Eel (Franchise)

Eels are a group of Fish seen in various How to Train Your Dragon Franchise media, starting with the first movie, How to Train Your Dragon.

Description
An eel is a large group of fish usually distinguished by their elongated appearance and small fins, belonging to the Order Anguilliformes. They can be found in a variety of environments from deep seas to shallow coastal waters, to fresh waters. For the most part Eels are predators of other fish. They move by undulating their bodies, and can even move in reverse direction.

To note, the Electric Eel is not actually an eel, but a type of Knifefish. Its long body looks very similar to other eel species and often gets lumped in with them.

The Eels seen in the How to Train Your Dragon Franchise are generally fictitious and not based on true eel species. They range greatly in size, and even growing to gigantic, unrealistic proportions. All eels that appear in the franchise are able to move efficiently and without struggle on land. This may be due to the fact that the these eels resemble the Electric Eel more than actual eel species, as Electric Eels do breathe air.

Function
The human usage of eels in the Franchise and in actuality is as a food source. Vikings are not specifically seen eating eels in the Franchise, but it is implied when Hiccup brings the injured Toothless a variety of fish to eat from his village in the How to Train Your Dragon Movie. One spin-off activity book, Look And Find: How to Train Your Dragon, does show eel on the dinner table at the Haddock House. Very few Dragons eat eels, but a few species - the Typhoomerang, Death Song, and Slithersong - do eat eels with impunity.

In actuality, eels are toxic to humans and mammals if eaten raw, and must be cooked to neutralize its poisons before eating. This is mirrored somewhat in the Franchise by the human disease Eel Pox (though the source of the illness isn't actually specified to be eels), as well as a illness in dragons caused by eating eels, as seen in the TV shoe episode, "The Eel Effect". To note, the cure for Eel Pox in humans includes the Bloodvien Eel.

In the Franchise, eels are also used for playing games, such as the mini-game "Eel Roast" in School of Dragons, as well as obstacles, such as the tests to be king of the Defenders of the Wing.

"Striped" Eel
For ease of referring to, this eel can be referred to as the "striped" eel, though this type seen in the Franchise was never specifically named. It is the first type of eel seen, starting in the first movie. It seems to be common on Berk, and is often the eel used in dragon training. Hiccup first discovers dragons' aversion to eels by holding up one of the striped eels to Toothless.

The "Striped" eel is, perhaps, about 2 to 3 feet long, guessing from images of them. They are typically black with yellow rings down the length of their bodies. However, in the game, School of Dragons, eels with other colored rings are seen in the mini-game "Eel Roast", including purple, red, blue, and green. There are also sparkly ones and electrical ones, but this is mostly for game play.

"An eel's blood is harmful to other mammals, and even humans."

- Fish Fact in School of Dragons

"Eels are covered with a slimy mucus substance which allow them to slither around without getting scratched."

- Fish Fact in School of Dragons

"Eels feed at night and rest during the day."

- Fish Fact in School of Dragons

"Eels are carnivores. They feed on crabs, snails, fish, lobsters, mussels, octopi, and frogs."

- Fish Fact in School of Dragons

"An eel's backbone is constructed of more than 100 vertebrae. It makes an eel very flexible."

- Fish Fact in School of Dragons

"An eel can swim forwards and backwards, and can also travel on land for short distances."

- Fish Fact in School of Dragons

Bloodvein Eel
The Bloodvein Eel is a violet colored eel with many red spots on their body. They are native to waters of Eel Island. This species of eel is highly aggressive, and are known to attack humans, shown when a Bloodvein Eel attacked Hiccup and attempted to choke him in the episode, "The Eel Effect". This particular type of eel is also part of the remedy for Eel Pox in humans.

Giant Screaming Eel
"Pardon me. Does anyone else think that Johann could have warned us about... I don't know... THE GIANT SCREAMING EELS?!"

- Snotlout in "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 1"

Giant screaming eels are huge in size, perhaps even longer than some ships. They have two small pectoral fins and almost snake-like heads. The heads are grey, while the entire length of the body has tiger stripes of yellow, black, grey, and white. They have small, but plentiful teeth and produce a high-pitched screaming noise. They are shown to be very intelligent, which was seen in "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 1" and "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 2", when they try to sink a ship to eat the Dragon Riders.

"Electric" Eel
This eel is different from the actual Electric Eel in real life (which isn't actually an eel at all). The electric eel of the Franchise made its first appearance in the episode "Total Nightmare". It closely resembles the "Striped" Eel in in size and shape, except it can produce electricity. They are just a few feet long with a black base color and mottled yellow down the length of its body. These eels also seem to be able to produce hissing sound.

Another electrical eel was seen in "Shock and Awe", except this one looked identical to a Giant Screaming Eel. It is able to produce large amounts of electricity, and was large enough to go head to head with a Scauldron.

Poisonous Eel
This type of eel made its debut in the episode, "Saving Shattermaster", and are kept by the Defenders of the Wing on their island for human trials. They seem to be similar in shape and size to the "Striped" and Bloodvein eels, but have more variety in coloring. In fact, some look suspiciously like bloodvein eels and "electric" eels from other episodes. Despite being called poisonous, Snotlout appears to be able to get bitten several times with no ill-effects. These poisonous eels are well adapted for life in shallow water and on land. In the pit where they are kept on Caldera Cay, they actually have burrows in the rock face. They can shot out of these like missiles at intruders.

Other Eels
Eels appear in other media as well. The mini-comic "The Eel Plague" shows purplish-grey eels of "normal" size. The children's activity book Look And Find: How to Train Your Dragon show green eels ready for the dinner table.

How to Train Your Dragon
When feeding Toothless in the cove, Hiccup discovered Toothless was afraid of eels. He later used this knowledge to stave off a Zippleback in the arena. He scared the Zippleback (later named Barf and Belch) back into the cage by hiding an eel under his shirt, leaving the teens and Gobber in shock.

Dragons: Riders of Berk
Eels have made two appearances in the series. First, in the episode "Animal House", they are used to show the animals of Berk that dragons are afraid of things too. However, the eels get loose and scare the dragons, who in turn scare the livestock.

Eels made a second appearance in the episode "The Terrible Twos". The Dragon Riders use eels as a new test called the "Eel Reaction Test" on a baby Typhoomerang, only for it to devour the eel, making the Typhoomerang one of the few dragons that can eat eels with impunity.

"Dragons: Defenders of Berk"
Eels appear in the episode, "The Eel Effect", in which the Bloodvein eel is introduced. The people of Berk are suffering from an illness called Eel Pox. One of the ingredients in the remedy is the bloodvein eel. Hiccup and Toothless travel to Eel Island to obtain some. However, the eels attack Hiccup, and while trying to save him, Toothless accidentally bites into an eel. This causes sickness in Toothless.

Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 1
The giant screaming eel appears in the episode, "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 1". They live in the Ship Graveyard, and attempt to sink a ship the Dragon Riders are on. Later, the Riders get attacked again while on the ship, The Reaper.

In "Total Nightmare", Snotlout throws a basket with an Electric Eel in it at Girl Hookfang, in an attempt to chase her off and win back his dragon. Hookfang knocks the eel away and it hits Snot lout, electrocuting him.

Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 2
In "Shock and Awe", the twins were told to gather "electric" eels so they could make the two Scauldrons think they are the Seashocker, while the actual dragon makes it's escape. Instead of bringing back several small eels, the twins find a gigantic electrical eel that scares even the Scauldron. The image of this eel might be "recycled" imagery from the Giant Screaming Eels from Season 1.

Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 4
In the episode, "Saving Shattermaster", two types of eels are used in the second stage of the trials to choose a king by the Defenders of the Wing. Snotlout takes up the trials, and is attacked first by deadly Poisonous Eels, and second by Giant Screaming Eels. Surprisingly, he is able to make it through the entire second stage and save Fishlegs.

School of Dragons
In this game, the player can go fishing for various fish, one of which is the "striped" eel. Feeding an eel to a dragon will decrease its happiness. However, Typhoomerangs and Deathsongs can eat them and gain some energy from them. The Slithersong can also eat them, with not ill-effects.

School of Dragons also contains various mini-games, one of which is "Eel Roast". In this game, the player uses their active dragon to shoot variously colored eels for points. Rewards are dragon XP, player XP, and coins.

In the expansion, "Call of the Death Song", the location of the Ship Graveyard is introduced to the game, along with its Giant Screaming Eels. Eventually the player leads a Death Song that is terrorizing Berk to the Ship Graveyard to feast on the eels and take up residence.

Eels also appear in some of the player Quests, such as "For My Son, Hiccup" in which the player helps Valka make some ink for Hiccup. Heather, as the School's alchemist, requests the player find blue flowers and fermented eels to make the ink. It is uncertain what recipe and if it is true to life, requires fermented eel to make ink.

"The Eel Plague"
"The Eel Plague" is a mini-comic in the special magazine "Ultimate Dragon Trainer's Guide". The Dragon Riders are out on maneuvers on Dragon's Edge when Hiccup drops the Dragon Eye in eel-infested waters. The gang finds a Typhoomerang to eat the eels and retrieve the Dragon Eye.

Look And Find: How to Train Your Dragon
This children's activity book contains eight scenes for the reader to find hidden objects. In the third scene, there are various food items around the house at the Haddock home, including eels.

Trivia

 * The giant screaming eels are most likely based off of the shrieking eels from the movie, The Princess Bride.