#httyd analysis

[arcassiuslux]

Gobber is the perfect madman:

“A downed dragon is a dead dragon.”

—Gobber, httyd 1

We see, in the fight with the Red Death, that the riders use multiple tactics Gobber taught them to fight her.

Like seeing her shot limit:

Or testing her blind spots and disorienting her with noise:

But I think we forget just how important Gobber was when teaching these kids. His lessons killed the Red Death.

And it all comes from that line at the start. The fight with Hiccup & Toothless and the Red Death is great, we all love it, and I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this, but he went for the wings.

Hiccup used Gobber’s lessons not only to test the Red Death, but to finish her off.

Gobber, the madman you are, hats off to you for reaching these dumbass kids.

[violet-moonstone]

I've been looking at a lot of reference pictures to help me while fic writing, and a detail about the Great Hall (In HTTYD 3) I noticed is that the chieftain's chair has two carved birds on the back.

I'm assuming this is a reference to Hugin and Munin, the ravens that rest on Odin's shoulders and provide him with information. I really like this detail because it seems like whoever designed the chair wanted to give the chieftain an air of wisdom -- not only would it make them visually resemble Odin (which makes them look powerful and wise to onlookers) but it also might be a reminder to the chieftain themself that they have the responsibility to make wise decisions for their community.

I might find a way to work this into the fic -- like every time Hiccup sits in the chair, he feels a combined sense of reassurance and weight responsibility because of the legacy associated with those who have sat in the chair or had the title of chieftain.

[saturnniidae]

Something that kind of frustrates me is how while there's always plenty of conversation about Hiccup's mistreatment by Berk and how things were before and in the beginning of the first movie, people don't seem to understand that obviously while it was partially out of his control due to his weak constitution/physical inability to do certain tasks, Hiccup never really wanted to be like everyone else.

He wanted to be accepted obviously – "I just want to be one of you guys," but we never see him actively wanting to make an effort to change himself to conform to Berk's standards. He wanted to be accepted among his peers as himself, he had his own way of doing things that he refused to change or compromise on, (this is literally shown and stated be a standard behavior; it's why Stoick was so exasperated with him, why their relationship deteriorated as his childhood progressed!!)

It is the very reason everyone hated him so much. When he started doing well in training he was still unhappy because while he was using tricks he learned from interactions with Toothless, he still wasn't doing things the way he wanted, he was finally making Stoick proud but it was only by succeeding in a way expected of a viking of Berk and by working towards a goal he no longer desired to achieve.

He never wanted to be like his peers, to be the ideal viking and perfect son, he just wanted to be himself and be accepted for it.

[unassumingheroic]

If we’re going to assess the generational background of the gang from HTTYD, think about it…

The Haddocks: Essentially the royalty of Berk, and has a long line of chieftains. Stoick exemplifies what it means to be a Haddock—strong, tough, courageous, and physically imposing. Traditionally, the Haddocks were groomed to embody these qualities and were raised to hate and kill dragons before Hiccup shifted this perspective

The Jorgensons: Known as one of Berk’s most reputable and respected clans, the Jorgensons have a stellar reputation, particularly for excelling in tribal games. Much like the Haddocks, they are recognized for their physical power and strength. Spitelout is the epitome of what it means to be a Jorgenson, setting the standard for the clan’s image.

The Hoffersons: Renowned as skilled strategists, the Hofferson name was once a mark of respect. However, it suffered a blow due to the infamous “Finn Hofferson” incident, which tarnished the family’s legacy.

The Ingermans: It’s revealed that the Ingermans have a darker history tied to dragon hunting, and as far as we know, this practice was still ongoing during the events of the franchise.

The Thorstons: Their lineage suggests they were voyagers and adventurers; probably not much for its heroism. This is supported by the fact that one of their family members is known to have traveled to the Dragons’ Edge long before the events of the series

This was until…

Hiccup and the gang came into picture and practically dismantled this whole belief system and changing it for the better by not following their ancestral patterns

Hiccup, as a Haddock, redefined the course of his lineage by uniting humans and dragons. Despite his smaller, less imposing figure compared to his ancestors, he still led his people toward a more peaceful and prosperous way of life.

Snotlout Jorgenson, raised to believe that strength was solely about domination and conquest, demonstrated that true strength also lies in serving his people and supporting his leaders. He also showed that masculinity isn’t measured by bruteness but by the compassion and loyalty he brings to those around him.

Astrid Hofferson, whose family name was once dragged down and disrespected, is now we can say is the most respected because of the hard work and determination that Astrid has done for her family. (We actually see this redemption story in an actual episode from Defenders of Berk)

Fishlegs Ingerman, once tied to a family legacy of dragon hunting, has completely broken away from that by embracing his love for dragons and redefined his family’s legacy, transforming the Ingermans into a dragon-loving clan.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorstons, while still as adventurous as ever, have proven to their family and the people of Berk that they are skilled dragon riders. Their courage and heroism have probably earned them a reputation, showcasing the strength and bravery that defines their family in a new light.

I love how the franchise didn’t just focus on the change from Hiccup’s perspective but also showed the impact it had on the gang and the family clans as well 🥹

[tenebrius-excellium]

Thinking about how Hiccup had zero problems with killing the Red Death in the first movie. Reminds me of how surprised I was that every movie and show afterwards chose to characterize him as this sort of 'naive pacifist' guy. Hiccup was NEVER that. At least first movie Hiccup wasn't, so I keep being surprised they went there.

Viggo said at the end of Rtte that Hiccup taught him to respect dragons as equals, I believe? But that means that there are hateful dragons. Revengeful dragons. Harmful dragons. Asshole dragons. Which means that not every dragon should live, if they are that kind of smart and capable of attacking humans again and again.

If they have a personality, they can be like orcas, who sink ships for fun. They can have destructive feuds with each other. They can be like cats knocking glasses off of counters and like roosters having it in for someone in particular. If dragons are equal to humans, then they cannot be trained to do humans' bidding because they are above that. They can only be genuinely befriended. A dragon will choose to lower its innate dragon-ness - the wild and dangerous ability to roast you with a single breath - and act docile for you if it likes you. Sort of like a crow? But a dragon is not a pet, at least that's not how I understood the Httyd dragons. Which means, that if it comes down to it - Hiccup versing a dragon that is standing between him and the humans he loves - a dragon who won't be talked down, who won't be persuaded to be peaceful, a dragon who greedily insists on its power in a situation that endangers Hiccup's loved ones - I think Hiccup totally would still choose to kill that dragon. Somehow, this confrontation was avoided throughout all the rest of Httyd.

Thinking about this specifically in the context of wasps being on my mind. This summer, I decided that I'm not going to be afraid of wasps anymore. And so when watching them as they steal my breakfast from me, I find that they, too, just want to eat because they just discovered a delicious feast. They don't want to sting me, they are only interested in having a bite of my delicious marmalade as well. Now, when trying to handle them, wasps are going to be wasps. So I've simply got to finish my breakfast as long as there is only 1 wasp buddy around. As soon as buddy goes flying off to tell his friends about the party he found, I leave and take my stuff with me. That is how I avoid getting myriades of wasps all over my food. That is how I avoid getting stung out of irritation. That is how no wasps get killed.

By respecting the nature of who wasps are. By assuming that wasps are going to be wasps. Now, I can still say that I shared my breakfast with an animal. Cycle of life. Isn't that wonderful.

But if a wasp starts invading my space too much, selfishly annoying me again and again despite getting its share of the cake, that wasp is going to get GONE. And I believe that dragons of intelligence should be treated with the same courtesy. Og Hiccup did that.

Og Hiccup is just the best. He's very perfect.

[draconiselegy]

thinking about how the dragons never speak and yet understand everything.

a meditation on silence, language, and loyalty in httyd.

—

what strikes me about How to Train Your Dragon—again and again—is the silence of the dragons.

not muteness, not absence. but willed quiet. a kind of knowing that refuses articulation.

toothless understands loss, grief, joy, betrayal—and he says none of it.

there’s something achingly old about that. like myth. like god before the word.

—

dragons in other media are orators, philosophers, wise with centuries and too many teeth.

in HTTYD, they are animals. but not just animals.

they are sacred, misunderstood, misnamed.

and yet they never need to explain themselves.

they look, they act, they remain.

—

there’s something profoundly Norse about that.

in the Eddas, knowledge is often kept secret. language is precious and dangerous.

Odin gives up an eye for a drink of wisdom,

and the cost of runes is blood.

HTTYD understands that silence can be intimacy.

a dragon doesn’t need to speak to be loyal.

a bond doesn’t need to be explained to be real.

—

sometimes i think about how language failed Berk for generations.

how all the speeches and warnings and war cries kept them from seeing what was right in front of them.

and how only a boy who didn’t speak over everything

could change that.

but this isn’t about him.

(for once.)

[totallynotobsessedwithfandoms]

I’m re-watching HTTYD right now and I am once again floored by the fact that this movie was made fifteen years ago and yet its animation is better than some stuff I’ve seen come out within the last few years?

[kingofthewilderwest]

Am I the only one who feels like HTTYD isn't as memeable as Shrek or KFP? I know we have "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you." and the famous dancing Toothless, but that one was really from a parody recap. Other than that, I really don't see a lot of memes from it.

I think that means HTTYD is successfully doing its job with the type of narration it intends.

There are comedic lines like "talking fishbone" and "thanks for nothing, you useless reptile" that fandom has parroted since the early days. There's Hiccup encouraging Toothless while the Light Fury looks aghast as a meme template. And fandom can find anything to josh with, be it Hiccup's hot froglegs in HTTYD 2, or Hiccup's love affair with scrap metal from RTTE, or throwing everyone in the dungeon who made a Stoick joke (I am DATING my time in the fandom here, y'all). There will always be moments we play with, as it were.

But HTTYD, while funny, is built on heart. Shrek and KFP have heart, too (especially KFP), but they're built around different vibes (especially Shrek). Shrek was an intentional, abrupt, genuinely shocking aberration from animated fairy tale movies. For people who weren't around when it happened, there's a REASON it was a HUGE, rocking sensation and has become part of permanent culture. Meanwhile, KFP is a comedy action. HTTYD, at its core, is the story of a boy and his dragon, and a boy and his dad. I wouldn't expect fan response or general societal response to respond to these different frameworks the same way.

When audiences think about the impact of HTTYD, they aren't thinking about the pleasurable absurdisms that lead to "You're tearing me APART, Lisa!" or "I don't like sand" (which actually, for the record, I think is an unironically good character scene, sue me).

You ever watch a movie where they try soooo hard to be meme-able? Or they're throwing in jokes at places they shouldn't? I'm not not not saying it happened here, but one of the things I think THW could've improved was by reducing the number of gags it tried to run - while competing for time to emotionally conclude a sweeping trilogy. Sometimes it's not the place for a movie to have the content that'd make it meme-able. HTTYD's always been funny, yeah, and that's part of the franchise's charm. But different types of funny bring different audience results, and you ain't gonna beat Shrek when it comes for appropriate humor vibes for memes.

I could be forgetting a ton in my sleep-deprived state. But I'd agree it's not as meme-able as Shrek, one of the most meme-worthy pieces of media to exist. It means both have their place in the ecosystem of movies, and it makes both of them fantastic for what they are.

[woohookangaroo24]

Dart's adopted light fury twins, Raising rambunctious teenagers is hard enough making sure their safe in the hidden world. Sprinkles is the rebel, flirty and troublesome one bothering her brother Feather He is similar like Echo, He is Calm , Goofy , staying out of trouble and Enjoy helping his mom Lotus-(Dart's mate) in the Nursery and Recovery Caves that's where Solstice's daughter Topaz is injury 🤕 and with two babies.

- We will come back to find out where the trio are at right now; I hope Patches find someone. I wonder 🤔!!

[zariahthechocolatecookie]

so I have come to an important revelation about httyd while working on fanfic (again) -

when hiccup is standing on the docks at the end of the first movie, watching all the ships leave, he's obviously devastated. he's lost toothless and stoick, his best friend and father, all in... an hour or two? those are good reasons to be devastated.

but I bet he's also upset because he knows what the red death can do - and he thinks his whole village is going to die fighting it. because ordinary vikings can't stand a chance against something like that. and everyone very nearly did die - if hiccup & the riders hadn't shown up, or had come just a few minutes later, stoick & everyone else would have been dead.

[allhailtheauri]

HTTYD : The Hidden World ( oh lawrdy )

I don't hate this movie . I don't like it either ? It's conflicting .

I have , multiple thoughts about what could have been done better but the soundtrack and animation looks absolutely stunning just as the previous movies have been . The interactions between the LF and Toothless are sweet , I just wish they had more screen time to develop as a pair .

But here are my main issues ! And this is open for discussion so feel free to comment cause I love talking about this franchise :D

Grimmel as a villain

Based on a comment I made in the previous post how Hiccup is the reunion of dragons and humans , HTTYD 1 was Hiccup facing dragons and HTTYD 2 was Hiccup facing a human warlord .

I think they tried to make Grimmel a villain that was a combination of "humans and dragons" , he was meant to show the worst of people and the worst of dragons . This especially when he's considered worse than Drago and the deathgrippers are worse than Drago's bewilderbeast cause they are not a "protector species" .

I didn't really like the message that the deathgrippers were simply more bad evil for eating other dragons and being functioning members of a food chain . It's the same vein of "Sharks are evil and dolphins are good" . The dragons are animals , and animals are not inherently good or bad , they simply survive . Same way the Deathsong isn't bad just for eating other dragons , but it was an antagonist cause it was hunting the main cast .

We HAVE seen worse . We've seen Viggo , we've seen how he uses dragons for his agenda ( both bad and then good later on in the series ) We've also seen that while the series criticises the hunters' actions , they do not blame the dragons for being used by the hunters and do not write the dragons are evil . Hiccup's crashout over Viggo was astronomical and the dread for viewers seeing Viggo always one step ahead was much better established than Grimmel's .

The main issue is that Grimmel as a villain fell flat compared to what we've seen before and just how badly Hiccup was affected by his previous enemies . Because Grimmel's story was limited by the duration of the movie , we didn't get enough time to simply marinate in dread at his actions or his genius .

Grimmel as Hiccup's parallel / bad ending

I also think Grimmel was meant to be "who Hiccup would be if he did choose to kill Toothless" but I felt that Drago actually paralleled Hiccup better .

Where Hiccup sought peace , Drago created violence . Hiccup lost a leg to fighting a dragon and seeing the worst of the dragons ( what Berk faces parallels Drago's backstory of villages being burned to the ground and families dying . )

"To see my village burnt , my family taken" ( the irony being that Hiccup knows exactly how that feels too cause this happened endlessly to Berk before the Red Death was killed )

The reason they turned out difference was Hiccup let his curiosity overtake his fear of death at the fire of a dragon , while Drago allowed his anger and hate for dragons to drive him to amass control over them .

There's more stuff I wanna yap about but atp I might as well make HTTYD my thesis so , here this for now :D

[arcassiuslux]

Did you know Hiccup saved hundreds of dragons from starvation?

Was just reminded of a topic I would love to touch on in my fic, which I’ve named ‘Let Me Show You (that I’m still here)’, thanks to another poster.

The dragons in httyd1 had to have been incredibly starved, by both Berk and the Red Death. In httyd1, it’s made clear that the Red Death has some form of control over the dragons in her nest, and if they’re away long enough, it goes away.

The dragons, while under her control, likely weren’t able to get food for themselves because she was so insatiable and constantly ordered for more and more food. Many, if not all of them, including Toothless when he belonged to her, were starving (though it is stated that Toothless wasn’t stealing food from Berk, he is still shown to be incredibly hungry when Hiccup discovers him in the cove).

I do not believe Berk would consider feeding the arena dragons enough to fill their bellies either. In the eyes of the Vikings, it would’ve been incredibly foolish and stupid to feed them more than what’s needed to keep them alive. You’re already sending children to train against them, why doom the kids even more by putting them against dragons at their full strength?

My point is, by Hiccup becoming a dragon rider and fixing Toothless’ tail, he didn’t just save a grounded dragon from potential poachers or predators, he saved Toothless from starving to death.

By Hiccup changing Berk and killing the Red Death, he likely saved hundreds more dragons from dying of starvation. He definitely didn’t intend on it, I don’t think anyone would, but it feels like one of those unspoken grand achievements that Hiccup didn’t realize he was holding.

Even funnier when you consider that, at the start, Stoick was yelling about winter coming and their food being an issue and by the time Hiccup wakes up after the Red Death fight, they made huge piles of fish for the dragons to eat as much as they wished.

My favorite little goober is goobering his way deeper into my heart.

[local-dragon-haunt]

What are your thoughts on Night Lights becoming a species of their own and sort of...replacing Night Furies and Light Furies entirely?

Honestly my biggest gripe is HTTYD3's portrayal of Grimmel as having "wiped out all Night Furies". I feel it would have been sufficient to have had him kill at least one to establish him as the "Anti-Hiccup" but leave the continued survival of other Night Furies ambiguous. Because if all the black genes came from Toothless alone? That is one inbred population.

Honestly I don't think my answer is going to be some big thought-provoking statement. I generally like the nightlight designs from THW. I've read a bunch of posts about people complaining that genetics doesn't work that way but at the end of the day, it's a fictional species from a fictional world who's target demographic is 6-13 year olds.

Now what I CAN generally speak on (gesturing awkwardly to my bachelors degree in Animation) is that the canonical Night Light designs make the most sense story-telling wise. We get exactly one scene with them in THW. The best way to convey that these are Toothless and Light Fury's children in the three minutes of screentime they have (since they cannot speak) is to have them mirror Toothless' traits —that being his black scales.

And unfortunately...it was also the most efficient way to convey it in TNR. Don't get me wrong. It's very poorly executed. And the implications of inbreeding are there for anyone with a hint of media literacy, but again. TNR has a target demographic of 6-13 year olds.

I do agree that Grimmel's whole "ive killed all the night furies" schpiel isn't believable at all, though. How to Train Your Dragon as a franchise did not drop enough foreshadowing, worldbuilding, or backstory for us, the audience, to believe that. Grimmel's role as an antagonist does not give us any confidence that he's telling Hiccup, and us, by proxy, the truth. In fact, I've always found that line of his to be a bit??? Ironic? To me, it's always had a tone of overconfidence that implies Grimmel isn't as successful as he thinks he is. Kind of like Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda II.

And that's ALSO why don't think we have enough evidence to say that the Night Lights "replaced" the Night/Light Fury species (though you'll have to take what I say with a grain of salt because I haven't watched all of TNR). I think it's much more likely that the show had a small scope and an overarching idea to focus on Hiccup and Toothless' descendants. There could very well be more Night/Light furies out there, but they aren't important to the story that HTTYD or TNR wanted to tell.

[saturnniidae]

Interesting and, in my opinion, often overlooked thing about Hiccup is how he's like, not really a compassionate person by default. It was learned, not an innate trait like it seemingly was with Valka.

From things said in the first movie, we can presume he's always had a fairly intense interest in dragons, but it was solely with the intention of killing them – and very stubbornly his way at that, considering he hadn't even read the Book of Dragons yet – and it kind of makes sense considering, he's likely desensitized to violence with how often their village was repeatedly burnt to the ground then rebuilt. Like he got excited there was a raid, completely one-track minded on his plans to shoot something down for his own benefit with no regard for the danger everyone (and himself) was in (and yes! This is somewhat selfish, but he was also a child.) Again, a lot of people overlook the fact that while he was insecure about it, alienated by his peers, and looked down upon by adults, Hiccup is still a viking – or at least was raised as one. He still very much held the same, core dragon killing beliefs every one else on Berk did. The only thing that set him apart was his inability to follow directions due to his unwavering obstinacy when it came to doing things his way.

He had every intention of killing Toothless upon finding him, only changing his mind after seeing the dragons fear and realizing they're both trapped by circumstances outside of their control, and even then had no plans of seeing Toothless again after freeing him. He thought he lost his chance at killing a dragon, after uaving the realization he just didn't have the heart to look an animal in the eyes and take its life, he was fully prepared to return to his mundane routine of ignoring what adults want him to do in favor of his own, ironic and futile attempts at making his father proud.

He's never had any kind of 'natrual' connection with dragons, it was something he stubbornly worked towards. Like I said before; he was as set on killing one as any other person on Berk, I just think he had an easier time accepting they were wrong due to spending most of his life as an outcast.

He only went back to find Toothless after his first attempt at dragon training, it was with no intention to get closer, more of an almost childish curiosity, a fascination that grew out of hand, especially after Astrid yelled at him and forced him to confront what he was doing with the question: 'Whose side are you on?"

I know Forbidden Friendship is the moment we all talk about, but I don't think Hiccup and Toothless had any kind of solidified bond until they flew together, and from Toothless' point of view, the realization that Hiccup had now gone beyond just brief fascination and was actually invested enough to help him fly again.

And even then it wasn't until he met that Terror he realized that Toothless wasn't just a one off thing, that most dragons won't attack pointlessly unless pushed to. And even then his relationship with them is still very flawed, and remains that for a long time; I know we're mostly talking about movie Hiccup here, but would the 'do-no-wrong dragon whisperer' that some people act like he is really have trapped that Skrill in a glacier because it was the easy way out? (In his defense he was like sixteen and at least realizes it was pretty fucked up when he was older and did his best to fix things)

It took time for him to get to be the so called 'peace keeper' he is as an adult (though he always seems to prioritize dragons over people, especially Toothless which is a really interesting and fitting flaw but I digress).

tldr; Hiccup was kind of a selfish, maybe even insensitive kid in the beginning, his compassion took time to develop. I feel like people too often forget that, one of his best traits wasn't an innate thing; it was something he worked for.

[juniemunie]

SO, MY HIGH QUALITY HTTYD MOVIE ANALYSIS IS HERE

so as ive said before in old posts, i have been watching httyd over and over religiously for so long to the point ive memorized all the lines right

u see the quality of that movie on my old childhood laptop was not perfect. suitable for a simple viewing yes, but not analysis

i never thought about it until a couple of days ago, where i had the opportunity to... acquire... a really high quality version of the movie

took me nearly a whole day to get it to download but i got it and watched it last night

....and wow. it really felt like i got my glasses again and i noticed so many more things. and there were a lot of cool characterizations and animations i missed

if ur interested in listening to me ramble, feel free kdfsgjsl

Literally just a few seconds in and im surprised by how beautiful the night sky is (THERE WERE NEBULAE???) i knew toothless was there but it caught me off guard how pretty and numerous the stars were

SO FIRST SCENE THE RAID

being able to visibly see with such detail that i could see the hair strands of the vikings was wowie, and STOICK'S WRINKLESSS

BUT THE ONE I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS WHEN HICCUP WAS SHOOTING DOWN TOOTHLESS

I DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SEE HIS SILHOUETTE BLOCKING OUT THE STARS HERE THATS SO DAMN COOL

the thing i noticed the most in this viewing is Stoick's microexpressions, he has A LOT that i missed simply because the quality wasn't high enough for me to spot them because typically hes not the focus of the camera

for example, here when Gobber and Stoick talk

he makes gestures (when he says his father told him to bang his head he lightly hits the pillar to emphasize it) as well as moves his hands almost very similarly to Hiccup and thats so endearing (Gobber seeing all the similarities but still has to mediate between the two of em HAHAAHAH)

HIS EYES....

His spots are super visible in this version too its such a treat to see everytime Toothless is there

also this composition! I just noticed how nicely placed the stairs are, it gives a natural divide between the two of them

this one here, he has a split second microexpression where he's thinking about what to say next, i think he realized he has to at least encourage him, not scold him

he's less confident as he walks out too, its blurry but he keeps shifting his eyes back to hiccup. if he isn't asserting authority on hiccup they're just both awkward around each other kjfdbglskk

my favorite thing about the dragons are their eyes, toothless' eyes does a wonderful job conveying his emotions even if its just to dilate when he's happy or narrow when he's assessing or feels in danger, its one of the traits i rlly loved watching in the first

look how he mimics the way humans are sitting ksdjfbglsdk

the series of exchanges these to have rlly is just them expressing civility that they think the other would approve of, (Hiccup spares him, Toothless spares him in return. Hiccup merely observes, he observes back. Hiccup drops his weapons, Toothless drops his guard. Hiccup gives him fish, Toothless having not much to offer, decides to share it with him.) It shows how Toothless is quite considerate and honorable.

and i like how in the first movie when he's aggressive he shows off his teeth and especially his gums more. i dont think i see his gums as prominently in the,,, sequels which is a shame because the light colors of his mouth contrasts super well with his dark scales

I CAN SEE HIS FACIAL MUSCLES MOVE HERE WOW. (its like he's really taking in the touch of hiccup's hand here, anticipating smth bad but nothing happening)

oh the way hiccup's face falls when stoick says "all those years of the worst viking berk has ever seen!

stoick isnt good with emotional talking, but this is the most open and we've seen him with hiccup so far

he's a hard ass, but the moment he finds that hiccup has done something great, he goes to him because he thinks he finally has a thread, something in common that they COULD BOND WITH

he literally goes "we finally have something to talk about" HE JUST WANTS A FATHER-SON BOND IM GONNA CRY

and you can see how toothless processes in a millisecond that astrid hurt hiccup

typically the "steed" falls head over heels for the male's love interest, which is why i rlly do like how toothless doesnt like astrid at all when he firsts meet him

HE RLLY DOESNT LIKE HER AT ALL HAHAHA

also take note how the first thing Hookfang does is to attempt to climb or get out, and when he cant, addresses the only one in the ring. im pretty sure he's intelligent enough to know the situation (ive been planning a fic of his perspective of the movie honestly)

OH THE WAY HES DRAGGED BACK TO HIS CAGE OH IM SO SORRY

this scene. i have no other words. it is vital to me that this split second expression existed. he rlly processed what he just said here to his own son

THIS MICROEXPRESSION I COMPLETELY MISSED

I never knew how uncertain his expression looked as he looked away from Hiccup, like he was hesitating, but then the anger comes back and his fists clench

AND OH MAN TOOTHLESS' EXPRESSION!!! I DID NOT MEAN TO CATCH THAT BUT IM SO GLAD I DID

and no thats not him noticing stoick, after the expression in the previous pic, he blinks, and THEN he notices stoick nearing and glaring at him, which he returns back

ITS LIKE TOOTHLESS IS HAVING HIS OWN INTERNAL THOUGHTS AT THAT MOMENT AND THATS SO?????

THEY TREAT TOOTHLESS LIKE A THINKING FEELING CHARACTER, AND ITS PERFECTION

final one, i love his expression here, he usually lifts his lips when he's angry, scared or ticked off but in this context its obvious he still doesn't like stoick, but he saved him and hiccup. so its only right to toothless that he returns the favor.

AND THATS ALL IVE GOT FOR NOW THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME RAMBLE HAHAHA

[tenebrius-excellium]

Random shoutout to Terrible Terrors!! I just realized that I think they're so crucial to the Httydverse that the first movie wouldn't have worked the way it did without them!!

See, a lot of the dragons we encountered thus far were huge. And "cute" wasn't going to cut it with Toothless. Even cute, Toothless was still super dangerous, more powerful than a draft horse, and alien to us viewers. You don't just go up and touch one of these beasts when you're generally of sound mind and not like Hiccup, who is insane.

The Terrible Terror gave us something to identify ourselves with. Up to the Terrible Terror, I think there existed a certain distance between the viewer and the vikings/dragons on screen. You'd secretly think to yourself: 'Ok I'm enjoying this but what's it got to do with me'. We're not a) vikings, b) we don't live in that world, c) most of us would never even think of approaching a fire-breathing dragon like the Monstrous Nightmare, and d) most of us don't believe we could get a lucky shot. So why is this story being told to me, if I can't relate to it, you ask?

In hops the Terrible Terror. And all of a sudden there's this incredible sigh of relief in the room - at least with me, personally - because it makes me go 'if I had to survive in that world... yeah, I could kill that'. And even better yet, 'yeah, maybe I could train that'.

It gives us, the audience, permission to start small and "work ourselves up to the big ones", like the line went somewhere in the movie. The Terrible Terror is only slightly more dangerous than a chicken. A bit unhinged, but generally manageable. We are mostly confident enough to believe we can handle a chicken, aren't we?

So I think the entrance of the Terrible Terror is where the Httyd world truly solidifies its bond with the viewer - because now we can feel like the teens who have to go through every step of dragon training. Now that we know that we could theoretically experiment and practice dragon training on a dragon the size of Tuffnut's...uh... yeah, we feel like one of the Berkians. Simple, but incredibly effective.

End of shoutout, this was just such a cool thought that I wanted to share it!