How to Train Your Dragon’s “big dragon” usually refers to the colossal boss- type dragons like the Red Death in the first movie or the gigantic Sea Dragons in the original books, which tower over normal dragons and terrify the Vikings of Berk.

Quick Scoop

Who is the “big dragon”?

When people say “how to train your dragon big dragon,” they usually mean:

  • In the 2010 movie: the Red Death , a massive dragon that controls the smaller dragons from its volcanic nest, forcing them to raid Berk for food.
  • In the books: the Sea Dragons such as the Green Death, described as so huge they dwarf the small “hunting” dragons like Toothless and can threaten entire fleets of Viking ships.

These dragons are less like pets and more like living natural disasters, which is why Hiccup never truly “trains” them in the usual sense.

How Hiccup Handles the Big Dragon (Movie)

Rather than taming the Red Death, Hiccup uses strategy and teamwork:

  1. He discovers that dragons raid because they are forced to feed the giant dragon in the nest.
  1. He and Toothless lure the Red Death into flight and exploit its size and weight , dodging until it exhausts itself and crashes.
  1. They target its wings and use controlled fire bursts to trigger an explosion inside the beast, causing it to fall and finally explode mid-air.

So the “training” here is actually Hiccup training himself and the riders to cooperate with their dragons to defeat a much bigger threat.

How Hiccup Handles the Big Dragon (Books)

In the original novel How to Train Your Dragon :

  • Hiccup learns from his grandfather that size is relative and that Sea Dragons can grow so huge they overshadow normal dragons.
  • When one such dragon threatens the tribes, Hiccup does not overpower it directly; he uses clever tricks and Dragonese (the dragon language) to influence events and create openings.
  • His key move is exploiting the monster’s biology: he blocks the dragon’s internal fire-holes, causing pressure to build up until it explodes from the inside , saving the tribe.

Again, “training” is more about understanding dragons and using intelligence, not brute strength.

If You’re Asking “How Would You Train a Big Dragon?”

Staying in-universe, if someone tried to “train” a giant dragon like the Red Death or a Sea Dragon, it would likely involve:

  • Survival first : Keep distance, use terrain, and never approach it like a normal dragon. Even Vikings treat these as extinction-level threats, not riding prospects.
  • Understanding needs : Big dragons in the series often control others because they need huge amounts of food; changing the food situation can change their behavior (for example, cutting off their control over smaller dragons).
  • Indirect influence : You would more realistically “train” the smaller dragons around it, then use them to distract, misdirect, or isolate the giant dragon, much like Hiccup does when he coordinates dragon riders against the Red Death.

In fan discussions and forum jokes, people often boil it down to: earn the dragon’s trust, prove you aren’t a threat, bring food, then slowly build cooperation—but almost no one seriously suggests trying that on the biggest boss dragons of the franchise.

Mini FAQ

Is the big dragon ever actually tamed?
No. The Red Death is defeated in battle, not tamed; the giant dragons in the books are outsmarted or destroyed, not turned into friendly companions.

Why are the big dragons important to the story?
They show how wrong the Vikings’ assumptions are: dragons aren’t all mindless monsters, but when one giant creature dominates the rest, both humans and ordinary dragons suffer, which pushes Hiccup to find a different approach.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.