The following contains spoilers for How To Train Your Dragon, now playing in theatersHow to Train Your Dragon‘s ending builds off the groundwork established by the original film, while expanding on some specific elements of the cast and world. A remake of the DreamWorks animated film of the same name, How to Train Your Dragon brings the adventures of a Viking inventor and his secret pet dragon to live-action. The result is a story that doesn’t change too much about the plot, with How to Train Your Dragon‘s cast of characters sharing a lot in common with the original.

The biggest changes that How to Train Your Dragon makes to the original is in some slight tonal tweaks and expanded subplots, giving two of the film’s supporting characters a more fulfilling arc. Beyond that, the film also does a better job than the original animated film in laying the groundwork for a live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2, which is already in development. Here is how How to Train Your Dragon‘s ending compares to the original and what it teases about the future of the franchise.

How To Train Your Dragon’s Ending Is Almost Exactly Like The Animated Movie

Both Films Set Up Berk To Become A Haven For Dragons

The ending of How to Train Your Dragon is largely similar to how the original animated film concluded, speaking to the core similarities between the two films. How To Train Your Dragon‘s big emotional arc focuses on Hiccup’s connection to people like his father Stoick, and his love interest, Astrid. After proving himself to the latter, a furious Stoick discovers his time learning from Toothless and kidnaps the dragon to lead him to the dragon’s nest. Hiccup and his friends race there on top of other dragons, helping save the day and kill the Red Death.’

However, this victory comes at a cost for Hiccup, who loses one of his feet in the process. The rest of Berk quickly bounces back and adjusts to their newfound mutual respect for the dragons, allowing them to to incoperate them into the town structure. It’s a very cute ending and one that is almost note-for-note identical with the animated original. Although the tone has been made a slightly bit more dramatic thanks to the shift to live-action, the ending of How to Train Your Dragon is very consistent with the original movie.

How The Live-Action Remake’s Conclusion Is Different From The Animated Film

Astrid And Snoutlout Get Better Arcs In The New How To Train Your Dragon Ending

The biggest differences to the ending of How to Train Your Dragon are consistent with other changes to the story. The biggest changes come for Astrid and Snoutlout, who both get additional depth in the new film. Astrid is established as an aspiring chief, earning the respect of Berk as a whole. She initially sees Hiccup as a rival and is frustrated both by his unᴀssuming privilege and his unexpected skills. This additional time spent with Astrid adds depth to her eventual romance with Hiccup and the setup of her as a field leader for the younger Vikings.

Snoutlout is one of the more one-note characters in the original animated film, serving as a minor bully to Hiccup. The character is also given more depth in the film beyond his crush on Astrid, reducing much of his outright antagonism for Hiccup while still establishing himself as a bully. The film also introduces Snoutlout’s father, who is seen repeatedly judging the young man. Snoutlout serves as a direct foil to Hiccup in this regard, with both trying to earn their father’s respect.

For both Hiccup and Snoutlout, their bravery in the final battle against the Red Death seems to cement them in their father’s eyes, with Snoutlout’s Dad giving him an affirmative pat on the back as a sign of affection in the climax. It’s a small moment, but one that makes the character much more likable. While the overall plot elements of How to Train Your Dragons‘ ending remain consistent across both versions, the depth the extended run-time affords Astrid and Snoutlout improves both characters.

What How To Train Your Dragon’s Ending Means For The Sequel

The Live-Action Film Sets Up The Return Of Hiccup’s Mother And The Wider World Of Dragons

The ending of How to Train Your Dragon is fairly self-contained, ensuring the main characters all get a happy ending. Not even How To Train Your Dragon‘s post-credits scene did much to tease the sequel, beyond hinting towards the importance of Hiccup’s notebook moving forward.

However, the film leaves open an entire world to be explored. The original film ended in a similar fashion, leading to a number of spin-offs and two theatrical sequels. Arguably the most important is How to Train Your Dragon 2, which expanded the world of the franchise and introduced Valka, Hiccup’s mother. Valka is referenced repeatedly in How to Train Your Dragon, which puts a greater emphasis on her apparent death in inspiring Stoick’s anti-dragon rage.

How to Train Your Dragon also incorporated diversity into the casting and worldbuilding, revealing that Berk was founded by recruiting the best dragon hunters from around the world. This opens up the possibility of dragon encounters all over the world. This could set up plenty of side-adventures or new locations for future films. Other dragon masters like Drago, the villain of How to Train Your Dragon 2, could easily threaten the peace that Hiccup has established in the live-action continuity. Much like the original film, How to Train Your Dragon has a good ending that sets up a bigger world.

The Real Meaning Of How To Train Your Dragon

How To Train Your Dragon Is About The Power Of Empathy

How to Train Your Dragon‘s ending is a sweet testament to the potential of empathy, whether that be on personal or cultural lines. Hiccup is trapped by his love for his people and his connection with Toothless, spurring him on to try and convince them that the Vikings don’t need to be enemies with the dragons. Similarly, he tries to smooth over the conflict that has festered with his father, the tension that has grown between him and Astrid, and his reputation with the whole village. They treat his differences with scorn, much as they fear and hate the dragons.

Hiccup proves to be the one capable of crossing the boundaries between the Vikings and the dragons, working under his belief that they are the same. That same fear he felt and saw in Toothless inspires him. That shared element gradually becomes loyalty and even nobility, turning Hiccup from a wannabe Viking into a genuine hero. It’s a sweet and emotional arc for the film, a central thesis that is borne out across How to Train Your Dragon‘s major character arcs as they learn from Hiccup and come to accept one another in a new way.