House of the Dragon director Geeta Vasant Patel said Helaena Targaryen is not shown riding her dragon, Dreamfyre, because the character is not a warrior and is portrayed as deeply inward-looking. The choice distinguishes her from other Targaryens whose dragons are central to their political and military power.

In George R. R. Martin’s source material, Helaena is a dragonrider and Dreamfyre is one of the largest dragons in Westeros. The HBO adaptation instead focuses on Helaena’s isolation, grief and prophetic visions, suggesting that she has little interest in using her dragon despite having the ability to do so.