Dragon rider

This article is about the occupation. For the Dragonflight feature, see Dragonriding.

Rend Blackhand and Gyth.

Dragonriders as shown in the Take to the Skies cinematic.

Dragon riders (also spelled dragonrider or called drakerider) are a type of windrider that consists of a rider atop either mighty dragons or their proto-drake cousins. Historically several races and factions rode dragons, including the night elves of Loreth'Aran, the orcish slavers of the Dragonmaw clan and the vrykul.

Early history

The Dragon Riders of Loreth'Aran were an order of night elves who lived in the city of Loreth'Aran in what is now Bloodmyst Isle. They were close allies of Ysera and rode green dragons into battle, but during the War of the Ancients they were wiped out by the black dragonflight.

Second War

This section concerns content related to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness or its expansion Beyond the Dark Portal.

Main article: Dragon (Warcraft II)

During the Second War the Old Horde used red dragons that they manipulated through the enslavement of their queen Alexstrasza. These flying beasts were ridden by orcish riders who selected young dragons to be their mounts, as they were more pliable and had natural bloodlust. Dragons that grew too old and independent were usually slain by their handlers. Dragon riders had a field death ratio about twice that of their mounts, generally due to an unfortunate loss of grip, and toward the end of war both dragons and riders were often as such relatively inexperienced, leading to them suffering casualties against the more battle-hardened gryphon riders of the Wildhammer clan.

Warcraft II however depicted these units as not having riders.

World of Warcraft

A Drekirjar rider of Stormheim.

Even after the defeat of the Dragonmaw clan on Azeroth, the orcs of the Dark Horde kept dragons as mounts in Blackrock Spire. The remnants of the Dragonmaw of Outland tamed nether drakes for the Illidari.

The Dragonflayer, Drekirjar and Sveldrek vrykul clans were all dragon tamers and riders.

The draenei had a corps of fey dragon riders.

During the war against the blue dragonflight, red drakes willingly became mounts for the warmages of Dalaran.

After the Cataclysm the members of the Twilight's Hammer rode twilight drakes.

The Order of the Cloud Serpent is a Pandarian organization of cloud serpent riders.

The Draakorium is a village located in Shadowmoon Valley where draenei Fey-Guardians breed and train faerie dragons to serve as their mounts.

Notable

• Dal'rend Blackhand
• Corlok the Vet
• Shadowlord Deathwail
• Ruul the Darkener
• Captain Skyshatter
• Prince Toreth
• Vazruden
• Algar the Chosen
• Vigdis the War Maiden
• Warmage Adami
• Warmage Archus
• Warmage Austin
• Warmage Moran
• Warmage Preston
• Zoltrik Drakebane
• Warmaster Blackhorn
• Andjor Dragontamer
• Rothbarg the Night Flyer
• Torsheg
• Bradok
• Torgus

Types

• Dragonmaw Drake-Rider
• Dragonmaw Sky Stalker
• Dragonmaw Skybreaker
• Dragonflayer Defender
• Dragonflayer Lieutenant
• Dragonflayer Raider
• Hyldsmeet Drakerider
• Jotunheim Proto-Drake Rider
• Proto-Drake Rider
• Twilight Rider
• Twilight Seeker
• Twilight Stormwaker
• Black Iron Wyrm Rider
• Dragon Rider Trainee
• Felskorn Drakerider
• Hyldnir Drakerider

Items

•  [Dragonrider Boots]
•  [Dragonrider's Harness]

Adventurers

Main articles: Drake mounts, Vehicles (mechanic), Dragonriding

Adventurers have come to ride a variety of dragons as mounts primarily for travel, but on certain quests they go into combat atop specific dragons.

Some of the quests players go into combat atop specific dragons are  [25-30] The Drakkensryd and  [30-35] The Twilight Flight, but there are others.

Trivia

• Originally in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, the Dragonmaw clan subjugated the dragons to the Horde as stated in the manual, but they were not shown as riders, which was later retconed.
• Time-Lost Dragon Rider was a vrykul ghost flight master who did not make it out of the beta stages of World of Warcraft: Legion.

Gallery

• 

  Vazruden the Herald, a nether drake rider.
• 

  Warmage Adami
• 

  Dragonflayer Lieutenant riding a proto-drake.
• 

  Warmaster Blackhorn leader of the elite twilight drake riders of Deathwing's personal escort.
• 

  Torsheg, a cloud serpent rider.
• 

  Remains of a Horde dragon rider above Waning Glacier in northwestern Tiragarde Sound.
• 

  Wing Commander in Hearthstone Descent of Dragons.
• 

  Dragonrider Brann in Hearthstone Galakrond's Awakening.