How to tell types of dragons apart
Dragons appear in the myths of almost every culture, but in Western heraldry, fantasy books and games they are usually sorted by body plan: how many legs they have, whether they have wings, and whether the body is a lizard’s or a serpent’s. wikiHow’s guide uses four basic types [3]:
| Type | Legs | Wings |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon | 4 | 2 |
| Wyvern | 2 | 2 (in place of front legs) |
| Drake | 4 | None |
| Wyrm | None | None |
The illustrated chart above shows these four alongside nine others, which is a useful way to see the differences side by side. The rest of this guide covers each type and where it comes from.
Western dragon types
Dragon
The classic European dragon has four legs, two bat-like wings and scales, and has been the standard form in heraldry and fantasy art since the 13th century [3]. In medieval Europe it was usually shown breathing fire, with wings and a barbed tail, and it was mostly a symbol of evil, the enemy slain by saints and heroes [2]. The English word comes from the Greek drakōn, which was first used for any large serpent [2].
Wyvern
A wyvern has two legs and two wings, with the wings where a dragon’s front legs would be, and often a pointed tail [1][3]. The name comes from the Latin vipera, viper [3]. Wyverns are common in British heraldry [1], and many fantasy films and games draw their “dragons” as wyverns because a two-legged, winged animal is easier to make believable.
Drake
A drake is a smaller dragon with four legs and no wings, closer to a giant lizard [3]. The word shares its roots with “dragon”, from Greek drakōn and Latin draco [3].
Wyrm
A wyrm is a long, serpent-like dragon with no legs and no wings [3]. “Wyrm” was also the Old English word for dragons and serpents in general. The lindwurm of Germanic legend is a close relative [3].
Amphiptere
An amphiptere is a winged serpent with no legs, found in European heraldry [1].
Basilisk
The basilisk is the “king of serpents” of European bestiaries, whose glance could kill. The Roman writer Pliny the Elder described it as a small snake “not more than twelve inches in length” [1]. Later legends turned it into a larger reptile, and the chart above draws it as a wingless lizard with many legs.
Hydra
The Lernaean Hydra of Greek myth was a many-headed serpent that lived in a lake. Killing it was the second of Heracles’ Twelve Labours, made harder because it grew two heads for every one cut off [1][3].
Eastern and other dragons
Asian dragon
Chinese and Japanese dragons are long and snake-like, with four short legs, whiskers and horns, and are usually wingless even though they are seen as powers of the air [1][2]. The Chinese dragon, or long, is linked with water, rain and weather and is a generally good and lucky creature [1]. It was the emblem of the imperial family and appeared on the Chinese flag until 1911 [2].
Feathered serpent
The feathered serpent of Mesoamerican religion was worshipped as Quetzalcōātl by the Aztecs and Kukulkan by the Yucatec Maya [1]. Fantasy guides sometimes call it a coatl; the chart labels it “coatyl” and draws it as a serpent with feathered wings.
Sea serpents
Sea serpents appear in many mythologies, from the biblical Leviathan to Jörmungandr, the Norse serpent that circles the world [1]. The eel-like, finned “sea orc” on the chart belongs to this group, although we found no folklore source for that name.
Fantasy types
Some names in modern dragon charts come from fantasy art and games rather than folklore. We checked the chart’s feydragon (a small dragon with butterfly wings), dragonette (a miniature dragon) and arctic dragon (a furred, wingless dragon) against folklore references and found no history for any of them. They are fine for stories and games, but do not use them as mythological types in school work.
Eastern vs Western dragons
The biggest difference is character, not shape. Western dragons, descended from the serpents of Greek and Near Eastern myth, are mostly hostile: hoarders of treasure and destroyers to be defeated [2]. Eastern dragons kept their standing as wise, beneficial creatures that bring rain and good fortune [2]. In appearance, Western dragons are heavy, winged and fire-breathing, while Eastern dragons are slender, wingless and associated with water [1][2].
Questions about types of dragons
How many types of dragons are there?
There is no fixed number. The chart above shows 13, wikiHow lists 12, and Wikipedia keeps separate lists for dragons in mythology, literature, film and games [1][3].
What is the difference between a dragon and a wyvern?
Count the legs. A dragon has four legs and two wings; a wyvern has two legs, with wings in place of the front legs [3].
What is a dragon without wings called?
A four-legged wingless dragon is a drake, and one with no legs or wings is a wyrm [3]. Asian dragons are also usually wingless [2].
Do Chinese dragons have wings?
Usually not. They are drawn as long serpents with four legs and fly without wings [2].
What is the most powerful type of dragon?
Myths do not rank them, but the classic four-legged, winged, fire-breathing dragon is the one most stories treat as the strongest, and the Chinese dragon was the most revered as the emblem of emperors [2].
Sources
- Wikipedia: Wyvern, Amphiptere, Basilisk, Lernaean Hydra, Feathered Serpent, Chinese dragon, Sea serpent, Lists of dragons.
- Britannica, Dragon.
- wikiHow, 12 Different Types of Dragons from Mythology and History.
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
