How to Train Your Dragon Live Action vs Animation: 7 Biggest Changes in Remake Film Starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker

The 2025 How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake follows the core story of the 2010 animated original, but it includes big changes in tone, characters, and storytelling. While the plot remains familiar, Hiccup befriends a dragon and challenges his tribe’s beliefs, the live-action version adds layers that set it apart from the original trilogy.

More diversity in Berk

One of the most visible changes in the How to Train Your Dragon live action film is the increased diversity among the Vikings of Berk. In the original animation, the village was entirely Caucasian. In the new version, Berk is home to people from various ethnic backgrounds.

During a scene, Stoick says Berk is made up of the best dragon hunters from everywhere Viking explorers reached. This includes people from Europe, Asia, and Africa, offering a broader and more grounded world.

Astrid gets a deeper backstory

Astrid, played by Nico Parker, has a more developed character arc in the HTTYD remake 2025. Unlike the original film where her frustration with Hiccup felt vague, the live-action version shows her disappointment more clearly. She believes Hiccup benefits from being the chief’s son and expresses a strong desire to lead the tribe herself. This makes her eventual support for Hiccup in the dragon ring more meaningful and well-earned.

Snoutlout and his father get more focus

Snoutlout, known for being a bully in the original, is toned down in the live-action version. His father, Spitelout, also gets a bigger role. While Spitelout barely spoke in the original, here he serves as a key Viking leader. He ignores Snoutlout’s efforts to impress him, creating a parallel between Snoutlout and Hiccup, who both struggle to gain their fathers' approval.

Fishlegs and the twins are reimagined

Fishlegs remains the dragon-loving nerd, but he's more sincere and friendlier in the remake. He even tries to help Hiccup during the dragon training ring scene, showing early support. Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the comic relief twins, are no longer identical and are older than the others, having been held back in training. These small changes add more personality to the HTTYD cast.

Gobber’s physical details adjusted for actor

Nick Frost plays Gobber in the How to Train Your Dragon live-action film. The character’s missing limbs were adjusted slightly to reflect Frost’s real-life knee condition. In the original, Gobber lost his right leg; in the remake, it’s his left. This change helped the actor perform scenes more comfortably.

Tonal shifts and darker scenes

The live-action remake takes a slightly darker approach. For example, the scene where Stoick and his crew search for the dragon nest is more intense and horror-like. Dragons ambush them from underwater, a moment that’s more dramatic than the original. Emotional scenes, like Stoick grieving Hiccup’s supposed death, also feel heavier due to the real-world visuals.

Valka’s absence hints at sequel

While Hiccup’s mother Valka doesn’t appear in the live-action film, her death is more directly referenced than in the original. Stoick gifts Hiccup a helmet made from her armor, and her loss is used to explain Stoick’s hatred for dragons. This change may help set up her return in the confirmed HTTYD live action sequel.

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