Despite the impressive roster of dragons featured, one infamous dragon remains elusive in “House of the Dragon.” Known as “the Cannibal,” this wild dragon has yet to make its appearance but is expected to play a significant role due to its peculiar connection with a character from the series. Let us delve into the intriguing details surrounding this fearsome creature.

The Cannibal, a wild dragon dwelling on Dragonstone, is described as a completely black male dragon, an attribute that likely aids its stealth during nighttime hunts. Though the exact age of the Cannibal remains a mystery, it is speculated to be older than Sheepstealer, a dragon that emerged during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, long before the events of “House of the Dragon.” Remarkably, this dragon exhibits hostility towards other dragons, a rarity amongst its kind, suggesting an unusual origin or temperament.

In “House of the Dragon,” Lady Baela Targaryen, portrayed by Bethany Antonia, is already linked to the dragon Moondancer. Nevertheless, her storyline could introduce the Cannibal into the unfolding drama. Interestingly, her sister, Lady Rhaena, played by Phoebe Campbell, who might tame Sheepstealer, seems absent from this potential narrative based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the comprehensive history of the Targaryen family. If the series follows this literary guide, we may witness an intriguing development involving the Cannibal.

As such, the Cannibal is known to hunt not just weak prey like sheep and livestock, but other dragons from its place at Dragonstone; those aforementioned dragonseeds, which are illegitimate children with possible Valyrian blood who can ostensibly tame dragons, keep trying and failing to claim the Cannibal to the point where the dragon’s normal lair is covered in their discarded bones. This is the scariest thing about the Cannibal, ultimately — he answers to nobody and hunts and attacks as he pleases, and no rider can claim him for battle or stop him from terrorizing other creatures. So how does he get involved in the Dance of the Dragons?

Within the narrative of “House of the Dragon,” the young noblewoman Lady Baela Targaryen, played by Bethany Antonia, is already bonded to a dragon named Moondancer — but even so, her plotline might end up bringing the Cannibal into the mix. (It’s interesting, though, that Baela’s sister Lady Rhaena, played by Phoebe Campbell and the character who may or may not end up taming Sheepstealer, doesn’t have any part to play in this potential plotline if we go solely off of what’s represented in “Fire & Blood,” the Targaryen family history by George R.R. Martin.) Here’s what we might end up seeing based on “Fire & Blood,” though.

After another wild dragon’s corpse is discovered near where the Cannibal is known to reside, Rhaenyra’s staunch supporter Ser Robert Quince — who, as of this writing, has not appeared on “House of the Dragon” — decides to rally some knights and kill the Cannibal for everybody’s safety. Afraid of the Cannibal, Ser Robert ends up just telling everyone to be more careful, and Baela, unsatisfied with that answer, tries to go after the Cannibal herself atop Moondancer. Ser Robert literally imprisons her to stop her from going. Ultimately, after the Dance of the Dragons ends, we learn that the Cannibal is one of the only known surviving dragons: “The Cannibal still haunted the eastern slopes of the Dragonmont,” the history tells us.

When the Cannibal will show up on “House of the Dragon” is anybody’s guess, but based on just how cinematic it would be to see this massive and terrifying dragon, it feels like a safe bet that he’ll enter the fray. “House of the Dragon” and “Game of Thrones” are both available to stream on HBO Max now.