Summary
Dragons are the heart ofDungeons & Dragons, embodying power, mystery, and ancient lore. The 2025 Monster Manual introduces updated versions of these iconic creatures, with spellcasting features that elevate encounters to epic proportions.
From devastating breath weapons to cunning intelligence, dragons come in a variety of forms — each offering unique challenges for adventurers. Whether it’s a fearsome chromatic tyrant, a wise metallic guardian, or something entirely new, these dragons showcase the best of what D&D has to offer. Here are the most remarkable dragons in the 2025 Monster Manual that every Dungeon Master should consider featuring.
7Ancient Brass Dragon
Protector Of The Sands
Metallic dragons are oftenallies of the players, which makes it hard to fit them in any form of campaign as a foe. As an ally, though, they can have many abilities to guide the players, and brass dragons in particular can do so in spades: they can cast Major Image as far as one mile from their lair, able to carry out conversations with the party and show them the way forward.
Brass dragons are also excellent at de-escalating any conflict, putting foes to sleep with their magical breath. This can make them a bit annoying to fight, so it’s best to use brass dragons as friendly allies rather than any kind of fearsome enemy.
6Ancient Gold Dragon
Ideal For Final Battles
Fighting a gold dragon is not often a good idea, since the combination of the Banish and Weakening Breath abilities can make fights take forever, even for overpowered parties. However, those two abilities are what make gold dragons great dramatic additions to a fight, but as allies rather than enemies.
Narratively speaking, you can have the dragon keep some form of gigantic monster at bay, with the party facing the evil spellcaster controlling it. Then, during the fight, the players can ask strategic aid from the dragon, weakening any other minions the spellcaster might have or banishing some menacing foe for a turn.
5Ancient Black Dragon
Often, facing a black dragon is all about dealing with swamps and acid damage, but the 2024 Monster Manual added a few skills and spells that add more complexities to the encounter. The Cloud of Insects legendary action in particular can be a nightmare to deal with for any party relying too heavily on concentration spells.
The ancient version of the dragon has a very on-point spell, Create Undead, perfect for dealing with the NPC cannon fodder that the party might have brought with them. Now, the poor dwarf guide the players took with them not only gets slain on the first turn, it is also turned into a fearsome ghoul on the second.
4Ancient Copper Dragon
A Whimsical Adventure
You don’t ever need to see a copper dragon for its impact to be felt in an adventure, even a light-hearted one. This is because one of the best parts of the dragon is the Giggle Fits, an effect that happens one mile around its lair where, if a creature rolls a natural one, they become incapacitated due to laughter.
As an ally, a copper dragon functions much the same as a gold one, with abilities that are more interesting to use even if less effective. With Giggling Magic and Greater Restoration, it can aid the party from the sidelines without taking their glory.
3Ancient Green Dragon
The Hidden Threat
The biggest threat of the 2024 Monster Manual’s version of green dragons is realizing what you’re fighting. You could be traversing a perfectly normal forest, but every single critter there is a spy of the dragon, all thanks to its Beast Spies ability.
Even if you find the green dragon, the ancient version can cast Modify Memory so you never remember the event. Even worst, it could frame the party of a murder it commited, slaying one villager and making the other think some party member killed it instead.
2Shadow Dragon
A Monster With A Clear Weakness
The best monsters aren’t only the most powerful ones, but also the ones that make combat interesting. The shadow dragon is one such example, due to the combination of its strengthswhile in darknessand its clear weakness to sunlight.
You could have the party face the dragon briefly in darkness, unable to deal much damage and having to retreat. This will make them formulate a plan where they fight the creature in broad daylight, gaining a clear advantage and feeling powerful due to outsmarting their foe.
1Ancient Red Dragon
The Fiery Death
Few enemies are as classic to Dungeons & Dragons as the ancient red dragon, with themost famous dragonsin the franchise being a variation of one. While other dragons felt too basic with only a breath weapon, red dragons needed little more to feel complete, hence why the spells they gained are just more ways to set their enemies on fire.
As you might expect, red dragons can cast Fireball and Scorching Ray, setting their enemies ablaze even when their fire breath is recharging. The ancient version can find the party no matter where they are, thanks to it being able to cast Scrying; there is nowhere to hide from such a threat.
