A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Fixes the Dragon Leg Problem on the Targaryen Sigil

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It’s well known that George R.R. Martin has some issues with the House of the Dragon series, but few fans realize he’s even bothered by the show’s depiction of the Targaryen sigil. The show features a three-headed dragon with four legs, a design that was later mirrored in Daenerys Targaryen’s banners on Game of Thrones. However, according to Martin, dragons should only have two legs. He’s correcting this in his upcoming book, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, where the Targaryen sigil will accurately reflect his vision.

Ira Parker, the co-creator and showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, recently explained to Entertainment Weekly why the show’s version of the Targaryen dragon sigil has only two legs. While it might seem like a departure from established lore, Parker says it’s simply a stylistic choice reflecting a new artist’s interpretation. He described it as a unique design for this particular period in the show’s history, meant to feel specifically tailored to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Fans noticed a mistake with the Targaryen family crest on Game of Thrones around the middle of season five. For the first half of the show, the dragon on the crest had the right number of legs. But then, for no apparent reason, it was changed to a three-headed dragon with four legs. (It’s arguably Daenerys’ biggest blunder – don’t bother looking it up!)

Martin recently explained the reasoning behind a specific detail in his fantasy world – why his dragons have only two legs. In a post on his website, “Not a Blog,” he discussed the history of heraldry and mythical creatures like dragons and wyverns, and how this influenced his deliberate design choice. He believes this seemingly minor detail is actually quite important.

I put a lot of thought into how my dragons look and function. Of course, they fly and breathe fire – those felt like must-have features! They have two legs and two large wings – I made the wings big because many fantasy dragons have tiny wings that wouldn’t even allow them to fly. Importantly, they only have two legs; their wings serve as their front limbs. You might see dragons with four legs in things like coats of arms, but in reality, no animal has ever had six limbs. Birds, bats, and even flying dinosaurs like pteranodons all have two legs and two wings, and I wanted my dragons to follow that natural design.

Parker mentioned he talked about this decision with his co-showrunner, Ryan Condal. Condal has also shared the reasons why their show chose that particular symbol.

Parker didn’t need to discuss this with Martin, as everyone knows Martin will be thrilled about the two-legged dragon banners from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

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2025-11-04 21:03