The How to Train Your Dragon movies ranked show how great the trilogy is, and how the live-action remake compares. Under the ᴀssured direction of Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, the How to Train Your Dragon saga became one of the most critically acclaimed animated series of all time, thanks to its rich stories and stunning animation. Between 2010 and 2019, audiences followed the young, adventuring Viking called Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), whose friendship with the Night Fury Toothless forever transformed the warring societies of Vikings and dragons.

Throughout the series, Hiccup and Toothless combat a number of threats to their newfound peace, such as warlords, dragon hunters, and the monstrous Red Death. But against this backdrop, the franchise charts Hiccup’s maturation from an awkward teen into a conflicted dragon rider and, finally, a responsible chieftain. This is the same general story that’s brought to life again with the live-action How To Train Your Dragon remake. Now that there are four films in the franchise overall – one live-action, three animated, picking the best movie gets more challenging.

4

How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

The Live-Action Remake

Live-action remakes are inherently challenging (just ask Disney), as the idea of redoing these stories in a new form creates the belief that these reimaginings need to update and improve upon the original. Remaking a movie as beloved as How To Train Your Dragon was never going to be easy. There is no real argument to be made here that this live-action version is an overall better experience than the journey audiences went on 15 years prior. This is essentially a sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake, with a few How To Train Your Dragon changes and additions, presented in a different format.

This doesn’t make the live-action How To Train Your Dragon a bad movie. In fact, it can certainly be enjoyed and will likely be entertaining for those who hold the first film in such high regard. The great visuals, John Powell’s majestic score, Dean DeBlois’ steady direction, and the strong relationship between Hiccup and Toothless are all there. It even manages to make Astrid a better character, fleshes out Berk’s history in some fascinating ways, and is a great opportunity to see Gerard Butler reprise his role as Stoick once more.

The ways that the live-action remake improves upon the original or recaptures its spirit are commendable. It had a high bar to live up to. How To Train Your Dragon‘s remake doesn’t soar the franchise to new heights or eclipse the quality of the first movie, but it is still a fun, alternate way to experience the beginning of Hiccup and Toothless’ arc. The fact that it’s at the bottom of this ranking isn’t a suggestion that it’s bad. It just isn’t quite as good as the three excellent animated movies that came first.

3

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

A Worthy Conclusion Of The Trilogy

A year after the events of How to Train Your Dragon 2, Hiccup is now the chieftain of Berk, which continues to thrive as a dragon utopia. But trouble looms when the dragon hunter Grimmel the Grisly (F. Murray Abraham) sets his sights on Toothless, whose bond with Hiccup is tested when the dragon becomes infatuated with a female “Light Fury.”

Regrettably, even How to Train Your Dragon is unable to escape the curse of lesser movie threequels. However, it must be stressed that just because The Hidden World ranks the lowest, it shouldn’t be considered a bad movie. On the contrary, the film continues to exhibit the breathtaking levels of detail – along with stunning vistas and designs – that the series has become famous for. This is particularly the case when our heroes traverse the тιтular mystical realm, which bursts forth in a jaw-dropping display of bioluminescence.

Furthermore, the interplay between Hiccup and Toothless is as charming as it has ever been in The Hidden World; a scene where Hiccup ᴀssists his friend in a mating dance is a clear standout. Plus, the film also boasts the trilogy’s best villain, in the form of the sadistic Grimmel. As a dark reflection of Hiccup (which thankfully sidesteps the “Not so different, you and I” trope), Grimmel repeatedly outsmarts Hiccup and his friends, and he feels like a real threat to the citizens of Berk, even if he isn’t all that complex.

As such, it’s a shame that this kind of finesse isn’t as prevalent elsewhere in the third How to Train Your Dragon movie. Where its predecessors nimbly skirted their various characters and subplots, The Hidden World begins to sag under their weight midway through. The Hidden World shifts its focus from Valka (Cate Blanchett) and Astrid (America Ferrera) to the series’ side characters Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Ruffnutt and Tuffnut (Kristen Wiig and Justin Rupple). It deepens our understanding of Hiccup’s group, but these players have previously toed that fine line between funny and outright irritating.

The third How to Train Your Dragon movie was another hit with critics and earned the franchise its third Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. The box office fell in the middle of the series with The Hidden World outgrossing the original movie but falling short of reaching How to Train Your Dragon 2‘s gross. As the end of the trilogy, it is a little disappointing that it is the least memorable of the three movies, yet its emotional and satisfying conclusion speaks to how this is one of the best movie franchises of the decade.

2

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

The Franchise Debuts With A Hit

The film that started it all centers on belittled and ridiculed, Hiccup, a 15-year-old Viking who attempts to prove himself by shooting down a dragon. But when he succeeds – and ultimately chooses not to kill the creature – Hiccup’s actions have remarkable consequences. Over a decade has pᴀssed, but How to Train Your Dragon has lost none of its magic. At the time, it seemed revelatory that the film had opted to forgo the animated DreamWorks movies’ penchant for sᴀssy pop-culture references – as seen in the Shrek and Madagascar series.

Time has judged this to be a good decision. Sure, How to Train Your Dragon still features bickering teens and pratfalls, but the humor of this movie hasn’t dated in the same way that other modern animated movies have. Indeed, this straightforward comedic style only intensifies the delight of seeing Hiccup and Toothless’ relationship develop. Toothless’ mannerisms resemble a cat’s, but his energy is doglike. It’s an adorable combination that generates plenty of quirky interactions between the mismatched pair, along with many of the movie’s most heartfelt moments.

Among these is the much-touted test flight sequence, which is a stirring aerial display filled with dramatic import and power. Composer John Powell’s rousing efforts are particularly potent here, and from this scene alone, it’s evident why he was nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA for his score. The end confrontation is similarly spectacular, even if the Red Death that Hiccup and Toothless face is the series’ least compelling villain. Moreover, this gargantuan dragon is introduced late in the story, and as such, it feels a tad perfunctory.

Still, this is hardly enough to harm the first How to Train Your Dragon movie, which is also notable for being one of the rare, positive depictions of disability in family movies, in the form of Gobber (Craig Ferguson) and Hiccup’s mechanical prostheses.

1

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

The Series At Its Best

Following the huge success of the first How to Train Your Dragon movie, the franchise delivers one of the greatest animated sequels of all time. Five years after the events of the first movie, Berk has become a peaceful haven and Hiccup is now an accomplished dragon rider. But whilst his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) pressures him to become chief, Hiccup is forced to contend with the warrior Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou) and a ghost from his own past.

In a pre-release interview for How to Train Your Dragon 2, Dean DeBlois disclosed (via Cinema Blend) that The Empire Strikes Back was a major inspiration for Hiccup and Toothless’ second adventure. Using the most beloved Star Wars movie as a reference point was a savvy move indeed. Like Empire, How to Train Your Dragon 2 doubles down on everything that worked in its predecessor, and the results are simply sensational.

Among its animal antics and teenage bickering, this sequel stands as a mature exploration of war, compᴀssion and responsibility. Yet the film never loses sight of its characters among these weighty themes. A family reunion – and the death of a series stalwart – are hugely affecting because these players are animated and voiced so effectively.

Moreover, the film’s sumptuous visuals showcase a clear upgrade in DreamWorks’ animation. The influence of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins (who served as a visual consultant) can also be noticed in the many striking sH๏τs of icy seas, clouded mountains, and the movie’s airborne set-pieces, which surely rank among the most immersive ever committed to film. And that’s not even mentioning John Powell’s triumphant, chill-inducing score. How to Train Your Dragon 2 isn’t just the best installment of the series; it’s one of the most accomplished animated movies ever made.

What’s Next For The How To Train Your Dragon Franchise?

Now that the live-action How To Train Your Dragon is out, the franchise’s future is solidified in this new direction. DreamWorks previously confirmed that a live-action How To Train Your Dragon 2 is in development. The movie already has a 2027 release date set, allowing it to come out only two years after the first remake. This should help with the rapidly aging young stars, Mason Thames and Nico Parker, continuing to play Hiccup and Astrid. Gerard Butler is also set to come back as Stoick, while the rest of How To Train Your Dragon‘s cast should also return.

For the time being, more live-action movies appear to be the future of this franchise. There has been no movement on an animated How To Train Your Dragon 4 in the years since The Hidden World released. It’s unlikely that the series will return to animation until after the live-action series completes an expected trilogy. Even then, the series could remain in live-action following 2025’s How To Train Your Dragon charting the franchise in a new direction.