How to Train Your Dragon Movies in Order 

This summer, DreamWorks is inviting us back to the wild and rugged island of Berk, where Vikings have spent centuries battling the resident dragon population. This live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon will reunite us with Hiccup and his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, breathing new life into a tale that teaches us to challenge prejudice, nurture empathy, and always work as a team. 

The original How to Train Your Dragon was the first in a DreamWorks animated trilogy, and what better time to watch or rewatch these heartwarming movies than now? We’ll show you how to watch the How to Train Your Dragon movies in order, but first, let’s meet the key characters. 

Introducing the Vikings 

The How to Train Your Dragon movies are character-led, benefiting from strong performances by the top-billed actors and the emotive animation of the non-speaking dragons.  

As you start watching the movies, you’ll meet the following recurring characters:

  • Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (voiced by Jay Baruchel and played by Mason Thames). The son of the town’s Chieftain Stoick the Vast, Hiccup may seem awkward and unpopular, but his intelligence, bravery, and compassion make him the unexpected hero of the movies. 

  • Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler). It’s fair to say this larger-than-life (and rather short-tempered) leader of the Hairy Hooligans initially has his doubts about Hiccup’s suitability as heir to the role of Chieftain - but will he be proved wrong?

  • Valka Haddock (voiced by Cate Blanchett). Valka is Hiccup’s long-lost mother and fellow friend to the dragons. 

  • Astrid Hofferson (voiced by America Ferrera and played by Nico Parker). Smart, strong, and courageous, Astrid becomes Hiccup’s crush in the first movie, and before long, the feeling is mutual. 

  • Gobber the Belch (voiced by Craig Ferguson and played by Nick Frost). Once a fearless warrior and now the town’s blacksmith, Gobber is a trusted friend of Stoick and mentor to Hiccup. 

  • Snotlout (voiced by Jonah Hill and played by Gabriel Howell). Confident and precocious, Snotlout is both Hiccup’s cousin and rival. 

  • Fishlegs (voiced by Christopher Mintz-Plasse and played by Julian Dennison). Best friend to Hiccup, Fishlegs is endearingly clumsy and caring. 

Out of all the How to Train Your Dragon movie actors, Gerard Butler is the only one to star in both the animated trilogy and the new live-action film. 

How to watch the movies in order 

Fetch your popcorn and settle down for an epic movie marathon, watching the three animated movies in order. You’ll start with How to Train Your Dragon (2010), then How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), before completing the trilogy with How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). The great news is, the How to Train Your Dragon movies IMDB scores are fantastic across the board, rating 8.1/10, 7.8/10, and 7.4/10, respectively.  

  • How to Train Your Dragon (2010) 

When we first meet Hiccup, he's keen to win his father's approval by joining him and his Viking warriors as they protect the village against dragon raids. Worried by Hiccup's lack of strength, Stoick thwarts his son's attempts, but the tenacious teen has other ideas. After working with the blacksmith Gobber to forge clever dragon-catching devices, Hiccup shoots down one of the island's rarest dragons – a Night Fury. Face to face with the dragon, Hiccup's perception of his enemy starts to shift, and the trilogy's first instalment portrays a friendship between boy and dragon that changes the Viking tribe's view on dragons forever. 

  • How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) 

The second movie in the franchise finds Hiccup and the other Vikings coexisting peacefully with dragons, enjoying thrilling aerial races, and exploring the island’s uncharted territories. On one of these expeditions, Hiccup and Astrid are ambushed by the dragon trapper Eret (voiced by Kit Harington), and they learn that the warlord Drago (voiced by Djimon Hounsou) plans to enslave all the island’s dragons and make them his soldiers. Cue a Viking uprising as the Hairy Hooligans strive to save their winged allies – and for good measure, throw a long-lost dragon-riding mother into the mix for an action-packed and emotional sequel.  

  • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) 

In the final instalment, we find Hiccup seeking the "Hidden World" - a place of safety where all dragons can live without fear of capture. Though Hiccup continues to prove himself a worthy leader of the Vikings, his skills are soon tested when Toothless is lured away with a female Light Fury by nefarious dragon hunter Grimmel (voiced by F. Murray Abraham). As the trilogy draws to a close, will our unlikely hero manage to bring lasting peace to his dragon friends? 

Dreamworks always does a top-notch job of crafting movies that all ages can enjoy, and while children will adore the storylines, humour, and cute dragons, the prudent themes will resonate with adults and make a great talking point for tweens and teens. 

Still looking for a little more dragon action? DreamWorks also released several How to Train Your Dragon short films: Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon, Book of Dragons, Gift of the Night Fury, Dawn of the Dragon Racers, How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, and How to Train Your Dragon: Snoggletog Log.

What’s next for How to Train Your Dragon? 

With the How to Train Your Dragon movie release date just around the corner, you don’t have to wait long to get your next fix. You can watch this live-action fantasy movie at a VOX cinema near you from June 12. Available as an IMAX experience, you’ll feel like you’re saddling up Toothless with Hiccup and soaring among the Stormcutters and Skrills. 

Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, fans of the franchise can expect a faithful retelling of the first movie, with the iconic landscapes of Berk brought to life with filming locations across Ireland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. 

Before you watch this summer’s must-see family blockbuster, why not enjoy the original animated How to Train Your Dragon movies in order? With the storylines and characters fresh in your mind, you’ll appreciate the new live-action movie all the more.

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