“ | When was the last time you saw a boulder roll uphill? [src] | ” |
— Hiccup worries as the Catastrophic Quaken rolls uphill |
The Catastrophic Quaken is a large Boulder Class dragon that first appeared in Dragons: Race to the Edge.
Quick Answers
What class does the Catastrophic Quaken dragon belong to?
How are the eggs of the Catastrophic Quaken depicted in 'School of Dragons'?
What is the shape and appearance of a Catastrophic Quaken's egg in 'Dragons: Rise of Berk'?
In which series did the Catastrophic Quaken first appear?
What is the color and texture of a Catastrophic Quaken's egg in 'School of Dragons'?
Official Description[]
“ | The Catastrophic Quaken can smash into the ground and create huge shockwaves that can knock dragons out air. As a Boulder Class dragon, the Catastrophic Quaken is literally what it eats — as it enjoys the consumption of rocks. This dietary preference is the cause for its tendency to reside in rocky terrain where it can roam afoot and pick up sustenance as it travels. Strong and hulking, this dragon relies on its size as the ultimate defense mechanism. When threatened, its immediate reaction is to enter protective mode and roll into a ball like a giant armadillo. Once secured into this position, it quickly takes the offense, smashing into the ground to create huge shockwaves they will knock dragons down whether they are on land or airborne. A lack of human interaction has made these dragons cautionary over time, but since Hiccup and the Dragon Riders have introduced them to humans they are slowly becoming less stony and more caring. |
” |
— Dragonpedia |
“ | Catastrophic Quakens are known for their cruel attitudes. They don't let anyone get in their way, and they'll go out of their way to wreak havoc on their target. Catastrophic Quakens eat more rocks than any other in their class! They also have a nasty habit of spitting up digested rocks at attackers in the form of hot lava! |
” |
— Dragons: Rise of Berk |
“ | For every healer, there is always a tank to help withstand the pressure of life's obstacles, take the heat and charge into battle with a mighty barrel roll. Who better to do that than the Catastrophic Quaken? Now on sale at the Trading Post today! Strong, territorial, and incredibly loyal, this Boulder Class dragon has it all with the wonders of a symbiotic relationship with the Prickleboggle. We all know how protective it is to its healer last time, but did any of you expect the reverse to happen between these best of winged friends? Astrid certainly didn't, until she had to go looking for Dragon's Edge's popular healer yet again. Just as Astrid and Stormfly were heading to Hiccup and the rest of the motley crew, they almost crashed right into the Prickleboggle! Understanding that it needed to guide them elsewhere, they quickly followed the Prickleboggle to Dark Deep, where they found the Quaken making a mess of the rocky terrain in an attempt to protect its nest from a band of dragon hunters. After they made short work of those thieving Dragon Hunters, it took a bit of coaxing to get the Quaken and its eggs back in the safety of Dragon's Edge. Thinking that it's always better to work in numbers, though, Astrid felt that they need Trader Johann's help again in enlisting Vikings like you to be caretakers of this stubborn dragon's eggs. Are you up to the task? Stop by while the sale lasts! |
” |
— School of Dragons |
Physical Appearance[]
Egg[]
The eggs of the Catastrophic Quaken are depicted very differently between media.
In School of Dragons, the egg is a typical oval-shaped egg. It has layers of greyish brown and tan stripes on it reminiscent of striated sandstone, with dark brown spots or knobs scattered about the surface.
In Dragons: Rise of Berk, however, a Catastrophic Quaken's egg is spherical, with a ridge of spikes along a central line. The colors are brown and pale tan, arranged in a pattern similar to that seen on the underwings of an adult Catastrophic Quaken. The egg has a pebbled surface mimicking dragon hide. The egg is also portrayed as having a thin golden haze rising from its surface.
In a completely different adaptation, the Catastrophic Quaken eggs seen in the Dragons: The Nine Realms episode "Dr. Catastrophe", are nearly identical in appearance to water-worn lava rocks. The eggs are even asymmetrical, showing a flatten side. The eggs are so well camouflaged that they fool both humans and other rock-eating dragons.
Hatchling to Adult[]
The Catastrophic Quaken is one of the larger dragons to appear in the Franchise and has a compact body shape often seen in Boulder Class dragons. Additionally, it has one pair of small wings compared to its bulky body. The Quaken’s thick pebbled hide typically comes in earthen colors such as browns and grays, but can occur in brighter colorations such as purple or golden yellow.
The Quaken is covered with short spikes all over its body, ending in a thick stubby tail with a single long spike with the appearance of a rapier or stinger.
One of the most notable physical characteristics of the Catastrophic Quaken is its bifurcated lower jaw — when opening its mouth, not only does the mandible move away from the skull, but also the left and right sides move away from each other. The tongue is likewise almost split into two equal halves to fit each side of the mandible, only becoming whole at its root at the back of the mouth.
Titan Wing[]
Titan Wing Catastrophic Quakens, as with many species' Titan Wing forms, are much larger than their Broad Wing counterparts. In Dragons: Rise of Berk, they have longer bodily spikes, especially those concentrated around their tail, neck, and snout. Titan Wing Quakens frequently take on a purple-hued gray coloration on their hides.
Abilities[]
Firepower[]
Catastrophic Quakens, like most Boulder Class dragons, eat rocks. Their love for the geological material derive from their habitat in rocky terrains where they roam and pick up sustenance while traveling. Though Quakens typically rely on other defensive and offensive abilities, if needed they are able to disgorge these rocks as molten lava.
Volvation[]
Catastrophic Quakens possess the unique ability to tightly coil themselves into a spherical shape closely resembling a boulder. This enables them to execute both offensive maneuvers and swift locomotion by rolling. While in this rolled state, they have the capability to forcefully collide with the ground, generating powerful shockwaves that can topple over dragons, humans, and objects in their vicinity, both on the ground and in the air. The volvated Quakens' remarkably sturdy hide grants them exceptional resistance to attacks, even when confronted with the formidable firepower of numerous dragons.
Camouflage[]
Most Catastrophic Quakens are various shades of brown and grey, and appear very rock-like. They blend in well with rocky surroundings, especially when remaining motionless. A few individuals are more brightly colored, however, such as Melonquarry whose color resembles that of a watermelon.
As seen in Dragons: The Nine Realms, Catastrophic Quaken eggs likewise are shaped, colored, and textured to appear like simple volcanic rock. This camouflage is so well achieved, that humans and dragons can be fooled into thinking they are simple rocks.
Armored Hide and Eggs[]
With an Armor value of 35, the Catastrophic Quaken has one of the toughest non-adorned skins of the dragon world. This ability is augmented when rolled in a ball. They are able to withstand the firepower of other dragons, even a Night Fury's plasma blast. Smashing into rock at a high speed does not appear to cause harm, and they are able to withstand living in and around the high temperatures and molten magma of volcanic chambers. Even their eggs are able to survive intact in a magmic environment or the corrosive belly of a Gronckle.
Vibration Detection[]
The Catastrophic Quakens are very sensitive to the vibrations and respond accordingly. Fishlegs was able to observe that Quakens use vibrations to communicate between each other. The Dragon Hunters used vibrations to subdue and train two Quakens to do labors such as for mining and war. Fishlegs was able to gain their trust using soft vibrations to calm the dragons and make them more cooperative to follow his commands. Snotlout attempted to do the same but ended up angering them.
Strength[]
In addition to their thick hides, Catastrophic Quakens are very strong. They can easily break through rock walls, boulders, and other geoplogic formations with ease. Quakens are also one of the few dragon species able to damage marble block with sheer brute strength, where other dragons' firepower and strength fail.
“ | Known to have incredibly strong jaw strength, the Catastrophic Quaken can chew on rocks as hard as marble. [src] | ” |
— School of Dragons |
Mining[]
As Boulder Class dragons, Catastrophic Quakens are able to seek out specific rocks and minerals and dig for them. This is evidenced in Dragons: Rise of Berk where the individual named Aurum can mine for gold.
“ | Along with Gleamer, Aurum specializes in locating and mining gold. | ” |
— Dragons: Rise of Berk |
Weaknesses[]
Large Size[]
Due to their massive size, Catastrophic Quakens can get easily trapped in tight spaces, as shown in "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", when a Quaken couldn't move at all when it fell between two walls of rock with little space between them. This suggests that in order to have enough strength to rupture rock faces, Quakens must utilize a running or flying start to achieve enough force.
Camouflage[]
While camouflage is primarily an asset for adults and eggs, Catastrophic Quakens can be disturbed or misidentified because of the camouflage to appear like a rock. In particular, this can leave their small eggs vulnerable to creatures that use rocks, such as other Boulder Class dragons, which eat rocks.
Behavior and Personality[]
The Catastrophic Quaken is described in some texts as the "bully of the dragon world". This may be due to their extreme territorial and solitary nature, even with other dragon species. While they can initially be rather hostile, this dragon can become rather friendly and loyal at times. According to School of Dragons, some Catastrophic Quakens have formed a mtualistic relationship with Prickleboggles — the Catastrophic Quaken protecting the Prickleboggle from harm, and the Prickleboggle healing the Quaken if it is injured during a fight. A Catastrophic Quaken is also witnessed in "Living on the Edge" forming an interspecies relationship with Gronckles, after initially being rather a bully toward them.
According to School of Dragons, these dragons surround their nests with large boulders in order to protect them from other dragons, rather like a fort barricade.
According to Fishlegs' study of Quakens during his Dark Deep journey in Dragons: Rise of Berk, these dragons communicate with sound and movement. One communication signal is by stomping. However, Fishlegs is unable to suss out specific meanings and mistakes signals for greeting for displaying anger.
Training[]
Due to their reclusive behavior, Quakens are hard to train. However, once a trainer asserts a certain level of trust with the dragon, as well as befriends them, Quakens are easy to train and will not hesitate to help the trainer too. They are also professed to be extremely loyal once their trust has been earned.
In addition, Quakens can be easily trained in the face of an authority. This can be shown when a Dragon Hunter and Fishlegs could instruct two Quakens with a giant hammer. This higher authority, however, must be based on mutual respect and trust, instead of a strict demanding force, or the Quaken will simply ignore any commands. It also shown in "Living on the Edge", that vibrations from an axe hitting the ground would work.
Comparative Statistics[]
Ultimate Book of Dragons |
Guide to Dragons Books |
Dragonpedia | Dragonpedia Stat Cards |
World of Dragons |
School of Dragons |
Other | |||||||
CLASS | Boulder | Boulder | |||||||||||
SIZE | 30 feet | ||||||||||||
WINGSPAN | 8 feet | ||||||||||||
WEIGHT | 2,500 lbs | ||||||||||||
ATTACK | 12 | 12 | |||||||||||
SPEED | 14 | 14 | 7.1 | ||||||||||
ARMOR | 35 | 35 | 35 | ||||||||||
FIRE POWER | 10 | 10 | 5.4 | ||||||||||
SHOT LIMIT | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||
VENOM | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
JAW STRENGTH | 20 | 20 | 20 | ||||||||||
STEALTH | 3 | 3 |
Appearances[]
Dragons: Race to the Edge[]
Season 1[]
Main article: Tormentor |
In "Quake, Rattle and Roll", Hiccup and Fishlegs visit Dark Deep upon learning about the existence of this dragon via the Dragon Eye. When they visit the island, they were faced by hostile wild Gronckles. Following that encounter, they were attacked by a new species of dragon which Fishlegs dubbed the "Catastrophic Quaken". Fishlegs then attempts to train the Quaken alone. Meatlug immediately steps up to defend him, but made friends with the Quaken instead. Eventually, with more contact with humans, the Quaken starts warming up and befriends the Gronckles on Dark Deep.
Season 3[]
Main article: Enslaved Quakens |
In "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", the Dragon Hunters then utilize a pair of enslaved Quaken to mine marble. They were able to control and direct the Quakens by using hammers slammed onto the ground. They were also able to force them to fight Hiccup, Toothless, Fishlegs, and Meatlug and return to the Hunters. However, Fishlegs noticed how they were being controlled, and was able to use one of the hammers to convince them that he and Meatlug were their friends. Together, Fishlegs and the other Dragon Riders led the Quakens to Dragon Hunter Island where he told them to demolish the Hunters' marble fortress. They were then taken to Dark Deep to freedom.
In "Last Auction Heroes", the Dragon Hunter chieftain Viggo Grimborn had a Quaken in a cage for his Dragon Auction. However, it was freed by the Dragon Riders.
Season 4[]
In "Gruff Around the Edges", one of the three Quaken is sleeping in a cave, only to be accidentally roused up by Gruffnut Thorston who was taken to Dark Deep as a punishment from his cousins.
Season 6[]
During the episode "In Plain Sight", Dagur described Ansson as tough as a Quaken back when they were kids.
In "King of Dragons, Part 2", Catastrophic Quakens and thousands of other wild dragons are summoned by the Berserker Bewilderbeast to defeat the Dragon Hunters.
Dragons: The Nine Realms[]
Season 1[]
In "First Flight, Part 1", during the prologue showing Hiccup's map of the archipelago, a Catastrophic Quaken is pictured on it.
Season 3[]
In "Dr. Catastrophe", in an attempt to lure a group of Gronckles back to the Fire Realms, D'Angelo used Catastrophic Quaken eggs, which he mistook for volcanic rocks to feed to the Gronckles. The mother Catastrophic Quaken then attacked the riders, but they were able to escape her. Later, D'Angelo came up with the plan to feed the Gronckles silver crystals, causing them to barf out the eggs. The riders brought the eggs back to their mother, who scared off the still-hungry Gronckles.
Games[]
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
The Catastrophic Quaken appeared in Rise of Berk, along with two individuals: Tormentor from Dragons: Race to the Edge and Spikeback, an extremely unique looking Quaken with purple quartz-like spikes. Later, other Quaken characters, such as Aurum, Melonquarry, Champion Catastrophic Quaken, Four-Man, Blawberry, and Liberated Trolboulder, were added to the game as well. In 2022, the game introduced the Quaken character PlumProng.
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School of Dragons[]
This dragon became available in School of Dragons as a rideable and customizable dragon in September 2015.
Catastrophic Quakens also appear in the maze activity "Loki's Mirage", where the dragons roll up into a boulder and roll down tunnels that the player must avoid.
Dragons: Titan Uprising[]
The Catastrophic Quaken was released as a playable species in this game in March 2021. Five characters were introduced to represent the species: Glaciated Quaken, Ice-Tongue Quaken, Cryoconitemare, Meltwater Kryal, and Lethiferous Cromlech.
DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of The Nine Realms[]
A Catastrophic Quaken acts as a battle "boss" during the Fire Realm level of this game. The player plays as Thunder, Wu and Wei, and Plowhorn and must subdue this dragon to continue to the next realm of the Hidden World.
Trivia[]
- The official measurements given by DreamWorks Animation do not appear to be realistic when considering the relative sizes the viewer sees within Dragons: Race to the Edge. Based on the model sheet for the Catastrophic Quaken, alongside other known dragons in the series, such as Meatlug, this dragon should be "45 feet (13.72 meters) long" and have a wingspan of "63 feet 7 inches (19.38 meters)".
- This dragon used to be known as the Catastrophic Quake, but, for some reason, an extra "n" was added to the end of this dragon's name. This may have been to make the dragon's name sound like "Kraken".
- The Catastrophic Quaken was named by Fishlegs, but it was often referred to as just the Quaken.
- The Catastrophic Quaken, as a species, was confirmed to have existed way before production on Dragons: Race to the Edge even started. Its design was based off of Nico Marlet's concept art for Skullcrusher in How to Train Your Dragon 2.
- Fishlegs' states that Bork's Papers mentions Dark Deep, but it is in context to a different species than the Gronckle (this could be referring the Catastrophic Quaken).
References[]
Catastrophic Quaken uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the DreamWorks School of Dragons Wiki page Catastrophic Quaken. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). |
Catastrophic Quaken uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Rise of Berk Wiki page Catastrophic Quaken. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). |
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