How to Train Your Dragon
Photo by Case_newton on Pixabay
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise has been a roaring success since the first film debuted in 2010. Not only has it won numerous awards and been nominated for a host of others, but the 3rd and final installment was also released in cinemas earlier this year. The films have all touched on different themes, be it coming of age, friendship, or betrayal – but one constant is dragon training. Whether it’s Hiccup learning how to grow as a leader or Toothless becoming accustomed to life with humans again, we’ve seen them all train their dragons. In this blog post, we explore some of the best examples of training your dragon in popular culture:
Hiccup and Toothless
The relationship between Hiccup and Toothless is one of the fascinating elements of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. We see an unhealthy relationship between a rider and their dragon from a distance. However, as we pull back even further, we see an incredible partnership that provides an excellent example of how to train your dragon. Hiccup and Toothless have been forced to learn to coexist, with neither side fully understanding the other – but through persistence, patience, and understanding, they’ve formed a bond rare in How to Train Your Dragon. In the first film, we see Hiccup struggle to train Toothless and encourage him to fight. He’s reliant on guilt and his desire to impress Astrid and, as such, doesn’t fully understand how to work with Toothless’s emotions.
Astrid and Stormfly
Astrid is the rider whose connection with their dragon is always portrayed as incredibly strong. She’s the only one to fly on Stormfly without a helmet, and the duo appears inseparable. By the time of the third film, Astrid has been riding Stormfly for almost ten years, and her skills are exceptional. We see her take Stormfly out of her comfort zone and even use her as a means of escape at one point, showcasing just how much she’s learned about dragon training. Her ability to understand what Stormfly needs and provide it for her is something we’ve only seen a couple of other riders accomplish.
Stoick and Valka
While Stoick and Valka’s relationship isn’t the main focus of the films, their bond is one of the best examples of how to train your dragon. The two are equal partners in the relationship, with Valka being just as responsible for their training as Stoick. She teaches Hiccup how to control his emotions better and provides a new perspective on how to fly with Toothless. She uses an entirely different style from her husband, but both are effective in their ways.
Tuff and Scruff
While some of these examples are of entire couples, there’s no denying that Tuff and Scruff make an excellent example of how to train your dragon. The two are inseparable, and we see them progress from being relatively useless beasts of burden to formidable rideable dragons. They’re almost always together; if one is out of action, the other is there to pick up their slack. Unlike many dragons in the franchise, they don’t train themselves; they’re just left to fend for themselves.
The Dragon Training Program: An Alternate Ending
One of the most exciting things to come out of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise is the Dragon Training Program, a website where fans can train their dragons. It’s full of information on different species of dragons, their habitats, diets, and even how to train them. It’s an in-depth website and an excellent way for fans to immerse themselves in How to Train Your Dragon even more. The ending of the third film sees the Dragon Training Program shut down. However, this is the film’s ending, and the website could theoretically remain open.
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise is one of the best examples of how to train your dragon in popular culture. It explores various themes throughout its three films, but it also shows us dragons from many different species, from the tiny sparrow to the massive goliath. We’ve seen all the relationships between humans and dragons, both good and bad. There are examples of how to train your dragon in every film, making the franchise even more compelling than it already is.