History TheDragon / Literature

* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', Ctuchik and Zedar play Dragon to [[PhysicalGod Torak]], while on a lesser scale [[{{Ninja}} Brill]] is the Dragon to [[StarterVillain Asharak]] (although the full details of that relationship aren't made fully clear). In the sequel, ''Literature/TheMalloreon'', Naradas is [[BigBad Zandramas]]' NumberTwo, while the [[DragonWithAnAgenda Demon Lord Mordja]] is her last line of physical defence; Mordja's rival, [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Nahaz]] is DragonWithAnAgenda and DragonInChief to her rival, [[AGodAmI Urvon]]. Urvon's right hand man [[SmugSnake Harakan]] / [[DarkMessiah Mengha]] could be considered another Dragon and is definitely his BastardUnderstudy; like Nahaz Harakan too [[DragonWithAnAgenda has an agenda]].

* The Steel Inquisitors -- once-human, virtually unstoppable killing machines -- serve as the collective Dragons to [[EvilOverlord the Lord Ruler]] in Creator/BrandonSanderson's ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' trilogy. [[spoiler:After the first book, [[TheManBehindTheMan the real Big Bad]] [[OmnicidalManiac Ruin]] takes command of the Inquisitors, and one of them, Marsh, becomes his ([[BrainwashedAndCrazy unwilling]]) Dragon.]]
** Another Sanderson example -- at the end of ''Literature/TheWayOfKings2010'', [[spoiler:Szeth unwillingly becomes this to [[BigBad Taravangian]] when he discovers that he is in possession of his Oath Stone]].
* [[spoiler:Sebastian[=/=]Jonathan]] to [[spoiler:his father]], Valentine Morgenstern in ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments''. [[spoiler:Seems to be one to Lilith now, too.]]

** The [[EvilSorcerer Shade]] Durza serves as King Galbatorix's right-hand man for the first book as his main agent in hunting [[LaResistance The Varden]] down.

* In Creator/DavidEddings' ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', Ctuchik and Zedar play Dragon to [[PhysicalGod Torak]], while on a lesser scale [[{{Ninja}} Brill]] is the Dragon to [[StarterVillain Asharak]] (although the full details of that relationship aren't made fully clear). In the sequel, ''Literature/TheMalloreon'', Naradas is [[BigBad Zandramas]]' NumberTwo, while the [[DragonWithAnAgenda Demon Lord Mordja]] is her last line of physical defence; Mordja's rival, [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Nahaz]] is DragonWithAnAgenda and DragonInChief to her rival, [[AGodAmI Urvon]]. Urvon's right hand man [[SmugSnake Harakan]] / [[DarkMessiah Mengha]] could be considered another Dragon and is definitely his BastardUnderstudy; like Nahaz Harakan too [[DragonWithAnAgenda has an agenda]].

* Katla is [[BigBad Tengil's]] (also literal) dragon in ''Literature/TheBrothersLionheart''. She is as evil as Tengil and is his greatest weapon, and the only reason she is under his command is that she obeys whomever is in possession of the horn she is afraid of.

* Walter o'Dim in Creator/StephenKing's ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series serves the enigmatic Crimson King. [[spoiler: He's a DragonInChief considering that the Crimson King is just a frail, crazy old man... albeit one with a lot of bombs at his disposal.]]

* In ''Literature/TheElenium'', by the same author as above, Martel is DragonInChief to [[BigBadWannabe Annias]] and [[GodOfEvil Azash]], while in the sequel, ''The Tamuli'', [[PhysicalGod Cyrgon]] is The Dragon to [[EldritchAbomination Klael]].
* Creator/TerryBrooks also makes use of this trope. In ''Literature/TheElfstonesOfShannara'', [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils The Dagda Mor]] has [[TheJuggernaut The Reaper]] and [[ShapeShifter The Changeling]] as his CoDragons. In ''Literature/TheHeritageOfShannara'', several [[TheHeartless Shadowen]] could be seen as [[ManipulativeBastard Rimmer Dall's]] Dragon, but the most archetypical is likely the entirely human PsychoForHire Pe Ell. In ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheJerleShannara'', psychopathic computer system [[DiscOneFinalBoss Antrax]] has [[HollywoodCyborg Ard Patrinell]], and [[BigBad The Morgawr]] has Mwellret [[SmugSnake Cree Bega]] as his NumberTwo. In ''Literature/RunningWithTheDemon'', the titular demon uses the [[SealedEvilInACan maentwrog]] as his Dragon during his confrontation with the heroes, having it incapacitate [[KnightInSourArmour John Ross]] while he targets [[TheHero Nest]].

* Literature/FirebirdTrilogy:

* ''Franchise/HarryPotter'':

* Played in ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' by Creator/RickRiordan. There is Porphyrion, the king of the Giants.
* In Kim Newman's Colonel Moran and Professor Moriarty short story collection/novel ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheDurbervilles'', Moran is Moriarty's number two, in charge of homicides for Moriarty's criminal organization, The Firm. He and Moriarty even live together, in an apartment above a brothel loyal to the Professor, and is a (mostly) loyal agent of his boss.

* In ''[[Literature/TheIcewindDaleTrilogy The Crystal Shard]]'', Errtu was Akar Kessel's Dragon, especially since most of Akar's power is derived from the Crystal Shard, while Errtu is a powerful demon in his own right. In [[Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt the rest of Drizzt's adventures]], Artemis Entreri is often The Dragon.
* ''Literature/TheInheritanceCycle''

* ''Literature/TheInkworldTrilogy''

* The Literature/{{Lensman}} series is built on Dragons behind Dragons. Along about the end of each book... or the beginning of the next... it's revealed that the BigBad just defeated was TheDragon for someone even higher up. The stories were rewritten after their original appearance so that the reader is let in on who the real BigBad is at the beginning of Book 1, but the protagonists don't find out until Book 6.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/SearchByTheMule": By now, Han Pritcher has been made the Mule's lieutenant general, and is the best [[{{Brainwashed}} Converted]] minion he has. He sends Pritcher out on important missions, mostly revolving around Seldon's Second Foundation. In this story, Pritcher is sent out with Bail Channis on another attempt to find them, and is finally successful! [[spoiler:Mention is made in "Literature/SearchByTheFoundation" that he became a DragonAscendant, trying to keep the Mule's Union of Worlds intact, but was unsuccessful.]]

* ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'': [[ColonelBadass Colonel Sebastian Moran]] is The Dragon to Professor [[DiabolicalMastermind Moriarty]]. Moran is described as Moriarty's chief of staff and attempted to avenge Moriarty when the latter was killed by Holmes. This is the main reason why Holmes went into hiding for three years.

** In ''Literature/UnfinishedTalesOfNumenorAndMiddleEarth'' it's suggested that Sauron (still the Necromancer of Dol Guldur at that time) intended to co-opt Smaug (the dragon from ''Literature/TheHobbit'') as a subordinate but was thwarted when, ultimately thanks to actions by Gandalf, Smaug was killed during the events of that book.

* ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'': In ''[[Literature/Eclipse2007 Eclipse]]'', Victoria uses Riley as her dragon and also has him making all of the moves for her.

* ''The Queen of The Damned'', Part 3 of ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles''. Said Queen, the [[AGodAmI deranged]] Akasha, wants resident AntiHero Lestat to be this to her. While he does call himself evil more than once [[spoiler: he suffers a major [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone breakdown]] over the [[EvenEvilHasStandards things she made him do]] and leaves her.]]

** Bone is the dragon to Scourge in the sixth book, ''The Darkest Hour''.
** In ''Literature/TheNewProphecy'' arc, Hawkfrost serves as Tigerstar's dragon. He's also a DragonInChief, seeing as Tigerstar is dead but he isn't. However, he spends the ''[[Literature/WarriorCatsPowerOfThree Power of Three]]'' arc as a regular dragon due to Brambleclaw killing him.
** In ''Starlight'', the fourth book of ''[[Literature/WarriorCatsTheNewProphecy The New Prophecy]]'', Mudclaw is Hawkfrost's dragon until he gets a literal [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bridge dropped on him]].
** In ''Literature/OmenOfTheStars'', Brokenstar replaces Hawkfrost as Tigerstar's dragon because Tigerstar likes Brokenstar more.
** In the fifth book of ''[[Literature/WarriorCatsOmenOfTheStars Omen of the Stars]]'', Antpelt becomes The Dragon to minor villain Shredtail. [[spoiler: He doesn't last very long.]]
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':

* Contessa (from the web serial novel ''Literature/{{Worm}}'') is Doctor Mother's closest, longest-standing and most effective subordinate, [[spoiler:although, as seen in her Interlude, [[BigBadDuumvirate they formed Cauldron together]]. Contessa eventually just let Doctor Mother call the shots while Contessa focused on finding the paths to success with her power.]]
* For all of the books that feature him, [[Literature/XWingSeries Kirtain Loor]] is The Dragon. He's allowed autonomy but ultimately cringes before his superiors, both of whom are [[EvilerThanThou worse than he is]]. [[BigBad Ysanne Isard]] recruited him and put him in charge of the underground Imperial movement on Coruscant after it fell to the New Republic. He had his own plots going, but the head of the People's Militia, nominally there to stop Loor, recruited him to further his own agenda. Interestingly, neither he nor his superiors ever engaged in direct or even starfighter combat with the New Republic; Loor mostly sent stormtroopers and operatives after them, and later started setting bombs and directing speeders filled with explosives into population centers. He didn't even see any New Republic protagonists until he tried to surrender [[HisNameIs some information]] in exchange for his life.

** Another Sanderson example -- at the end of ''Literature/TheWayOfKings'', [[spoiler:Szeth unwillingly becomes this to [[BigBad Taravangian]] when he discovers that he is in possession of his Oath Stone]].