#again very Valka from httyd 2

[the-horizon-lounge3041]

Felt like drawing another Cloudburst and Lis, again I am working on the Gaia gang pic, it’s just taking me a bit.

[physalian]

The Hero with Dead Parents is not Cliché, it’s Necessary

The staggering number of protagonists in sci-fi and fantasy with dead parents grows every single year. Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker (before the retcon in ESB), almost every Disney Prince and Princess, the Baudelaire children. Beyond the realm of fantasy into action, thriller, romance, mystery, slice-of-life, and bildungsromans.

Dead parents, or parent, is the curse of being the hero of the story and for a very good reason:

Parents are inconvenient as f*ck.

Unless the mom and/or dad is the villain of the story or the entire story is about the relationship with the parent/parents, the “dead parent” trope serves many purposes and while it may be “cliché” that doesn’t mean this trope is bad or, in my opinion, overused.

It’s one less liability the hero has to worry about protecting

It’s one less obstacle in the hero’s path to their adventure

It’s one (or two) less characters to find excuses to stay relevant in the story

It’s a juicy backstory a lot of people can relate to

Trauma. Is. Compelling.

It’s an excellent motivation

And their murder is an excellent inciting incident

Living parents and guardians get killed off both for internal plot reasons, and meta writing reasons: Living parents are a pain in the ass to keep up with. You’re stuck with a character your hero should still keep caring about, keep thinking about, keep acting in relation to how their actions will be seen and judged by that parent. That parent becomes an obvious liability by any villain who notices or cares.

Living parents can of course be done well, unless they’re the villain, but they just kind of sit there on the fringes of the plot, waiting around to be relevant again and they kind of come in four flavors:

There when the plot demands for pie and forehead kisses (Sally from Percy Jackson)

A suffocating but well-meaning obstacle in between the character and their independence trying to do right (Abby from The 100, Katniss’ mom from Hunger Games, Spirit from Soul Eater)

A mentor figure (Valka from HTTYD 2, Hakoda from ATLA)

The only rock this character has left (Ping from Kung Fu Panda)

*Notice how many of my examples lost their partners shortly before or during the plot, thus still giving the hero the “dead parent” label.

Most of these are self-explanatory so I’ll say this:  I think this trope gets exhausting when the parents are written out without enough emotional impact on the hero. These are their parents and a lot of the time, the emotional toll of losing them isn’t there, like just slapping a “dead parents” sticker is all you need to justify a character’s tragic backstory and any behavioral issues they might have.

Like, yes, the hero has dead parents, but you still have to tell me what that means to them beyond obligate angst and sadness. When the “dead parents” trope reads as very by-the-numbers, usually the rest of the story is, too.

How present the parents were in the character’s life should be proportional to the death’s impact on the narrative (as with any character you kill off). If they were virtually nonexistent? No need to waste a ton of time. If they didn’t matter to the character before, they don’t need to matter now unless the plot revolves around some knowledge or secret their parent never shared.

Sometimes, the hero’s dead parents are a non issue. Frodo being raised by Bilbo doesn’t impact his character at all. It’s a detail given and tossed away. On the other hand, sometimes the entire centerpiece of the work is revenge/justice/catharsis surrounding the parent’s death—Edward and Alphonse Elric’s entire story is defined by the consequences of trying to bring their mother back from the dead.

As someone who kept one of my protagonist’s parents alive and didn’t make them villains just to spite the trope, I have all the more respect for this enduring legacy of fiction. You can of course keep the parents alive, but I don't think it's seen as lazy or cheating or taking a shortcut just killing them off, so long as you remember that your hero is human and should react to losing them like a real person.

[fanfic-lover-girl]

Feelings on HTTYD 2

So I just finished watching httyd 2 with a friend and I thought it was great! Not as good as the first one but I enjoyed myself. I had some issues with the movie so let me summarize what I liked and did not like about it.

What I Liked

Hicctooth - Toothless and Hiccup continue to be amazing together. Such a great friendship bond and they were so cute! The moments where Toothless was fed up with Hiccup were gold.

Stoick - This man was such a badass in this movie! Great fight scenes and his rescue of Valka and sacrifice for Hiccup were so well done. His bromance with Gobber was A+ and I love how he has developed as a father. He seemed even more protective of Hiccup in this movie compared to the first movie. It was actually kind of sweet. Also, his romantic dance with Valka was such a joy to see. Seeing Hiccup happy to see his parents together made me so happy too.

The villain - Drago was pretty entertaining as a villain. I wouldn't call him the best but I thought his design was cool. I think he was a decent villain to challenge Hiccup's naivity.

Toothless and Stormfly - These two had such fun scenes together. I smiled whenever they interacted. So cute! I just really liked Stormfly in this movie, such a good girl. Her bond with Eret was cute.

Toothless and Cloudjumper - These two were so funny. Cloudjumper had annoyed big brother vibes going on lol.

Music - Once again, the music captivated me in this movie. I love the HTTYD movie end credits songs! It makes me feel nostalgic.

Character designs - Liked most of the character designs. Hiccup looked good of course and Snotlout surprisingly looked great too. I liked the greying beard on Stoick.

Eret - I felt so bad for poor Eret. I think he was an interesting addition to the cast.

Friendship of the teens - I liked the interactions among the 6 teens/young adults. I wish the whole love triangle thing was less cringe though.

What I Did Not Like or Felt Neutral About

Hiccstrid - I have seen from Hiccstrid shippers on Tumblr that the second movie is the basis for their love of the ship. And at the end of the movie, I was struggling to understand why? I liked the initial Hiccstrid cliff scene for the most part but the ship was basically irrelevant for the rest of the movie. If you take out Hiccstrid, nothing changes really. There was hardly anything interesting about this ship. Felt so generic. And honestly, this ship feels very one-sided. It's all about Hiccup but what about Astrid? What does she get from this relationship besides the clout of being a future chieftess? And Hiccup's tendency to rush off into danger?

Astrid - Not sure if I liked Astrid's design in this movie. But more importantly, I was disappointed by Astrid's character. My friend agreed with me that Astrid was just there. Her only purpose in this movie seemed to be to give Hiccup his mandatory pep talk and to anger Drago to prematurely attack. When Astrid kept yapping about Hiccup's greatness, I swear I was dying on the inside. Astrid was important in the first movie but httyd 2 solidified her status as a pretty love interest character. Her dragon Stormfly seemed to have more going on in this movie. Astrid was just meh. All she is now is just Hiccup's girlfriend.

Valka - Maybe if I watched the movie without knowing about Valka, maybe I would be more neutral about her. But I don't like her. She's a deadbeat mom. Her reasons for abandoning Hiccup were so flimsy. Stoick, for all his flaws, was learning to be a better dad and I am so sad that Stoick will not get to see Hiccup grow as a man. Valka does not deserve the privilege that's for sure. I must also say that she did a crap job at advocating for peace. Sure, argue for peace while your village is under attack! Makes SO much sense. What made her believe dragons were good anyway?? I wish Valka was the movie villain. Or at least an antagonist.

Toothless - For the most part, I enjoyed Toothless' interactions with Hiccup. But he seemed way too playful sometimes? I don't think he should have been so relaxed with Valka since she attacked them. I miss the Toothless who was aggressive with strangers. Also, I find it strange that Toothless did not know how to expand his spines. He's a wild animal and wild animals should have instincts about these things. Finally, as cool as that super saiyan rage mode was at the end, I still want to know where this power came from.

Ruffnut - I hate how Ruffnut looks. She was pretty in the first movie and she also looks pretty in the ROB show. I don't know why her older design has to look like this. She looked especially repulsive when she was hitting on Eret. I kept asking myself why the scriptwriters did this? Why make her look so gross??

Hiccup's inner conflict - I thought the introduction of Hiccup's mom felt way too forced. The whole spiel about not knowing who he is because he does not know his mom made me so confused. In the first movie, Hiccup hardly cared about Valka. There was not even a throwaway line like 'No one in Berk gets me...but maybe mom would if she were here'. Why the sudden interest??? I also think Hiccup's struggle with his free spirit desire was poorly handled. Plus, I don't understand why Hiccup got the idea that his job was to be a peacekeeper?? Peacekeeper for who?? We don't even meet other tribes! I am sure this attitude is addressed in the shows but it makes little sense to me. How do you go from making peace with dragons to being a peacekeeper of the archipelago? And what leadership did Hiccup showcase to Valka for him to deserve the 'heart of a chief' line??

These are my main takeaways! Despite the shortcomings, I did like the movie. Sigh, now it's time for Hidden World.

[limesandcoconuts]

Trust me when I say i totally understand where people are coming from and i would totally agree!...if not for 2 things:

1) the animation changed. Httyd 2 had a very gritty tone to it and that reflected in the characters. Httyd 3 has a softer tone, also reflected in the characters.

2) like I said, i would agree with what people are saying for aging down Valka when she's supposed to be like 40 something...except everyone in Httyd 3 got a glow up (mostly because of the animation style. I also think yknow, it's the finale. They want to go out looking great. Nothing really wrong with that.) Like if it was just Valka, I could see where the problem is but because it's everyone, it doesn't feel like they "de-aged" Valka bc middle ages mother's are "ugly", it feels more like something that was done as a whole - if that makes any sense. If everyone gets a glow up in Httyd 3, obviously they wanted everyone to look their best, nothing to do with beauty standards honestly.

Like I said, trust me I can totally see where ppl are coming from and I'd probably understand if you disagree, I mean I've had my fair share of problems with beauty standards don't you worry. But i feel like people are looking into this specifically a little too far. Same thing with Astrid in Httyd 3. Hiccup can have a glow up but she can't?

And i know Hollywood is brutal towards any woman over 38 (have you seen who they cast as mothers nowadays?? Fucking ridiculous!) So like I said, i can easily see how this would hurt some people. I just think in this case, there is a genuine reason for it - the biggest being animation bc that's a technical thing, not an ageist thing.

Also in Httyd 2 Valka had been fending for herself, living with dragons in an ice cave for 20 years, when she moves into a viking village again I'm sure her self-care/health went up a bit. Though this is a pretty weak argument but I just thought I would mention it.

To be fair tho they could've at least given her some wrinkles in Httyd 3 🫤

Feel free to disagree - politely 🤨

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

HiJack Idea

I really want more RotG and HttyD crossovers where the HttyD cast meets the RotG cast. But I want them in all their canon glory - the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and Santa Clause.

So I was cooking up the idea of... a situation wherein the Guardians fall through dimensions of time. There'd be a spot of GoC (book lore) intertwined because Jack Frost and Nightlight are a fusion (somehow - the how is a mystery to be revealed later).

Anyways, they fall through the realms, end up in HttyD world as one does, prior to HttyD 2. And they are inevitably scattered. But the twist is that Jack Frost has fully reverted into a human (as he tends to), which includes missing all his memories of being Jack Frost.

He wakes up, literally washed ashore to Berk, suffering severe hypothermia, etc. He meets the gang and their dragons, etc. He is properly freaked out because his last memory was falling into a frozen pond and not swimming back up. But he manages. He deals. Hiccup promises to help him find this "New World" where he comes from.

As Jack settles in, he begins to see strange visions - nightmare like, but not always when he's asleep. It's as if he's trapped in a fight. There's always a sense of loss and loneliness that comes when the vision ends, as horrific as it feels to live through. And in the aftermath, Jack struggles to breath - loses body heat - and remains unconscious for days.

Then they also start hearing tales from Johann of odd goings on within the Archipelago. There's a mysterious island that glows gold, appeared on the maps one day. Every time someone approaches it, sleep drags them down - a sleep that they cannot fight. And when they wake up, they're far from the island again.

There's also a strange creature that lurks in forests. People can't quite get a good look at it, but it's massive. And furry. Wherever forest this creature is spotted, the forest begins to teem with plentiful plant bounty.

And last, a new trader is making his way through the Archipelago. Johann is mighty miffed about him. New guy's gonna put him out of a job, he is. Everyone says that the new trader brings a wealth of new and wondrous trinkets - notably nothing for war and the like, but children all over the islands adore his works. The grown ups are not immune to the spectacle even if its not always practical. Johann is largely satisfied that the new trader had yet to arrived in Berk.

All this, Jackson Overland learns with Hiccup and friends. All this, Jackson is completely clueless about, as equally enthralled as the rest of Berk.

North will be the first to find Jack. He arrives as told, a new trader with a ship nearly sinking from the weight of his curios. Hiccup and North talk endlessly about craft and smithing, that Hiccup forgets to let anyone have a word in. It's only by the third day of North's arrival that Hiccup thinks to introduce his friends, including a very bemused Jack. On seeing Jack, North falls to his knees in immediate recognition.

What follows is confusion as Jack claims no memory of the man. North is rightfully heartbroken. Hiccup intercedes saying that there's many a mystery about Jack and perhaps North can shed some light on Jack's past. North surprisingly shakes his head, explains that Jack is missing more than memories and only if the missing part is returned then Jack will understand. When pressed, North tells them that the part is not something but someone.

(Cue a little Hiccup angst because he gets to thinking that maybe Jack isn't as single as he claims to be.)

North decides that Jack is safer where he is and that he will search on Jack's behalf to find his missing someone. Jack says that he and Hiccup are already searching for a way to bring Jack home so they could also look for whoever is missing. But North doesn't give them a description, he only explains that Jack will Know when he sees his missing someone.

Fast forward a little, Hiccup's explorations lead to him meeting Valka and uncovering the sanctuary where Jack meets another almost familiar someone. Tooth tackles Jack to the ground in her glee at finding him again. She and Valka are now the Best of Friends, it's actually unreal.

The story goes almost to canon, except the Light Fury is in the sanctuary when Valka invites everyone. Jack and the Light Fury strike up a bond, a slow and hesitant one - oddly the Light Fury seems to recognize him. It's enough to keep her out of the Alpha's thrall and protect Stoik when Toothless is under his control.

After wrapping up with that debacle, Valka goes home with Tooth at her side. They arrive at Berk to find North is docked, bringing a mysterious companion clad in a long and heavy cloak. North introduces him as Aster, a warrior from far away. Jack feels that hint of recognition but not... nothing more profound. At this point, North, Bunny, and Tooth have been reunited.

Light Fury brings Jack (with the other dragon riders following) to a secret island - not the island of Sleepy Sands, but some place off the map. The Light Fury is the one to bring Jack and Nightlight together.

All this time, Nightlight and Pitch find themselves in a familiar situation, pinned in combat, unwilling to let the other leave. They aren't exactly inside of time, trapped in a fight that lasts both seconds and an eternity. Sandy has been keeping vigil - unable to help but capturing any wayward Nightmare or Fearling that escapes.

Jack immediately understands North's cryptic words. He remembers with some clarity that sleeping Nightlight was fused with the dying Jackson Overland, which transformed him into Jack Frost. That Nightlight was the missing part - his literal other half. But if Jack breaks Nightlight free, then they also will set loose Pitch.

The Guardians and the Dragon Riders agree to do so anyways. It goes a little tits up because Pitch escapes from their clutches. But Jack and Nightlight are reunited - yet remain physicall apart.

The Hidden World plot happens with Pitch adding more firepower to the threat. Ultimately in the end, Jack and Nightlight realize that they now have a choice. Jack could remain here, live out the rest of his normal human life with a normal human family. Nightlight could return and take his place again as a Guardian.

But then, Jack Frost will cease to exist. And we go a little more into Nightlight's story, which also shows protective Jack is of Nightlight. Because Nightlight was strong and courageous boy but he had become awfully lonely and tired after eons of existence. Jackson Overland was his sanctuary - his safety blanket against the harsh world, something that goes beyond brotherhood and camaraderie - literally the Other Half.

And Jack will have to choose between returning as a Guardian and fulfilling his duty or staying in Berk to live as he pleases.

[deer-motif]

I’ve seen a handful of alternate universes where Hiccup gets taken that night with Valka, but what if Hiccup gets taken instead of Valka? like I have a lot of ideas and I need to get them out of my brain

1) For the first movie, instead concepts of feeling like an outcast to your own people and parental issues, it’s going to focus a lot more on the affects of grief/how to move on without pushing it down and marital issues (stoick and valka love each other dearly but you can’t tell me they wouldn’t have issues; dw they work through them because of the first thing).

2) Hiccup, instead of being taken by Cloudjumper, gets taken by a night fury. This sets up Valka’s motive for shooting down a night fury, as she narratively takes Hiccup’s place. Overall she still believes in the idea of peace with dragons (or at least claims such), but she’s dead set on taking down the local night fury because she believes it’s the same one that took her son. When she realizes that it’s Toothless, a very obviously juvenile dragon, she just. can’t take it any more. all that anger she held just fizzles out. “I did this. You aren’t the dragon that took my son.”

3) Everyone else in the original dragon riders group has now gained a crazy dragon lady aunt ! Astrid + Valka’s bond means a lot to me, especially because in that one comic there’s a flashback where Stoick mentions that they’ve always wanted a daughter. iirc we don’t really see Astrid’s parents much? if at all? arguably you could say this about the rest of them but Astrid is obviously a more prominent character in the first movie so I think Astrid forming a strong bond with another female warrior, especially an adult figure to look up to and rely on, would be nice (I know there’s technically Heather later down the line but she’s not really a permanent fixture in Astrid’s life in regards to canon).

4) HICCUP IN DRAGON ARMOR LIKE VALKA’S. OHHHH THAT WOULD BE SO COOL. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE LEVELS OF COOLNESS THAT WOULD BE

5) also since Hiccup wasn’t in Berk this means we get Astrid as a chieftess by the end of HTTYD 2. also there’s a budding romance between Hiccup and Astrid by the end of the second movie but nothing comes of it (yet) because THW isn’t real and I haven’t thought up my own third movie yet

6) HICCUP’S CHARACTER DESIGN IS. LIVING IN MY HEAD. sorry I just think it would be. really cool ! also he would behave so much like a dragon because he was literally raised by dragons. he learns to speak common tongue from observing other humans/mostly traders and eventually his allies (such as the Wingmaidens) but he doesn’t really spend much time with humans overall so he’s much more accustomed to communicating with dragons so he himself is very dragon-like.

7) Unfortunately the night fury that takes Hiccup is not seen again after going out one night :( This is where Cloudjumper comes in and takes care of Hiccup as his own, like the night fury once did. Hiccup was young when the night fury disappeared, so he doesn’t remember much of her, but is amazed when he first meets Toothless. the two get along like a house on fire :D

8) also Valka and Toothless’s relationship >>> she realizes that she’s lost her way and she is perpetuating the cycle of violence and hatred onto a new generation and is refusing to continue it. Toothless is pretty much the same as he is in the original movie, but I guess you could say his actions are seen much more through a childlike lens? since Valka is significantly older than him. I personally believe that Toothless never grew up with his parents because while he obviously has amazing prowess as a dragon, there seems to be abilities that he never had access to previously that I feel he would have if he had grown up with another night fury in his life. so he kind of imprints a little on Valka’s motherly nature. but these two are literally besties :( inseparable family. eventually Stoick joins in too and they’re just. it’s like that one meme: “ah yes: me, my wife, and her two ton dragon.” I love them.

9) also you know that little intro Hiccup makes for Stoick at the beginning of HTTYD 1? it’s altered a little bit because this is through Valka’s narration. not badly, but a little funnier. like so: “They say that when he was a baby he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. Do I believe it? Absolutely not.”

10) I’m just saying shit and not really getting out any of the main points but i just. have a lot of Thoughts ! ask me about them!!

[reviewinghiccup]

BECOMING CHIEF || HTTYD MOVIES | BREAKING DOWN HICCUP (DEEP TALK)

Blog Post Title : Breaking Down Hiccup (Deep Talk)

Blog Post Series No.: #1

Title : How to Train Your Dragon 2

Disclaimer: This isn't a full review on HTTYD 2 the movie.

Once again, Hiccup floating in the air, gliding through the skies on Toothless, seamlessly flying on invisible currents is cathartic. I just wish I could breathe air that clear and fresh. I wonder if some time away from everything will make it easier to make tough decisions.

So far, I don't think I address the question on whether Hiccup wants to be chief. My reviews on Riders of Berk refer to the village's changing perspective of Hiccup and them taking to him as leader. I don't think I've discussed whether Hiccup wants the job. Besides, that question isn't material at the time and space ROB was just yet. Hiccup was still, a kid.

In HTTYD 2, we know he doesn't want to be chief because he still feels lost. Incomplete. His thirst for adventure continues and he will harken to anything calling his name (apart from his dad). But Astrid's advice rings true. He has had so many missions, adventures, discoveries in ROB, DOB and RTTE but they did not quench or answer the inner call to "Who am I?"

Even for us, sometimes wanderlust is just a distractions to the grand scheme of responsibilities we are suppose to take on to answer the question we keep asking.

Believing that being chief isn't innately him, is the very doubt that causes him to discount how much of a born leader he is.

"I was so afraid of becoming my dad, mostly because I never thought I could. How, how do you be someone that great, that brave, that selfless? I guess, you can only try," Hiccup says at his father's funeral.

Self-doubt is the thief of destiny. As such, even after his father's passing, Hiccup struggled to step into the role, to feel worthy of it, until Valka said that his father always knew he was going to be great.

"He always said you would become the strongest of them all and he was right. You have the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon only you can bring our worlds together. That is who you are, son."

A CHIEF PROTECTS HIS OWN

You see. This may sound like news to Hiccup, but for those who have been following his story, he has always been brave and selfless. He protected Berk and his riders, diving to their rescue even at the expense of precious treasures.

Even to the extent of protecting day-to-day relationships. Like what he did for Snotlout at Thawfest, the encouragement he brings to Fishlegs, the validation he gives the Twins. Training dragons to live w Berkians. Defending Berkians. Saving anyone that needs saving. Helping anyone that needs help. Without question or quandary.

He thought that the answer to Who am I was out there, but it was in him all along. And when you are this blind to all your attributes, the only way to answer the all-asking question is by stepping out of your comfort zone.

He has always protected his own. It started w his undying loyalty to Toothless, protecting him from day one.

I hate that Stoick's death had to happen, but it was that drastic nudge forcing Hiccup into the shoes he was always meant to fill.

Parts of me feel like I understand Hiccup, 15-year-old Hiccup and 20-year-old Hiccup because I AM HICCUP. Sure, I don't have a village to run and no legacy to fulfil, but boy am I afraid to do something because I don't think I can.

This show just speaks to me because I hear that same internal struggle tugging at my heart. Where do I fit in this world of very definable squares?

But maybe that's the answer I need to hear. That to find it, I have to go towards it. And to believe, that "this destiny" was mine all along.

[rosiethedragongeek]

~~HTTYD Character Sexuality Headcanons~~

I've seen a few people headcanon the gang's sexualities already, and I wanted to give it a shot. A few of these are definitely influenced by/pulled from other people's headcanon lists. This list is obviously not meant to upset anybody, and if you disagree, I'd love to hear them. At the end of the day, this is all speculation and nothing is canon. I really hope people interact with this bc it took a long time

Hiccup

I have seen Hiccup headcanoned as bi and pan before, but I personally think he's straight. I haven't noticed any sort of romantic/sexual chemistry between him and any other male characters, and it hasn't seemed like any of the writers or animators was leaning in that direction when they did any of the scenes. I have, however seen him headcanoned as trans (ftm), which I definetly like for him. I think that it would at the very least fit into his narrative and character arcs well, and I just really. like it.

2. Astrid

Bi. Definitely bi. She obviously canonically falls for Hiccup, and you could make a pretty good argument for her flirting with Heather/having some feelings for Heather in "Have Dragon Will Travel" P1 and 2 at least. Seeing as outside of Hiccup we don't see her explicitly catch feelings for anyone, whether she has a preference towards men or women is really up in the air, but I see her landing somewhere in the middle.

3. Snotlout

Most people think of Snotlout as bi, and I think that that is a perfectly valid headcanon for him. I think that it fits well, and do like it. I would, however, argue that he very well might be gay. I can go into further detail on that later, but to break it down, the women he flirts with he obviously has very little (Astrid) to no chance (Valka) of getting together with. He clearly idolizes many male characters and puts them up on a pedastal. (Thor, Dagur, etc.) A lot of the flirting with women could very well be chalked up to internalized homophobia. It could really go either way though.

4. Fishlegs

Bi or pan. We see several romances touched on between Fishlegs and different female characters, and, obviously, nothing is explicitly done between Fishlegs and a man. I will, however, defend to my DYING day that Fishlegs and Snotlout have SOMETHING. You can really see it in Return of Thor Bonecrusher. I think that's when I was completely sold. In conclusion, I hc Fishlegs as either bi or pan, with a preference leaning towards women.

5. Ruffnut

I see Ruffnut as bisexual. Once again, we only really see Ruff 'flirt' with male characters, but if you pay attention to her language around the Wing Maidens in all of the Wing Maiden episodes and the way she goes up to/talks to Heather in "Have Dragon Will Travel" (part 1 or 2 idk which one), I'd say she's definitely into women to some extent. I would be inclined to headcanon her as a Lesbian, but seeing as she has her whole thing with Eret and she gets together with Fishlegs in the end, I guess that's not canon. (My heart still says Lesbian though) Heather isn't exactly on this list but my hc for her is basically the same. If they didn't shove her into very lazy het romances to give her character a romantic subplot, I would be inclined to say she was a lesbian)

6. Tuffnut

Aromantic asexual DEFINETLY. This one is very special to me I just love it so much. It just works so well in my head. I don't necessarily have any reasons, and in canon he even says that he wants to settle down with 'a beautiful viking girl and have a family someday' or smth like that. He also tells Snotlout to 'hold onto something else' because he doesn't want the Wing Maidens to think he's taken' when Snotlout is holding onto his hips to steady himself after he saves him on Hookfang. Despite these details it just feels RIGHT and I love it.

TLDR:

HTTYD Sexuality Headcanons-

Hiccup - Straight trans man

Astrid - Bi (equal preference)

Snotlout - Gay (I know, I know)

Fishlegs - Bi (Preference towards women)

Ruffnut - Lesbian

Heather - Lesbian

Tuffnut - Aromantic Asexual

I know that all of these don't line up with canon but this is just how it is in my head <3<3<3

[heliianth]

hi Helii i dunno if you already made a post about this, but I'm curious if u thought of a different plot and ending for httyd 3 cause recently i've been thinking about that a lot and i like to hear people's opinions about the movie!

hi nonnie !! ive made 2 posts abt my opinion of httyd3 (ein) (zwei) but since then ive read things like directors commentaries and excerpts from the art book so theyre not Very complete (but still representative—i just give some of the people who worked on it too much leeway LMAO)

honestly i havent thought of a different plot or ending that much, mainly because there are a Lot of things that bug me about the movie and changing all of them would kinda make the fixed version™ almost unrecognizable, but i can give u some quickfire easy decisions i think wouldve made the movie better

replace the Light Fury with a pack of Night Furies that escaped to THW. i dont understand the fascination with making Toothless the last NF because the "propogation of the species" genetically cant happen if he is, despite what Dreamworks REALLY wants u to believe by having Nightlights be a thing 1300 years later. every single NL u see after the 3rd movie is horrifically inbred !!

scrap New Berk. the "Old Berk" location was so important to its people that they defended it from dragons for 400 years, they wouldn't just pick up and move. also, the overcrowding problem is a non-issue because there's so much room on that island to expand onto and Hiccup is not that much of a dumbass*

show Toothless struggling with leaving Hiccup to chase the LF (or NFs)—maybe he tries to drag him along and theres something that forces them to separate for Hiccup's safety

in that vein ^ there are like 3 total scenes where Hiccup and Toothless are together and that really cheapens the emotional followthrough so... have them be friends again. the 2nd movie, the first time we see them goofing off and chatting alone with each other, showing the audience how strong their bond is and what their dynamic is like. i dont remember if the 3rd movie has Anything like that

speaking of which LOSE THE "dragons are wild animals" POINT. this is a major inspiration for the movie so its one of the things that would change the Whole Story but Dean needs to make up his fucking mind over whether the dragons are gentle, intelligent, sapient creatures who know how to perfectly understand human speech and body language or wild, dangerous animals who need to be "free" from humans (the former is how dragons have been treated by every piece of httyd media until the third movie and the latter contradicts everything, is less interesting, and destroys the previous themes entirely so guess which i prefer)

adding on, stop treating Hiccup like garbage. he didn't find Toothless when he was a baby dragon and nursed him back to health before keeping him and thats all Toothless has ever known. Toothless had spent 15 years prior to befriending Hiccup being a dangerous. wild dragon and blowing up Berk. He's been "free" almost twice as long as he's been friends with Hiccup. LAY OFF, his concerns about Toothless are valid.

i've talked about this before but Hiccup is a terrible chief in this movie and the role shouldve gone to someone better qualified, like Astrid. unlike what some of the directors would have u believe, it IS mature to recognize ur bad at something and hand it off to someone who is more competent (especially if its a job like leadership) bc usually sticking to it gets u Fired. *he makes dumbass decisions so the villain can look smart and this is literally the only reason why he makes them i promise u

same point: Toothless is also a bad alpha in this movie. the premise of a single dragon ruling over all other dragons in the world is Really Bad in of itself, but we don't see Toothless do anything like what Valka's Bewilderbeast did in httyd2—sure he's smaller, but give us a few scenes of him being kind and patient with his people. don't have him order everyone into cages because his girlfriend might get hurt

REDEEM THE DEATHGRIPPERS none of them did anything wrong

treat the side characters with some modicum of respect. this movie does absolutely jackshit with Valka other than make Snotlout have a creepy crush on her and everyone has caught brainworms to make Hiccup and Astrid look competent in comparison.

do not. focus on Hiccup and Astrid's relationship as much as u did. u already failed to deliver a "call to the wild" story in Toothless and the LF, the audience does not need more ammo to get "romance is more important than friendship" out of your movie. having Astrid's role completely reduced to "supportive girlfriend" and "Hiccup's True support", along with how Valka was treated (god that goodbye scene with her and Cloudjumper makes me so sad and angry and NOT for the reasons the writers want) and the LF's design being Like That on PURPOSE (also every single model being airbrushed for Prettyness reasons) kind of shows what Some People making the movie think of women

even discounting ALL of these ^ gripes, of which i have More, trust me (i didnt even get into my problems with Grimmel because honestly i do not remember enough of that twat to properly articulate my issues w him), i would be happy if the end went 1 of 2 ways:

Berk moves inside or near THW in order to keep being the defenders of the dragons, and the LF growing closer to Hiccup is representative of the hidden world dragons growing closer to Berk, illustrating that yes, coexistence is possible and good and benefits them both

the dragons gradually leave on a case-by-case basis, but Toothless never leaves Hiccup, and Hiccup grows old always waiting for him to visit. Hiccup writes a memoir of his experiences with dragons to hopefully educate the younger generation when they decide to come back. this mirrors the books' ending far better and gives the dragons the agency they deserve

i do not think there is a world where every dragon on earth leaves to THW and is simultaneously a good ending which portrays the right themes. Dean's fascination with "there were dragons when i was a boy" kneecapped the entire plot. you do not write stories starting from how you want them to end, especially if they're stories based off a beloved franchise with already established dynamics and themes. the Reason why so many plot elements are so contrived, why so much character development is lost, why httyd's theme of tolerance, cooperation, and the power of love is hamstrung, is because they Really Wanted an end where there are no dragons and they were Completely willing to do anything to get there (also Dreamworks is shit to its artists but whats new)

anyway. NONNIE. if u ever end up thinking More about an alternative version of httyd3 tell me!!!! i'd love to hear YOUR ideas and if u cannot tell talking abt this is so fun and engaging for me so i will listen !!!!! i love u for talking to me have a good day <3 <3 <3 <3

[heatherthetiredwriter]

Five favorite things about httyd :D

Hii again Susan! <3

1. Top reason has to be dragons and flying said dragons. Like how could you resist that appeal?

2. Hiccup the adorable sweet scrawny little boy. Like he fits my best boy qualifications splendidly. Awkward? Yes. Small? Yes. Bad at making friends? Yes (at least at first) Probably touch starved? Yes. (At least at first) Messy hair? Yes. Very smart? Yes. Makes things with hands/invents things? Yes. Like I saw him in the first movie and I was like "come here child let me love you" and then he grew up and I was like "come here and love me pls"

3. Okay so to be honest I went about httyd in the wrong order. My parents were strict about what we could watch, so even though I definitely would have loved the movie when it came out, I wasn't allowed to watch it. Not until I was a little older and staying somewhere that had a TV. And lo and behold what was playing but httyd 2. And it just... I was completely enamored. Here I was watching on this tiny, sorry excuse for a box tv in a room full of my babysitter's sitting on a very uncomfy chair, and it took me less than two seconds to get sucked in. Which was a good thing cos I started watching right before Stoick found Valka. I fell in love with the animation. How beautiful the dragons were. I fell in love with the story. With the characters. The music. The joy that filled my heart when Stoick and Valka reconnected during Dancing and the Dreaming was just... And I didn't know them. I had no reason to care about them finding each other again. But it sold me. Then, a few moments later, Stoick died. Literally i had known about him for maybe five minutes and I cried when he died. There was just a magic about the whole movie. And even though I didn't see the movie in ideal conditions, I still felt that magic. It was just... Idk if any of this makes sense. I hope it does lol

4. THE MUSIC I SWEAR MY GOODNESS THE MUSIC IS SO FANTASTIC JOHN POWELL LITERALLY OUTDID HIMSELF THE MASTERPIECE HE CREATED SO BEAUTIFUL I LOVE IT

5. I also just really liked the whole thing. Httyd came to me in a dark point in my life. I had just moved (on December 23 no less) across the state and left the only friends I had ever had in my life (and it's not like i had lived there long. I move a lot, so that had just been my first opportunity to make friends not in my family) and I was angry. I didn't have any friends. I had no way of contacting my old friends. I felt cut off from the world. And the kids in my new school seemed to me waay above me and talked about things I didn't understand and they never took the time to explain. If I'm being honest, I did think about ending it. I never actually attempted or planned it out. But I did think about it a lot. But httyd came like a warm hug. I related to Hiccup and his struggles. How he wanted to feel useful and like he belonged. I fell in love with each and every character. And the show only helped solidify that. For a while the characters were my only friends. I would pretend I was on adventures with them in my room. And then that turned into roleplaying httyd when I discovered a big httyd community on a site I used for school. Which helped me make online friends. And that turned into httyd fanfic because I had idea. And that turned into me posting them which funnily enough helped me make a few irl friends. And even still, I've just made a friend recently because they saw my Toothless plush. So like... I guess the biggest reason I love Httyd is because it's just always been there for me and helping me. Which sounds silly because it's not a person. But idk to me it almost feels like it is. And that I owe a lot to it.

BONUS REASON:

Heather. Need I say more?

[rebirthfan09]

HTTYD Reacts To [Deathbringer] Part 3

Eaaltyrt: I've said to much!

* * *

I take everyone through a door where food awaits, and new guest, in the room Hiccup from HTTYD 2 is standing next to Toothless, Toothless spots Deathbringer from WOF and begins to get jumpy. The Vikings begin to shiver with fear.

Eaaltyrt: Younger Hiccup this is your future self, he's 19.

*

Older Hiccup-H

Younger Hiccup-Hiccup

*

H: Hi, younger me?

Hiccup: Is that Toothless!

H: Yup, the one and only.

H voice didn't sound very happy, he sounded sad, upset, and worried. Stoick comes over and looks at H.

Stoick: Son?

H: The one and only.

Stoick hugs H.

H: Da-dad can-can't breathe!

Hiccup gets jealous, then I come over.

Eaaltyrt: So, are we going to eat or?

Everyone mouths begin to drool as the stared at the food on the table, they all run towards the table and begin to dig in. Tuffnut then comes up to me.

Tuffnut: Hey E. What is this!

Eaaltyrt: That my dear friend is-

???: Clouds of Corn.

I turn my head to a figure in the shadows, I forgot I brought her.

???: Shouldn't you know this Tuff! You are the one who named it, I mean seriously! I mean come on!

The girl comes out reveling Zephyr Haddock.

Eaaltyrt: I forgot I brought you.

Zephyr: I would never miss out on watching the future!

* * *

Eaaltyrt: Everyone ready?

Snotlout: Can I please sit next to Astrid? She misses me, right babe?

I then nod and Zephyr, she stand up, she is sitting next to Glory and Deathbringer, she walks over and punches Snotlout in the face, he collapses.

Astrid: I like this girl.

I play the movie.

[Scene fades away to daytime, the camera zooms across the water only to show Berk, dragons are flying by, then suddenly a pitch-black dragon zooms by. The rider on its back is wearing devil like armor, a white dragon then flies past them, it’s beautiful slick body glimmers in the light, the stranger on the dragon pulls up their helmet, reveling a Hiccup, Hiccup nods at Toothless and they hover over past a statue of Stoick, then DeadlyNadder zooms past Hiccup, the blue Nadder is wearing armor as well, but its blue and the rider is a woman]

Hiccup: Good afternoon, Milady!

Astrid: [pulls Stormfly back to be even with Hiccup & Toothless] I was going to ask, where have you been these past three hours?

Hiccup: Oh, you know me, trying to get away from the kids.

[The two laughs]

???: What was that!?

[Hiccup and Astrid look above them only to see a girl on a Nightlight, she has her arms crossed and doesn’t look very pleased]

Astrid: Nothing sweetie, you know your father, always trying to make those jokes.

Zephyr: Yeah, ah hm.

[Hiccup pulls his helmet back down]

Snotlout: Wait, your telling me, ASTRID. CHOSE. USELESS OVER ME?!

Zephyr: Who do you think that is!? Huh, I’m right here you know!

Hiccup: You don’t seem at all fazed by this?

H: I have my reasons.

Glory: Yeah, yeah, I’ve already figured it all out already.

Eaaltyrt: Oh, you have, have you?

Deathbringer: Yup, we both have. We think Deathbringer is Hiccup’s twin brother.

Stoick and Valka turn towards Deathbringer, everyone does even me.

Eaaltyrt: . . .

Hiccup: Well?

Eaaltyrt: . . .🤣🤣🤣🤣 You-think-that he-that! 🤣🤣😆😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Tuffnut: I’m guessing that’s a ‘no’.

[Scene rolls into the Haddock’s house, Hiccup is sitting at his desk, looking down at the Book of Dragons]

Astrid: What are yeah doing?

Hiccup: Oh, just updating the book of dragons again. It seems we find more and more about those Nightlight’s every day.

[Astrid puts her hands on Hiccup’s shoulder then kisses him on the cheek]

Hiccup: Astrid.

Astrid: Yes?

Hiccup: You wouldn’t mind gathering the gang up one last time for a trip to Defenders of the Wing, would you? [looks up at Astrid]

[A smirk grows on Astrid’s face]

[Scene cuts to Decay Island, the group are in the room where they all sleep]

De-vil: No! I will never kiss Scar.

Deathbringer: It’s a dare, not a curse De-vil.

De-vil: I refuse, Deathbringer, why don’t you just kiss Glory.

Deathbringer: I would, but my helmets still on.

Kinkajou: Then take it off! Your hot without a helmet on.

Deathbringer: You know what, I think I’m going to turn in for the day.

[Deathbringer stands up and goes over to his bed]

Fishlegs: What is he hiding under that armor?

Deathbringer: What if he doesn’t have an arm?

Glory: That’s stupid then how could he use his missing arm? And how come there’s an arm still there, huh, have you thought of that Deathbringer?

Valka: I am curious where he came from, but I doubt he is missing an arm.

Deathbringer: You may not believe me now but trust me, in the future you’ll see.

[Image shows that night, Decay is filled with life, DeathGrippers everywhere, leaders leading there groups, then image shows Deathbringer on a cliff with Murder by his side]

Deathbringer: [to Murder] So, what do you say bud, just keep going.

[Then Glory and her DeathGripper are hovering over Deathbringer and Murder]

Glory: Oh, so this is where you come to get from the group.

Deathbringer: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

[Glory lands with her DeathGripper, Murder stands up and begins to go play with the other DeathGripper]

Glory: So, what are you up to? Complaining about how horrible your life is?

Deathbringer: Maybe.

Glory: Well, it’s not so bad.

Deathbringer: Glory do you think-

[Then suddenly Deathbringer freezes, he spots ships coming towards the island through the fog. Deathbringer turns towards Glory, they both jump out of the trance and jump onto their dragons and zoom over the wall, they zoom towards where Grammle is discussion about another mission]

Deathbringer: Grammle! Ships on the horizon!

[Grammle looks up, Glory and Deathbringer give that look]

Grammle: [raises her hands and begins to speak to the group] All of you, get as many get the other groups out here, Deathbringer I need you to go get help from Defenders of the Wing with your group.

Deathbringer: But-

Grammle: That’s an order.

[Glory looks at Deathbringer, Deathbringer nods and they go zooming towards where their group are training]

Deathbringer: Get on your dragons we’re going to Defenders of the Wing.

De-vil: Wait what…

Deathbringer: Just get on your dragons and follow me and Glory!

[The group get on their dragons and zoom off towards Defenders of the Wing]

Stoick: So, this is how the group meets my son.

Eaaltyrt: Yup.

[The scene changes to the Hiccup and the gang flying towards Defenders of the Wing at night]

Snotlout: Why did we have to go at night.

Hiccup: Because Snotlout, Mala said it was-Never mind just stop complaining.

[Astrid tilts her head down and laughs]

Fishlegs: Hey Hiccup, do you think Mala and Dagur have an heir yet?

Hiccup: I expect them two, I mean Dagur would be what, 36?

Astrid: Exactly.

[Then Hiccup spots Defenders of the Wing ahead, but instead he sees five dragons perched on the Eruptodon statue. He spots Mala down below talking to a someone in armor, the group lands and Hiccup sees someone sitting on a bench]

Hiccup: Mala?

[Mala looks from behind the stranger]

Mala: Hiccup, I have some people I would like you to meet. [Mala gestors to Deathbringer] This is Deathbringer.

Hiccup: That’s and odd name.

Deathbringer: It’s not the worst trust me.

[De-vil comes over]

De-vil: Yeah, take my name for example, it’s spelled Devil. But it’s pronounced De-vil.

[Deathbringer looks down at her, then looks back up]

Deathbringer: And there goes five second of my life I will never get back. Oh wait, I don’t have a life.

Mala: Hiccup, these are allies of ours, their island was attacked and now they leader seeks are help.

[Glory walks over and pulls off her helmet]

Glory: Deathbringer pulling out your sarcastic voice I see.

Deathbringer: It’s not that sarcastic.

[Scar then comes out of know where lands on the ground on in back]

Scar: Seriously?

[Kinkajou comes walks up by Glory]

Kinkajou: You in denial Deathbringer. Were all behind you.

[Then Astrid giggles]

Eaaltyrt: Oh, I love Gang2Point0.

H: I’m really confused right now.

Hiccup: Agreed.

[Toothless sniffs the air and walks up to Deathbringer, and begins to nuzzle him]

Deathbringer: Can you get your cat away from me please.

Hiccup: His name is Toothless, and he’s a Nightfury not a cat.

Glory: He’s so cute.

[Then De-vil, Scar, Glory, and Kinkajou all begin to play with Toothless]

De-vil: I don’t know, he acts a lot like a cat to me.

Scar: [scratching under Toothless’s chin] He’s so lovable!

Kinkajou: [laying on Toothless’s back] I love this dragon.

Deathbringer: Enough! We don’t have the time to play around, I raised you guy’s better then this. Ugh! I need some time to think.

[Deathbringer whistles and Murder comes by and picks him up]

De-vil: Something off about him.

Scar: I agree, he isn’t the same.

Glory: Yeah, I know. [sighs]

Glory: Woah, raised?

Eaaltyrt: Yeah, he took care of all of them as kids, he pretty much raised them. Besides Glory of course. Cuz, you know she’s the same age.

Deathbringer: I still think he doesn’t have an arm.

Literally Everyone: Shut up Deathbringer!

[tenebrius-excellium]

Douxie for the character ask meme, please? (If he's already been done, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Hiccup!)

Why not both? Let's do it!!!

Douxie

What I love about him: How this boy is so confident, charming, smug, stylish, reckless, cool, adventurous on one hand and yet so profoundly humble, deeply caring, super kind, considerate, weak, and hurting on the other hand. You don't see those two go together often and it's attractive. So often people are using the first persona as a facade to mask the vulnerability of the second. But with Douxie you know that he's openly both. He's honest to the core and, as so many have said about him before, wears his heart on his sleeve. He's real. I love his careless, free-spirited, figure-it-out-as-we-go attitude towards life, the quick wit he uses to come up with spontaneous ideas and solutions, and it's absolutely mesmerizing to see him have fun. I would trust him with my life, and I want to meet an irl version of him one day!

What I hate about him: His eagerness to please Merlin becomes annoying fairly quickly upon the occasional Wizards rewatch, but it's bearable knowing you're obviously only supposed to go through the same issue once in life. And because you know he gets better. Other than that, I...um...I have to confess that I don't really like moppet. I would have liked to see him have at least one (1) good idea to show us that the wits of the older and smarter Douxie were already slumbering in his younger version. Or, alternatively, something to show us that his tiny, moppety problems were ALSO valid. But all we got was the dead stupid apprentice. There, I said it. Jail for Mother for One Thousand Years from all moppet lovers XD

Favorite Moment/Quote: You're making me pick? Impossible. I'll narrow it down! Um... the unexpected guitar is a classic favorite, then the "Eternal Time Trap/I am Hisirdoux Casperan!" speech and "That was kind of the plan." Yup. That's about it :)

What I would like to see more focus on: moppet, I guess, as stated above, Ash Dispersal Pattern and his relationship with Zoe and Arch. You could basically have given me a 5-hour documentary about his ordinary life and I'd have watched it.

What I would like to see less focus on: Nothing. We all wanted more, not less, and rightfully so! :)

Favorite pairing with: ...................me, please? Haha <3 oh, to cuddle with a bf in a hoodie as comfy as that...nahh, not really. I'm in love with his personality but I'm not sure I'd like the goth aesthetic every day of the week. Also, he's just a teeny-tiny bit too skinny and pale for my taste...and he prefers Zoe anyway. So that's that. To be honest, I can imagine him just staying single as well. He's got too much great big brother energy!

Favorite friendship: Claire and Steve. To watch both friendships grow and improve in their own unique ways is super satisfying to watch. I'm still 100% convinced that Douxie had no choice but to look at Steve one day and go "welp. I'm stuck with this idiot, so I might as well be his friend." Steve values it deeply, though.

NOTP: With anyone else but Zoe.

Favorite headcanon: That famous Ash Dispersal Pattern concert in New York City I just won't shut up about. Somewhere, in some universe, it happened and he had lots of fun and carried the smile of a child in his happy place :)

Thanks for asking, anon! Doing Hiccup under the Read More because this is getting a bit long :)

Lots of love <3

Reddie

Hiccup

What I love about him: Oof. He wears his heart on his sleeve as well, but introverted haha. He's quietly observant, incredibly smart, daring and brave. He's honest to himself too, playing only to his strengths and not even remotely trying to be someone else than he already is. He's very handsome, beautiful and a deep thinker.

What I hate about him: Hey, remember the other ask meme? The one where it said "if you could, which character would you whack over the head"? Yeah that's HICCUP. HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID. HOW CAN YOU WHO WERE PRAISED FOR YOUR SOPHISTICATION DENY EVERY SINGLE BIT OF LOGICAL THINKING UTTERED BY YOUR FATHER AND WALK INTO THAT STUPID TRAP SET BY DRAGO. AND HOW CAN YOU NOT REALIZE THAT IN HTTYD 3, YOU NEEDED AN ACTUAL PLAN BOY; BECAUSE YOU'RE CHIEF NOW AND YOU'RE DEFINITELY, UNDOUBTEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR LIKE 700 PEOPLE AND 2000 DRAGONS. No seriously, his development in the later movies drives me mad as heck. I projected a lot onto him when I was younger, and felt highly insulted when his character turned dumb. My greatest fear is that people will think that I'm that way. I'm all for spontaneity and taking chances, but NOT without thinking logically first.

Favorite Moment/Quote: Pheww...you're making it impossible to choose again. First one: That "Yes" after Astrid asks him whether he'd sacrifice it all for his pet dragon. Second: "Yesterday...when we flew together...it's like I got back something I didn't know I'd lost. And that's the part I'll choose to remember" (taken from a deleted Httyd 2 scene where Valka was still the villain). Third...the "Toothless made it easier" - "What are you going to do about it?" - "Probably something stupid" line from the last movie. Man, that scene was good.

What I would like to see more focus on: Frankly, the rest of his life. Because Httyd tells so much of his story, and well, life doesn't end as soon as you're married. I would have liked to see him be a great Chief. I wouldn't even want a Httyd 4 to be about his kids or something. Just him. I believe there's still more to him, you know.

What I would like to see less focus on: HIS OUTRIGHT STUPIDITY PLEASE AND THANK YOU

Favorite pairing with: Astrid.

Favorite friendship: Dagur. I just love how they were written to become brothers.

NOTP: Heather??? Whoever thought that was a good idea????

Favorite headcanon: Another happy flying scene where it's just him and Toothless in Httyd 3. And oh, yeah. The shield he brought to the cove in the first movie? It's still stuck between the two rocks. You bet.

[inkerii]

SOD Hidden World Playthrough - Prologue pt1

I should first make it clear that I have already played through the story once- so this wont be a 1st-time reaction so much as me rambling about it. I will, however, be making a new viking since I need to experience the story again. Meet my new little dude!

After some trial and error, finally decided on a design. Meet Junip- or Juunip, as he's called in-game. I like to think he's a child of dragon hunters only marginally affiliated with Drago or the Warlords (kind of like Viggo), who somehow met Hiccup and realized dragons were friends. He lives at the School now because his parents kicked him out for liking dragons :') But he has yet to regret his choice.

I remember the way this entire thing caught me off guard when I first replayed this game. What was going on? First time I played SoD, it was shortly after the game had launched. HTTYD2 hadnt even come out yet, and Hiccup still had his original 15yo model. There was no battle and I think there was a boat that would take me to the School!

So it feels like a real pang to see Hiccup all grown up, calling himself Chief of Berk, all comfortable in his new role. I remember when I logged in very briefly after httyd 2 and I think he had his 2nd movie model (and still no battle, just the ship). He has come so far ;-;

Also, I spy Grimmel's weird heligripper machine in the back!

This, though. I really can't complain about this new opening. Its fast-paced, fun, and lets you fly on Toothless just once, as a treat! You can aquire him later through a minimun of a 3-month premium membership but haha nope not for me.

Particularly love how it actually gives you a 1st person shot of what it feels like to fly on Toothless, complete with the whooshing and screeching NF diving sounds. I know the RTTE did it once, but I wish these kinds of POV shots were done more often. Even in a low resolution like this game (compared to the movies), its really exciting and surprisingly immersive!

Astrid is calling me, but you can bet I'm gonna enjoy flying around with Toothless a little bit longer. Love how Hiccup just gives you a ride :'D He did offer to let Eret fly with him in httyd2, so this isnt too out of character for him!

Also, I like how immediately after this, Hiccup just opens his flight suit and lets me control the night fury all by myself :'D Such trust. Very Hiccup. I get to blow up a Warlord ship tho, so that's awesome >:D

The absolute best part of this new opening is that it rewards you with a brand new adult dragon! There are four starting species: Sand Wraith, Flightmare, Seashocker and Rumblehorn. I remember when originally all you got was a dragon egg from one of the 4 common species of HTTYD1, and you had to grind for quite a while to age that dragon up enough for him to be flyable, so this made me spazz out first time I played it, heh. I love Sand Wraiths too (very spiky much spicy) so its a real treat to just have one right out of the gate.

Also, I love how Hiccup coaches us through doing the hand touch thing. I forgot how much I just love Hiccup and this universe.

Anyway, meet Ivaran! She's cautious but curious- and not black (though you can totally cheat and make a pure black one to be a discount Night Fury)- just dark brown. We'll see how it goes between her and Juunip.

Also, look at that toothy smile. Definitely not a Night Fury, but still adorable <3

One of my favorite things about School of Dragons is that it never, ever forgets Valka. She ended up feeling like such a plot mechanic since HTTYD3 never really expanded on her character and HTTYD2 only set her up, but here, she's a living, breathing character who has thoughts and feelings of her own- it really shows, especially in the Hidden World storyline I mentioned. I love how she's in charge of the Dragon Hatchery and teaching younglings how to care for their dragons. A perfect role for Valka once she settles down in Berk! Besides, she probably enjoys taking care of kids and dragonlings since she lost her chance with Hiccup.

It does feel like a punch in the gut to not have Stoick welcoming you, his model was a constant presence in my memories of playing this game as a kid. It feels kinda empty without him, even tho we have SO many new things these days. I miss him :(

I seem to have hit my picture limit for this post, so guess we'll have a prologue part 2! It'll just be my adventures in the Hatchery and fawning over how pretty everything looks these days :'D And then finally onwards to the story!

[wicked-ghoul]

Probably No One Else Will Care But That’s Fine This Is Mostly For Me:

Thoughts on my two Fav Franchises:

How To Train You Dragon:

HTTYD 1: The best of the three films! Very few complaints, just a damn solid movie!

Gift of the Night Fury: Cute short film. Watch it every Christmas! The best/most memorable part is definitely the ending with the tail fin ;.; I cried man, I cried.

Riders/Defenders of Berk: It’s fine. Nothing really noteworthy. Many episodes retcon the films characterization and world building for the sake of episode plots which is annoying but it’s otherwise a cute little show. I watch it when I want Dragons but not the EMOTION of Dragons.

Race to the Edge: I watched the first two seasons and Hated it so much I had to stop! I’ve heard it gets better as it goes but I was never invested in the shows enough to stick around and find out.

HTTYD 2: While it’s a step back from the first film in terms of writing, it’s still my personal favorite! Hiccup’s outfit, Toothless becoming Alpha to protect him, VALKA <3 Also it’s the darkest of the trilogy but never feels gratuitous about it which is nice.

The Comics: Never read them...

HTTYD 3: I was so determined to enjoy this film when it came out I ignored a lot of the criticism of the film, but looking back now and seeing what people have to say it’s definitely got a lot of problems in it’s execution and I totally understand why people were so put off by it. I still enjoy it though, but the criticisms are valid and reasonable.

Homecoming: Fuck this short. Aside from a couple funny/cute moments, it’s filled with awkward characterization and retconning Zephyr’s thoughts on Toothless to justify it’s existence.

Steven Universe:

Og Steven Universe: This is easily one of my favorite shows of all time! It’s got a focus problem and you can tell they were rushed to finish it but it works in spite of it’s flaws. It helped me through a really hard time and I will always be grateful to this show and the ending message in it’s finale Change Your Mind.

The Movie: The best thing in the franchise (writing wise at least). Like Dragons 1, I have very few complaints! Spinel is My Problem Child/Serotonin Machine and the musical numbers slap!

Future: Obviously well intended but very poorly executed. The episodes on their own were mostly well written but they all had different ideas of what Steven’s charactor arc actually was and so it never really Goes anywhere. The final episode tries to show the Gems and Steven have grown and are healing but it comes across like a reinforcement of all their problems and like they didn’t grow or learn at all and the “healing” feels phony. Has plenty of good things in it, but the whole’s not greater than the sum of it’s parts and the ending is disappointing.

Attack/Save/Unleash the Light: Never played them, they look fun though!

Dove Ads: Pretty hokey but that’s to be expected from PSA’s lol The ads are cute and I appreciate the messages they send.

Anti-Racism PSAs: Pretty much same as above. The Garnet one felt off for some reason but the ones with Pearl and Amethyst were great and have really important messages that, again, I’m glad they’re sending.

[limesandcoconuts]

Ranking RTTE Seasons

This list might offend some people 😬😬 here goes nothin

6) Season 1

Season 1 isn't bad - the first episode is actually one of my favourites - it's just it was more of a taster, a dip in the water shall we say. No huge plots or anything, everything's mostly being introduced. But still fun.

Fave episodes: Eye of the Beholder, Imperfect Harmony, Gone Gustav Gone, Have Dragon Will Travel Pt. 2

5) Season 3

Again, nothing wrong with Season 3 - hello?? Buffalord Soldier?? Flawless - but just purely out of the most memorable episodes and most enjoyable episodes, wasn't as much as some of the other seasons. But RTTE is perfect so Season 3 is still top notch TV 😩

Fave episodes: Buffalord Soldier, A Grim Retreat, Defenders of the Wing Pt. 1

4) Season 4

I feel like I'm committing a crime ranking this one so low because this season is so good but somehow the others are even better (idk how no one is talking about RTTE outside of the Httyd random). For me, there were a couple of great filler episodes but there was also great plot related episodes. I just think apart from the the Hiccstrid episodes and maybe one other, i don't think about this season much, I rewatch the other ones a lot more. That's not to say it isn't good because the episodes i do watch are *chef's kiss*. How can we forget this season is the long awaited birthplace of Hiccstrid??

Fave episodes: Gruff Around the Edges, Not Lout, The Longest Day, Out of the Frying Pan, Blindsided, Shell Shocked Pt. 1 & 2

3) Season 6

For me, a lot of my nostalgia for this show lies in the earlier seasons (1-3) so how it went was I lost touch with the Httyd fandom for a couple years (around 2018) and then came back in 2020 after RTTE Seasons 5/6 and Httyd 3 had been released so I kinda missed out on the hype for it which is really annoying because as season 6 is the finale, I feel like it would've been a great high for the fandom. And then Httyd 3 was the ultimate finale but that's a story for another day. Anyways, I enjoyed a lot of episodes in this season, filler and plot. I think the episodes were enjoyable and it was a very well done send off to the show, i mean the final battle/epilogue always makes me emotional for some reason. Plus, all the little Hiccstrid moments were so cute this season, i mean, the hair touches?? Too much. I also liked how they tied everything up to Httyd 2 quite perfectly, with Drago, Valka, the Bewilderbeast and other small details - it was well thought out.

Fave episodes: All Bark, No Bite, A Gruff Separation, Mi Amore Wing, Family Matters, Darkest Night, Guardians of Vanaheim, King of Dragons Pt. 1 & 2

2) Season 2

This was a real toughie because Season 2 is such a great one, I mean it's nostalgic and so enjoyable and funny and there's so many great moments that happen. The filler episodes are so entertaining and the plot based ones were really interesting, I find season 2 to be so easily rewatchable. I also liked the subplots in the season between certain characters and i think it had some of the best stories.

Fave episodes: Team Astrid, Night of the Hunters Pt. 1 & 2, Bad Moon Rising, Snotlout Gets the Axe, The Zippleback Experience, Snow Way Out, Edge of Disaster Pt. 1 & 2, Maces and Talons Pt. 2

And finally...

1) Season 5 - My Favourite Season

I feel like a lot of people are gonna disagree with me on this bc i don't really see a lot of people talking about the episodes in season 5 much but what the hell. Season 5 was definitely my favourite season. The lighthearted episodes were just so goddamn rewatchable and good, most of my favourite episodes in this season are actually fillers. But I don't know why, there's something about the vibe of season 5 that i just love, it feels...calm?? In a way?? I don't know. But this season just has so many of my favourite moments in the show, maybe in the franchise.

Fave episodes: Living on the Edge, Sandbusted, Something Rotten on Beserker Island, Snotlout's Angels, A Matter of Perspective, Dawn of Destruction, The Wings of War Pt. 1 & 2, No Dragon Left Behind, Snuffnut.

And there ya go! Just a quick reminder that this is completely my opinion and how I feel about the seasons, definitely not saying any of this is a straight up fact.

Bonus: My Overall Fave Episodes:

Night of the Hunters Pt. 1 & 2, Bad Moon Rising, Buffalord Soldier, The Longest Day, Blindsided, She'll Shocked Pt. 1 & 2, Sandbusted, Snotlout's Angels, Dawn of Destruction, Mi Amore Wing, Darkest Night and King of Dragons Pt. 1 & 2.

Lemme know what you guys think!

[howtodrawyourdragon]

Rewatched the DoB episode “Bing! Bam! Boom!” and it once again has me thinking about the wildly different rates at which dragons grow up.

Because Fishlegs mentions that Thunderdrums won’t find their “adult voices” until a couple of years later. That most likely means that it takes Thunderdrums years to grow up. This is a strong contrast to GotNF, where we see Meatlug, Stormfly, and Hookfang with hatchlings that are no longer there (or simply off screen) during the tv-shows that take place max. a few months after GotNF.

The hatchlings could just be off screen the entire time. Unlike RttE, we don’t see the Dragon Riders leave home for longer than a day. So it’s very possible that the three of them are simply caring for their offspring and we just don’t see it.

This can mean that Gronckles, Nadders, and Nightmares can grow up anywhere from a few months up to three years. Since RttE would make it very hard for them to continue to care for juvenile dragons. Unless they moved with the Dragon Riders, which is highly unlikely.

And then, in RttE, you have little Garff in season 3. He gets adopted by the Death Song dragon from the very first season and we don’t see him until the very first episode of season 5 and he’s a lot bigger than that little adorable newborn from season 3. So it’s safe to say that Death Songs grow up particularly fast, too.

Another example of a dragon species that grows up surprisingly fast is the Typhoomerang. We first meet Torch, a Typhoomerang hatchling in episode 4 of RoB. The second time we see him is in episode 9 of DoB. We never really see his mother, so it’s difficult to see if he’s actually fully grown in that episode, but he’s considerably bigger than he was early on in RoB. And when we see him again in DoB, it’s still quite early on in the second season, too.

And if you’re thinking “but those are just the tv-shows”, than let’s take a look at the movies.

My point still stands about Meatlug’s, Stormfly’s, and Hookfang’s hatchlings. Even if you don’t see the tv-shows as canon, the Snoggletog special probably still counts as canon. The hatchlings are there during the special, but they aren’t there in Httyd 2. Between the special and the second movie, five years has passed. This still means the hatchlings grow up within five years. Or at the very least, grow old enough to leave the nest.

This is a very stark contrast when compared to Toothless. Who is canonically still a growing dragon at fifteen years of age during Httyd 1. Httyd 2, a movie in which Hiccup is 20, Valka confirms for us that Toothless is Hiccup’s age. And Toothless’ design in the second movie is designed to look older than his Httyd 1 version.

You could conceivably try to figure out if Toothless has gotten bigger, too. Because even though you can’t compare Hiccup and Toothless, since Hiccup grows at least a foot in length between movies and we have no idea how tall Toothless is in either movies, you can possibly compare Httyd 1!Toothless with Httyd 2′s Hiccup because we know the height difference between Httyd 1 and Httyd 2 Hiccup. Toothless appears to be about Hiccup’s height in Httyd 2 (or slightly taller, need to rewatch the movie to be sure). So really, it’s just a matter of checking if Httyd 1 Toothless is shorter, about the same height as, or still taller than Httyd 2 Hiccup.

But I’m getting slightly off track here. My actual point is, just like Hiccup is a teenager, so, too, is Toothless. He finishes growing up along with Hiccup. This means that Night Furies need just as much time as humans in order to properly grow up.

Which really makes me wonder if this means that Night Fury hatchlings, like humans, are very much defenseless during the first few months or even years after their hatching.

Anyway, I just think it’s very interesting how the movies and the tv-shows handled the growing rates of different dragon species.