The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →In fifth edition, the strongest metallic dragon by Challenge Rating is not a single creature. The five metallic Greatwyrms tie at the top of the standard dragon stat blocks, and if you count the divine Aspect of Bahamut as a metallic dragon, it ranks higher than all of them.
The standard answer: a five-way tie among the Greatwyrms
D&D Beyond’s monster index, accessed in 2026, lists five metallic Greatwyrms at the same Challenge Rating: the Gold, Brass, Bronze, Copper, and Silver Greatwyrms. Because they share the rating, none of them can be named the single strongest metallic dragon by this measure. D&D Beyond associates these Greatwyrm entries with Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, so that is the sourcebook to check if you want the full stat blocks.
The exception: Bahamut’s Aspect
Bahamut is a deity, and his Aspect is an avatar-like form rather than a dragon species. The index classifies the Aspect as a metallic dragon and gives it a higher rating than any Greatwyrm. If your question is about every metallic dragon in the game, including divine forms, the Aspect of Bahamut is the answer. If you mean dragons as a creature type, it is not a good comparison, because it is a deity’s manifestation.
The ordinary ancient dragon: the Basic Rules view
Players who use only the free Basic Rules see a different top metallic dragon. The 2024 Basic Rules include the Ancient Gold Dragon at Challenge Rating 24, with 546 hit points, AC 22, and Legendary Resistance 4/day. Its lair raises Legendary Resistance to 5/day. The 2014 Basic Rules give the same Challenge Rating and hit points, so the rating did not change between versions. This entry is the right answer only when the question is limited to the ordinary ancient metallic dragon in those books. The Greatwyrms outrank it in the broader fifth-edition index.
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Side-by-side ranking
| Category you are comparing | Creature | Challenge Rating | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard metallic dragons (top tier) | Gold, Brass, Bronze, Copper, and Silver Greatwyrms | 28 (five-way tie) | D&D Beyond monster index, accessed 2026 |
| Including deity forms | Aspect of Bahamut | 30 | D&D Beyond monster index, accessed 2026 |
| Ordinary ancient dragon, 2024 Basic Rules | Ancient Gold Dragon | 24 (546 HP, AC 22) | D&D Beyond 2024 Basic Rules, accessed 2026 |
| Ordinary ancient dragon, 2014 Basic Rules (legacy) | Ancient Gold Dragon | 24 (546 HP) | D&D Beyond 2014 Basic Rules, accessed 2026 |
What Challenge Rating does and does not measure
This article uses Challenge Rating because it is the published statistic that ranks these stat blocks against each other. It is not a guarantee of how a fight will go. Hit points, Legendary Resistance, lair actions, and the party you bring all change an encounter, and a higher-rated dragon does not automatically win a duel. Lore importance is a separate question, and it is not measured here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Limits of this answer
The ranking covers fifth-edition stat blocks as listed in D&D Beyond’s monster index and Basic Rules, as checked in 2026. It does not establish a complete ranking across older editions, third-party books, or specific campaign settings, so a dragon that is “strongest” in one setting may not hold that rank in another.
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