Summary
Gamers a few decades ago would likely associate a dragon with mythical beasts that serve as powerful monsters to defeat, or as companions to summon in games likeFinal Fantasy, while players today may immediately think of the Dragonborn ofSkyrimthat popularized the idea of dragon-riding to a more modern generation of video game fans. As such, gamers might be surprised to learn that video games where players can ride dragons go further back than the Bethesda title.
Much to the interest of dragon fans, certain video games do provide players with opportunities to make friends and ride their dragon companions to wage war on huge battlefields. While the premise of riding a dragon high up in the skies remains similar, their mechanics towards controlling their aerial beasts may differ in scope, complexity, and overall enjoyment.
Updated July 31, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:Dragons have remained a staple in fantasy games, especially as powerful enemies that hide amazing loot or dependable allies that can turn the tide of battle. However, for MMO players, dragons can also be amazing mounts that can make their characters look awesome. While certain MMOs have made it possible for players to ride dragons as a means of transportation, these creatures remain just that: aerial steeds and just shadows of their true awesome purpose.
Thankfully, certain games do let players do more than just ride their dragons, featuring everything from unique mechanics to skill trees. An entire franchise has evolved around the connection between dragons and humans, complete with open-world combat segments where they can ride dragons to rain hellish dragonfire on enemies.
MMO fans considerBlack Desert Onlinethe game that jumpstarted the overly-detailed character creator craze. However, the martial arts title is also notable for its action-packed martial arts mechanics and Asia-inspired aesthetic. Given how its traditional MMO structure features mounts that not only roam the land but also fly, it’s natural forBlack Desert Onlineplayers to want dragons as beasts to dominate the skies.
WhileBlack Desert Onlinedoesn’t have a native aerial mount combat mechanic yet, players got a taste of the concept with Duskwing, a dragon mount made available for two weeks in January 2025. Unlike other games with dragon mounts, Duskwing’s own HP slowly decreases while in the air, and the mount will forcibly dismount players after its HP reaches a certain level. The limited-time nature of the concept can seem like a bummer for fans, although some consider this event a test run for how the game’s servers can handle fully-active flying mounts.
While dragon-looking mounts are not new toWorld of Warcraft,the Dragonriding featureinWorld of Warcraft: Dragonflightprovides a feeling of prestige to hardcore fans who managed to get the expansion’s slate of customizable drakes. Compared to traditional flight, which merely requires a License to be able to explore the entirety of Azeroth, the Dragon Isles-limited Dragonriding (so far) also has its own separate slate of Talents and Dragon Glyphs.
Unlike other games that just happen to have dragons that players can ride,Dragonflight’sDragonriding is rooted in its in-lore “dragon riders.” These are famed windriders whose preferred steeds are proto-drakes and dragons. In the game, Dragon Talents can affect the way a player and their dragon steeds respond to conditions in-flight, such as unique attacks, reducing Vigor consumption and increasing its generation. This also involves movement techniques and unique actions like dismounting foes.
TheFire Emblemseries is no stranger to characters who ride dragons, especially with a Race and Class like the Wyvern and its related mounted Classes which take advantage of flight in this turn-based RPG. However, withFire Emblem Warriorsadding anaction-packed musou twist to the beloved RPGseries, players who want a more “real-time” dragon-riding experience may appreciate the presence of mounted characters — especially dragon-riders Minerva and Camilla.
Both characters are technically Wyvern Riders, although only Minerva begins as this base class, while Camilla starts as the “promoted” Malig Knight. As flying units, Minerva and Camilla can gain access to special areas, although they are vulnerable to bows. The axe-toting Camilla can boost her damage against unmounted foes, while the shield-wielding Minerva can protect against specific attacks. While players might not find this kind of dragon-riding as entertaining as being able to fly across sprawling areas, using either character in a roster where other fliers are mostly using pegasi can make the experience quite exhilarating.
Platforms
Xbox One
Set on the planet Draco, where dragons and human colonists coexist,Crimson Dragonwill have players take on the role of a dragon-riding soldier on the hunt for the mysterious White Phantom — a dragon spreading a disease known as Crimsonscale throughout dragonkind. Designed as an on-rails shooter, players must fight enemies while navigating environmental hazards. Players can fire at enemies and other projectiles. At the same time, dragons have a lock-on multi-attack and a manually-aimed strong attack, all on top of movement abilities that can help the player and their dragon dodge attacks.
However, unlike traditional on-rails shooters,Crimson Dragonspices up the formula with a mysterious story and a progression system. Throughout the game’s 26 levels, players slowly discover a government conspiracy regarding their involvement with Draco’s dragon population. Meanwhile, the game enhances up playthroughs by introducing different dragon types, each with their own unique elemental synergies, skills, and special evolved forms. While the game lacks a fully-functional open-world exploration system, being able to customize one’s dragon to switch up gameplay is a welcome mechanic.
In a game likePalworld,where players can fight alongside their Pals,the prospect of riding larger Palsand engaging in combat with them is a dream. This is especially the case with flying Pals, of which some appear as giant birds, and others look majestic enough to be interchanged with traditional dragons from fantasy stories.
WhilePalworldhas various options of flying Pals spread across multiple levels, their dragon-looking variants, such as Vanwyrm, Suzaku, Astegon, and Jetragon, are must-haves for players who want a modern take on the dragon-riding experience. Being able to ride their sci-fi-esque bodies while toting streetwear straight from a stylish anime can add all kind of layers of cool to a player’s swag. On top of being able to engage foes in mounted combat using their Pal’s abilities and ranged weapons like bows, the game allows players to direct these Pals to do other work, adding a multifaceted nature to thePokemon-inspired game that other games with dragon-riding don’t offer.
Stormfront Studios, Amaze Entertainment
Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox, PC, Nintendo DS, PSP, Game Boy Advance
Despite the poor reception ofEragon(both the game and the film), the game and its source novel’scentral theme of Dragon Ridersarrived in the title in the form of dragon-riding segments. Set in Alagaesia,Eragonstars the titular character as he discovers that the stone he’s kept at home is actually a dragon egg. After it hatches into the blue dragon Saphira, the pair are chased by the forces of the evil King Galbatorix.
WhileEragonreceived poor reception for repetitive levels and forced dragon riding segments, its Saphira sections give players engaging fights against both ground units and fellow dragons. Traditional fire breaths and unique movements such as tailspins and Eragon’s own spells transform Saphira’s dragon-riding segments into memorable levels in theEragontitle.
Given thevastness of the world of AzerothinWorld of Warcraft, it only felt natural for its adventurers to ride mounts to travel across the MMO’s many biomes. After reaching Level 30, players can purchase flying mounts as well as the necessary license to make them fly. The sky’s the limit after reaching this point, as only certain areas in Azeroth remain license-locked for fliers, and dragons can be acquired as flying mounts by various means.
Unlike other games, players can’t “fight” while mounted, meaning dragons can only be used as a mode of transportation. As with other mounts in the game, dragons come in various forms and themes that allow players to have a mount that is as vibrant as their character. Among dragons to ride are winged four-limbed beings (Drakes), double-headed undead creatures (Chimaeras), Eastern serpentine-inspired lizards (Cloud Serpent), and robotic variants (Mechanical Dragons).
In theMonster HunterspinoffMonster Hunter Stories, players take the form of Riders tasked with helping solve the mystery of the Black Blight that has ravaged monsters in the area. Whereas originalMonster Huntergameplay had players hunt various creatures,Monster Hunter Storiesemphasizes forming bonds with them. Players bond with creatures named Monsties, each with unique abilities and “genes” that players can then use to breed their monsters.
However, perhaps most impressive aboutMonster Hunterstories is that Monsties can also be ridden by players, allowing them to explore zones without always encountering monsters. In the first game, nine Monsties have flying capabilities - chief among these are the series’ iconic dragon-looking monsters such as Rathalos, Rathian, Gravios, and Seregios.
When Oliver of Motorville begins a quest in the Other World ofNi No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witchto save his mother after her untimely death, he meets different companions who eventually help him on his journey. Among these is the purple wyvern Tengri, whose ability to fly is lost when his soulmate from the Real World loses his confidence. After finishing this side quest, Tengri becomes one of Oliver’s few beastly companions, whose flight accessvastly opens upNi No Kuni’s already impressive overworld.
Thanks to Tengri, players can now explore the overworld to their liking. Players can use a cursor to land almost anywhere on the map, giving them access to locations such as islands they can’t ordinarily explore and reach on foot. While Tengri only provides overworld exploration and not mounted combat, this wyvern adds a sense of verticality to the Ghibli-inspired aesthetics of the game.
In a game likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimwhere players become the Dragonborn, dragon-riding has become a much-desired feature that Bethesda eventually added via theDragonbornDLC. While dragon riding isn’t a central mechanic in the open-world RPG, being able to tame the game’s most powerful apex predator can easily become a mark of a player’s supremacy.
Playerscan only ride dragons inSkyrimupon acquiring the full Bend Will dragon shout consisting of Gol-Hah-Dov. However, as dragons have their own wills, players can only issue instructions to them but not necessarily control all of their movements. For instance, players can direct a dragon to attack a foe, switch their targets, or land. Moreover, due to how powerful dragons are in Tamriel, landing a dragon will revert the creature back into an NPC, where they can leave or even attack players.
