Game of Thrones Season 7 Might Be Smaller, But Something’s Grown Bigger

Game of Thrones’ seventh season may not have as many episodes as we may want, but that doesn’t mean that some things can’t be bigger.

It is known (khaleesi, to complete the reference) that Game of Thrones plans for no more than 13 episodes. We’ll have seven in the upcoming season 7, and then six for season 8. Dan Weiss and David Benioff have said as much. However, that doesn’t mean that the show won’t push the envelope in its remaining time on the air. Ed Sheeran will have a guest appearance on this coming season. Even the first teaser has promised war will arrive. (What does that make the last several seasons of the show? A warm up?)

Speaking of warm ups, it appears that Daenerys Stormborn has just gotten started with her dragon riding skills. Entertainment Weekly has quoted season 7 director Matt Shakman as saying that the dragons have grown to “the size of 747s,” and that Drogon’s firebreathing abilities have progressed to the point that his breath now spans 30 feet in diameter.

Mentioning Drogon makes plenty of sense. Dany has ridden him before, including during the last season. It also makes us suspect that we’ll hear a lot about Aegon the Conqueror. Why, you ask? You see, Aegon had a dragon mount of his own: Balerion the Black Dread. Per the Wiki of Ice and Fire, Balerion was rather a big dragon, to put it mildly.

Additionally, Dany will effectively try to do what Aegon could not: bring all seven kingdoms to heel. Dorne, in the books, did not become the seventh kingdom until nearly 100 years after the conquest. This time around, Ellaria Sand and Olenna Tyrell are working together for Dany. Perhaps this attempt at conquest may even exceed the legend of Aegon himself.

Next: GoT Showrunners Won't be Involved in Spinoffs

We’ll just have to wait until July 16 to see how quickly the references start getting dropped, if they’re dropped at all.