In the world of fantasy, are a staple that capture the imaginations of readers, writers, and artists everywhere, and that is no different in the world of video games. Since the beginning of video games, many fantasy games have featured dragons as antagonists or passive beings, and as the industry has advanced with open world settings, they have also featured dragons.

In epic RPGs and action-adventure titles, gamers can encounter dragons, which are often portrayed in unique ways. These majestic creatures can play significant roles in the journey or serve as fascinating encounters during the exploration of vast realms, something a seasoned gamer or a newcomer can enjoy.

Kratos and his son Atreus do battle with a dragon named Hræzlyr in (2018), but there are others throughout Midgard. Rather than villainous, the three dragons featured are victims, ensnared in chains for whatever reason, leading to Kratos freeing them by breaking their shackles.

The dragons are only a small part of Kratos and Atreus’ journey, one of many Favor side quests featured in the game. There are also many creatures of Norse mythology to find or battle as they seek to spread the ashes of Atreus’ mother Faye, leading to their becoming enemies of the gods, such as Baldur, Magni, and Modi of the Norse Æsir.

With Odin and Thor waging war against Kratos and his allies, features Kratos going to even more realms and encountering even more monsters in hopes of stopping Ragnarök from destroying everything. It takes everything from the previous game and amplifies it, with even more advanced combat, new abilities, and the addition of Atreus as a playable character.

On top of other reptilian enemies, such as Drakes, God of War: Ragnarök features hostile dragons for Kratos to battle across the realms. There are five to encounter, and upon slaying them, the player will collect materials to use in crafting the Dragon Scaled armor set.

In the lore of The Witcher series, dragons rarely fight humans because they are more advanced and highly intelligent creatures who do not get involved in human wars and affairs. The same cannot be said about creatures like Wyverns and Forktails in , which are wilder creatures that the brave Geralt of Rivia can hunt.

Wyverns are only one of thousands of monsters that Geralt fights in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with witches, ogres, werewolves, vampires, elementals, undead, and giant insectoids across the continent. With so many contracts and an intriguing main story, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains a beloved and best-selling title even a decade after its release.

marks the only game in the RPG franchise to embrace an open world, and said world has thirteen dragons for the player to encounter as they fight in the Inquisition. Despite the name of the game, the dragons featured are all optional bosses in both the main game and the DLC, rewarding the player with special crafting materials.

BioWare was able to flesh out the continent of Thedas more than ever, with dragons, magic, and many more fantasy tropes done in their signature style. From the top-tier character creator to a story that can be shaped by the player’s choices, Dragon Age: Inquisition provides gamers with a thrilling fantasy adventure.

Being stuck in the heart of Middle-Earth as Talion and Celebrimbor, who are fused as The Bright Lord, allows players to meet many famous foes from Tolkien's beloved mythology in . The Orcs are a constant threat and ally thanks to the signature Nemesis system that makes every playthrough different, with new characters and relationships in the Orc armies.

While there are no dragons like Smaug, the Dark Lord Sauron commands Drakes, which serve as both enemies and allies in Shadow of War. The Bright Lord can use his ring to exert control over these Drakes, allowing Orc allies to ride them or giving him the chance to mount them himself. They prove to be extremely useful in the battle against Sauron.

With various freely explorable maps to enjoy while on a mission, many monsters are available for the fully customized character to hunt kaijus to get their materials and craft weapons and armor. From there, repeats the process to slay more monsters, craft more equipment, and keep advancing either solo or on a co-op team.

In the various Monster Hunter games, players have encountered several recurring dragon species, including Rathalos, Mizutsune, Gravios, Rathian, and Elder Dragons. Alongside these familiar foes, there are many new monsters to battle and admire for their striking designs, such as Uth Duna and Rey Dau. This diverse roster of threats showcases some of the best visuals in the series.

puts the player in the role of an Arisen, whose destiny is to slay a dragon to claim the throne of Vermund and dethrone a usurper. Throughout the adventure, the player comes across multiple lesser dragons and Drakes while exploring a massive world that is four times bigger than the first game.

The final boss of Dragon’s Dogma 2 makes the player live up to the title, creating one of the most memorable fights against a dragon, which feels like facing a kaiju in fantasy form. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is also filled with other monsters to slay, from Cyclops and Chimera from Greek mythology to multiple undead creatures like skeletons and wights.

From the game’s own insignia to the main plot, is based entirely around dragons. The main character is known as the Dragonborn, who must learn words of magic based on a dragon language to fight evil dragons like Alduin, while also meeting other dragons like Paarthurnax.

Even when roaming the province's mountains, valleys, fields, and rivers, dragons can descend from the skies to attack the Dragonborn. In addition to the many dragons to fight, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim features hundreds of quests and storylines to enjoy, which has made it one of the most beloved RPGs ever made.