Abel Gallardo
- Shenlong/Shenron (Dragon Ball Manga & Anime): The enormous serpentine dragon with the ability to grant wishes once all the dragon balls were brought together didn’t originate in Dragon Ball and influenced, or supposed to portray, the spiritual dragon with the same name from Chinese mythology. His glowing red eyes and winding green body is forever etched in my mind.
- Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion (Game of Thrones): Having three dragons on your side in battle and politics is probably the best tactical advantage anyone could ever have. Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones is one lucky girl to have these fire-breathing protectors on her side.
- Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon Films): How awesome would it be to have a partner like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon? He’s a Night Fury dragon and he not only looks cool with his shiny black scales but he ends up being the most loyal friend Hiccup could have.
- Maleficent: The cold-hearted woman who curses Princess Aurora ends up transforming into a deadly dragon. The Angelina Jolie film sure helped solidify this dragon as one of the coolest looking dragons you’ll see in film!
- Draco from Dragonheart (Film): Maybe now the special effects might not be so great but when I first saw this movie I was blown away. Draco’s image is forever ingrained in my head and will always have a special place in my heart.
- Lambton Worm: The Lambton Worm legend is one of the classic dragon folk tales. John Lambton skips church and goes fishing instead catching the tiny worm and discarding it. Years later that tiny worm grows into a large deadly pestilence to the nearby community and John now has to kill it after returning from the crusades. Stories like these have been fueling my imagination for years.
- The Dragon (Beowulf): The powerful warrior Beowulf killed Grendel and Grendel’s mother but then meets his match against a powerful dragon who manages to poison Beowulf which ultimately leads to his death. Any dragon capable of taking down a monster hunter such as Beowulf deserves a spot in the top ten dragons in film and literature.
- Kur: Considered to be the first ever dragon and recorded from Sumerian mythology. The dragon was big, it spewed-fire, and it was revered—anyone obsessed with dragon mythology should definitely research Kur to see how this creature has brought life to many of the legends and lore of dragons throughout history. How can you not have the first ever dragon on a top ten list?
- Smaug: A powerful force, greedy, vain, and capable of speech. Smaug was an imposing creature that just took what he wanted and many feared to challenge. In my humble opinion this dragon put the “epic” in the epic fantasy The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- Leviathan: Is it a crocodile or a hippo? Whenever I read the book of Job Chapter 41 from the Bible I have a hard time interpreting the description in that passage as any creature other than a dragon. Verse 19 declares, “Flames stream from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.” Doesn’t sound like a crocodile to me? Whether it’s symbolic or real, Leviathan is powerful, it’s masterfully created, and no other creature is its equal.
