Kit Harington Calls 'Game of Thrones' Scene "Horrific"

The Challenges of Riding a Dragon in Game of Thrones

It’s often said that you never forget how to ride a bike. But what about riding a dragon? For Kit Harington, who portrayed Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, the experience was anything but memorable—especially not in a good way. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2019, Harington described his time on a dragon as “horrific.” This revelation came as part of his promotion for Season 8, where Jon Snow learns to ride Rhaegal in the premiere episode.

This scene was pivotal for the series, offering hints about Jon's hidden Targaryen heritage and deepening his bond with Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke). However, at the time, most fans were too focused on the significance of the moment to consider what it actually felt like to be on a dragon.

Kit Harington’s Uncomfortable Experience

Harington admitted that while the visual of a dragon rider looked impressive, the actual experience was far from glamorous. “It looked great, right? It just felt horrible!” he shared. He emphasized that the process wasn’t acting at all. “It is not acting. It never will be acting, and it is not what I’d signed up for.”

The discomfort stemmed from the physical setup. Emilia Clarke had warned Harington beforehand, but she hadn’t considered the anatomical differences between men and women when it came to riding a dragon. “That was when I learned that men riding dragons is, like, a whole other thing than a lady who rides a dragon,” Clarke later explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Harington even found himself trapped during one of the scenes, which made the experience even more miserable. Despite this, he eventually became a good sport about it, though he advised others against trying to ride a dragon.

Emilia Clarke Also Struggled with Dragon Riding

While Harington’s experience was brief, Emilia Clarke faced much more prolonged challenges. She began riding dragons in Season 5, long before Harington’s scenes in Season 8. Her first dragon-riding moment was in the episode “The Dance of Dragons,” where Drogon saves her from an ambush in Meereen.

To film these scenes, Clarke had to work with a complex setup involving a sprawling robotic motion base covered in green for CGI purposes. This structure moved in sync with the digital design of the dragon, making it difficult for actors to move freely. Clarke often leaned on the structure rather than sitting upright, which contributed to the realism of the scenes.

Evolution of Dragon Riding in House of the Dragon

By the time House of the Dragon came along, the process had evolved significantly. The show introduced twelve new dragons to the franchise, depicting the Dance of Dragons, a civil war that marked the end of dragons in Westeros. With so many dragons on screen, the production could standardize the riding experience.

Instead of leaning directly on the dragons’ backs, as Daenerys did with Drogon, each dragon now had its own saddle, making the process more comfortable for both actors and crew. The buck also returned, but in a more elaborate and reliable form. It resembled a mechanical bull, with the saddle safely fixed on a platform that moved according to pre-designed CGI movements.

Additionally, some scenes featured LED panels that depicted the landscape the dragon was flying through, allowing actors to interact with their surroundings more naturally.

A New Era for Dragon Riding

Kit Harington’s experience may have been unpleasant, but it laid the groundwork for improvements in the dragon-riding process. Today, the setup is a single, closed structure with added safety features. If Daenerys had used saddles in Game of Thrones, it might have prevented injuries during filming.

Despite the challenges, both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have become iconic for their depiction of dragon riding. These shows continue to captivate audiences, proving that even the most difficult experiences can lead to incredible storytelling.