A hero archetype who defeats a dragon or other fearsome beast, often winning treasure, a kingdom, or a princess's hand in marriage.
The Dragon Slayer is a universal hero archetype found in virtually every culture's mythology and folklore. Dragons or dragon-like creatures represent primordial chaos, greed, or the embodiment of evil that must be defeated for order to be restored. The Dragon Slayer gains heroic status through this dangerous feat, proving their worthiness to rule or marry. Famous examples include Sigurd (Siegfried) killing Fafnir in Norse mythology, Saint George defeating the dragon in Christian legend, Saint Michael slaying the dragon as the archetypal battle between good and evil, Beowulf fighting the dragon in his final battle, and Chinese heroes like Yu the Great who tamed floods rather than killing dragons. In many traditions, the Dragon Slayer gains the dragon's hoard (wealth) or the princess's hand, or both. The archetype represents the triumph of human courage over primal fears and the establishment of order through heroic action.