How to Train Your Dragon – What to Watch & Read Before the Live-Action Film

All three versions of How to Train Your Dragon follow Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the son of a Viking chieftain whose clan has been at war with dragons for centuries. However, Hiccup secretly befriends a young dragon, whom he names Toothless, and the two form a bond that challenges the status quo of Viking society.

Since the live-action movie looks like it’ll be a faithful remake of the animated film, it might be best to start with the How to Train Your Dragon books. The books are much more detailed and feature entire story arcs that the movies don’t include. You can pick up all 12 books with the How To Train Your Dragon: The Complete Collection, which is discounted to just for $59.69 (was $108) at Amazon. The box set includes paperback editions of all 12 books and a slipcase box to store them in.

While not a part of the series, there’s also How To Train Your Dragon: The Complete Book of Dragons. This companion guidebook covers all of the dragon species from the How to Train Your Dragon series, plus several brand-new ones created just for this book, all realized with beautiful color illustrations. It’s available for $18 at Amazon (normally $20)

The animated How to Train Your Dragon movie trilogy makes some big departures from the source material across the films, but they’re still fun epics with fantastic animation that still holds up all these years later. These 4K Blu-rays also include the film on standard Blu-ray and digital streaming codes, as well as a selection of bonus materials, such as deleted scenes, documentaries, and commentaries from the cast and crew. There are even extra animated shorts featuring Hiccup and his crew.

1. How to Train Your Dragon — $18.25 ($23)
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2 — $15
3. How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World — $15 ($30)

In case you don’t have a 4K TV to watch the How to Train Your Dragon, they are available in standard Blu-ray format. They still look great at 1080p, and you can get the entire trilogy in one bundle deal. You’ll also get all of the bonus content that you’d find in the 4K editions, although it is worth noting that the How to Train Your Dragon: Ultimate Collection includes two TV specials as well, in case you’re looking for a complete experience.

Dreamworks also produced an animated series based on “How to Train Your Dragon,” called “Dreamworks Dragons,” which takes place between the first two movies. The Show ran for 118 episodes across eight seasons, plus a direct-to-DVD movie called Mystery of the Dragon Eye. While each season saw DVD releases, the first two seasons–known as Dragons: Riders of Berk and Dragons: Defenders of Berk–are out of print. Seasons 3-8, which are titled Dragons: Race of the Edge, are available on DVD at Amazon, as is the Mystery of the Dragon’s Eye movie. Additionally, all eight seasons are streaming on Peacock.

Dreamworks followed up the Dragons series with two more How to Train Your Dragon animated spin-off shows–Rescue Riders on Netflix and The Nine Realms on Hulu. They haven’t received a DVD or Blu-ray release yet, but are worth seeking out on Netflix and Hulu if you’re looking to experience the entire How to Train Your Dragon animated universe.

Dragons: Race to the Edge DVD

For one last recommendation, Lego recently announced a new building set based on the series’ adorable iconic dragon, Toothless. The 784-piece figure stands seven inches tall and features movable head and wings, and comes with a few accessories, including a breath piece and a fish treat. The kit launches on July 1 and is available to preorder at Lego’s online store.