How To Train Your Dragon! My favorite movie of all time...why? Entry 4

Now, you may have noticed (or may have just thought it was carelessness) that I left out a pretty big chunk of what makes Hiccup and Toothless so wonderful and unique. Really this is just an extension of both entry 2 and 3, but it is such a great topic that I decided to separate it into a new entry. This one thing might really wind up being the main reason I love HTTYD so much. The topic I am going to discuss is the relationship in the film between Hiccup and Toothless.

The relationship between these two characters is beautiful! This is the kind of thing you only get in really great films! It is kind of like the LotR with Sam and Frodo, except I personally think that Hiccup and Toothless are even better! Loyalty is an amazing and admirable trait in both Hiccup and Toothless. I love watching how unquestionably loyal they are to one another. Friendship is a wonderful thing, and these two display a bond that is rivaled in strength by none! Hiccup cares so deeply for Toothless. He wants to run away with him rather than expose him to the village in the first film. What could be harder for Hiccup? He would leave everything and everyone he knows to live the rest of his life with a dragon companion who cannot even speak. That loyalty and display of selfless love and protection is such a wonderful view into Hiccup's personality! Really these two bring out the best in each other! Watching Hiccup throughout the franchise be unfailingly willing to throw himself into the line of fire for the sake of his dragon is inspiring! I hope that I would do exactly the same! Toothless is no different! That dragon is willing to face an army of Vikings in order to protect Hiccup. He dives into the exploding body of the Red Death and frantically reaches out for his falling rider. It was beautiful to see him holding Hiccup close to his chest and wrapping him in his wings. The idea of a companion that will do anything for you with unquestioned loyalty is embodied beautifully by Toothless. Hiccup is in a crazy and dangerous medieval world, often everything seems to be caving in on him, he has changed the world and is often attacked for it, but thanks to Toothless, he does not ever have to stand alone! That dragon would die without question to save his master, and Hiccup would do nothing less for Toothless. It is probably the most beautiful friendship that I have ever seen captured in a film, and it is the kind of friendship that I deeply long to cultivate!

The second thing about Hiccup and Toothless's relationship is that they do very much need one another! They have always got each other's back, and that is really splendid to watch. I love the scene in GotNF when Hiccup slips on the ice and Toothless catches him. Hiccup's missing foot subtly displays that he cannot stand alone against the many trials that life will bring, but he has Toothless! Toothless needs Hiccup just as much. The whole concept of them needing to fly together was a brilliant way to develop them! The directors really deserve some credit for that! Alone they are almost helpless, but together they become unstoppable! I especially like the fact that they really want to need each other, especially Toothless. He desires Hiccup's company more than his own freedom. The symbiotic relationship displayed in Hiccup and Toothless is unparalleled! It remains, in my own opinion, the most beautiful kind of friendship imaginable. Toothless is just so amazing, and Hiccup is just so admirable. Their bond brings them both together into a friendship between boy and dragon that I can only wish to possess!

Lastly, Hiccup and Toothless are not flawless! Now I do want to live my life in the best and most God honoring way, but I am not cocky enough to believe that I will never fail. Seeing that my hero is also fallible is, in its own way, an encouragement. Hiccup and Toothless do occasionally have minor fall outs. This is seen as being Hiccup's fault in the Torch incident and as being Toothless's fault during the vendetta with the Whispering Death. Both of them deeply harm the others feelings. Hiccup's heart is crushed by Toothless's angry plasma blast, and Toothless is left with his feelings deeply wounded in the cove. This is the type of thing that really tests the mettle of a friendship, and both Hiccup and Toothless triumph in the end! It is wonderful to see how forgiving and caring they are towards each other! They love each other far too much to become bitter, and that is one of the most beautiful traits I can see in both of them.

So the whole story of HTTYD revolves around the beautiful, beautiful friendship between the ultimate dragon who discovers that he wants to devote his life to someone else and a scrawny Viking teen who discovers that he is a hero in that he is willing to selflessly sacrifice everything for his closest friend! That is one of the most central themes in the whole franchise. These two together have captured me and many others. I love them and I love to watch them care for each other! As I have said before, the friendship displayed by Hiccup and Toothless provokes a deep aching wishing in me. What I would not give to have that friendship myself! It is one of the most beautiful things I have seen, and I am so thankful that we will see more of this wonderful tale of friendship as the series and sequels unfold!