All Dragon Classes From ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Explained

The How to Train Your Dragon franchise invited viewers to a fantastical world of Vikings, adventure, and of course, dragons. Over the course of the trilogy, viewers were introduced to several different dragon species, which in turn were part of several different classes.

First seen in the Book of Dragons (aka Dragon Manual), dragon classes have evolved over the movies as the characters have learned more about dragons and changed their perspectives regarding them. One of these classes—the Fear class—is now defunct, while two others—Unknown and Alphas—are more-so designations as opposed to official classes. However, all of these categories play a role in helping explore and understand the different types of dragons, from Terrible Terrors to Deadly Nadders and everything in between.

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Stoker Class

The Stoker class consists of fire breathers, many of whom can set themselves on fire and remain unharmed. If they lose the ability to produce flames, it can be a sign that they’re fatally ill. Some types of Stoker class dragons include Monstrous Nightmares, Terrible Terrors, and Red Deaths.

Fearsome and Fiery

Snoutlout’s dragon Hookfang is an example of a Monstrous Nightmare who appears frequently in the trilogy. Like others of his species, Hookfang often covers himself in a “fire jacket” when threatened and is known for being especially aggressive.

Another example of the Stoker class is the Red Death from the original movie. Huge and horrifying, it was queen of its nest and forced the other dragons to bring it food.

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Boulder Class

In comparison to the fiery Stoker class, Boulder class dragons are connected to the earth. They’ll eat almost anything, including rocks, which they shoot out as lava when attacking. Despite their small wings, they’re able to fly as well as most other dragons. Some species of Boulder dragons include the Hotburple, Whispering Death, Snafflefang, and Gronckles.

The Sweetest Gronckle

Although she initially tried to kill Hiccup in the arena, Fishlegs’s dragon Meatlug proved to be an especially sweet member of the Gronckle class, as well as the most notable Boulder dragon in the trilogy. Maternal and at times more like a dog than a dragon, Fishlegs originally thought Meatlug was a boy-dragon, but in the short “Gift of the Night Fury,” he was surprised to find she’d given birth to more baby Gronckles.

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Tracker Class

The newest dragon class, Trackers have a keen sense of smell that helps them excel at hunting. As implied by their name, they’re able to track down almost anything just by sniffing it. Some types of Trackers include Deadly Nadders, Rumblehorns, and Thunderclaws.

A New Designation

Astrid’s dragon Stormfly was similar to other Deadly Nadders in that she had a blind spot right before her nose and shot spines from her tail when threatened. Before the creation of the Tracker class, Deadly Nadders were considered members of the Sharp class.

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Sharp Class

Fittingly, Sharp dragons have sharp body parts and can fire poisonous, pointy projectiles. They also tend to be vain and love being praised. The Sharp class consists of many dragons including Timberjacks, Scuttleclaws, and Stormcutters.

A Somber Backstory

Like other members of its species, Valka’s Stormcutter Cloudjumper had a second set of wings that allowed it to quickly and easily maneuver through the sky. The Stomcutter first met Valka during a dragon raid when it broke into her home. Horrified that the dragon would hurt her son, Valka soon realized that Cloudjumper was simply curious. Unfortunately, Stoick soon attacked the dragon, which led to it starting a fire and flying off with Valka.

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Tidal Class

Generally speaking, Tidal class dragons are larger than other dragons and live in the ocean. However, some can survive and live on land. Usually, these dragons aren’t aggressive and can’t create flames, but when threatened, they can attack with electricity. Some types of Tidal dragons include Bewilderbeasts, Thunderdrums, Scauldrons, and Seashockers.

The Rider’s Personality

Valka and Drago both had Bewilderbeasts, but their personalities were very different. Valka’s was shown to care about humans and dragons and sought to protect them, whereas Drago’s Bewilderbeast, much like its rider, was aggressive and violent. This shows that dragons within the same class and species can vary greatly based on how and where they were raised, as well as the riders and dragons in their company.

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Mystery Class

Mystery class dragons are, as suggested, mysterious. They tend to exhibit unique traits that are hard to classify or fully comprehend. Some view this class as being temporary until more is known about a dragon species. Changewings, Boneknappers, and Hideous Zipplebacks are all examples of Mystery class dragons, though there are many others, making this category the largest of the seven formal classes.

One Body, Two Minds

Ruffnut and Tuffnut’s Hideous Zippleback is named Barf and Belch. It has a single body and two heads, which constantly argue with each other, much like its riders. When fighting, one head shoots out gas while the other sets it on fire. This gas can also be used to disorient humans or as camouflage.

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Strike Class

The Strike class consists of intelligent dragons with super-fast flying abilities. They also have strong jaws, precise aim, and several unique features that help them navigate their environments. Light Furies, Night Furies, and the Skrill all fall under this category.

A Stellar Dragon

Hiccup’s Night Fury Toothless is the star dragon of the series. Loyal, lovable, and an all-around goofball, this dragon befriended Hiccup and set the trilogy in motion. Sadly, in the first movie, it was noted that Toothless was the last of his species. However, at the end of the third movie, The Hidden World, it’s shown that he mated with a Light Fury and that they have three baby dragons known as Night Lights.

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Alphas

Technically, Alphas aren’t a class in the same way as the earlier seven, but it’s still an important way in which humans categorized dragons. The Alpha dragon is a single dragon who rules over all the others. This dragon isn’t limited to a specific species but has often been a Bewilderbeast, as was the case with Valka’s Bewilderbeast and later Drago’s.

King of the Dragons

Toward the end of How to Train Your Dragon 2, Toothless battles Drago’s dragon and emerges victorious. He then becomes the new Alpha, able to control the other dragons and also responsible for their safety.

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Unknown

A few types of dragons have yet to be connected to an official class on-screen. Simply put, audiences know even less about these dragons than Mystery class dragons, which makes it difficult to determine where they best fit. Thus, rather than falling under an official class, Unknown dragons represent the absence of one.

Viewers Vs. Characters

It’s possible that the How to Train Your Dragon characters have already sorted several of these dragons and that the audience just hasn’t learned about them yet. Future spin-off series could easily deliver more information about these individual species and where they best fit.

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Fear Class

The Fear class is a defunct class that was essentially replaced by the Mystery class. They often had multiple heads and were masters of stealth. Previous members of this class were the Flightmare, Hideous Zippleback, and Snaptrapper.

No Reason to Fear

The removal of the Fear class was a direct result of Vikings no longer being afraid of dragons. In this sense, there’s something poetic about all Fear class dragons becoming Mystery dragons—it’s not that the dragons were bad or necessarily something to be scared of. Rather, they were something the Vikings needed to learn more about, and with enough time and patience, the mysterious Mystery dragons could be understood.