Stormcutter

The Stormcutter is a large Sharp Class dragon that first appeared in How to Train Your Dragon 2.

Official Description
"The four-winged Sharp Class flyer can turn its head so far around, it can see behind it. You can never sneak up on a Stormcutter! Flying on four wings, the Stormcutter carves spirals in the sky and shoots fiery arcs of destruction at its adversaries."

- Dragons: Rise of Berk

"Stormcutters may be gargantuan but don't let the sheer size of its body distract you from the dragon's speed. This sharp class dragon can dart through the skies swiftly and stealthily. What a deadly combination!"

- School of Dragons

Development
Stormcutters were originally inspired by a grey owl, a great dane, a vampire bat and an X-wing starfighter.

Initial concept art depicted the Stormcutter with only two wings with very long claws and a head similar to a Skrill, except for the missing crown of spikes. It had a huge crest on its back, with thick spikes going fown to its tail. It was red in color, with dark blue stripes on its back.

Egg
The Stormcutter's egg is oval and has a prominent scale pattern. There is a ridge with larger scales that run down its middle.

Hatchling to Adult
Stormcutters are known for their large size and two pairs of wings. They have owl mannerisms and a second set of wings under their main ones that can split and become an "X". Stormcutter dragons walk on this second set of wings and their hind legs. The wings can also come close together so they can be like one main pair. They have a very muscular and sturdy build. Their face has two long spines that branch off their brow to the side and they have a "smashed" face, kind of like an owl, making them seemingly brachycephalic. They have a three-finned tail and also have many spines down their back and a large "crown" on their head that makes them look even more menacing.

Titan Wing
Titan Stormcutters look very similar to an adult Stormcutter, apart from differences in color and size. They have brown, leather-like scales. Their wings are red near its body, at the base, and gradually lightens into pale pink towards the edge. It has a larger crown and tail fin. The spines along their back are bright red and larger.

Abilities
Thanks to their unique body structure and heavy build, the Stormcutter is indeed a very sharp, formidable hunter and fighter.

Speed and Agility
Their 'X-wing' beats up and down in sync and are probably used for extremely tight turns and maneuvers and for fighting foes. This body structure allows them to demonstrate accurate flight techniques such as navigating through narrow and complicated spaces, or hovering and even rest in mid-air. Having four wings allows for exceptional maneuverability. When they even walk they use their lower wings as forelegs while holding their upper wings against their sides.

Rotating Head
They have the unique ability to rotate their heads about 180 degrees. By doing so, there is no way to hide from a Stormcutter.

Firepower
Stormcutters can shoot a sustained torus of fire that is tornado-shaped. The fire is incredibly powerful, as Cloudjumper was able to burn down the entire Haddock House in seconds.

Strength
Stormcutters have fore-talons on their wings that are hooked and can be used to pick dragon trap locks or destroy an entire war machine. Their sharp talons are helpful to climb on mountains even upside down as shown by Cloudjumper to be like bats. They are also strong enough to support a human on their back. A greater extent of their strength was shown in a deleted scene when Cloudjumper was able to rip apart one of Drago's war machines.

Hooked Talons
Their sharp hooked pincers at the tips of wings are dexterous enough to gingerly pick the lock of a dragon trap. However, the pincers can also be used to destroy an entire war machine.

Intelligence
Stormcutters can quickly understand the difference between people that are threats or not, as Cloudjumper knew that baby Hiccup and Valka were harmless but Stoick was the complete opposite. Cloudjumper also knew that Valka wasn't happy at Berk as she knew that dragons are gentle creatures, and thought Berk needed to cultivate peace.

Behavior and Personality
These dragons, much like the Night Fury and Speed Stinger can hang themselves upside-down from higher ground, like a bat. Their resting position gives them a slightly peculiar and mysterious atmosphere.

They are intelligent, proud, and confident but can be sweet and friendly. They can be aggressive and are also quite curious.

Training
Generally, a docile and gentle dragon, training a Stormcutter is easy. All it takes is mutual trust, respect, and a love for dragons, which is shown when Valka meets Cloudjumper. The Stormcutter will be more than willing to accept you after that.

Weakness
Just like the Night Furies, a Stormcutter is incapable of flight if one of the tail fins is damaged, as seen when Cloudjumper couldn't fly straight and struggled a lot to stay in the air after his tail fins were frozen by Drago's Bewilderbeast.

How to Train Your Dragon 2
The first Stormcutter introduced was Cloudjumper, Valka's dragon. After her attack on Eret, Son of Eret and his men, and rescuing the dragons that had captured, Cloudjumper and Valka then found a Night Fury being ridden by a young man. Cloudjumper was able to overtake them, causing them to crash with the help of one of Valka's other dragons. They then brought the two of them to the Bewilderbeast's nest where Valka explained that Cloudjumper had actually met her during a dragon raid back on Berk. According to her story, Cloudjumper broke into Valka and Stoick's house and went toward the cradle that held Hiccup; Valka and Stoick's baby son. Valka first thought Cloudjumper's intent was to harm the baby, but instead, Cloudjumper was trying to soothe Hiccup by rocking him. Stoick, also believing that Cloudjumper wanted to harm Hiccup and Valka, attacked Cloudjumper. However, the burning house was coming down and Valka was blocked from her husband and child. Cloudjumper saved her from the fire but took her with him, leaving her husband and child wifeless and motherless. For the next 20 years, Cloudjumper allowed Valka to ride him, and together, they helped save thousands of dragons from Drago Bludvist's trappers such as Eret and brought them to safety at the Bewilderbeast's nest.

Cloudjumper and Valka bonded with the other duo, showing them a few secrets about dragons. While they eventually reunited as a family, Hiccup wanted to find Drago in hopes that he could change his mind about dragons. Valka, however, believed otherwise, insisting they should protect their own. When Drago Bludvist started his attack on the nest, Cloudjumper and Valka rallied the Bewilderbeast and the nest dragons and fought Drago Bludvist's forces with the help of her family and new friends. However, Drago summoned his own Bewilderbeast which soon killed hers. Cloudjumper and all the other dragons were under its control. But when Toothless challenged the alpha, Cloudjumper quickly took his side and when it was defeated, Cloudjumper was the first dragon to bow in submission to the new Alpha. He and his rider then moved to Berk.

Dragons: Rise of Berk
The Stormcutter was released in Dragons: Rise of Berk promptly after the release of the second film. They introduced Cloudjumper there too, and he and Valka helped train dragons, like fellow Stormcutters, to their Titan form. Its battle form and Reignstorm were added too.

School of Dragons
The Stormcutter also became available in School of Dragons, along with a Viking costume inspired by its design.

Dragons: Titan Uprising
Several Stormcutter individuals, like Tempestuous Scalestrom, Gloomleer, Tripfire, the Serene Stormcutters, and the Woodland Stormcutters, and hybrids appear in this game.

Dreamworks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders
The Stormcutter will appear in this game.

Trivia

 * Simon Otto, head of character animation, called the Stormcutter a Skyscreamer, which could have been a possible original name for this species.
 * In The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2, it is revealed that Stormcutters have iridescent scales like a fish.
 * Cloudjumper is currently the only Stormcutter seen throughout the entire course of the films.
 * According to some merchandise, it is possible that Stormcutters used to be a dragon of the Mystery Class. However, this may be just an error.
 * In Dragons: Rise of Berk, baby Stormcutters only have two wings.
 * In Dragons: Rise of Berk, Stormcutters can be found on the Isle of Night, showing some connection with the Night Fury. Given that they share many characteristics, it is possible that the two species are closely related.
 * The shape of the Stormcutter's fire is similar to that of the Typhoomerang.