Terrible Terror

"The Terrible Terror. Smallest of the dragons, but no less ferocious. You know it's about to breathe fire when you hear a small hissing sound."

- Gobber

The Terrible Terror is a small Stoker Class dragon that first appeared in How to Train Your Dragon.

Official Description
"Known to sing on the rooftops of Berk. One of the smallest of all the known dragons. But don't let its tiny stature fool you. This pesky dragon has caused Vikings all sorts of problems, especially considering their affinity to travel in groups ranging from five to upwards of ten. They also pack a pretty lethal puff of fire if you upset them. As the residents of Berk soon came to discover, when Terrible Terrors gather en masse, they often break into "song". These dissonant chirps, squawks, and croaks have kept many a Viking awake thoughout the night and into the morning."

- Dragonpedia

"Only half the size, but twice as unpredictable! This small Stoker class dragon can be too curious for its own good... and yours! A Terrible Terror may be tiny, but its rapid-fire fireballs pack a lot of punch."

- Dragons: Rise of Berk

Development
Initially, the Terrible Terror was supposed to play the role of Toothless, as it followed Cressida Cowell's original book series, with Toothless as a Common or Garden Dragon. However, the Night Fury eventually took over Toothless' role as Director Chris Sanders felt that setting up a 'threatening presence' gave the story an essential sense of suspense and tension.

The Terrible Terror's attitude and personality was compared to that of a seagull, and it's movements inspired by that of "flying squirrels, salamanders, and one particular behavior of a desert gecko that prances to keep its feet cool on the hot sand,"notes Head of Character Animation, Simon Otto, in The Art of How to Train Your Dragon.

"If there is comic relief in the Dragon World, it is the Terrible Terrors. They are like naughty little terriers and make a lot of noise. They are annoying, like seagulls."

- Sanders

The texture of this species was designed with cautious note of detail, featuring spots over an organic pattern of scales.

The Terror was the first dragon to be designed, modeled and rigged, and after two and a half years, was brought to life on the screen. The first scene--blinking and licking its eyeball animated by Gabe Hordos--brought tears to the animators' eyes, recounted Head of Rigging Jeff Light.

Egg
Terrible Terror eggs have been described to be as small as seeds in How to Train Your Dragon promotional material to being depicted as slightly larger than an adult chicken in "Animal House". In this Dragons: Riders of Berk episode, the Terror egg appears off-white, grey, or light green, with grey, brown, or dark green speckles. Its overall shape is that of a chicken egg. In Dragons: Rise of Berk, Terrible Terror eggs are usually light green, though its color depends on that of the dragon inside, and is speckled with smaller spots. The egg can be called round but the shape of it is a little jagged and the roundness is not as smooth as other dragon eggs.

Terror eggs are shown to explode just like Gronckle eggs at hatching, in "Animal House", flinging what appears like molten hot shards everywhere.

Hatchling to Adult
The Terrible Terror resembles a Common or Garden Dragon in appearance. It has an iguana-like body, two pairs of horns, one pair of wings, and a tail with a barbed tip. It comes in various colors, with green being the most common. Others are red, orange, blue, yellow and purple. Its physical attributes (such as the type of horn and spinal ridge) suggest that, despite the size difference, it is closely related to the Monstrous Nightmare. Its large yellow eyes and small size make it one of the most adorable species of dragons.

Titan Wing
Titan Terrors are reddish brown in color. They have developed larger, black horns on their head and bigger eyes, thus giving them a more 'devilish' appearance. They have larger spines on their back. Their wings possess dark brown spots and they have a small, pointy, arrow-shaped tail. These Titans have grown slightly larger, though are still small compared to other dragons in the franchise.

Abilities
Though the Terrible Terror may not look like much at first glance, this small and cute dragon hides a large amount of dangerous abilities, and can be extremely dangerous in large numbers.

Firepower and Accuracy
Terrors have a very strong and accurate fire attack. One could even argue they are the snipers of the Dragon World. It is said to have the best accurate for fire bolts compared to most dragons but unknown how good compare to Night Fury.

Strength and Combat
Terrors are very social creatures and can be found in packs most of the time. And though a single Terror cannot do much damage to an opponent, a whole pack is a different story. A pack of Terrible Terrors is a lethal threat that is best avoided. As seen in the Book of Dragons Short, a pack of Terrors easily lifted up a fully grown Viking. Also in the "Book of Dragons", a pack successfully stole all of Bork's food. A pack of Terrors was able to defeat Snotlout easily in "The Night and the Fury". A single Terror can lift small light objects in the air as shown by Iggy, but a sheep has proven to be too heavy to lift for single Terror.

Though Terrors are one of the smallest dragons they are shown to be brave to fight bigger opponents if have to, as shown by single Terror trying to fight over food against a Night Fury.

Jaw Strength
Terrors have quite sharp teeth, as the creatures bit Vikings several times, such as the Terror that bit Tuffnut in the first film, and Snotlout's Terror in "Worst in Show". Though their bite is said to be venomous, this hasn't been mentioned in the films, series or specials, and the effects of the venom is unknown. They do have great jaw strength, as shown by Pain to be able to bite for the entire day, and can take tiny pieces of skin off from Snotlout.

Speed and Stealth
Terrors have shown to be quite fast and stealthy, as one stole all of Bucket's fish without him noticing, and the fact that Terrors often live secretly in Viking houses.

Singing
Its been revealed that Terrible Terrors are actually capable of having the ability to 'sing'. The Dragonpedia mentioned that flocks of Terrors often keep the residents of Berk awake with their chirps, squawks, and growls. They often sing when they gather in large groups. A 'singing' Terrible Terror also appeared in "Fright of Passage", where Snotlout had to deliver the Twins a singing Terrible Terror.

Agility
Terrors are shown to be quite an agile dragon to make great quick turns as shown by Iggy.

Intelligence
They have shown great intelligence, as the trained Terrors from "Worst in Show" were able to learn skills under one day.

Behavior
"They are small and underestimated."

- DeBlois They are also shown to be very mischievous, as they like to play with Vikings and other dragons.

They often travel in packs and they can be quite aggressive and over-sambitious. They often like to pick on other animals and larger dragons, though it never ends well.

They are also very curious creatures and you may find them in places you would not expect them.

In the first movie, and the Book of Dragons, they were shown to lick their eyes like some geckos do despite the fact that they have eyelids. Also in the first movie, when two Terrible Terrors were fighting over a fish, one bobs up and down in a similar manner to how real life geckos will fight in order to intimidate one another.

Like every dragon, each Terrible Terror has its own unique personality. They also make a lot noise, and can be a big pain in the butt. They are not picky eaters and will eat just about anything they can digest.

Terrible Terrors are also shown to have bit like a hawk-like behavior as they stand on people arms and can be use to send messages.

Among many other things Terrible Terrors like to get into, paper is one. According to School of Dragons, Terrible Terrors like paper and can destroy books, in this case, the School of Dragons History Book.

Weaknesses
Although Terrible Terrors are strong in packs, lone Terrors are actually very weak and, as shown by Toothless in the first movie, can be defeated by one fire blast. They also try to pick fights with dragons a lot bigger than themselves and this often doesn't end very well.

Training
They also seem to be fairly easy to train. Giving them a light to chase can help out for training as this could be great beginner dragon for young Vikings. Or another way of training Terrible Terrors just to feed them, as Hiccup was shown to give single Terror a fish, and, showing great trust, the Terror went to sleep next to him. As long as you prove to be of no threat to it, Terrors are easy and docile companions.

In the game School of Dragons, Terrible Terrors can be trained for riding only when they attain Titan Wing status.

In the episode "Worst in Show", the Dragon Riders train Terrible Terrors with various skills: delivering mail, butting heads, retrieving items, firing on command, stealthiness, and attacking on command. The Air Mail aspect reappears throughout the franchise, even in the games.

How to Train Your Dragon
Compared to the other dragons, the Terrible Terror has a very small role. They only have two major appearances. The first is in the Arena, where the recruits must fight one. Tuffnut claims that the Terror doesn't look very tough, before said creature knocks him to the ground, biting his nose. Hiccup, however, manages to distract it and lead it back to its pen.

The second one is after Toothless' and Hiccup's test flight, when they are resting on a small island. A small group of Terrors appears, and try to steal Toothless' fish. When one of the Terrors challenges Toothless, said dragon shoots a fireball in its mouth, making the dragon round like a balloon for a second. Hiccup, taking pity on the creature, gives it a fish and the Terror curls up beside Hiccup, making him realize that everything they know about dragons is wrong.

Gift of the Night Fury
Only one Terrible Terror appears in this short. Near the end, when the Vikings and dragons are celebrating Snoggletog in the Great Hall, a young girl is carrying a rather annoyed looking Terror in her arms.

Book of Dragons
The Terrible Terror is the first dragon to be introduced in this short. Hiccup says that, when training a Terrible Terror, you must distract it with a very shiny object. After Astrid claims that Terrors are cute, Gobber explains that Terrors may be cute on their own, but when hunting in packs, 'it's no picnic'. A rather fitting scene of a pack of Terrors attacking Bork the Bold while he is having a picnic follows.

Dawn of the Dragon Racers
During the first annual Dragon Race, Stoick opened a chest of Kick-off Terrors, which flew out and circled the Arena.

Dragons: Riders of Berk
Terrors are often used as minor characters in the series, sometimes as a running gag for comedic effect. A group of Terrible Terrors steal chicken from a female Viking in "How to Start a Dragon Academy".

In "Animal House", Fishlegs tries to show the dragons and animals what they have in common. He then brings out an egg from the Terrible Terror. The egg later explodes.

In "Dragon Flower", Terrible Terror is one of the dragons who gets sick from the Blue Oleander. This same Terrible Terror is seen flying with the Vikings and their dragons after a cure was found.

A Terrible Terror is seen freaking out due to fire caused by lightning, until Astrid saves it in "When Lightning Strikes".

Dragons: Defenders of Berk
A Terrible Terror is seen sniffing Gobber in "Tunnel Vision", and, being disoriented by his stench, it crashes into a wall.

In "Fright of Passage", Snotlout was tasked to find a singing Terrible Terror to enter the Arena for shelter.

Hiccup and his friends each have to train a Terrible Terror in a day during the events of "Worst in Show", the team turns it into a dragon training competition, much to Hiccup's displeasure. The Terrors, Sharpshot, Iggy, Sneaky, Pain, Butt and Head, were pitted against each other. Later on those Terrors help save Meatlug from Alvin and the Outcasts, suing each of their special trained skills.

Hiccup uses a Terrible Terror as "air mail", having it carry messages to Berk. This same Terrible Terror is used again to get the other riders to bring the Screaming Death to Outcast Island during the Events of "Cast Out, Part 2".

Dragons: Race to the Edge
Three years after the Berserker War, Terrors are still used for air mail between Berk and Dragon's Edge, as demonstrated in "Team Astrid", "To Heather or Not to Heather" and "Defenders of the Wing, Part 1".

Season 2
In "A Time to Skrill", several Terrible Terrors were seen sleeping on a glacier. But when lightning struck the island, and the Frozen Skrill was about to escape, the Terrors fled.

In "Maces and Talons, Part 2", Viggo is seen with a Terror. He pounded the table hard, startling it and the Terror let out a burst of flames, lighting up the Dragon Eye. It is unknown what happened to this Terror, but it was likely freed by Hiccup and the Dragon Riders at some point.

In "Sins of the Past", several Terros are startled by Hookfang, when the dragon flies near them.

How to Train Your Dragon 2
Gothi is shown to have trained a flock of Terrible Terrors. They are first seen being petted by her, but are frightened off when Snotlout flies near Gothi's hut.

Later, the flock of Terrible Terrors are seen sleeping with Gothi, but they wake up and fly away after the Alpha arrives at Berk and controls them. In the end, after the Alpha loses Toothless' challenge and leaves in defeat, the flock of Terrible Terrors reunite with Gothi and smother her affectionately.

A Terrible Terror is last seen trying to lift up a sheep in a dragon race, with no success, before it is snatched up by Barf and Belch.

Dangers of the Deep
When all the adults on Berk leave to find fish at the Veil of Mists, a group of Terrible Terror creates havoc in the village, stealing food and setting fire to buildings.

The Ice Castle
After rescuing Stormfly from Arngrim Dammen, the Deadly Nadder has a motherly behaviour towards the rescued dragon babies, among which there is a Terrible Terror.

The Stowaway
After Hroar arrives on Berk, a group of Terrible Terrors starts a fight Toothless. The Night Fury quickly finishes it by spinning around and throwing the Terrors in all directions.

Dragons: Rise of Berk
The Terrible Terror, along with its Titan Wing form is available in Rise of Berk. The individuals Sharpshot, Pain, Iggy, Sneaky, Butt, Head, Gothi's Pet and the Kick-off Terrors were available too. The Garden Dragon, adapted from its book counterpart was also brought into the game.

School of Dragons
A static Terrible Terror appears in the center of the Dream Stable, mimicking the Dreamworks logo. It is reaching out to paw at a hanging fish.

Leopold, a purple-blue Terror belonging to Harald Forkbeard, appears in the expansion "Battle for the Edge" and figures in some quests.

Another Terror appears briefly near Eret. It is a mail Terror sent by Queen Mala asking for help.

In the mini-game, "Alchemy Adventure", there is a "boost" which sends out two Terrible Terrors across the board to remove elements that correspond with their colors. There are six Terrors in all, one for each element group.

In 2016, School of Dragons introduced playable Terrible Terrors. Players can purchase an egg and level it up. However, it is not rideable until it attains Titan Wing stage. It increases in size greatly as a Titan Wing and becomes a very small riding dragon.

Trivia

 * The growling and other sounds the Terrible Terror make are actually based on a purebred Chihuahua from Cottage Grove.
 * The Terrible Terror was originally designed to be a more faithful take on the original Toothless from the book series, but the creators of the film felt that it would be best to leave them as a separate species and make Toothless the more threatening Night Fury to give Hiccup's story a sense of tension. This is referenced in the Filmmaker's Commentary of the DVD release, where they relate the "tug of war" between Toothless and the Terror as a battle between Toothless' original and new incarnations.
 * Even though Terrible Terrors have been stated to be the smallest dragon species, Fireworms have been shown to be much smaller than them, except for the Fireworm Queen, whose size outmatches even a Monstrous Nightmare.
 * The Terrible Terror is one of two dragons that appeared in the series, but not in Wild Skies; with the other being the Fireworm, as they are both too small to ride.
 * The way Terrible Terrors lay eggs that are as large as themselves is similar to real-life kiwi birds.
 * Unlike most Stoker Class dragons, the Terrible Terror doesn't have the habit of setting itself on fire.
 * Their appearance appears to be based off that of small lizards, such as geckos.
 * The way Terrible Terrors are trained to deliver mails in the franchise is greatly reminiscent to how homing pigeons are trained to deliver messages in real life.
 * Gothi has tons of them by "How to Train Your Dragon 2". This may be based on the 'Crazy Cat-Lady' stereotype.
 * Strangely enough, when a captured Terrible Terror lit the Dragon Eye, the output was in multiple colors, not just that of the Terror's fire. Even stranger, at the center of the projection was a crude depiction of what appeared to be a Night Fury, even though Toothless' own flame had revealed nothing about his kind. It is unclear whether this is a direct effect of the flame itself, or the product of the locking fail-safe mechanism being activated by the Flightmare.
 * Though it's possible the Terrible Terror's fire was used in combination with the fire of other dragons to light the lens, like Hiccup once tried with the fire of a Monstrous Nightmare and a Night Fury.
 * Depictions have been seen of people flying by having multiple Terrible Terrors each grabbing separate limbs.

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