How to Train Your Dragon the franchise is one of the largest in the DreamWorks catalog. Based on books Cressida Cowell, it follows the Viking village of Burke as it develops a relationship with dragons. At first, the two groups fought, but through the efforts of the Viking Hiccup and the dragon Toothless, they overcame their differences and worked together to create a better future.

True to its name, the franchise contains dozens of HTTYD dragons of all shapes and sizes with their own unique biology. This helps them stand out not only among themselves, but also among other dragons in fiction.

As fans continue the long wait for the long-awaited live-streamed reboot How to Train Your Dragon from Universal Pictures (expected to release March 14, 2025), this is the perfect time to return to some of the most powerful dragons from the franchise.

eleven Bone Gnawer

Spitter Belcher confronts the dragon Bonebiter, who has been following him for years.

A scene stealer in dragon movies and one of the most enigmatic of the species, the Bone Gnawer is so named because of its habit of picking up bones. Since their scales are naturally weak, they scour the world in search of perfect bones from which to craft durable armor. It is when they collect their armor that they are most dangerous, as they lose access to certain features until their set is completed.

The main ability the Bonebiter loses is its roar, which can scatter small objects around it and attract comrades. Thus, he will spend years trying to get hold of his perfect bone, sneaking up on those who wear it in silence before descending from the sky. However, if given what he wants, Bone Gnawer becomes much friendlier.

10 gronkle

Gronkle mother with her children

Most dragons in the media are portrayed as sleek, serpentine creatures that fly through the air with grace and speed. The Gronckle subverts this with its compact design and hilariously small wings that make it look like a cross between an armored pig and a giant bee. Gronkle may seem silly, but he is still a formidable opponent.

While not as fast as their cousins, the gronkle’s wings are comparable to those of a hummingbird, allowing them to fly backwards, sideways, and soar. Their thick skin provides additional protection, and their breath weapons are projectiles created by superheated rocks in their stomachs. However, by nature, Gronkles are non-confrontational and prefer to spend most of the day sleeping.

9 Terrible lightning

Hiccup sends Baerf and Belch back to their cage with the help of a hidden eel.

They say two heads are better than one, and this proverb is true in the world of dragons. The hideous Zippleback has several disadvantages compared to other dragons, such as its stocky legs and small wings, which make it primarily fight from the ground. However, his fire is one of the most unique among all dragons, making him one of the most powerful animated characters.

The two Zippleback heads work in tandem to use their fire. One head exhales a thick green mist that can cover an area large enough to obscure the Zippleback and disorient anyone within. The second head creates small sparks, so at the right moment it can instantly ignite the gas cloud.

8 hotburple

Evil Dragon Hotburple

Closely related to the Gronkle, the Hot Burple is considered one of the laziest types of dragons. Despite its large wings, the petrel is less graceful in flight than its cousin and prefers to spend time on the ground while sleeping. However, when angered, Mustard is more than capable of demonstrating why you should never wake a sleeping giant.

The jaws and guts of a Hot Burple are stronger than Gromma’s, allowing them to digest iron ore along with stone as ammunition for their fire blasts. Their jaws are so strong that they can bite through cages designed to contain most other types of dragons. They are even capable of flight in their sleep, allowing them to strafe ground enemies with their thick tails if they need to rest.

7 Stormcutter

Cloudjumper the Stormcutter dragon with Toothless Night Fury

Drawing inspiration from the owls and X-Wing Fighters from Star Wars, Stormbreakers are some of the best fliers among dragons. Their sleek bodies and four large wings allow them to perform graceful maneuvers in the air. Their gray scales also allow them to camouflage themselves among the clouds, allowing them to overtake and ambush prey and rivals.

In combat, Stormcutter dragons exhale a stream of flame in a straight line that resembles a tornado. Using their wings, they can easily spread flames, dealing maximum damage. They can also turn their heads nearly 360 degrees like an owl, allowing them to constantly keep an eye on their opponents.

6 death grip

Grimmel the Terrible with one of his Death Grips

Everything about DeathGripper is designed for combat. These heavily armored dragons hunt in packs and are more than capable of slaying their fellow dragons. From the front, they can impale them with retractable tusks or melt them with flammable, corrosive acid, and from behind, their club-shaped tails have a deadly sting.

Deathgrip Poison is one of the most powerful dragons in the world. They can control the dose delivered with each bite, resulting in effects ranging from paralysis to poisoning the victim with enough venom to kill anyone who touches them. However, Deathshackles are not immune to their toxins, which can be used to bring them and other dragons into a docile and easily controlled state. It makes sense that they are often seen allied with DreamWorks’ top villains.

5 Death Serpentine

Trio Deadly Nadders show off their colors

The vicious bird-like Serpentine is one of the most beautiful types of dragons. With their large beaks and bright colors, they look like the dragon equivalent of a parrot. However, these adorable dragons wield one of the deadliest weapons of their kind.

The Death Serpent’s Fire is one of the hottest of all dragons, and can reduce stone and metal to slag in seconds. They can launch spikes on their bodies as projectile weapons, which means they can keep fighting even when their fire has run out. Luckily, the Serpentine’s large beak leaves a blind spot right in front of him.

4 Monstrous Nightmare

Hiccup standing in front of the Monstrous Nightmare

The most traditional dragon created for film, Monstrous Nightmare easily lives up to its reputation. One of the largest and most aggressive of the species, the Nightmare almost never backs down in combat until it’s over. While their teeth and claws can tear a Viking to shreds, their unique flames are their greatest weapon.

Among the strongest dragons in How to Train Your Dragon, Nightmare has a fire comparable to kerosene. It spreads like a liquid over wood, stone, and metal, allowing it to cling to most objects long after the dragon has finished its attack. This extends to the Nightmare’s own scale, which allows the dragon to cover itself in a fiery cloak to further intimidate its enemies. It may not be the weirdest dragon in the movies, but it’s one of the most dangerous.

3 Red Death

The Red Death destroys the Viking fleet.

One of the largest types of dragons, the Red Death commands lesser dragons like a queen. He lairs deep in isolated mountains and attracts other dragons to nest there and gather food for him. If they fail, the Red Death cooks them into a meal.

If danger comes to the nest, the Red Death will rush into battle with its huge size, shortened tail and far-reaching flames. It also has six eyes, making it hard to find a blind spot, and can maneuver quite well in the air for a creature of its size. However, he cannot fully control the minds of his dragons and therefore cannot count on their support in battle.

2 monster

The Beast gets up to greet Toothless, Hiccup and Valka.

While every dragon nest is ruled by a queen, even queens will follow the alpha dragon’s orders. While Toothless has shown that any species is capable of becoming an Alpha, few place as naturally as the Puzzling Beast among the giant creatures in the movies. These giant sea dragons are the largest dragon breed and have the innate ability to control other dragons.

Most Bewilderbeasts do not need to use their mind control abilities on other dragons, instead earning their loyalty through kindness. They make lairs for their flock away from others, mold them from their icy breath and provide food by gathering huge flocks of fish. If the lair is attacked, especially by another bewilderment behemoth, the alpha will not hesitate to charge into battle.

1 night fury

Jay Baruchel in How to Train Your Dragon
Image via Disney/Pixar

Before the rogue Hiccup befriended Toothless, the Night Fury was the least studied type of dragon. With their black scales, night hunting strategies, and monstrous speed, no one even knew what the Night Furies looked like. This caused the Vikings’ fear of them to skyrocket, and they began to refer to the Night Fury as the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself.

While Toothless showed how kind and compassionate the Night Furies can be, he also showed their destructive abilities, proving that they are the most powerful dragons in the world. How to Train Your Dragon. Instead of breathing fire, the Night Fury fires concentrated blasts of plasma at her enemies, giving them precise control over who or what they incinerate. They also have power over storms and can gather lightning around them for temporary invisibility.