13 Types of Dragons Humans Have Dreamt Up Over Millennia

In western culture, European dragons are the classic legendary creature: huge body, four legs, two wings and a barbed tail. Most dragons in these tales breathe fire, guard treasure and face humans as dangerous foes.

Think medieval times, where a single dragon could raze a village and still fly off with sharp teeth, claws and one head held high (though a few of these mythical creatures sport more).

A Chinese dragon (also called a long) has a serpentine body, long neck, and whiskered head, often with four short legs. It may have no wings but can still fly and command storms. Rather than evil, it’s a symbol of power and good fortune.

Wyverns are dragon-like creatures with two legs and two wings, not four legs. No front legs means their wings double as forelimbs, a design common in heraldry. Compared with true dragons, wyverns favor speed and agility over bulk.

A sea serpent trades legs for ocean power. Stories describe a serpent that can conjure natural disasters powerful enough to swamp ships. These creatures blur line and form, from leviathans to long, coiling monsters beneath the waves.

Sky dragon is a catchall for aerial rain and wind deities, such as Shenlong and Tianlong, who ride the clouds. These powerful creatures can fly without wings and nudge the weather’s nature toward bounty or drought.

Some traditions name a dragon god or entire pantheons of dragon rulers. In East Asia, Dragon Kings govern the seas. In Mesopotamian myth, Tiamat appears as a monstrous dragon deity whose chaos spawns other creatures.

Gem dragons shimmer with crystalline scales and special powers like mind magic. They’re often neutral, acting more like cosmic referees than conquerors. In tabletop lore, many dragons in this family prefer to be sipped like fine philosophy rather than fought.

Gold, silver and bronze metallic dragons usually help humans. They can shape shifting into human form, counsel kings and, when needed, breathe something nasty. They’re the wise elders of many dragons.

Chromatic dragons—red, blue, green, black and white—tend to be the villains. A red dragon often tops the “strongest dragon” lists with its fire and ferocity, while others spit lightning, acid or frost. In role‑playing, these are true dragons, with other dragons and lesser kin grouped separately.

A drake dragon strips things down: small dragon, no wings or only stunted ones, and short legs built for running.

Lesser dragons cover many dragons that don’t quite fit the classic mold. They still have the ability to scorch fields, but they rarely rule the world.

This label covers any serpentine dragon with a long, snake-shaped body and few or no limbs. Some glide through clouds; others swim like a serpent.

Many dragons in Asia take this form, with whiskers, horns, and a sinuous tail that moves like water.

Here’s the catchall for different types that defy neat boxes: multi-headed brutes, earth‑boring wyrms with four short legs, or hybrids that mimic other creatures. Some have wings without legs; some have legs without wings. Dragon types are a playground for imagination.

From "Harry Potter" to video games, many dragons serve as bosses that strike fear, while others become the main character with a noble nature. Western dragons dominate, but sky dragon deities and sea serpent legends appear, too. When stories need powerful creatures to test heroes, dragons deliver.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.