Featured image: Weyrworld, Michael Whelan
Dragons have existed within the human experience for as long as we can remember. We have an extensive history of viewing these beings as threatening creatures to be fought and conquered (see my post “Depictions of Gods or Humans Killing Reptiles”).
We also have a history, interwoven with the terror, of describing dragons as benevolent beings full of wonder, knowledge, power, and magic. Curiously, there has been an enormous upswell in recent decades of positive depictions which seem to far outnumber the negative representations.
The collection of images below is a VERY small sampling of the countless portrayals of benevolent dragons found in myth and contemporary fiction, art, and media. As I stated in my other post, these images represent something much more profound than trivial fantasies to be dismissed.

Shenlong, imperial dragon of storms and rain, Chinese mythology

Haku, Spirited Away

Falcor, The Neverending Story

Toothless, How to Train Your Dragon

The Flight of Dragons

Igneel and Natsu, Fairy Tail

Puff the Magic Dragon, Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton

Death Gate Cycle, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Eragon series, Christopher Paolini

Dragon Masters series, Tracey West

Panzer Dragoon Saga

Divine Dragon, Legend of Dragoon

Dragon Types, Pokemon

Moonveil Dragon, Magic the Gathering

Dragon, Hokusai Katsushika

Mushu, Mulan

Draco, Dragonheart

Elliott, Pete’s Dragon

Dragon, Shrek

Planetary Dragons, Dragonball Z

Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey
Image: Dragonflight, Michael Whelan

Dragon Prince and Dragon Star series, Melanie Rawn
Image: Dragon Fire, Michael Whelan

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Grace Lin

Dragons Love Tacos, Adam Rubin

Bahamut, Final Fantasy

Genji & Hanzo dragon abilities, Overwatch

Spyro the Dragon

LEGO dragon

Erin MacMichael is a visionary science fiction author and artist, creator of the T'nari Renegades series of novellas, novels, covers, and artwork. Her lifelong quest has been to explore past the boundaries of conventional thinking and figure out what really has transpired on this planet. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her marvelous offspring.
Featured image: Weyrworld, Michael Whelan
Dragons have existed within the human experience for as long as we can remember. We have an extensive history of viewing these beings as threatening creatures to be fought and conquered (see my post “Depictions of Gods or Humans Killing Reptiles”).
We also have a history, interwoven with the terror, of describing dragons as benevolent beings full of wonder, knowledge, power, and magic. Curiously, there has been an enormous upswell in recent decades of positive depictions which seem to far outnumber the negative representations.
The collection of images below is a VERY small sampling of the countless portrayals of benevolent dragons found in myth and contemporary fiction, art, and media. As I stated in my other post, these images represent something much more profound than trivial fantasies to be dismissed.

Shenlong, imperial dragon of storms and rain, Chinese mythology

Dragon, Hokusai Katsushika

Haku, Spirited Away

Mushu, Mulan

Falcor, The Neverending Story

Draco, Dragonheart

Toothless, How to Train Your Dragon

Elliott, Pete’s Dragon

The Flight of Dragons

Dragon, Shrek

Igneel and Natsu, Fairy Tail

Planetary Dragons, Dragonball Z

Puff the Magic Dragon, Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton

Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey
Image: Dragonflight, Michael Whelan

Death Gate Cycle, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragon Prince and Dragon Star series, Melanie Rawn
Image: Dragon Fire, Michael Whelan

Eragon series, Christopher Paolini

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Grace Lin

Dragon Masters series, Tracey West

Dragons Love Tacos, Adam Rubin

Bahamut, Final Fantasy

Genji & Hanzo dragon abilities, Overwatch

Panzer Dragoon Saga

Divine Dragon, Legend of Dragoon

Dragon Types, Pokemon

Spyro the Dragon

Moonveil Dragon, Magic the Gathering

LEGO dragon

Erin MacMichael is a visionary science fiction author and artist, creator of the T'nari Renegades series of novellas, novels, covers, and artwork. Her lifelong quest has been to explore past the boundaries of conventional thinking and figure out what really has transpired on this planet. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her marvelous offspring.

Erin MacMichael is a visionary science fiction author and artist, creator of the T'nari Renegades series of novellas, novels, covers, and artwork. Her lifelong quest has been to explore past the boundaries of conventional thinking and figure out what really has transpired on this planet. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her marvelous offspring.
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