asmadi
 * Merrevia Sal
 * Piru
 * Rubra
 * Ravus
 * Lividus


 * Primeval Dragons
 * Rhammidarigaaz
 * Rith
 * Treva
 * Dromar
 * Crosis


 * Nekoru
 * Wasitora


 * Bladewing brood
 * <c>Rorix Bladewing</c>
 * <c>Karox Bladewing</c>
 * <c>Tarox Bladewing</c>
 * <c>Verix Bladewing</c>


 * Others
 * Gherridarigaaz
 * Prossh
 * <c>Scion of the Ur-Dragon</c>
 * <c>Intet, the Dreamer</c>
 * <c>Oros, the Avenger</c>
 * <c>Numot, the Devastator</c>
 * <c>Teneb, the Harvester</c>
 * Tevesh Szat
 * <c>Vorosh, the Hunter</c>

Phyrexia

 * Ramos

Mirrodin/New Phyrexia

 * Skithiryx

Alara

 * Karrthus
 * Malfegor

Arcavios

 * Beledros Witherbloom
 * Galazeth Prismari
 * Shadrix Silverquill
 * Tanazir Quandrix
 * Velomachus Lorehold

Eldraine

 * <c>Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</c>

Kylem

 * <c>Khorvath Brightflame</c>

Kamigawa

 * Yosei
 * Keiga
 * Jugan
 * Kokusho
 * Ryusei
 * O-Kagachi

Ravnica

 * Niv-Mizzet

Shandalar

 * Kalyntri

Tarkir

 * Dromoka
 * Ojutai
 * Silumgar
 * Kolaghan
 * Atarka

Plane of Mountains and Seas

 * Yinglong

Unknown

 * Amareth
 * <c>Drakuseth, Maw of Flames</c> (Probably Dominaria)
 * <c>Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge</c>
 * Lathliss

Non-Canon

 * <c>Nadar, Selfless Paladin</c>
 * <c>Tiamat</c>(from Dungeons & Dragons)

Multiversal

 * The Ur-Dragon

Others
}}
 * Inzerva
 * <c>Stet, Draconic Proofreader</c>

Tokens

 * Silver-bordered

Trivia

 * <c>Dragon Engine</c> isn't a dragon, it is a construct.
 * <c>Nalathni Dragon</c> is the only dragon with banding.
 * The lord-like enchantment <c>Crucible of Fire</c> grants +3/+3 to dragons you control.
 * <c>Dragonshift</c> changes creatures into 4/4 blue and red dragons with flying.
 * <c>Dance of the Skywise</c> changes creatures into 4/4 blue dragon illusions.
 * The <c>Shichifukujin Dragon</c> is one of only a handful of unique Magic cards in existence (meaning there's only one copy in existence).
 * The <c>Nira, Hellkite Duelist</c>'s keywords of Heroes of the Realm are an equivalent of Mega Dragnai Dragon's keywords of Duel Masters.
 * <c>Catacomb Dragon</c>, <c>Crux of Fate</c>, <c>Glorybringer</c> and <c>Power Word Kill</c> are the only cards that refer to "non-dragons".
 * "Dragons" is used as an anchor word for the Siege-cycle in Fate Reforged
 * Only three dragon avatars currently exist in MTG: <c>The Ur-Dragon</c>, <c>Scion of the Ur-Dragon</c>, and <c>Niv-Mizzet Reborn</c>.