#do be a dob

[paranagram]

Everything is a-okay it was just his spine shattering upon the ground 🫠

[sierradee]

I can't remember the episode, but it's stayed with me.

Had to wait to change tips for my pencil, here’s what I managed while waiting.

[lesbiradshaw]

god bless

[wasty28]

Reading Trash of the count's family and Debut or die at the same time is so funny sometimes.

In one book the MC curses, kidnap, rob, scam, beat up the bad guys at any given occasion but in the other he's like "these fucking bast-...,no let's calm down", I need to keep being level-headed.

[rosiethedragongeek]

So genius that all of the main dragons in the gang have different fire types like,,,,

They're all so suited to different things and we see that sometimes, like how that diversity is useful.

Toothless' plasma blasts are more agressive and direct. He can aim with precision and hit things with a HUGE impact super deadly

Stormfly's fire is just like a JET of sparks and is also the hottest, super super dangerous super cool

Hookfang's got like sticky fire that comes out in a stream and like holds to walls and stuff and presumably burns and smolders long after he's sent it out

Meatlug has these balls of lava that she can spew (a lot like Toothless) but also they're super good for just laying down a puddle??? of LAVA????

and Barf and Belch have their gas/spark combo that allows them to create giant explosions in specific areas/shapes/sizes, and their gas can get into crevices and stuff

So we see this used in all kinds of cool ways,

like how they can only break the dragon proof chains if they're all working at them with their different firepower,

or how Toothless can take out specific hunters (or shoot all of Ryker's armor and weapons away lol) because he can hit with such precision,

or how the cuffs on the dramillion's tails can only be removed when you have Meatlug's lava to break them down and weaken them and then Stormfly's magnesium blast to do the final damage,

or how the twins are able to get rid of the wall of rock in the cavern crasher episode bc the gas gets in the crevices, or how the can seperate people with deliberately placed walls of fire or explosions and stuff,

and I would totally count Hookfang's gel as a part of his firepower, so him being able to flame up and break amber coccoons or burn nets away and stuff is just SO handy

Stormfly can melt rock w her flame when she's trying hard enough, like the wall Meatlug and Fishlegs put up (w Meatlug's super cool super unique lava blast that makes it to where she can create structures w rock if she wants to, kinda like she did w the sentinels)

Speaking of the sentinels, Meatlug's lava creates a constant low heat like the heat needed to wake the sentinels; like,,,, Stormfly or Toothless couldn't have given them what they needed to wake up, it had to be Meatlug's lava

Anyway I'm sure there are more examples but I just think that the way the dragons shows utilize the dragon's unique abilities is AWESOME but one of the coolest ways is the way they utilize their different fire types and show them working together and stuff, that's just cool

[revive-the-fandom]

Map of Berk

Credit to DanGref on DA for the larger map of Berk, I believe it was taken from one of the games - I usually say that those are Dubious Canon but since we have nothing else and it looks pretty close I'm including it on my map.

I made a better map of Berk, hopefully it's understandable? There's a couple of problems with it:

for one, Gobber's house in "Legend of the Boneknapper" is the same house as Snotlout & Spitelout's in "Race to Fireworm Island" ???? - so I left it as Gobber's since it's close to his Smithy and I'm putting the Shorts in a higher category of Canon than the shows I guess?

Astrid's house in "Team Astrid" is the same as the Armoury in "In Dragons We Trust" ???? - so I left it as the Armoury since it's seen in multiple episodes as "The Armoury" and Astrid's house is burned down.

Aaand I couldn't find the path to the Academy/Arena so I left it blank.

I would've liked to put things like The Cove, Bucket & Mulch's farm, the Path to Gothi's Hut, and the Beaches that they keep visiting onto the map, but there never seems to be a solid spot of any of them, so I'm presuming they're too far away to be on this map.

Blank Version:

[shrimpfriednuts]

JUST BOUGHT A POUND OF PROVOLONE CHEEEEEEESE

So do y’all think Derek would bottom or what?

[worstloki]

there is a difference between being born to a throne, maliciously vying for a throne, stealing a throne, and having a throne thrust upon you when you are already in the midst of an identity crisis. And I fear Loki's place in the line of succession has people unable to differentiate between any of these

[oxventurequotes]

oxventure-as-troubled-birds the sequel!

[iswateredible]

can they get out of my brain and onto paper please,,, please

[nartml]

Toothless (and generally most dragons) lost all his personality in thw.

Gone was the loyal, protective, intelligent, curious, silly, expressive, understanding, and sassy/snarky dragon we adored more and more through each new installment in the franchise.

Who is this puppy in thw and what did he do to Toothless?

Look me in the eye and tell me that if anyone, dragon or not, was to pluck Hiccup off his back and send him into the ocean to die, they wouldn't get a minimum of two blasts in the face.

Yes, Toothless is playful and silly and adorable, but only around the people/dragons he trusts, and especially around Hiccup specifically.

Otherwise, his guard is up, he is wary, and he himself has to evaluate whether or not someone is safe to be around.

"Hey, I guess Dean dumbed him down because he wanted to show the effects of domestication—"

Woah there, big words.

Domestication? The definition of domestication is "the process of taming an animal and keeping it as a pet or on a farm".

That is not what's happening on Berk.

Dragons were never pets to humans. (If anything, humans were their pets.)

They stood by the Vikings' sides out of their own volition, and were free to come and go as they pleased.

We see this clearly in GoTNF.

They wouldn't let a human they didn't trust so much as touch them, let alone allow them anywhere near their backs.

They are the ones that choose their riders, or if they even want one, not the other way around.

And they weren't exactly "tamed" either. Or rather, nobody tried to alter their nature and innate instincts.

In RoB, we clearly see that Vikings are the ones who adjust, who adapt accordingly, because dragons are gonna do what dragons do.

And those instincts of theirs were honed. They weren't tamed, they were trained.

The notion that wild dragons are more powerful because they're wild makes no sense to me, because while wild dragons have raw power and raw instinct, trained dragons arguably have more than that.

They learn to work with other dragons, and they're able to pull off some incredible moves, because their bodies are, well, consistently trained.

They go on dangerous missions on the regular, for fuck's sake. During which, they also have to think. The dragons aren't told what to do, nor are they steered by their riders constantly (and when they are, the dragons trust them to do so)

They can take the reins as well (and when they do, the riders trust them to do so), but most of the time, they both move together in sync, understanding what, and how it, needs to be done.

In what world would such a lifestyle weaken them, or threaten to erase their aforementioned instincts?

I don't get Dean's point.

And Hiccup? What's up with the poor decision making?

Because I know damn well Hiccup wouldn't let dragons take over Berk to the point where, within the first ten minutes of the movie , half of it collapses. An event which apparently everyone is used to, because nobody worries about it.

He put an ocean between Garff and a couple of dragons because of how incompatible they were, in terms of needs and way of life.

He relocated dragons constantly, so as not to overcrowd and/or to protect the Edge.

Even when he was, what, 15 in RoB/DoB, he was mindful of the way he handled situations, to ensure Berk and the Vikings wouldn't be overwhelmed with dragons.

He understood that it's impossible for thousands of dragons to cohabitate with humans, and with each other, peacefully and without chaos.

Not to mention, he respected dragon culture and understood that some spaces were not made for the human eye. He made such a big deal about revering Vanaheim, and you expect me to believe he'd be okay with just exposing a place called The Hidden World, a delicate draconic paradise?

And wow, way to go, let's uproot the ENTIRE village, and go searching for this place that we don't even know for sure exists? Yes, very responsible.

And why not just make a life-changing call without consulting anyone, or thinking it through, based on what you alone think is best, while you're at it? Sounds like a great idea.

It's not like in previous installments he always made sure to have a team huddle to discuss (or at least inform the group of) their next move, even in the tightest of spots and with the littlest time; no, of course not.

His leadership abilities, his tactical and strategic thinking, his caution, his conviction and determination? Gone. Erased.

Who is this guy in thw and what did he do to Hiccup?

And as for Toothless and Hiccup's dynamic in this movie, something that Astrid said bugs me to an unfathomable degree.

"You gave him his freedom back, what did you expect?"

Woah there, big talk.

This paints a horribly ugly picture. It makes Toothless seem like he'd been held captive by Hiccup, that if he could've flown on his own, he would never have stuck around this long.

Which, much like the rest of this movie, is a load of horseshit.

Toothless is just as free, if not free-er than, as the rest of the dragons. Because while all dragons love and trust their riders, and vice versa, nobody has a connection quite like Toothless and Hiccup (save for perhaps Valka and Cloudjumper).

Toothless could've been flying on his own for a long, long time now. But he didn't want it. He was vehemently opposed to the idea.

Why? Because to him, flying was no longer worth it if Hiccup wasn't right there with him. Because Hiccup took the loneliness out of flying. Because Toothless wanted nothing more than to be by Hiccup's side. Hiccup was the one that made flying worth it.

A major theme of this movie is learning to fly on your own. Toothless had to learn how to fly without Hiccup, and Hiccup had to learn how to fly without Toothless (I mean, personally I'd rather them remaining inseparable soulmates that are mildly codependent. I recognize it's not necessarily the healthiest dynamic, but fuck if I care)

Toothless did this through meeting his mate, and falling in love (no matter how horribly written and designed she is, and no matter how I personally would've preferred for the Hicctooth bromance to remain undisturbed).

He met a creature that he wanted to follow and be alone with, a creature that made flying alone, with nobody on his back, worth it.

And more importantly, Hiccup had to realize that he's not who he is because he has Toothless, and subsequently the dragons. It's the opposite.

This is growth, and the realization that they don't need each other is important.

But why the fuck does that mean they have to say goodbye?

I don't need most of the people in my life. That doesn't mean I don't want them here.

The point was that Hiccup doesn't need Toothless in order to be someone.

Not that he didn't need Toothless, period.

(Even if the point was simply that he didn't need Toothless, which I could concede to, that again doesn't mean that Toothless had to leave, and take the entire dragon population with him.

To me, that sends a message of "if you don't need them, then they gotta go".

It's not what outgrowing a friendship looks like, despite the fact that many people choose to interpret it as such.

Sure, this movie shows what outgrowing a friendship is; if outgrowing a friendship means making room in your life for other people. If outgrowing a friendship means you found romance. Which is ridiculous.)

___________________

To further clarify:

I am well aware the shows aren't canon.

This, however, doesn't change the fact that all these series tie in with HTTYD 2 really well, and that they make sense.

They expand on the characters and give us a better grasp of the world in httyd. They allow us to understand everything better.

When you only have, at most, 150 minutes to tell a story, every minute of it needs to somehow add to the plot. To further the narrative. There is very little time for fluff.

In a movie, it's practically impossible to properly explore the characters' different dynamics, to give everyone their own arc, to let the audience bask in the slow moments and to let the characters just be.

In a series, however? Well. You've definitely got time.

For someone who only watched the movies, it would be pretty damn difficult to understand the mis-characterization in say, Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins.

You don't know these characters that well. You don't know the well-established dynamics between the gang in the same way that someone who's watched the series does.

Which is exactly why I think that people who've watched them are the ones that dislike the hidden world the most.

I, too, am usually opposed to using non-canon material to make a point, but RoB, DoB and RTTE are the only spin-off series from a successful movie franchise I can name that make perfect sense. That succeed in accurately portraying the main cast, in realistically expanding on the secondary characters (like Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins, who now have the space to become part of the main cast), and in smoothly integrating new characters.

They also manage to beautifully explore this magical universe full of dragons, adventure, and mystery, while firmly establishing the dragons as an important part of ecosystems all around.

Whether it's subconscious or not, they create an unshakable image of how all the characters think, act, and interact. You spend a hell of a lot longer with the characters in a lengthy eight season series than in two movies.

But it's not a bad thing, because this image carved by the series fits in nicely with the image carved in all the canon installments of the franchise.

Well. Except for one, cough cough.

[kingofthewilderwest]

The live action is doing one thing right: It's making my interest in DW HTTYD rise from the grave and want to talk and look upon the rest of the franchise.

[nightcorecarseatheadrest]

15 min screenshot redraw

Bonus

[ambitionsart]

Here me out: Oxventure guild, but make it deadlands.

Corazon de Toro, a infamous outlaw running from his old band. Don't ask him about his past, ask him about his adventures! Did you know he...!

Merilwen, looking for the monster that took down her dear friend. She's going to make them pay, just you watch.

Dob, a travelling musician working local fairs, fayres and fares to keep an eye and ear out for his long lost sister.

Prudence, maybe she's making deals with a long lost ancient evil to keep up her lifestyle, what it to you!

Egbert the travelling priest who wants to tell you the good word. What do you mean I can do weird things, thats the power of God and not a strange dragon demon he accidently made a pact with. Demon's don't exist, silly!

(I may have doodled the opposite, Deadlands as Oxventure Guild if any one want's me to digitise those)

[toasts-httyd-hyperfixation]

Me: 'Hmm, do I draw hiccup too short? Like, I know canonically he's described as small and scrawny, but am i overexaggerating this? Fishlegs is 4'10 maybe i should put hiccup a bit closer to that, i dont want it to seem way out of place.......' Gustav Larson:

[rosiethedragongeek]

Okay so if I'm not mistaken, RTTE was meant to end after four seasons, and got greenlit for a final two seasons later, right? And they obviously had to come up with a final story arc to close it off.

Meaning Johann wasn't meant to be evil for the first four seasons, they just looked at it and realized that basically every single episode since his FIRST EPISODE IN RIDERS OF BERK (dragon flower where he sells Mildew the blue oleander (which is poisonous to dragons)), Johann could potentially have been up to something nefarious and realized that they'd ACCIDENTALLY set up for the biggest, longest building plot twist in the entire franchise like,,,, on. ACCIDENT.