House of the Dragons Vermithor Concept Art Shares Interesting Link to Dunes Wormriders

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Key Takeaways

  • House of the Dragon’s season two lacked in praise due to an unsatisfying finale, rated 6.3/10 on IMDb.
  • Vermithor’s standing saddle concept art draws similarities to Dune’s wormriding method.
  • Artist Constantine Sekeris may have taken inspiration from Dune for Vermithor’s design.

As a seasoned gamer and fantasy enthusiast with over 20 years of immersion in the realm of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, I must say that the recent conclusion of House of the Dragon’s second season left me somewhat underwhelmed. While the visual spectacle of Vermithor and other dragons was undeniably captivating, the overall narrative felt a bit lacking compared to its stellar first season.

The second season of “House of the Dragon” has come to a close, but the intriguing debates about the show’s lifelike dragons, like Vermithor, should not cease. A fascinating detail in the concept art of this powerful and ferocious dragon hints at the idea of saddle-riding similar to that seen in “Dune.” Developed by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO, season one of “House of the Dragon” enthralled fantasy viewers with its dark and dramatic narrative set approximately 200 years before in Westeros’ history when House Targaryen held the zenith of its power.

In its second season, House of the Dragon didn’t receive the same acclaim as its initial season did, with many viewers feeling disappointed by the ending, leading to an average rating of 6.3 out of 10 on IMDb. Despite this, the series excelled in introducing new fire-breathing creatures like Silverwing, Vermithor, and Seasmoke into the Blacks’ forces.

House of the Dragon’s Vermithor Art Shares Ties to Dune’s Wormriders

In a Reddit post, user jonsnowKITN called attention to a design for Vermithor, one of the dragons from HBO’s House of the Dragon, shared by a creature concept artist. Upon closer examination, a knowledgeable fan noted similarities between Vermithor’s standing saddle and the method used in the movie Dune for riding sandworms. Riding a sandworm in Dune is achieved by the Fremen, who summon the creatures to the surface and use maker hooks to control their movements. The hooks are attached to the sandworm’s mouth, allowing the rider to stand on its back and guide its direction by pulling the hooks to make it change course.

Is it possible that Constantine Sekeris, who has worked on films like Avatar: The Way of Water, Black Panther, and Avengers: Endgame, drew inspiration for his dragon concept design from the 2021 epic science fiction film House of the Dragon’s Vermithor, or is it merely a striking coincidence? Regardless, the idea of riding a dragon like Vermithor, with its towering stature and volatile temperament, while standing in a saddle, might not be feasible due to his elongated neck requiring him to maintain an upright posture to minimize falling off. Given that this colossal creature often performs acrobatic maneuvers such as dramatic twists and turns, a seated saddle would be more practical. This is just one interpretation of the artistic choices made in the design process.

George RR Martin, the author of the epic fantasy novel “Fire & Blood,” which serves as the basis for “House of the Dragon,” has recently voiced criticism towards the HBO show, particularly regarding changes made during season two. In a blog post, he expressed dissatisfaction with the portrayal of the ‘Blood and Cheese’ section in the series, finding it less impactful than how it was depicted in his book. Additionally, Martin pointed out that in contrast to the show, the characters Halaena and Aegon should have had two children instead of three as shown on screen.

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2024-11-15 22:24