This page may contain spoilers related to the background-story of ARK: Survival Evolved.
If you want to experience the story ingame, you probably shouldn't continue reading on this page.
This article is about Dragon, not to be confused with 
Wyvern or 
Crystal Wyvern
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Bos_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Dinos/Dragon/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss.Dragon_Character_BP_Bos'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Gamma)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Dinos/Dragon/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Beta)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Dinos/Dragon/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Alpha)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/Dinos/Dragon/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Gamma) (Ragnarok)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_Ragnarok_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/Ragnarok/Custom_Assets/Bosses/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_Ragnarok.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_Ragnarok'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Beta) (Ragnarok)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_Ragnarok_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/Ragnarok/Custom_Assets/Bosses/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_Ragnarok.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_Ragnarok'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Alpha) (Ragnarok)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_Ragnarok_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/Ragnarok/Custom_Assets/Bosses/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_Ragnarok.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_Ragnarok'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Gamma) (Valguero)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/Valguero/Assets/CoreBlueprints/Boss/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Beta) (Valguero)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/Valguero/Assets/CoreBlueprints/Boss/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Alpha) (Valguero)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/Valguero/Assets/CoreBlueprints/Boss/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Gamma) (Fjordur)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_FJ_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Fjordur/Dinos/IslandBosses/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_FJ.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Easy_FJ'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Beta) (Fjordur)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_FJ_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Fjordur/Dinos/IslandBosses/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_FJ.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Medium_FJ'" 500 0 0 35Variant Dragon (Alpha) (Fjordur)
cheat summon Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_FJ_Ccheat SpawnDino "Blueprint'/Game/Fjordur/Dinos/IslandBosses/Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_FJ.Dragon_Character_BP_Boss_Hard_FJ'" 500 0 0 35
YesThe Dragon is one of game bosses and one of the most challenging. On The Island the Dragon can only be found in the Dragon Arena. To reach this location, players must go to either a Supply Crate or Obelisk and place the required tribute items inside, then click on the 
Generate Dragon Portal item. A portal will be opened to teleport nearby players and dinos into the arena. If playing in Single Player mode, the portal can only be generated from the Red Obelisk.
The Dragon can also be found in both the Ragnarok Arena on Ragnarok and the Forsaken Oasis on Valguero, and can be spawned from any obelisk on both maps.
It can be tamed and ridden for a short time from the Red Mini Obelisk in the Survive the ARK (Genesis: Part 2) mission.
In Survival of the Fittest, the Dragon will appear on the central platform about halfway through the match and will be available for taming. The Dragon will only be rideable for a short time before it will turn on its master.[1]
Finally you can summon it in Fjordur via the Terminal located in Dvergheim cave.
It was first added in 
ARK: Survival Evolved on its early release.
The Dragon is massive, easily dwarfing both the 
Broodmother and 
Megapithecus in size, it stands and walks in a bipedal stance. However it will become quadrupedal when sprinting. It is purple in color with orange wings and some orange patterning running along the side of the body with the two most notable being large orange strips running with the first running from the back of its head to the base of its neck and the second running along the sides of the body. Its head has a crown of horns.
Its appearance on Beta is a brownish body with orange shades around the feet and arms and its Alpha appearance is a very deep red coloration with the coloration becoming brighter around the feet and arms
The Dragon used to spawn with an extremely diverse range of colorization, however this was changed during the development of the Dragon's Boss Arena.
The Dragon always spawns with the same color scheme and has no color regions.
This means it is currently impossible to make alterations to the Dragon's colors.
The Dragon has different colors depending on its difficulty level:
| Difficulty Level | Color |
|---|---|
| Gamma | Default Coloring |
| Beta | Yellow |
| Alpha | Red |
The following items are needed to summon the Dragon:
| Item | Quantity | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | Beta | Alpha | |
| Player Level | 55 | 75 | 100 |
 Artifact of the Cunning |
1 | 1 | 1 |
 Artifact of the Immune |
1 | 1 | 1 |
 Artifact of the Skylord |
1 | 1 | 1 |
 Artifact of the Strong |
1 | 1 | 1 |
 Allosaurus Brain |
- | 5 | 10 |
 Basilosaurus Blubber |
- | 5 | 10 |
 Giganotosaurus Heart |
- | 1 | 2 |
 Tusoteuthis Tentacle |
- | 5 | 10 |
 Tyrannosaurus Arm |
- | 5 | 15 |
 Yutyrannus Lungs |
- | 5 | 10 |
| Item | Quantity | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | Beta | Alpha | |
| Player Level | 55 | 75 | 100 |
 Hati Relic |
1 | 1 | 1 |
 Sköll Relic |
1 | 1 | 1 |
| Artifact of the Cunning |
1 | 1 | 1 |
| Artifact of the Immune |
1 | 1 | 1 |
| Artifact of the Skylord |
1 | 1 | 1 |
| Artifact of the Strong |
1 | 1 | 1 |
| Allosaurus Brain |
- | 5 | 10 |
| Basilosaurus Blubber |
- | 5 | 10 |
| Giganotosaurus Heart |
- | 1 | 2 |
| Tusoteuthis Tentacle |
- | 5 | 10 |
| Tyrannosaurus Arm |
- | 5 | 15 |
| Yutyrannus Lungs |
- | 5 | 10 |
Use these commands to give yourself all the items needed for tribute:
| Gamma |
|---|
cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_11.PrimalItemArtifact_11'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_08.PrimalItemArtifact_08'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_06.PrimalItemArtifact_06'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_09.PrimalItemArtifact_09'" 1 0 0
|
| Beta |
|---|
cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Allo.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Allo'" 5 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_11.PrimalItemArtifact_11'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_08.PrimalItemArtifact_08'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_06.PrimalItemArtifact_06'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_09.PrimalItemArtifact_09'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Basilo.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Basilo'" 5 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_apexdrop_giga.primalitemresource_apexdrop_giga'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Tuso.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Tuso'" 5 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Rex.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Rex'" 5 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_apexdrop_Yuty.primalitemresource_apexdrop_yuty'" 5 0 0
|
| Alpha |
|---|
cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_11.PrimalItemArtifact_11'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_08.PrimalItemArtifact_08'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_06.PrimalItemArtifact_06'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Items/Artifacts/PrimalItemArtifact_09.PrimalItemArtifact_09'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Allo.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Allo'" 10 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Basilo.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Basilo'" 10 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_apexdrop_giga.primalitemresource_apexdrop_giga'" 2 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Tuso.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Tuso'" 10 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Rex.PrimalItemResource_ApexDrop_Rex'" 15 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/PrimalEarth/CoreBlueprints/Resources/PrimalItemResource_apexdrop_Yuty.primalitemresource_apexdrop_yuty'" 10 0 0
|
| Fjordur Relics |
|---|
cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/FjordurOfficial/Assets/CoreBlueprints/Items/PrimalItemResource_MiniBossDrop_Hati.PrimalItemResource_MiniBossDrop_Hati'" 1 0 0 | cheat giveitem "Blueprint'/Game/Mods/FjordurOfficial/Assets/CoreBlueprints/Items/PrimalItemResource_MiniBossDrop_Skoll.PrimalItemResource_MiniBossDrop_Skoll'" 1 0 0
|
| Item | Dragon Level | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | Beta | Alpha | |
 Element |
80 | 220 | 440 |
Behemoth Tek Gate
Behemoth Tek Gateway
Cloning Chamber
Megalodon Tek Saddle
Tapejara Tek Saddle
Tek Chestpiece
Tek Dedicated Storage
Tek Double Door
Tek Double Doorframe
Tek Fence Support
Tek Forcefield
Tek Leggings
Tek Replicator
Tek Stairs
Tek Teleporter
Tek Transmitter
Vacuum Compartment
Vacuum Compartment Moonpool
Behemoth Tek Gate Behemoth Tek Gateway Megalodon Tek Saddle
Small Tek Teleporter Tapejara Tek Saddle Tek Dedicated Storage Tek Double Door Tek Double Doorframe Tek Fence Support Tek Forcefield Tek Leggings Tek Replicator Tek Stairs Tek Transmitter Vacuum Compartment
Behemoth Tek Gate Behemoth Tek Gateway Cloning Chamber Megalodon Tek Saddle Small Tek Teleporter Tapejara Tek Saddle Tek Chestpiece Tek Dedicated Storage Tek Double Door Tek Double Doorframe Tek Fence Support Tek Forcefield Tek Leggings Tek Replicator Tek Stairs Tek Teleporter Tek Transmitter Vacuum Compartment Moonpool Vacuum CompartmentAchievements
 |
    Master Survivor You defeated ARK's third Ultimate Life Form! |
| Attribute | Base Value | Level Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Wild | ||
 Health |
432000 | +86400 |
 Stamina |
10000 | +1000 |
 Oxygen |
N/A | N/A |
 Food |
2600 | +260 |
 Weight |
4000 | +80 |
 Melee Damage |
500 | +25 |
 Movement Speed |
100% | N/A |
 Torpidity |
350 | +21 |
| Attribute | Base Value | Level Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Wild | ||
| Health |
864000 | +172800 |
| Stamina |
10000 | +1000 |
| Oxygen |
N/A | N/A |
| Food |
2600 | +260 |
| Weight |
4000 | +80 |
| Melee Damage |
1000 | +50 |
| Movement Speed |
100% | N/A |
| Torpidity |
350 | +21 |
| Attribute | Base Value | Level Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Wild | ||
| Health |
972000 | +243000 |
| Stamina |
10000 | +1000 |
| Oxygen |
N/A | N/A |
| Food |
2600 | +260 |
| Weight |
4000 | +80 |
| Melee Damage |
1500 | +112.5 |
| Movement Speed |
100% | N/A |
| Torpidity |
350 | +21 |
Note: The Dragon in the Ragnarok Arena has the same stat values, but takes 3x damage (or consider it suffers a 2/3 Health Nerf).
The Dragon can only be tamed in Survival of the Fittest - in which, after 20 – 40 minutes, it'll disappear.
Note that the values are for optimal cases, always bring extra supplies!
For a level-dependent count of resources needed, try an external taming calculator.
This section describes how to fight against the Dragon.
Please keep in mind that the Dragon is considered by many players to be the third toughest boss to defeat (preceded by the 
Corrupted Master Controller and 
King Titan)
The Dragon is the strongest of the three The Island Guardians and should be saved for last due to how tough it is. On top of that, taking down the Megapithecus and Broodmother will help give the players an advantage due to having new, better equipment to take on the Dragon with.
The Dragon is far stronger than the two previous Guardians on The Island, thanks to the ability to do percent-based fire breath damage. This fire will drain 20% of anything's max health as well as do some direct impact damage, so brute-forcing with your dino armies won't work out quite as well as in the Megapithecus and Broodmother fights. Therefore, a strategy that utilizes more than brute strength is important in taking it down.
You'll need to pay attention to the Dragon's fireballs and minions, as well as make sure you bring Mastercraft or Ascendant quality firearms that do good damage. Primitive weapons are a waste of time and will do little damage. As for the previously mentioned attacks, the fireballs do a fair amount of damage (less to herbivores) and have a large explosion radius, as well as having the ability to directly damage riders.
The minions that the Dragon summons are hostile 
Pteranodon and 
Dimorphodon. The Dimorphodons are also capable of directly damaging mounted survivors, so bringing extra backup sets of armor and several Medical Brews is highly advised.
The Dragon uses its Fire Breath attack on a cooldown, and will immediately attempt it when it is in range of any tames. Because of this, the Dragon will always use its Fire Breath attack first after it lands on the ground following its minion phase. A good method to mitigating damage from this attack is to approach it with only one dinosaur after it lands to soak the attack rather than sending in an army of tames. This will significantly reduce the spread of damage across your army and make for a much easier fight.
Therizinosaurus are generally considered the safest option, primarily due to being able to heal from 
Sweet Vegetable Cakes, while also having comparable DPS to carnivorous counterparts such as the 
Rex, due to posessing damage nearly as high and negligable differences in attack speed. In the Dragon fight specifically, the damage difference is evened more by the requirement of sacrificing a damage tame for healing for non-carnivorous options. Since the most dangerous aspect of the Dragon is the percentage effect, the almost unique ability to counter it makes them particularly valuage. While the damage of the fireball is negligible compared to the percentage drain of the fire breath, the reduced damage taken from that attack also contributes to the overall endurance. This only applies to the fireball since the percentage based damage is not affected by the Therizino being a herbivore, hence the damage reduction being the most minor factor in their suitability.
Yutyrannus can still prove useful, as long as it's mounted to ensure the Dragon remains at a safe distance. As with other boss fights, it is valuable to act as support, buffing the damage dealing tames (thanks to its Courage Roar providing an additional 20% resistance and 25% damage).
Deinosuchus are a great tactic for their strong stats and devastating Giga Bite attacks they can tear into Boss Health.
Daeodon can be useful due to their passive healing ability. Rex rush strategy can also work against the Gamma and Beta Dragon, despite typically being less favoured than the Therizinosaurus. The Alpha Dragon can also be taken down but casualties are likely to be taken. In order to improve the survivability against the Alpha Dragon, the Daeodon healing ability should be used, which will allow the Rexes to tank 6 or even 7 Fire Breaths. The Daeodon requires a rider force feeding it with 
Basic Kibble in order to maximize its healing efficiency. Without a form of healing, the fight is effectively reduced to the time taken for the Dragon to use 5 fire breaths. As is usual for rush strategies, a Yutyrannus' assistance should also be used. Despite being called a "rush" strategy, player skill and awareness do matter against the Alpha Dragon. Attacks should not be initiated near a lava pool and it is important to spread the forces correctly around the Dragon in order the reduce the number of Rexes hit by the Fire Breath at once. Additionally, they are able to step over the arena's lava rivers without taking damage, reducing the risk of environmental damage.
Megaloceros can be used to kite the Dragon, holding its attention to allow tribemates to open fire on it without fear.
Magmasaurs can be used as a taunting tank towards the Dragon and its cohort of flying creatures, keeping the damage dealing tames safer. Moreover, they are immune to the blast damage caused by the Dragon's fire breath and nearby lava within the arena, and supplied with 
Metal Ingot, can fire Searing Spit while its still in air. Its size makes it inconvenient to bring into the arena, but it can be worthwhile due to its effectiveness at keeping tames in the arena safe. Its saddle also makes the rider impervious to Dimorphodon's attack, reducing the chances of the fight being ended by direct rider damage.
Deinonychus' bleeding damage uniquely affects the Dragon, allowing it to inflict enormous amounts of damage. A high level one can therefore kill even the Alpha Dragon by attacking its back-left foot. This makes the Dragon unable to attack while the bleeding effect does enough damage to take it out. However, it can still fly away, so be prepared for dealing with army of Dimorphodons and Pteranodons it will summon.
While the biggest of all the Island bosses, its backside has the largest hitbox. The Dragon can get stuck on the ruins around the arena, allowing shots to be taken afar (but do not rely on this lasting for the entire fight, as it will eventually fly away).
Sometimes the Dragon will only go to the player, giving your army a chance to safely damage to it.
If players spread their creatures around and completely surround and pin the Dragon, it would be distracted and focus its fire attack on one side, helping your unaffected creatures live a little longer during the fight.
For information pertaining specifically to the real-world Dragon, see the relevant Wikipedia article.
King Titan, second being 
Rockwell, the third being 
Moeder followed by the 
Alpha Deathworm/ Iceworm Queen as 4th, 
Ice Titan as 5th, 
Forest Titan as 6th, 
Desert Titan as 7th, the 
Titanosaur being 8th, the 
Astrocetus at 9th and finally the 
Alpha Tusoteuthis as 10th largest), its even larger than most of the large creatures such as 
Brontosaurus, 
DodoRex or 
Giganotosaurus and it ties with the 
Alpha Mosasaurus for 11th place.
Manticore and the 3rd being the 
Crystal Wyvern Queen.
| Patch | ARK: Survival Evolved Changes
|
|---|---|
| 209.4 | You can no longer upload and download Dragons via the obelisk. |
| 213.0 | Dragon fire now damages flyers. |
| 242.0 | Added the Dragon Arena. |
| 254.5 | Improved attack hit detection. |
| 257.0 | New creature sounds for the Dragon. |
| 259.0 | Colorized boss health to indicate boss difficulty. |
| 261.0 | Fixed music in The Center Dragon boss fight. |
| 262.0 | Dragon boss no longer present on The Center. |
| 263.0 | Additional damage and health adjustments to the Dragon. |
| 264.0 | Final boss balance for Dragon boss in single-player. |
| 265.3 | Added Ragnarok Dragon encounter. |
| 278.0 | Dragon's fire breath direct impact  Damage reduced by 50%.
|
A group of Rexes charging a Dragon.
Dragon engaging a Tyrannosaurus.
Dragon breathing fire.
2 Can be ridden in Survival of the Fittest for 15 minutes before it despawns.