- The How to Train Your Dragon animated franchise has three main films and three main TV shows.
- These six installments set up the complete story of Toothless and Hiccup.
- Fans can watch all the released installments in chronological order if they wish to experience the entire story in a linear pattern.
How to Train Your Dragon is a massive animated franchise that is set to return with its much-awaited live-action remake. The story of Toothless and Hiccup is incredible in every way, and we can’t wait to experience all of it again in the live-action format. However, some fans would want to watch the animated films and TV shows before the live-action, and if that’s the case, here are all the How to Train Your Dragon movies and TV shows in order.
How Many Movies are There in How to Train Your Dragon Franchise?
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise comprises a total of eight movies and TV shows, including three feature films and five television series. Another live-action movie is about to be released soon.
Note:
Below, we have mentioned HTTY movies and TV shows that are directly related to the main storyline. There are some Christmas specials and shorts as well but they are not cannon.
How to Train Your Dragon Movies And TV Shows Chronological Order
If you wish to experience the story of How to Train Your Dragon in a linear pattern, here’s the chronological order of all movies and TV shows.
- How to Train Your Dragon (Movie) – March 26, 2010
- DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk (TV Series) – August 7, 2012
- DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk (TV Series) – September 19, 2013
- DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge (TV Series) – June 26, 2015
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Movie) – June 13, 2014
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Movie) – February 22, 2019
How to Train Your Dragon (Movie) – March 26, 2010
How to Train Your Dragon started it all, and it introduced us to the legendary pair of Toothless and Hiccup. The first movie of the entire franchise takes us to a world where humans are afraid of Dragons. The tribe of Hiccup does everything in their power to hunt down the dragons, thinking of them as threats. However, after coming across the Nightfury, Hiccup realizes that the dragons are victims of their hatred, so he goes on a difficult journey to unite humans and dragons.
DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk (TV Series) – August 7, 2012
DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk is set between the first and the second How to Train Your Dragon movies. There’s harmony between humans and dragons, but our lead characters have new challenges to face.
In Riders of Berk, we see Dragon Training Academy being established to train young lads to ride the dragons. However, there are some dragons who aren’t exactly ready to be tamed, so Hiccup and the others must overcome the beastly nature of these dragons to create an emotional and friendly bond with them.
DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk (TV Series) – September 19, 2013
Defenders of Berk takes place right after Riders of Berk, and while the former takes on a lighter approach with the story, the latter one gets a bit darker. After learning how to control or form a relationship with new dragons, Hiccup and his friends come across some new enemies that doesn’t like this newly formed peace between Dragons and Humans. In fact, there are people within Berk who doesn’t like Dragons roaming over their heads.
Overall, Riders of Berk and Defenders of Berk expands on the universe set by the first movie. It sort of suggests that a “happy ending” doesn’t always mean things won’t be complicated or difficult afterward.
DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge (TV Series) – June 26, 2015
While the first two TV shows in the HTTYD franchise premiered on Cartoon Network, the DreamWorks Dragons series moved over to Netflix with Race to the Edge. The TV series is set around 2-3 years before the second How to Train Your Dragon film. It brings back the original cast and characters, including Hiccup and Toothless, of course.
The story basically follows the legendary duo and their friends, preventing the knowledge of Dragon Eye from falling into the wrong hands, especially Dragon Hunters like Ryker and Viggo Grimborn.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Movie) – June 13, 2014
The second movie in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise takes place around five years after the events of the first film. Hiccup is around twenty years old at this point, and thanks to all the stuff he did in the TV shows we discussed above, Berk has finally become a safe haven for dragons and humans.
However, there are still people out in the world who wish to use the power of Dragons to conquer the world. One such person is Drago Bludvist, who has apparently captured several Dragons to use as weapons. That being said, he has to face Hiccup and the good people of Berk before fulfilling his evil agenda.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Movie) – February 22, 2019
This is the final film of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, and possibly the most emotional one of all. Set around a year after the events of the second film, The Hidden World features Hiccup and Toothless exploring different locations and freeing countless dragons from captivity.
Grimmel the Grisly, an evil Dragon Hunter, serves as the main villain of the story, and at the same time, Hiccup and Toothless also come across Light Fury. This encounter leads to a chain of events, and eventually, we see Hiccup and Toothless searching for the Dragon Haven, the mythical Hidden World. After serving several losses, Hiccup has to make a difficult choice and decide on the collective future of the Dragons and the Humans.
How to Train Your Dragon Movies And TV Shows In Order Of Release Date
While some fans may want to watch the story in Chronological order, there are people who would want to experience the franchise in order of release. If that’s the case, here’s the order you must follow:
- How to Train Your Dragon (Movie) – March 26, 2010
- DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk (TV Series) – August 7, 2012
- DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk (TV Series) – September 19, 2013
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Movie) – June 13, 2014
- DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge (TV Series) – June 26, 2015
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Movie) – February 22, 2019
In this article, we’ve mentioned six TV shows and movies because they are the ones that impact the direct storyline. However, there are multiple other TV shorts and a couple of other TV shows that are fun to watch, but they aren’t canon to the main story. Regardless, if you want to go through other TV shows as well, you can watch Dragons: Rescue Riders and Dragons: The Nine Realms. Both of these are set in a distant future and feature a complete set of new characters.
Where Does How to Train Your Dragon Live-Action Fit In The Timeline?
How to Train Your Dragon, set to release on June 13, 2025, is a live-action remake of the first animated film that arrived back in 2010. So, it will feature a young Hiccup coming across Toothless and forming a strong relationship with him. The movie will show us the initial version of Berk, the Vikings village that considers dragons as their enemies.
So far, it is assumed that the live-action will faithfully adapt the original animated film; however, there is a chance that the upcoming movie takes on a slightly different approach to the story. So, don’t be surprised if the movie features some original scenes.
