Here are 10 dragons we'd love to meet (or perhaps avoid) – but one thing is certain, these incredible creatures will leave an impression either way.

Long before the internet filled with blurry photos and the occasional tales of mythical beasts, remote cultures across the globe were creating dragon-like imagery through sculptures, carvings, and castings.

The dragons seen in Native American petroglyphs, Egyptian burial cloths, and Asian pottery all share distinct traits such as scales, wings, and long, serpentine bodies. Despite these diverse cultures being geographically separated, how did they come to depict the same mythical creature? For many, the answer is simple: Dragons were real, and some believe they still are.

Whether dragons are living creatures or figments of the imagination, their mythos deserves respect. Especially these 10 dragons, whose personalities might either make us run for our lives or consider adopting one as a pet. It all comes down to what kind of dragon you're dealing with.

10: Smaug

Smaug is a crafty dragon who hoards gold and serves as the main antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless work, "The Hobbit." This fearsome beast is protected by scales resembling armor, massive wings, and a fiery breath. However, like many dragons, Smaug is not without his weakness: a vulnerable spot in his armor, right over his cold, dark heart. This weakness proves to be his undoing when Bilbo Baggins, the unsuspecting hero, steals a golden cup from Smaug’s treasure hoard and discovers the dragon’s tender spot. This knowledge later helps Bard the Bowman, who saves his village by firing an arrow through Smaug's heart, though not before the dragon scorches most of Bard’s village to the ground. In the end, it was an appropriate revenge for a miserly dragon [source: Tolkien].

9: Jabberwock

Lewis Carroll was just as famous for his inventive language as he was for his prose. Carroll had a knack for blending words to create new meanings, making him a pioneer in the art of wordplay. His tendency to mix and match words to form novel ideas set the stage for linguistic mash-ups that continue to intrigue readers today.

Through his unique technique, Carroll brought to life the terrifying image of a dragon in a poem that was published in 1871 in his book "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There." He named it the Jabberwock, describing it with a savage bite, glowing eyes, and claws like daggers. Sir John Tenniel, the book’s original illustrator (and the first artist knighted in the UK for his work), contributed by giving the creature enormous bat-like wings, reinforcing its dragon-like appearance. The poem concludes with a victorious boy carrying the Jabberwock’s head home, a familiar conclusion in the lore of dragons [source: Lewis Carroll Society of North America].

8: Puff, the Magic Dragon

With its pear-shaped body, delicate pink wings, and purple scales running down its back, Puff, the Magic Dragon, is anything but menacing. And that, say the fans of this beloved fictional dragon, is exactly the point. Puff is the imaginary friend of a boy, and as he grows older, the boy outgrows the dragon and his fantastical home in the land of Honalee. This touching coming-of-age story, first written in 1959 and brought to fame through the Peter, Paul and Mary song in the 1960s, has sparked numerous speculations, including the infamous urban legend that the song is about marijuana. However, its creators firmly deny this association. Puff’s tale has transcended through poem, song, book, and animated short, and according to creator Lenny Lipton, has been translated into 14 languages [source: Lipton]. Quite impressive for a fictional dragon.

7: Mushu

In the 1998 Disney animated film "Mulan," a small dragon named Mushu is tasked by the ancestors of a humble Chinese peasant to watch over his strong-willed daughter, Mulan. This mission becomes particularly difficult as Mulan has disguised herself as a male warrior and fled to join the Imperial army to fight the Huns in place of her ailing father. Unlike the massive, temperamental Western dragons, Mushu is a raccoon-sized dragon known for his protective and humorous nature. In the end, he aids Mulan in restoring her family’s honor and saving the empire [source: Disney].

6: Trogdor the Burninator

Homestar Runner is a cult classic Flash-animated web series, filled with oddball characters who often seem a bit offbeat. When the cast receives a request to draw a dragon, the hilarity ensues. Initially, this dragon starts with some impressive arm muscles (but can you even call them "guns" when they're on a dragon? And why does a dragon have human arms, for that matter?). After some trial and error, and plenty of eraser marks, Trogdor is born: a fierce dragon with just one enormous arm. With a heavy-metal soundtrack, Trogdor the Burninator causes chaos in villages, burning cottages and terrorizing peasants, which made him one of the web's most beloved cartoon skits.

5: Norberta

Much like many newborn creatures, Norbert the dragon was initially a charming little creature. This fictional dragon, part of the mythical Norwegian Ridgeback breed, was a significant character in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by J.K. Rowling. Hagrid, the half-giant groundskeeper, kept Norbert as a pet. However, as Norbert quickly grew and began to unpredictably breathe fire, Hagrid soon realized the complications of owning a dragon. It was illegal, after all, to keep dragons as pets. Eventually, Hagrid sent Norbert to a sanctuary in Romania, where it was discovered that Norbert was actually a female dragon, named Norberta. Charlie Weasley, an expert on dragons, confirmed this because female Ridgebacks are known to be more aggressive.

4: Saphira

Saphira, the magnificent blue dragon, plays a central role in the 'Inheritance Cycle' book series, which Christopher Paolini began writing at the young age of 15. The series was later adapted into movies where Saphira, along with Eragon—the boy who helped her hatch from her egg—became iconic figures on screen. As the last remaining dragon, Saphira holds a dual purpose: protecting Eragon as he seeks to defeat evil forces and ensuring the survival of her species. She also serves as Eragon's mount, soaring through the skies with impressive speed and determination, aided by her vast, bat-like wings.

3: Kilgharrah

Dragons have long been integral to medieval lore, with Arthurian legend featuring the dragon Kilgharrah as a companion to Merlin, the legendary protector of King Arthur. Despite their sometimes rocky relationship, Kilgharrah offered Merlin counsel—some wise, some not so much—which Merlin occasionally ignored. In one dramatic episode, Kilgharrah attempted to end Merlin's life, prompting Merlin to swear never to aid the dragon in escaping her captivity in the castle dungeon. However, Merlin eventually freed the mighty red, bat-winged dragon, and true to her nature, Kilgharrah nearly brought about the fall of Camelot [source: Geoffrey of Monmouth]. Perhaps there's an old saying that goes, 'Keep your enemies close, and your dragons even closer.'

2: Tiamat

Dungeons & Dragons, one of the most beloved role-playing games in history, introduced Tiamat, the five-headed dragon goddess, as a notorious villain in its first supplementary rulebook, 'Greyhawk,' in 1975. This dragoness has not aged with grace, fully relishing her role as a vain and malicious queen.

Each of Tiamat's five heads is a different color—white, blue, green, red, and black—symbolizing her legion of chromatic dragon followers. To add to her formidable presence, she possesses a long reptilian tail armed with a lethal stinger [source: Cook].

1: Draco

To spot the dragon that tops our list, simply gaze toward the northern sky on a clear night in the northern hemisphere. Draco, the dragon-shaped constellation, resembles a serpent; sometimes it is depicted with wings and legs, other times without. Known since ancient times, the dragon has been surrounded by numerous myths, many of which describe the creature as benevolent. In Greek mythology, Draco became central when Zeus assumed its form to evade his father, Cronus, who had already consumed all of Zeus' siblings [source: Brittanica Encyclopedia, Hunt]. It seems transforming into a dragon was Zeus' best option.