DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms
A modern spinoff set 1,300 years after the original films.
DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms is an American animated television series that spins off from the original *How to Train Your Dragon* film trilogy. Produced by DreamWorks Animation Television for Hulu and Peacock, the show was announced on October 13, 2021, and premiered on both streaming services on December 23, 2021. It ran for eight seasons, with the final season released on December 14, 2023. Between May 5, 2022, and September 14, 2023, the series was renewed for six additional seasons.
Set in the modern world, 1,300 years after the events of *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World* (2019), the story follows a group of teenagers brought by their parents to a massive fissure caused by a comet. There, they discover a world of dragons beneath the earth. The riders, led by Tom, must protect the secret of dragons from those who would exploit them. While exploring the realms and finding new dragons, Tom seeks his connection to Thunder, following in the footsteps of his Viking ancestor.
The main voice cast includes Jeremy Shada as Thomas "Tom" Kullersen, an adventurous 14-year-old descendant of Hiccup and Astrid who shares a close bond with Jun Wong. His dragon, Thunder, is a Night Light—a hybrid of Night Fury and Light Fury—and a descendant of Toothless and the Light Fury. Ashley Liao voices Jun Wong, Tom’s childhood friend with a love for myths and fantasy, whose relationship with Tom deepens over the series but is not explicitly confirmed as boyfriend/girlfriend in Season 7. Her dragon is a two-headed tidal Mist Twister named Wu and Wei. Marcus Scribner plays D’Angelo Baker, the team’s veterinarian and medic, whose dragon is a crystal-horned Gembreaker called Plowhorn. Aimee Garcia voices Alexandra "Alex" Gonzalez, the tech expert who always carries her tablet; her dragon is a cloaking Featherhide named Feathers. Vincent Tong portrays Eugene Wong, Jun’s cocky older brother who discovers dragons in Season 3 and joins the team, riding a six-legged Deadly Spinner called Webmaster. He serves as strategic and tactical support, occasionally leading.
Recurring and supporting cast members include Julia Stiles as Olivia Kullersen, Tom’s divorced mother and a geologist at Project ICARIS who learns about dragons in the Season 4 finale; she is also a descendant of Hiccup and Astrid.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy / Adventure / Science fantasy
- Based On
- How to Train Your Dragon
- Developer
- Henry Gilroy
- Showrunner
- Chuck Austen (2021–2022) / Henry Gilroy (2021–2022) / John Tellegen
- Voices
- Jeremy Shada / Ashley Liao / Marcus Scribner / Aimee Garcia / Vincent Tong / Julia Stiles / Lauren Tom / Keston John / Pavar Snipe / Justina Machado / D'Arcy Carden
- Num Seasons
- 8
- Num Episodes
- 52
- List Episodes
- List of DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms episodes
- Theme Music Composer
- Patrick Cannell
- Composer
- John Powell (themes) / Patrick Cannell (score)
- Runtime
- 23 minutes
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series was announced on October 13, 2021, and premiered on both Hulu and Peacock on December 23, 2021. It is set in the modern world, 1,300 years after the events of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). The story follows teenagers brought by their parents to a huge fissure caused by a comet, who uncover a world of dragons beneath their feet. Tom, Thunder, and the other riders protect the secret of dragons from those who would exploit them, while Tom searches for his connection to Thunder and follows in the footsteps of his Viking ancestor.
The voice cast includes Jeremy Shada as Tom Kullersen, Ashley Liao as Jun Wong, Marcus Scribner as D'Angelo Baker, Aimee Garcia as Alex Gonzalez, Vincent Tong as Eugene Wong, Julia Stiles as Olivia Kullersen, and Haley Joel Osment as Leonard 'Buzzsaw' Burne. The series was renewed for six more seasons between May 5, 2022 and September 14, 2023, and concluded after its eighth and final season on December 14, 2023.
Reader's Guide
DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms received a mixed to negative reception from critics and fans of the original films. While some found it enjoyable for its target audience of younger children, many older fans criticized its animation quality, writing, and divergence from the themes of the original movies and series. The series expanded the How to Train Your Dragon franchise by moving the setting to the modern era, introducing new dragon species and characters, and exploring the legacy of Hiccup and Toothless through their descendants. It also spawned a video game, Dragons: Legend of the Nine Realms, released on September 23, 2022. Despite its mixed reception, the series completed eight seasons and aired internationally on channels such as CBBC in the United Kingdom, YTV in Canada, and Super RTL in Germany.
Did You Know?
- Tom Kullersen is a descendant of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and Astrid Hofferson.
- A video game based on the series, Dragons: Legend of the Nine Realms, was released on September 23, 2022.
More in Animated television series about dragons 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced