The 2010 animated picture “How to Train Your Dragon” is one of my favorite movies, and launched a stealer franchise, with two equally fantastic sequels, several direct to video specials, including two Christmas specials, three different animated shows, and a live-action remake in 2025.
While most are familiar with the movies, I wanted to spot-light the first “DreamWorks Dragons” animated series that spanned from 2012 through 2018. Rarely do animated programs based on movies live-up to the high marks of their theatrical counterparts, but this show was one of the better ones I’ve seen and maintains most of the spirit and quality from the movies. Honestly, I don’t think the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise would be complete without this series fleshing out the characters, creatures and setting.
This show initially premiered on Cartoon Network for its first two seasons but was then transferred over to Netflix for its final six seasons. In total, the series ran an impressive eight seasons long, with One-Hundred-Eighteen episodes all together.
The adventure begins several months after the events of the first movie and chronicles the five-year gap leading up to the opening of the first sequel “How to Train Your Dragon 2”. The first season was titled “Dragons: Riders of Berk”, which focused on our young Viking heroes and their newly acquired dragons as they establish a training academy and teach the inhabitance of their village of Berk how to live in peace with their new winged allies.
Unfortunately, they also make enemies with outcasted Vikings, who are eager to see all Dragons destroyed. Season two was re-titled “Dragons: Defenders of Berk” which focused on our heroes at war with several invading factions. Everything culminated in a spectacular two-part finale titled “Cast Out”, which brought an end to their conflicts, and was the last adventure to feature the young Viking flyers as kids.
Season three marked a significant change, once again being re-branded as “Dragons: Race to the Edge” and now focused on the Viking dragon riders as seasoned teenagers.
After acquiring a spyglass called “the Dragon Eye”, the heroes leave home and set-up a base called Dragons Edge, where they seek-out and discover new dragons to study, train and protect. A new threat soon emerges in the form of a savage group of Dragon Hunters, who aim to use the mighty beasts as a means to concur all the charted islands. The animation on display, while not on par with the films, was still passable, and gradually got better with each season.
The series also did an admiral job fleshing out its world with various settings, memorable new characters, different tribes, and an assortment of new Dragons. Before I get lost in the details, I should first highlight our main hero’s along with the main reoccurring friends and foes of the series.
Prince Hiccup
(Voiced by Jay Baruchel) and his Dragon Toothless
Son of the
Chief of Beak, and leader of the Dragon riders, Hiccup is eager to explore and discover
new lands, along with new dragons and endeavors to keep the peace. Ever sense
the first movie, both Hiccup and his Night Furry Dragon Toothless have had a
secure place among my favorite animated characters, and their qualities still carry
through in this series. For a good Hiccup and Toothless outing, watch the
season eight episode titled “Darkest Night”, which see’s Hiccup reflecting
on what life would be like if he never shot down his dragon Toothless in the
first movie.
Astrid
(Voiced by America Ferrera) and her Dragon Stormfly
Both the fiercest
and most loyal of the riders, Astrid is Hiccup’s trusted second in command, closest
friend, and betrothed by the end of the series. She was already a great
supporting character in the films, and her relationship with Hiccup was
touching, but in this series, she had all the potential to spread her wings and
expand on her qualities. Her relationship with Hiccup was perfectly developed,
and even on her own she became a better-rounded character than she already was
in the movies. For a good Astrid venture, watch the season five episode titled
“Team Astrid”, which focuses on her facing grief after a surprise attack
that nearly kills her parents, and her efforts to build a new division of
riders to protect Berk in her absence.
Fishlegs
(voiced by Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and his dragon Meatlug
Next to
Astrid, Fishlegs has the distinction of being Hiccups other closest friend and the only other Viking with a bigger thirst for knowledge and discovering
new dragons. Without question, he’s the team member with the biggest heart, as
is his dragon Meatlug, who’s the equivalent of a giant puppy. For a good
Fishlegs outing, watch the season eight episode titled “Loyal Order of
Ingerman”, in which he discovers he’s descended from Dragon Hunters, and
aims to make a better family name for himself.
Snotlout
(voiced by Zack Pearlman) and his dragon Hookfang
The most
reckless and ego driven of the Dragon Ryders, Snotlout walks a fine middle
ground between being Hiccups rivel and his close friend. At times he threatens
to be a one-note hot-head, but the show wisely gives him layers, personal
growth, and individual connections with his fellow riders. His dragon Hookfang
arguably has the most personality on display next to Toothless and has a
bedside manner that’s in perfect contrast to Snotlout’s louder conceded tone.
For a good Snotlout and Hookfang outing, watch the season two episode titled “Race
to Fireworm Island”, in which Hookfang gets deathly sick, prompting the
first big emotions out of Snotlout, and we see his selflessness to aid his
close friend.
The Twins:
Tuffnut and Ruffnut (voiced by T. J. Miller and Andree Vermeulen [Julie Marcus
in season one]) and their two-headed dragon Barf and Belch
If there
were any two characters who were overplayed in this show, it was these two twin
siblings. They went from barely noticeable side characters in the movies to
obnoxious, scenery chewing loud mouths, and without question are my least
favorite characters in this series. Still, they have their moments, and for a
good twin outing, watch the season six episode “Twintuition”, which sees
the pair going on an unexpected mission to infiltrate an enemy camp, discover
the secrets plans of the Dragon hunters, and pull off a daring rescue mission.
Chief Stoick
the Vast and his right hook man Gobber (voiced by Nolan North and Chris
Edgerly)
Carrying over from the film, the series further develops Hiccups relation with his father Stoick, the Chief of Berk, who faces his own struggles and conflicts through the series, as well as training his own dragons. The blacksmith Gobber makes for a better source of comedy in the series than the previously mentioned twins and has his own moments of making special bonds with Dragons, and his fellow Vikings.
For a good outing with these two, watch the season eight episode “No Bark, All Bite”, which follows in the after math of Berk being betrayed by a close ally, and focuses on the two men learning to put trust in other people again. That covers the main cast, next I’ll cover some of the new recurring heroes and villains of the show. I won’t list every one of them, just the ones I feel are worth highlighting …
Alvin the
Treacherous (voiced by Mark Hamill)
The first of the show’s main villains is a savage Viking named Alvin, who leads his own rabble of outcasts, and aims to take revenge on the Island of Berk for their banishment. As a child, he and Chief Stoick were best friends, but they grew into enemies and now has his sights on the chief’s son Hiccup, who could teach him to control dragons. Mark Hamill (famous for playing Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars”) is a legend when it comes to voice acting for villains, and he brings a level of excitement and personality to the character of Alvin that’s very different from his more famous animated Joker persona.
The character made a
strong first impression in his season one premiere episode “Alvin and the
Outcasts”, continued to be the main threat through the mid-point in season
two, and became the first villain to reform and become a close friend to the
Vikings of Berk.
Heather
(voiced by Mae Whitman)
Introduced in the excellent two-part season one episode “Heather Report”, she was a mysterious wild card who was either a new best friend or an enemy working for Alvin the Treacherous. In the equally strong two-part season three episode “Have Dragon Will Travel”, she became a dragon flyer of her own making and further developed connections with the other young Vikings riders, becoming a figurative sister to Astrid, but was still very much an anti-hero with her own set goals.
From that point on, she became a frequently
reoccurring character, with her own story arc, which concluded in the excellent
season seven finale titled “Sins of the Past”. Mae Whitman in general is
one of my favorite voice actresses (memorably voicing Katara in “Avatar the
Last Airbender”), and I feel her vocal portrayal of Heather is one of her
absolute best roles. She runs the whole gambit of being loving, intimidating,
mysterious, attractive, vengeful, heroic and landed Heather as one of the best
original characters in the show.
Dagur the
Deranged (voiced by David Faustino)
Introduced in the first season as an unhinged, ballistic Viking youth determined to hunt down Dragons for sport, Dagur quickly took ground as a main stay threat, and Hiccups personal nemesis. In the two-part season two event titled “A View to a Skrill”, Dagur dethrones Alvin, takes over his army of outcasts, and became the main villain all the way through season four. He’s also revealed to be Heathers brother, with our heroes discovering he abandoned her as an infant. In the season five premiere titled “Enemy of my Enemy”, Hiccup and Dagur are stranded on an island, and hunted by mutual enemies, forcing the two to put feuds aside, and trust one-another, which sets him on the path of anti-hero.
In seasons
five through eight, we see Dagur undergo a reformation, as he aims to make good
on everyone he’s wronged, especially his sister Heather. While the character’s
theatrical personality threatens to chew all the scenery, he still has one of
the most layered journeys of any villain and has the distinction of being the
most frequently reoccurring original character in the show.
The
Screaming Death
While the riders
have battled a number of dangerous dragons, the most lethal they’ve ever faced
would have to be The Screaming Death … a giant white scaled snake with wings
and red eyes. Aside from his intimidating design, he also packs some heat and
can tunnel through the ground. The Screaming Death made its debut in the season
two episode “Tunnel Vision” and would be a frequently reoccurring threat
in the show. While the riders eventually make peace with the giant beast, it
was cool to have a reoccurring dragon antagonist along with all the outcasts
and hunters.
Viggo
Grimborn (voiced by Alfred Molina)
At the start of season four, the dragon hunters became the new main threat, and the show plays a long game introducing us to their malicious leader. It’s in the excellent two-part season four finale titled “Maces and Talons”, we meet Viggo Grimborn, a brilliant strategist, and deadliest of hunters. More than any other foe Hiccup and his Dragon riders have faced, Viggo proves to be their smartest and most challenging adversary.
He’d be their main threat for the next two seasons, culminating in a climactic season six finale titled “Shell Shocked”, in which he declares open war on all riders, using a captured sea beast as a weapon. Alfred Molina, famous for playing Doctor Octopus in “Spider-Man 2”, brings his usual stamp of class, sophistication, charm and menace to the role of Viggo Grimborn, and gives him a distinct presence.
Krogan
(voiced by Hakeem Kae-Dazim)
Following
Viggo’s defeat at the end of season six, a new hunter called Krogan adds some
needed fire power to the hunters, using captured dragons as enslaved flyers. In
the season six episode “Midnight Scrum”, Krogan proved himself a lethal
hunter, and while he lacks the charisma of Viggo, he compensates with a sense
of excitement and has a fine winning streak. In the two-part season seven
episode titled “The Wings of War”, we see him successfully drive our
heroes away from their home base and keeps them on the run.
Johann
(voiced by Michael Goldstorm)
At last, the final threat to address is a foe who’s secretly been scheming in the shadows from the very start. In the very first season, Johann is introduced as a clumsy, seafaring merchant, and loyal friend of Berk. Despite his friendly demeaner, his clumsy antics seem to cause excessive problems for our heroes. In the season eight premier titled “In Plain Sight”, our heroes finally catch on to Johann’s deception, and realize his clumsy antics were intentional as both a foil and means to hide his true malicious nature.
He’d be the last main villain of the show, and probably the one I liked the least, but certainly not devoid of decent villain qualities. While I’ve covered many of my favorite episodes in the character and plot descriptions, there is still a lot more to highlight. I’ll keep it simple and rank my own personal Top 10 favorite episodes that I have yet to mention.
#10 “Buffalord Soldier” (Season 5: Episode 5)
After coming into contact with a drifting ship full of plague victims, Astrid tragically gets infected and doesn’t have long to live. Thus, Hiccup and his team set off to find the rare Buffalord Dragon, which can produce a cure. It’s revealed that both the ship and its infected crew were orchestrated by Vigo Grimborn, who set all this in motion to draw out this rare dragon and claim it as his prize.
This is another strong Vigo
confrontation, highlighting him as both a mastermind, and a downright heartless
foe. While the Buffalord Dragon is one of the sillier looking designs of the
show, and the hummer with the twin’s cringe, this is actually one of the darker
outings, with emotional stakes and mature moments. It’s also the first episode
to feature a Viking funeral, resulting in one of the show’s strongest endings.
#9 “Thawfest” (Season 1: Episode 12)
Hiccup and Snotlout’s friendship is a complicated one, as they’re just as much rivels as they are pals. During Burk’s annual sporting competition called the Thawfest games, Snotlout always upstages and downright humiliates Hiccup at every event. However, with flying dragons included as part of the competition, Hiccup finally has a chance to upstage his rivel. Vicory goes to his head, and he becomes a boastful bully himself … much to the displeasure of his close friend Astrid.
I like it when a show features its main
lead with faults of his own that they have to learn from, and his episode did a
great job giving Hiccup a lesson, while also strengthening his connection with
his friendly adversary Snotlout. It also gave Hiccup and Astrid some decent
material … including their first kiss in the show.
#8 “Edge of Disaster” (2 Parts) (Season 4: Episodes 8-9)
While Hiccup and friends set off on a rescue mission, Astrid is left alone with the goofy twins to safeguard
Dragons Edge. Naturally, the two don’t get along, but end up having to put
differences aside in order to protect their home from an invasion lead by Dager
and his newly recruited Dragon Hunters. In general, I love stories of polar
opposite characters learning to work together, and it was a rare change-up to
see Astrid and the Twins paired together for once. The action also delivers some
cool novelties, including the twins reconfiguring the island all “Home Alone”
style, and a showdown between Astrid and Dagur is certainly a highlight.
#7 “Appetite for Destruction” (Season 2: Episode 8)
When wild dragons appear in
different locations which they aren’t native too, the riders discover that
several nearby islands have disappeared off the map completely. Upon further
investigation, the riders discover the islands have been collapsed and sunk to
the bottom of the ocean by the Screaming Death, who’s driving other dragons
from their homes and the village of Berk is next on the menu. Thus, Hiccup and
team recruit all the wild dragons and make a stand against their giant
adversary before it can destroy any more islands. While the Screaming Death
made a tremendous first impression, this was the episode that established just
how devastating the beast is and features some thrilling chases.
#6 “Dawn of Destruction” (Season 7 – Episode 7)
After Hiccup and Astrid finally
become an item, they start spending more time together, and their friends begin
to feel left out. It becomes more apparent when the two depart for a supply
mission, which is clearly an excuse for them to go off on a romantic retreat. In
their absence, Dragon’s Edge is attacked by Viggo and Krogan’s enslaved flyers.
Admitting his failure, Hiccup leads his friends to safety and promises not to
let his love for Astrid distract him from his other friends again. This episode
hits all the right notes, with delightful interplay between Hiccup and Astrid,
mature conversations, high stake battles, and an exciting cliff-hanger for the
mid-season finale.
#5 “Night of the Hunters” (2 parts) (Season 4 – Episodes 2-3)
It’s a beautiful morning for Astrid to go out flying with Stormfly … until she’s suddenly ambushed by the lethal band of Dragon Hunters, who take Stormfly captive and leave Astrid for dead. After a suspenseful sequence of her lost at sea, she’s rescued by Hiccup, who gives her a warm reunion. Once she gains strength, her anger and determination to rescue Stormfly leads her and many of her comrades to be taken prisoner by the hunters, who’ve now allied themselves with Dagur and his sister Heather.
This two-part event marked the first appearance of the
hunters, under the command of Viggos brother Ryker, and it was an excellent
first outing. At this time, Heather acted as a wild card, and we didn’t know if
she was a foe or friend. The action thrilled, as the Hunters proved themselves
such a threat, Hiccup had no choice but to bait their old enemy The Screaming
Death into battle. It’s a solid change-up to the format of the show, with
exciting twists, wonderful character interactions and promising set-up for even
bigger excitement to come.
#4 “Searching for Oswald ... and Chicken” (Season 7 – Episode 11)
Once Dagur completes
his reformation arc, he and his sister Heather join forces to find their long-lost
father Oswald. Dagur fears that his father is gone for good but is still
determined to find out what happened to him. While the main Vikings go looking
for a missing pet Chicken, Hiccup leads Dagur to a hidden resting place for
Dragans, where he believes Oswald may have spent his final days. Sure enough,
this show delivers an emotional payoff with Dagur finding the remains of his
father, giving him a proper burial, and reading a wholesome good-bye letter
left for his children. While Dagur had a decent story arc going for him, this
is the episode that really transformed him into one of the show’s best
characters.
#3 “Blindsided” (season 6 – Episode 11)
When a freak lightning storm hits the Edge, Astrid tries rescuing the dragons from the burning stables. While she succeeds, her victory is short as a stray bolt leaves her blinded. Despite the sudden handicap, Astrid is determined to help round up the missing dragons that were scattered during the storm. Thus, Hiccup and Astrid set out together, only to find themselves at the mercy of a savage Triple Stryke dragon.
While the situation gets very desperate, the events do help bring the two young Vikings closer together, and Astrid herself learns to trust her other senses in the process. The beauty of this TV series is that it developed relationships that didn’t get the chance to shine in the movies. Hiccup and Astrid have always had a very warm chemistry, but it’s the show that really highlighted them as a romantic couple, and this was the event that brought them together.
Obviously, the two have expressed feelings from day one,
but here they finally found each-other … and it took one of them to lose their
sight in order to see what was right in front of them the whole time. The
episode closes with the two sharing a long awaited “Perfect Moment”, and it’s
easily one of the greatest scenes (certainly the most romantic) of the whole
franchise.
#2 “Triple Cross” (season 8 – Episode 8)
During an excavation of an underground cave, Johann and Krogan decide that Viggo is no longer useful, and collapse the cave entrance in an effort to bury him alive. Much to Viggo’s surprise, he’s rescued by a wild dragon, and for the first-time he sees what his adversary Hiccup has always seen in them … equals. Changed by the experience, Viggo … the most ruthless villain Hiccup has ever faced, finally reforms and makes an alliance with Hiccup.
While Hiccup and Toothless obviously don’t trust him, they agree to join forces in order to get the first Dragon Eye away from Krogan and Johann. The mission is a failure, and Viggo ends up sacrificing his life to save Hiccup and Toothless. While previous villains had reformed before, none were quite as powerful as this. Viggo was their greatest foe, and yet was the only one who gives his life in an epic final showdown.
Seeing him valiantly
charge off into a fight with lethal arrows in his back, and knowing full well
it’s his final stand is one of the greatest moments in the “How to Train
Your Dragon” franchise as a whole. In the end, our heroes admit that
they’ve gained a lot from their foe, and that things won’t be the same without
him. It’s all around a perfect send-off for the show’s greatest
antagonist.
Before I
reveal my number one favorite episode, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …
“Mi Amore
Wing”
“Sandbusted”
“Chain of
Command”
“Imperfect
Harmony”
“A Grim
Retreat”
#1 “King of Dragons” (2 parts) (season 8 – Episodes 12-14)
After eight seasons and One-Hundred-Eighteen episodes, the animated “DreamWorks Dragons” series ended with a two-part finale that’s nothing short of both epic and fulfilling. With his father still in a comma, Hiccup and his fellow riders are summoned back home, but this time it’s permanent, as the village may need a new chief. Thus, our heroes prepare to set off for their original home and say goodbye to Dragons Edge. Unfortunately, news arrives that Johann, Krogan and the largest army of hunters assembled yet have discovered the nesting place of the almighty king of dragons, and once captured, they’ll use its hypnotic powers to control every single dragon.
Hiccup calls for help from every one of their allies they’ve met through the shows run, along with an army of every individual dragon featured in the series, and it all leads to an epic final battle. Needless to say, this episode features the absolute best action of the whole show, as it’s obviously a spectacle, but it also features some of the most suspenseful and challenging confrontations in the shows run. It’s also deeply satisfying to see everyone come together for one big climax.
What really makes this episode work is that all the battles are balanced out with very well paced character moments, and it really captures the same atmosphere and heart of the films. The epilogue ties everything together in a beautiful little bow, while also setting up all the main events for the movie “How to Train Your Dragon 2” … including our first glimpses of Hiccups mother, and the villain Drago Blood-Fist. For all the shows ups and downs, highs and lows, it absolutely delivered the best possible send-off possible, and it made the series well worth the lengthy journey.
In short, this show was an excellent addition to the ever growing “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise. It delivered special small screen adventures, featuring memorable original characters, fantastic villains and some awesome dragons.
Unlike other shows based on DreamWorks motion pictures, this one still had its mature, slightly dark and charismatic storytelling that was so captivating from the films. Thankfully, it also had just enough charm and pleasant hummer to balance everything out. When all is said and done, I loved “Dragons: The Series”, and I genuinely couldn’t imagine this franchise being complete without it. While the show had some forgettable filler episodes here and there, it delivered all the marks I loved from these characters and this setting. When this show was great, it was right on par with the movies, and that’s no small accomplishment.
Thanks for reading my review of the animated “DreamWorks Dragons” series … and continue to enjoy the shows you Love!
And still, they fly …