The Definitive Chronological Order Of All 14 'How To Train Your Dragon' Movies, Shows, And Shorts (Updated 2025)
Are you ready to return to Berk? With the highly anticipated live-action reboot set for 2025, there has never been a better time to revisit the world of Hiccup and Toothless. As of December 23, 2025, the *How to Train Your Dragon* franchise spans three blockbuster films, three major television series, and a collection of significant short films, creating a vast and intricate saga.
Watching the entire *How to Train Your Dragon* universe in its intended chronological order is essential to fully appreciate the character development, especially the decade-long evolution of Hiccup Haddock and his Night Fury, Toothless. This is the definitive, step-by-step guide to follow the epic journey from the first tentative handshake to the final, emotional farewell.
The Complete Chronological Viewing Order: Movies, Series, and Shorts
The *How to Train Your Dragon* saga is a sweeping Viking epic that covers over ten years of the main characters’ lives. To experience the story as intended by the creators, you must weave the TV series and short films between the main trilogy entries. The three major animated films—*How to Train Your Dragon*, *How to Train Your Dragon 2*, and *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World*—serve as the franchise's main pillars.
Here is the full, chronological order to watch the entire franchise:
- How to Train Your Dragon (2010): The foundational film. This is where the unlikely friendship between the scrawny Viking Hiccup and the rare Night Fury, Toothless, begins, leading to peace between Vikings and dragons on the island of Berk.
- Legend of the BoneKnapper Dragon (2010): A 16-minute short film that serves as a fun, immediate follow-up to the first movie, focusing on Gobber’s quest to find a mythological dragon.
- Book of Dragons (2011): An 18-minute short that acts as a guide to the various dragon species, featuring the main cast providing commentary.
- DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk (TV Series, 2 Seasons, 2012–2013): Set immediately after the first film, this series details Hiccup and the other young Vikings learning to co-exist with and train their dragons, forming the Berk Dragon Academy.
- DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk (TV Series, 2 Seasons, 2013–2014): The direct continuation of the first series, focusing on the team protecting Berk from new threats and discovering new dragon species.
- Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury (2011): A 22-minute holiday special that takes place after the events of *Defenders of Berk*, showing the first Snoggletog (Viking Christmas) celebration with dragons.
- Dragons: Race to the Edge (TV Series, 6 Seasons, 2015–2018): This is the longest and most crucial piece of the timeline, bridging the gap between the first and second movies. It takes place three years after *Defenders of Berk* and details the discovery of the Dragon Eye, their move to Dragon's Edge, and the introduction of major characters and plots that lead directly into *HTTYD 2*.
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014): Set five years after *Race to the Edge* (and six years after the first film), this movie shows a 20-year-old Hiccup, now a confident dragon rider, facing new threats and discovering his long-lost mother, Valka.
- Dawn of the Dragon Racers (2014): A 26-minute short film that recounts the origin story of the Dragon Racing sport seen in *HTTYD 2*. It takes place sometime after the second movie.
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019): The final chapter of the animated trilogy. Set one year after the second film, this movie concludes Hiccup's story as Chief of Berk and provides a definitive, emotional end to the age of dragons and Vikings.
- How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019): A 22-minute holiday special that takes place ten years after the events of *The Hidden World*, showing Hiccup and Astrid's children meeting Toothless's children. This is the final piece of the original animated continuity.
- DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms (TV Series, 2021–Present): Set 1,300 years after the events of *The Hidden World*, this series follows a new group of children who discover the hidden world of dragons. While canon, it is a standalone story far removed from the main characters.
The Creators and Key Figures of the Dragon Saga
To understand the depth of the franchise, it helps to know the key creative voices and the actors who brought the characters to life. The franchise's success is largely credited to a few core talents who maintained a consistent vision across the entire animated trilogy.
The Visionary Behind the Trilogy: Dean DeBlois
The heart and soul of the animated films is Canadian filmmaker Dean DeBlois. DeBlois served as the writer and director for all three main films: *How to Train Your Dragon* (2010), *How to Train Your Dragon 2* (2014), and *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World* (2019). He is also known for co-directing Disney's *Lilo & Stitch*. His commitment to the story's emotional arc, from Hiccup's awkward youth to his role as a wise chief, is what elevates the trilogy beyond a typical animated series. Crucially, DeBlois is returning to write and direct the upcoming live-action film, ensuring continuity in the vision.
The Iconic Voice Cast
The original animated characters were made famous by their distinct voices, which provided emotional weight and comedic timing:
- Jay Baruchel (Hiccup Haddock): Baruchel, a Canadian actor known for roles in comedies like *Tropic Thunder* and *This Is The End*, provided the voice for Hiccup across all three films and the TV series. His uniquely anxious, yet determined, voice perfectly captured Hiccup's initial awkwardness and eventual maturity.
- America Ferrera (Astrid Hofferson): Ferrera, an actress known for *Ugly Betty* and *Superstore*, voiced the fierce and pragmatic Astrid. Her performance established Astrid as a strong, independent female lead who evolves from Hiccup's rival to his wife and co-chief.
- Gerard Butler (Stoick the Vast): The Scottish actor provided the booming voice of Hiccup's father, the Chief of Berk. His powerful performance anchored the father-son relationship, which is a key emotional driver of the first two films.
- Craig Ferguson (Gobber the Belch): The comedian and talk show host voiced the lovable, one-handed, one-legged mentor Gobber across the franchise.
The Next Chapter: Everything We Know About the 2025 Live-Action Film
The biggest update in the *How to Train Your Dragon* universe is the upcoming live-action adaptation, which is set to re-tell the story of the first film with a new cast and a modern cinematic approach. This film is a standalone reboot, not a continuation of the animated storyline.
Live-Action Cast and Release Date
The film is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 13, 2025. The casting choices have been a major focus of fan discussion, with a mix of established and rising stars taking on the iconic roles:
- Mason Thames will star as the new Hiccup Haddock. Thames is best known for his role in *The Black Phone*.
- Nico Parker will play Astrid Hofferson. Parker has gained recognition for her roles in *Dumbo* and the HBO series *The Last of Us*.
- Gerard Butler is the only original cast member to reprise his role, returning as Stoick the Vast. This decision links the new film directly to the heart of the original saga.
- Other key cast members include Gabriel Howell, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Peter Serafinowicz, and Nick Frost.
Why the Live-Action Reboot is a Must-Watch
The live-action film, directed by the original trilogy's Dean DeBlois, is poised to offer a fresh perspective on the central theme: the bond between a boy and his dragon. While the animated series is a complete, beloved story, the new film promises to deliver the same emotional core with the stunning visual realism and scale that only live-action fantasy can provide. This film will introduce the world of Berk to a new generation while offering a familiar, yet visually distinct, experience for long-time fans. The decision to keep Gerard Butler as Stoick suggests a deep respect for the source material, ensuring the emotional beats of the father-son dynamic remain central to the narrative.
Topical Authority: The Dragon Species and Key Locations
A true fan understands that the world of *How to Train Your Dragon* is built on its detailed mythology, which introduces dozens of unique dragon species and locations that are crucial to the overall narrative flow (LSI Keywords).
Key Dragon Species (Entities)
The franchise features over 100 species, but a few are central to the story and appear across the movies and series:
- Night Fury (Toothless): The rarest and most intelligent dragon, the center of the entire story.
- Light Fury: Toothless's mate, introduced in *The Hidden World*, possessing the ability to cloak itself.
- Deadly Nadder: Astrid's dragon, Stormfly, known for its speed and venomous tail spikes.
- Gronckle: Fishlegs’ dragon, Meatlug, a heavy-bodied dragon that eats rocks and spits molten lava.
- Monstrous Nightmare: Snotlout’s dragon, Hookfang, known for its ability to set itself on fire.
- Hideous Zippleback: Ruffnut and Tuffnut’s two-headed dragon, Barf and Belch, which breathes gas from one head and ignites it with the other.
- Skrill: A powerful, lightning-wielding dragon often featured in *Race to the Edge*.
Key Locations (Entities)
The story's progression is marked by the discovery and establishment of new locations:
- Isle of Berk: The original Viking homeland, featured prominently in the first film and the *Riders/Defenders of Berk* series.
- Dragon's Edge: The main setting for the *Race to the Edge* series, a remote outpost discovered by Hiccup and the riders.
- The Hidden World: The mythical, luminous subterranean cavern that serves as the ancestral home of all dragons, revealed in the final animated film.
- Valka's Sanctuary: A secret, icy haven for dragons, discovered in *How to Train Your Dragon 2*.
Following this definitive chronological order—from the first film’s hesitant introduction to the 2025 live-action reboot—will ensure you fully grasp the rich, decade-spanning narrative of Hiccup, Toothless, and the legendary Vikings of Berk.
Detail Author:
- Name : Prof. Jean Emard DDS
- Username : leuschke.joyce
- Email : wabshire@gmail.com
- Birthdate : 1970-11-10
- Address : 69236 Doyle Land Lake Madisyn, LA 69619-3560
- Phone : +19569557643
- Company : Johnson-Stark
- Job : Shuttle Car Operator
- Bio : Doloribus ipsam et consequatur facere. Perspiciatis iusto voluptas est aperiam vitae fugit. Asperiores ab minima excepturi eaque corrupti. At enim est quod cum et dolorem ducimus.
Socials
tiktok:
- url : https://tiktok.com/@bette.welch
- username : bette.welch
- bio : Ut minima qui in dignissimos nulla. Explicabo enim animi ipsam saepe.
- followers : 5505
- following : 2629
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/bette.welch
- username : bette.welch
- bio : Molestiae assumenda aperiam occaecati ratione.
- followers : 4610
- following : 1503
linkedin:
- url : https://linkedin.com/in/bette1632
- username : bette1632
- bio : Exercitationem adipisci consequatur optio.
- followers : 5362
- following : 2064
instagram:
- url : https://instagram.com/bette_real
- username : bette_real
- bio : Mollitia praesentium qui omnis est. Veniam quo qui aut repellendus eligendi ipsum.
- followers : 2351
- following : 2985
twitter:
- url : https://twitter.com/welchb
- username : welchb
- bio : Animi neque quibusdam dignissimos officiis ea. Voluptas et labore qui occaecati. Totam rerum enim eligendi iste.
- followers : 6683
- following : 2292
