Sixth and Final Season: Race to the Edge
It’s the final season of the show, so the stakes are even higher. We have a new antagonist that was totally unexpected the first time around. And now they’re looking for a King of Dragons.
Johann and his cronies do not find the King of Dragons on their lens; they must need more in In Plain Sight. Krogan and Viggo differ on their methods of retrieving lenses. Johann suggests they figure out how to persuade Hiccup to give up his lenses.
So, meanwhile at Dragon’s Edge, Dagur stops by and discovers that of course, Hiccup has built his own Dragon Eye. But he needs more gems to properly make it work. That’s when Johann drops by and he’d be glad to help Hiccup acquire the appropriate gems (now we can hear the wheedling and conniving in his voice). Just like Heather, Oswald left a Dragon Eye lens for Dagur, except his was lost years ago, though he has an idea where it is. Snotlout goes with Dagur to retrieve that and the twins invite themselves along to the Northern Market with Johann and Hiccup.
Some Hunters try to trap Hiccup at the market and get the lenses, but Toothless rescues Hiccup. The twins point out the irony of the trap, but Hiccup willingly goes with Johann to get the final gems, in the lair of the Sandblaster. Except, as we’ve noticed, the twins often will speak the truth amongst their gibberish and chaos. And Hiccup has learned to listen; he realized Johann was playing Hiccup. Why else did the trader suggest bringing all the lenses? Why would the Hunters ask for the lenses? He even rattles off the clues Johann has dropped through the years, giving them just the right or wrong information as needed.
Johann has been a traitor since Breakneck Bog (all the way back in the first season of Riders of Berk); probably got annoyed by the dragons and the teens. He desires the King of Dragons so he can become the richest man on Earth. His tales have been stolen from real merchants that he disposed of once he sank their ships and took their cargo. He also wants to rid the archipelago of Hiccup and his Dragon Riders. “But you have the most annoying habit of not dying when you’re supposed to.” [Bit harsh for a so-called children’s show.] Johann makes a grab for Hiccup’s bag, but it doesn’t have the lenses in it. Johann manages to escape, but Hiccup knows they’ll get another shot. Dagur has his lens and now it’s a race: “first person to find all five lenses reveals the King of Dragons.” “Game on,” Hiccup declares.
Unfortunately, Hiccup now has to inform his father of Johann’s treachery. Stoick’s decisions in No Bark, All Bite, is to burn everything Johann has recently brought. His argument is to make sure none of the food is poisoned. Hiccup has a different opinion on how to do things, so he butts heads with Stoick. He did invite three of the most trustworthy merchants in the archipelago to stop by and vie for Berk’s trade. Stoick quickly dismisses them because none of them had willow bark, which they need for their medicines. Hiccup and Stoick will go get some bark; Gobber offers to stay behind and try out all the merchants.
Flyers tail the duo and set fire to the islands where they can get the bark. Hiccup and Stoick continue to bicker, then realize that there’s a larger plan at work. In fact, the Hunters have invaded Berk and hold its people hostage (seems the merchants weren’t so trustworthy.) The Riders work on escaping as Hiccup and Stoick fly back. Stoick faces off versus Krogan, but the man manages to slink away at the end instead of fighting against more of the Riders. Stoick tells his son that he and Berk need Hiccup, though the teen intends to return to the Edge to fight against the Hunters. Dagur, proving to be good ally, sends the willow bark that Berk needs.
Hiccup sets up a summit at Defender of the Wing island to fill his allies in on Johann’s treachery in Chain of Command. At Wingmaiden island, Snotlout bonds with Minden about how they’re passed over for the more important roles of authority. Minden repeatedly tries to prove herself, but often chooses the wrong option; like moving all the guards to the other side of the island to combat a fire; it was a distraction. She feels like she’s not longer worthy of being a Wingmaiden. Snotlout points out that he never said she should quit, but deal with there are some people their leaders will choose over them. “I’m an idiot, ask anyone.”
Meanwhile, at the Defenders of the Wing island, Dagur meets Mala and they end up bonding; well, the twins try to mediate between them when the two leaders bicker. And they bond and Mala rides with Dagur when they come to help rescue Hiccup and Toothless. Krogan once again retreats and the Riders hide their lenses on Wingmaiden island. As they fly back to the Edge, Hiccup states that Snotlout is indeed a valuable member of the tribe, though he’ll have to fight Astrid for some of the tasks.
There is apparently a Loyal Order of Ingerman and Fishlegs is distressed to discover that his family was known for hunting Dramillion dragons. [How is this different than any other family in Berk? All of Berk fought dragons until Hiccup shot one down and then rode it into battle.] Astrid goes along with Fishlegs to find the rest of the Dramillions and make sure they’re not extinct. Nope, not extinct, but there are Hunters who train using them, so the two have to set the Dramillions free. Meanwhile, the twins and Snotlout try their hands at educating a group of kids from Berk, which goes about as well as one can expect from Snotlout and the twins. “How is it that three dragon riders who have gone head-to-head with Viggo Grimborn can’t handle three children from Berk?” Hiccup quips.
Fishlegs gains the trust of the Dramillions by echoing many of Hiccup’s actions: tossing his Viking helmet aside, and holding out his hand to the dragon’s nose. The three children do emerge from the woods, having proved themselves to their new trainers and are eager to rejoin Fishlegs for more education.
Gruffnut returns in A Gruff Separation to moderate the Thorston Induction Trials for the twins, though he claims there is only one spot open in the family. At first, neither twin will compete, but he talks them around separately. The first challenge is to acquire Speed Stinger venom, which they’ll use in the second challenge to freeze Changewings in order to grab some of their molted skin (which works a bit like an visibility cloak.) The twins don’t fully trust Gruff and neither does Hiccup, so he follows them through the challenges. The third challenge is to go into a nest of Titanwing Zipplebacks and retrieve a chest. The twins ultimately work together because Ruff won’t leave Tuff to be eaten. Gruff takes the chest, supposedly back to Berk. And his story gets a gaping hole in it when their aunt arrives on the Edge to administer the trails. We find out that the chest has a lens in it, but the conclusion of the story won’t play out for a few episodes.
The relationship between Dagur and Mala goes well and in Mi Amore Wing, they announce they are getting married and ask Hiccup to be the best man. They act very lovey-dovey and Astrid notices the differences in her relationship with Hiccup. Hiccup quips that he’s never seen Dagur so passionate about anything, except killing me. Astrid wears the betrothal medallion, to see if Hiccup notices. He’s distracted by a dragon problem and doesn’t notice. He spots a Dragon Eye lens on the Armorwing, before he notices the medallion, which does not earn him any points with Astrid. She goes so far as to give the medallion back to Hiccup. But, when Krogan turns up and it becomes a race to get the lens, Astrid takes Hiccup’s hand. “I’m with you.” “I know.”
Afterwards Hiccup tosses the lens to protect Dagur and Krogan flies off with it, Hiccup admits that he’s taken Astrid for granted. Yes, their relationship is different from Dagur’s and Mala’s; it’s built on years of friendship. But he couldn’t have done any of the big things; the Riders, the Edge, without Astrid. “You’ve always been there for me, and I want to always be there for you. I love you, Astrid Hofferson, with everything I have. And I always will.” He returns the medallion to Astrid and kisses her.
With Krogan and the Hunters gaining another lens, Hiccup decides it’s wise to move their lenses from Wingmaiden island as a precaution. They arrive on the island when it’s time for a new batch of baby Razorwhips to pick their maiden who will be their protector. One decides that Ruffnut is their person, much to Ruffnut’s annoyance. Tuffnut is eager to help and secretly does the training tasks for his twin sister, bestowing the name “Wingnutt” on the baby dragon. Ruff struggles to bond with the dragon and the dragon won’t go to anyone else. She attempts to give up, but spots a Hunter ambush and goes into action with Wingnutt. Astrid commands the Riders as Hiccup faces off with Krogan. Ruff recues Atali, but still refuses to remain on Wingmaiden island afterwards. She’s still a Dragon Rider and since men aren’t allowed and the island and Ruffnut won’t be separated from Tuffnut… Wingnutt decides to stay with Atali in Ruff Transition.
Johann seals Viggo inside a cave with a Monstrous Nightmare in Triple Cross. Next, Hiccup goes to find another lens, alone, based off a note from Stoick. But he’s prepared when Viggo pops out; he’s learned a few things over the years. The two adversaries face off and Viggo has his own fire sword, with a few improvements [some of those will be incorporated in Hiccup’s next sword.] Viggo’s sword emits Zippleback gas, which gets his breathing room to ask Hiccup for help against Krogan and Johann. He tells Hiccup that Krogan is employed by a mysterious buyer from the North [Drago], not Johann. Viggo has come for the Skrill, who is the Singetail’s natural predator.
He’s learned from Hiccup about dragons. The Monstrous Nightmare protected Viggo in the cave in. And Viggo won’t hurt the Skirll; it’s a magnificent creature; he’d never torture it. That’s something Hiccup never thought he’d hear his adversary say.
When they enact their plan, Viggo gives Hiccup to Johann, but he won’t kill Hiccup when all three men argue. That’s Hiccup’s cue for his part of the plan to get Johann’s lenses. It’s another trap and Viggo comes by to help Hiccup get out. It will be Viggo’s last stand; he already has several arrow wounds. The Skrill stands beside Viggo against the Hunters while Hiccup and Toothless escape, despite Hiccup’s protests. He covers the Maces and Talons board at the Edge, a bit in memory of Viggo.
Astrid wants to check on Garff in Family Matters. Hiccup tries to warn her not to; they don’t want the Hunters to find him. But, Hiccup can’t win an argument against Astrid. And indeed, when they find the adult Deathsong and go to free it, Garff is captured. The Riders are forced to retreat and they wonder why the Singetails won’t leave the island. Turns out, it’s a hatchery. Throughout all of this, Snotlout is composing a book (which Hiccup and Astrid call a short story and a work of fiction.) The Riders eventually come up with a plan to get all the eggs out and all the dragons to leave, and free the two Deathsongs.
Darkest Night is where the season starts wrapping up. Stoick is patrolling at night, alone, when the Flyers attack. He and Skullcrusher are knocked down; Stoick has to bat away fireballs with his axe. Gobber and the A-Team rescue Stoick before it’s too late, but he’s badly hurt. Hiccup and the other Riders rush back to Berk. Spitelout speaks at a council meeting that it’s time they take the offensive Johann. Snotlout agrees with his father; they need the right strategy and right leader. Spitelout says that if Stoick can’t be chief, someone needs to step in. That would mean Hiccup. Hiccup’s not ready to take on even the temporary mantle of chief; he’s not ready to give up on his father getting better.
Hiccup blames himself for this mess. If he had never left for the Edge, none of this would have happened. His friends come by because they can’t sleep either and start theorizing what life would be like if they had stayed on Berk. The twins figure they would have gone full Loki and chaos would rein, with Johann and Dagur still attacking, but Berk would be less prepared. Fishlegs thinks that there would have been peace. Snotlout bursts his bubble and loudly proclaims that he would have been the favored Viking and engaged to Astrid instead. Hiccup puts a loud end to their storytelling. It doesn’t matter what story they come up with.
“We trained the dragons. We left Berk. And my father is on his deathbed because of it, because of me. None of this would have happened…if I had never shot down Toothless in the first place. You know it, I know it. Berk knows it. Everyone knows it! Even he [Toothless] knows it.”
He storms off for some privacy, but Toothless finds him. Hiccup apologizes. Then Astrid finds him and tells him a different story. If Hiccup had missed that shot those years ago, Stoick would have eventually made Hiccup complete his training and kill a dragon. Hiccup mocks Stoick in the cove on why killing a beast that’s minding its own business suddenly makes you a man, when Toothless shows up. Hiccup accidentally catches him, but still can’t bring himself to kill the Night Fury. Toothless gets free and yells at Hiccup, but then a Screaming Death appears. Both Hiccup and Toothless attempt to protect the other, including a wild flight. They’re both knocked out at certain points and Stoick comes thundering up to scare off the Screaming Death. Same as after the Red Death, Toothless kept Hiccup safe, though the young Viking still lost his leg. So ultimately, the pair come together as they are. As Astrid told Hiccup earlier, they came together for a reason. Hiccup agrees, he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be. He’d ultimately still be out there fighting for dragons; all of his friends would end up right where they are.
Hiccup’s not giving up on his dad, but he has to stop Johann and the Flyers, or none of what’s happened will matter. Then more bad news at the end of the episode; Heather brings word that the Flyers have attacked Vanaheim.
In Guardians of Vanaheim, Stoick wakes up long enough to tell Hiccup to do what he needs to do. Luckily, Alvin and some Outcasts arrive to help keep an eye on Stoick and protect Berk. The Riders find fires on Vanaheim and the Sentinel dragons down, seemingly dead. There’s one Flyer left that tells them that word is on its way back to Johann. Fishlegs remains behind when Meatlug won’t leave the Sentinels; the rest of the Riders race after the Flyers. They’re forced to regroup and Hiccup now starts worrying about making the wrong decision; a lot is riding on what he decides. Astrid calms him down; the young man makes a hundred decisions a day, they’re not all going to be correct. What is important is that Hiccup keeps going after making a mistake.
Meatlug is able to wake up the Sentinels with her lava; and some help from the twins (cause they’ll take any excuse to start a big fire). Johann doesn’t make it to Vanaheim, but he does have Gruffnut and the Dragon Eye lens.
The season ends with the two-parter King of Dragons. Legend says that the King of Dragons uses its mind to control other dragons. The Riders think it’s a Titanwing Dramillion based on what lenses they have. As the Riders get ready to head out, Spitelout brings word that Stoick’s condition has worsened. He’s not dead, but the council has called Hiccup back to Berk to be acting chief. The teens start packing up, with Astrid keeping them in line. Hiccup ultimately decides that he’s going after Johann; the chief doesn’t have to follow orders, well, Stoick never did. Spitelout goes with the Riders when they find the Hunter navy.
The twins rescue Gruffnut, but he talks them and Spitelout into going back for something important. (They ultimately leave him on a beach later.) Turns out, the Titanwing Dramillion can cloak itself like a Changewing. It’s a battle to try to either capture the dragon or protect it. The Hunters get him and cart him away. Later, the Riders find him left to die and bring him to Defenders of the Wing island for care. There, his fire reveals the final puzzle in the Dragon Eye for the King of Dragons. Hiccup had been thinking that the Dramillion couldn’t be the king, because the skeletons don’t match. The final showdown will take place on Berserker Island.
Once again, when the Riders manage to surround Krogan on Berserker Island, he retreats. Oddly, the Singetails can’t get too close to the island, something prevents them. The king must be beneath the island, using its mind control. Wingmaidens arrive to bolster the Riders and Astrid takes charge after she tells Hiccup to go protect the king from Krogan and Johann. (They do have enough time for a kiss.)
The king indeed has as strange blast; ice rather than fire. [It’s a Bewilderbeast.] Hiccup finds an egg and tries to get it to safety, but is pinned down by Johann and Krogan. Hiccup ends up over the cliff and starts to climb up using his fire sword and his peg leg. Johann grabs the egg, but they all fight over it. Toothless protects Hiccup, then Hiccup orders him after Krogan and the egg. Now it’s just Johann and Hiccup. Johann quips how ironic it will be that the final resting place for the champion of dragons will be in the King of Dragon’s birth nest. A blast from the king freezes Johann and gives Hiccup a chance to climb up, made a little more difficult when his sword breaks (ice plus fire). Hiccup never actually sees the king.
We see a whole flock of dragons; all the dragons we’ve seen in the show arrive to help defend the king of dragons. Garff recues Astrid. Fishlegs and Snotlout both rescue Ruffnut. Krogan manages to get away, but Toothless has the egg. When Krogan reports to Drago, Drago refuses to give the man another chance, he motions for him to be killed. They’ll just have to find another king of dragons.
The Wingmaidens know of someone who can care for the egg, so they leave it in a special spot. A mysterious figure [Valka] retrieves the egg. Astrid and Hiccup share a kiss at Dagur and Mala’s wedding, where Snotlout and Fishlegs start vying for Ruffnut’s attention. The Riders officially leave the Edge (though the buildings remain). Stoick recovers, but Hiccup figures his father will try to hand the reins over soon. They destroy both Dragon Eyes; they’re chocked full of information on dragons, but in the wrong hands, they would be very dangerous.
“We are older, stronger, braver, and in some cases wiser… We return to Berk ready for anything, ready for anyone, ready to fight for our dragons and they are ready to fight for us.”
This all sets up the second movie; excellent tie-in. Though there is a question to be asked: where were all of these allies when Drago moved against Berk? The simple answer is, these allies weren’t written into the timeline until after the second movie had come out, so they weren’t available to be used. Also, parts of this, like the attack on Stoick, become so much more poignant after the second movie.
I liked Astrid’s story best of all in Darkest Night because it’s the most plausible. While the twins would undoubtedly go full Loki with nothing to take up their time, their tales always descend into the absurd. And there’s no evidence to support either Fishleg’s or Snotlout’s ideas. Yes, Hiccup would have to prove himself to his father. And he quickly learned once he was in dragon training that he didn’t want to kill them. He’d figure out some way to befriend them.
It’s sweet that Dagur and Mala got together and definitely not something we could have seen coming. Hiccup does have a point that his and Astrid’s relationship is very different than theirs; Astrid has always been Hiccup’s second in command and Snotlout has wisely learned that. He’s still searching for his exact place and has proven on occasion to be a decent leader.
We see Hiccup get a little more ruthless. He almost attacks the Flyer on Vanaheim, but puts his sword in the sand. He fires an arrow directly at Krogan, only for the Singetail to bat it away. He’s also gotten good at throwing bolas. He’s developed skills that help with dragon riding, but don’t center completely on dragon riding.
This will play into the second movie, but Hiccup has gotten good at persuading people to the good qualities of dragons. He persuaded his father and all of Berk. Alvin and Dagur are now allies because they discovered they couldn’t best Hiccup and it was better to have dragons as friends than enemies. Hiccup’s even gotten Viggo Grimborn to respect dragons and want to protect them rather than hunt and sell them. That was something we did not expect when he was introduced. Krogan’s proven to be more of a blunt instrument, with very little of the finesse and charm that Viggo displays. There would be no turning him, since he delights in using dragons to attack the Riders. And there’s no turning Johann. He hid his disdain for years, masterfully. Hiccup is learning what sort of people are out in the world. Some can be reasoned with, some cannot. There are more dragons than they ever thought of; and again, some can be reasoned with, and some cannot.
Hiccup continues to develop as a leader. The Berk council is willing to name him acting chief when Stoick is incapacitated. He speaks well with other leaders who are undoubtedly older than him. He’s gained their trust as an expert on dragons. He’s finally settled into a friendship with Dagur and stands as his best man at his wedding.
I love this show like I love the movies. There are episodes I willingly watch over and over for how the characters act, for little scenes that pop up. The teens get to grow into young adults and have adventures and some crazy times. What teen hasn’t wanted a super cool clubhouse with their friends? The show is a wonderful bridge between the first two movies and I’m now kind of eager to watch the second movie soon. First, I will step back and work on some stories for a few weeks, but never fear, How to Train Your Dragon 2 blog will be coming.
Dreamer in the Mirror 