The Alpha Dragon is the individual in the dragon community with the highest known rank. The role of Alpha is often won by combat, sometimes to the death, but not necessarily. The winner of the battle will win both the rank of Alpha and the loyalty of all dragonkind. If the current Alpha dragon is nearing the end of its life or is about to suddenly pass away without being challenged, it can pass on the title and role of Alpha on to any of its living descendants.
An Alpha's natural duty is to protect all dragons and guarantee peace among them, thus it is a very important role for the survival of dragonkind. Unfortunately, this role can be seriously abused as seen in the events caused by Drago's Bewilderbeast.
Quick Answers
How does a dragon become an Alpha Dragon?
What happens when the current Alpha Dragon is nearing the end of its life?
What is the role of an Alpha Dragon in the dragon community?
Can the Alpha Dragon pass on its title to any of its descendants?
What is the significance of the Alpha Dragon in 'How to Train Your Dragon 2'?
Role and Power[]
The Alpha Dragon has been seen providing food, protection, and peace for other dragons. Because the role of Alpha is won by combat, it seems very likely that Alphas are almost always massive dragons, with Toothless being an incredibly unlikely case. The Bewilderbeast has been referred to as the Alpha species, and this may be because their size and natural hypnotic ability lead to them often rising to that rank. An Alpha holds the ability to very strongly manipulate the wills of other dragons. Valka's Bewilderbeast used this ability sparingly, while Drago Bludvist abused it. Drago goes so far as to say that no dragon can resist an Alpha's command. There have been exceptions to this, such as baby dragons. Since their senses aren't fully developed yet, they can't hear or feel the Alpha's power. Dragons can also become exempt from this control by challenging the Alpha to mortal combat. If the dragon is too frenzied to listen, like the Silkspanners in Dragonvine or drugged by Deathgripper venom like Grimmel's Deathgrippers, then they also will not be affected. Toothless was also able to overcome the Alpha control thanks to his unique bond with Hiccup, yet this seems to be quite an exception.
The rank of Alpha is one of the most powerful forces in the dragon world. Dragons who live far away from the Alpha and unaware that the dragon in question was the Alpha, are affected by the position, as the sea dragons and Foreverwings in The Serpent's Heir, obeyed Toothless, even though they were nowhere near Berk and wouldn't have known that he became Alpha. Dragons can sense things, like Hiccup later says in the same comic, so it is more likely that dragons can sense when they are in presence of the Alpha and it is their instinct to listen to him. The third movie and its corresponding art book reveal that all dragons follow their Alpha to the point where many of them came to Berk to pay their respect to Toothless and decided not to leave. The same thing happens when Toothless leaves for the Hidden World. The movie also shows that Toothless, even though he can't control minds like a Bewilderbeast, can force dragons to obey him without needing to be in Alpha mode. He is accepted as the one and only king to which all dragons bow to in the Hidden World.
As revealed in Dragons: The Nine Realms, an Alpha dragon can pass on its role and title on to its living descendants.
List of Alphas[]
Valka's Bewilderbeast[]
This male Bewilderbeast ruled the dragons of the Barbaric Archipelago for an undisclosed amount of time, since before the events of the first film. His rule ended during the events of How to Train Your Dragon 2, where he was killed in a duel by Drago's Bewilderbeast.
Drago's Bewilderbeast[]
This male Bewilderbeast was a temporary alpha in How to Train Your Dragon 2 where, after killing Valka's Bewilderbeast, led all the dragons from Valka's Mountain to Berk and caused an uprising. He was challenged by Toothless, who managed to get the other dragons to aid in defeating Drago’s Bewilderbeast, and force him to submit. He currently resides within the Hidden World.
Toothless[]
Toothless is a male Night Fury and the current Alpha of the dragons as of the epilogue of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
Elder Night Light[]
He is an elderly male Night Light that took the role of Alpha dragon at some point in time long after his ancestor Toothless had passed away.
Thunder[]
In "Ragnarok: Part 2", after the Elder Night Light was shot down by the World Serpent when protecting Thunder and Tom. In his last moments, he passed the title and his Alpha Mode onto Thunder, making him the new King of the Nine Realms.
The Nine Realms[]
It's currently known that Thunder rules the Hidden World as the current Alpha dragon. While defending Tom from a pack of aggressive Deadly Nadders in "Dragons Everywhere!", Thunder was forced to display a great show of his electrical power, causing the Nadders to bow in submission to the Night Light with Tom, describing it as Thunder going "full alpha".
In "Ragnarok: Part 2", the Elder Night Light was revealed to have the role of Alpha Dragon as it displayed it during the battle against the World Serpent and directed them in battle before it was shot down by the World Serpent when protecting Thunder and Tom. In his last moments, he passed the title and his Alpha Mode onto Thunder.
Trivia[]
- The trance that an Alpha can put other dragons under strongly resembles the Red Rage found in the later How To Train Your Dragon book series.
- The Red Death has a similar natural ability to force dragons to its will, seen when it used to force dragons to bring it a constant supply of food.
- It isn't clearly said, but there seem to be different ranks in the dragon's community below the one of Alpha. In the second movie, Valka explains that each nest has its queen (like the Red Death in the first movie), and in the Dragons: Race to the Edge and Dragons: The Nine Realms, the Dragon Riders meet several small packs of dragons who listen to a leader (like the Screaming Death's Siblings lead by the Screaming Death, the Speed Stingers lead by the Lead Stinger, the Night Terrors lead by Smidvarg and the Night Swarm lead by Darkvarg, among others).
Gallery[]
