2025’s How To Train Your Dragon has a few notable changes to its animated counterpart, but there are also smaller ones that are easy to miss. DreamWorks’ first live-action remake was a major hit. It has become the second highest-grossing film in the franchise, earning over $560 million at the worldwide box office on a $150 million budget.

It’s also a winner with audiences and critics, holding a 77% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore. While it’s one of 2025’s most successful blockbusters, there is a common criticism among viewers that it’s too similar to the original. It has the same story, same dialogue, and same music, making it seem like a sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake in various ways.

However, the film includes several important changes that set it apart from the 2010 animated movie. For example, Astrid has ambitions to become chief, and the Vikings of Berk are a multicultural tribe. While they don’t change the narrative too much, they do add more context and improve certain characters’ relationships.

Among these larger changes are more subtle ones, such as missing moments or added character interactions. While they’re small, they are significant. Here are 5 changes from the HTTYD live-action remake that you may have missed.

5

Stoick Compares Hiccup To His Mother

The Film Teases Valka’s Return In How To Train Your Dragon 2

2010’s How to Train Your Dragon doesn’t often mention Hiccup’s mother, Valka, voiced by Cate Blanchett. She’s believed to be killed by dragons, and Stoick gives Hiccup a helmet made out of one half of her breastplate to honor her. 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 reveals she wasn’t killed by dragons, and lives among them, protecting them from dragon hunters and thieves.

The live-action remake mentions Valka more often, using her death to fuel Stoick’s hatred for the creatures. However, it’s also used in one scene to tease how similar Hiccup is to his mother, foreshadowing her introduction in the 2027 sequel. Toward the beginning of the film, Stoick rants to Gobber about how different Hiccup is from himself and the other Vikings.

He says he has a “mind of his own” and that “he gets that from his mother.” Gobber also mentions Valka’s name, something that was never used in the original film. The film leans into the audience’s awareness of the original trilogy, building up her return so that audiences know more about her before the upcoming HTTYD 2 remake.

4

Astrid Jumps Into The Red Death’s Mouth

Astrid Gets An Additional Action Scene

In the animated film’s climax, Hiccup, Astrid, and their friends team up to defeat the Red Death. In the original film, Astrid rides Stormfly to try and distract the giant dragon. She’s almost swallowed whole by the beast before Toothless hits the beast with a bolt of fire. Astrid is flung from Stormfly but is caught by Toothless, who gently puts her on the ground before returning to battle.

In the remake, Astrid ends up in the Red Death’s mouth and decides to do some dental work. She slashes at the beast’s teeth, knocking some of them out, causing the giant dragon to get angry. Before the Red Death unleashes a fiery blast, she jumps from its mouth, and is caught by Hiccup and Toothless. The rest plays out similarly to the animated version.

While this sequence doesn’t change the climax much, it does give Astrid more to do in the film’s final battle. She’s shown to be more ferocious and talented in the remake, and her knocking out some of the Red Death’s teeth proves how ruthless she can be. It’s also an impressive scene, since HTTYD‘s production VFX supervisor Christian Manz confirmed it was a practical effect.

3

Stoick Mentions He Rode A Dragon To Get Back To Berk

The Remake Answers A Glaring Plot Hole

Stoick’s deep hatred for dragons is one of the main conflicts within How to Train Your Dragon. He blames them for his wife’s death, and believes the only way to protect his people is by destroying their nest and killing them all. He feels completely betrayed by Hiccup when he shows his true colors, but is won over when he sees the bond he has with Toothless, and even saves Toothless from drowning.

When Hiccup wakes up after Toothless saves him, everyone is back at Berk safe and sound, and Stoick has allowed vikings to coexist with dragons. However, there’s a plot hole regarding how everyone returned to Berk since the Red Death burned down their ships. While it can be inferred they returned via the dragons, it’s never explicitly confirmed.

In the remake, Stoick tells Hiccup that he rode a dragon to get back to the island. Hiccup is excited and shocked that his dad likes dragons now and trusts them enough to ride them. It’s a brief comment, but it kills birds with one stone. It answers how the Vikings returned home and improves Stoick’s arc, demonstrating his open-mindedness to Hiccup’s perspective.

2

Toothless Doesn’t Engulf Hiccup In Smoke After The Test Drive Sequence

The Remake Skips One Of The Film’s Most Memorable Jokes

The “Test Drive” scene in How to Train Your Dragon is pure perfection. It capitalizes on the bond between Hiccup and Toothless, while showcasing an impressive flight sequence. It also has incredible music, composed by John Powell. The live-action remake delivers on this moment, recreating many of the best parts from this scene, while also including some new angles and moments of tension.

Many will notice that it’s missing the scene after the test drive where Toothless and Hiccup encounter a group of baby dragons. Instead, the live-action film cuts to the scene where Stoick congratulates his son on his training accomplishments. However, there’s another notable omission from the test flight sequence that audiences may have noticed.

After completing the treacherous flight, Hiccup celebrates with an exclamatory “Yes!” Meanwhile, Toothless celebrates in his own way by creating a cloud of fire that he and Hiccup fly into. Hiccup’s joy is cut short as he’s covered in smoke thanks to his beloved dragon. While it’s not essential to the plot, it’s a good joke that the live-action should have included.

1

Astrid Comforts Stoick When They Think Hiccup’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

Astrid And Stoick Had A Stronger Relationship

One of the most touching moments of How To Train Your Dragon is when Toothless saves Hiccup after the pair dive into the fire created by the Red Death. It shows how strong their bond is and how loyal Toothless is to his friend. However, Stoick and the rest of the vikings initially think Hiccup’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, causing Stoick to briefly mourn his son’s loss.

In the animated film, Stoick is alone in front of Toothless, pondering how he could have prevented this. The remake changes this by having Astrid comfort him during this moment, as she also thought Hiccup was gone. Astrid puts her hand on his shoulder, and Stoick grabs her hand before Toothless reveals he saved Hiccup in his wings (well, most of him).

2025’s How to Train Your Dragon already improved the relationship between Astrid and Stoick. Stoick holds Astrid in high esteem, which is shown by how he reacts when she helps Hiccup protect Toothless. Their shared mourning over Hiccup strengthened their connection and showed how much both of them cared for Hiccup. It’s a small but important addition that could play out further in the upcoming sequel.