Dragon Century

Lore & Background

The first episode, God Chapter A.D.1990 Riko, is set in Hokkaido in 1990. A series of murders occurs worldwide as dragons appear in the skies. The Japan Self-Defense Forces shoot the dragons, and a troubled girl named Riko witnesses a dragon's death. She takes charge of its surviving hatchling, names it Carmine for its red scales, and hopes to raise it to destroy her city and corrupt humanity. However, Riko learns there is more to the dragons than she first thought, and worse things in the world than humans.

The second episode, Devil Chapter R.C.297 Rulishia, takes place 300 years later. Carmine is fully grown and lives alone in a tower. A 15-year-old girl named Rulishia steals his horn, becoming his master by dragon law, and renames him Vermillion. She takes him to a dragon-fighting tournament called the Ryuto, seeking revenge against the team that killed her father and his dragon. After victories, Rulishia decides to call off her vendetta for Vermillion's safety, but their peaceful life is interrupted by the return of demons that invaded Earth 300 years before. After fighting demonic beetles and destroying the demon-corrupted Ryuto team, Vermillion departs to battle the demons as a leader among dragon warriors.

Reader's Guide

Dragon Century is a compact OVA series that explores themes of vengeance, corruption, and the bond between humans and dragons across two distinct time periods. Its significance lies in its early use of a dual-narrative structure within a single OVA release, and its production by the Anime International Company, a studio known for other anime works. The series gained a limited English release through U.S. Renditions in 1996, making it accessible to North American audiences via subtitled VHS. The opening and ending theme by J-pop singer Midori Karashima adds a musical identity to the series. While not a major mainstream hit, Dragon Century is remembered by anime enthusiasts for its dark fantasy elements and the emotional arcs of its two female protagonists, Riko and Rulishia. Its legacy is preserved through references on sites like AbsoluteAnime.com and Anime News Network, and through its eventual DVD release in Japan in 2006.

Did You Know?

• The series was created by Ryuukihei and produced by the Anime International Company.
• It was originally released on VHS and laserdisc in Japan in 1988.
• An English dub exists with voice talent including Beau Billingslea, Lilly Browne, Steve Bulen, and Christopher Carroll.

Hiccup's Coming-of-Age Across Three Films

The animated trilogy at the heart of this franchise traces the transformation of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III from a scrawny, clumsy teenager mocked by his Viking peers into a respected leader who redefines the relationship between his people and the dragons they once hunted. Dean DeBlois, who guided the story across all three installments, framed the arc as Hiccup's coming of age, unfolding over six years of in-story time—five years between the first and second films, and a single year between the second and third. In the 2010 debut, Hiccup captures a Night Fury he intends to kill but instead befriends it, naming the creature Toothless. By the 2014 sequel, now twenty, he must succeed his father Stoick as chieftain while confronting dragon trapper Drago Bludvist and rediscovering his mother Valka. The 2019 finale places him as established leader of Berk, where the discovery of a Light Fury and the threat of Grimmel the Grisly force him to choose between retaining his dragons or granting them freedom. The trilogy's emotional core is the bond between Hiccup and Toothless, a partnership that evolves from mutual survival to genuine love and ultimately to a bittersweet parting.

Creative Vision and Production Challenges

The franchise's creative backbone was established by the partnership of Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who co-wrote and co-directed the 2010 original. When Sanders departed to work on The Croods and its sequel, DeBlois assumed sole direction of both sequels while Sanders shifted to an executive producer role. Bonnie Arnold remained as producer throughout all three animated films. The cast saw significant continuity: Jay Baruchel voiced Hiccup across the trilogy, while Cate Blanchett as Valka, Kit Harington as Eret, and Djimon Hounsou as Drago Bludvist joined in the second film, and F. Murray Abraham as Grimmel in the third. Production of the third film was marked by repeated release-date shifts, jumping from mid-2016 to 2017 to 2018 and finally March 2019. This delay coincided with a major studio transition: following NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks in 2016, the film became the first DreamWorks Animation title distributed by Universal Pictures, ending the long partnership with 20th Century Fox. The entire saga draws from British author Cressida Cowell's 2003 novel, which provided the foundational world of Viking-dragon conflict.

Expanding the World: Series, Shorts, and Live-Action

Beyond the three theatrical features, the franchise grew into a sprawling multimedia universe. Three television series extended the narrative: DreamWorks Dragons ran from 2012 to 2018, Rescue Riders aired from 2019 to 2022, and The Nine Realms concluded the animated series run in 2023. Six short films punctuated the timeline, including the 2010 Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon, the 2011 Book of Dragons and Gift of the Night Fury, the 2014 Dawn of the Dragon Racers, and the 2019 pair Homecoming and Snoggletog Log. The most significant expansion came in February 2023, when a live-action remake of the first film was announced. Produced by Marc Platt Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures, it marked DreamWorks' first foray into live-action filmmaking. DeBlois returned to write and direct, and John Powell came back to compose the score. Mason Thames stepped into the role of Hiccup, replacing Baruchel's animated voice work. The remake hit theaters in 2025, with a sequel already scheduled for 2027, signaling the franchise's continued ambition to reach new audiences in a new format.

Critical Recognition and Commercial Success

The animated trilogy earned consistent critical praise, with each of the three films receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The 2010 original additionally garnered a nomination for Best Original Score, a distinction the sequels did not receive. At the box office, the first film proved a major commercial triumph, grossing nearly five hundred million dollars worldwide—a figure that validated DreamWorks' investment in the property and set the stage for the sequels and the broader franchise expansion that followed. The consistent Oscar recognition across all three installments underscored the quality of the storytelling, animation, and musical scoring, while the financial success demonstrated broad audience appeal across demographics. Together, the critical and commercial achievements cemented the franchise as one of DreamWorks Animation's most celebrated properties. The 2025 live-action remake, arriving more than fifteen years after the original's release, speaks to the enduring cultural footprint of the story and its characters, suggesting that the world of Berk and its dragon riders continues to resonate with audiences well beyond the initial theatrical run.

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