The Flame Thrower is a medium-sized Stoker Class dragon that first appeared in the series Dragons: The Nine Realms.
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Physical Appearance[]
Hatchling to Adult[]
Mature Flame Throwers are dragons of medium size, characterized by the presence of two large teeth jutting out from their lower jaw and thin legs. They move on all fours and possess four sharp claws on their front legs, while their hind legs have three. The body of these dragons is comprised of a combination of light and dark brown shades, adorned with multiple dark brown spots dispersed across their form. Extending from their heads to their tails is a lengthy dorsal fin that is colored in a vibrant red hue. This fin aids them in maintaining stability and balance during flight, while also providing additional lift.
Abilities[]
Firepower[]
Flame Throwers have the capability to expel intense and unstable orange flames from their oral cavities, often accompanied by the ignition of their gills. The flames manifest simultaneously on both sides of their necks. These flames can be emitted in the form of focused jets or expansive bursts.
Speed and Agility[]
Flame Thrower are shown to be very agile dragons either when flying or on the ground. When flying at their top speeds, these dragons are even able of keeping up with a mature Night Light.
Endurance and Stamina[]
Flame Throwers possess an impressive degree of stamina and physical endurance, being capable of withstanding multiple attacks from many enemies at once. During the Dragon Club's first battle with a pack of Flame Throwers, one individual was capable of withstanding a plasma blast from a Night Light then being knocked backwards into a boulder, before relentlessly continuing chasing after said dragon.
Intelligence[]
Flame Throwers are an exceedingly intelligent species of dragon that rely on coordination and strategy to defeat their enemies and capture their prey. They are highly methodical and utilize a series of well-organized precision strikes to overpower their prey, often separated large groups from one another, in order to both weaken them and finish off the most vulnerable members of the group. Flame Throwers are easily able to recognize the weaknesses of their prey, and will formulate effective strategies on how to exploit them.
Similar to the Shadow Wings they are able to form a symbiotic relationship with a large dragon of an other species, like the Sky Torcher. The Flame Throwers serve the large dragon and the Sky Torcher protects them in return.
Social Nature[]
Flame Throwers, despite their inherent aggression, exhibit a strong inclination towards social behavior, residing in sizable collectives and rarely being encountered alone. This pack mentality serves them well in tackling formidable adversaries, while concurrently ensuring enhanced safety for each pack member. During hunting activities, Flame Throwers demonstrate remarkable synchrony and cooperation, seamlessly collaborating to capture prey and overcome opposition.
Resistance to High Temperatures[]
Due to their adaptation to volcanic environments like the Fire Realm, Flame Throwers exhibit a remarkable resistance to high temperatures. Unlike other dragon species, they are unaffected by the intense heat in close proximity to molten magma and can navigate through such environments without any hindrance.
Weaknesses[]
Blinding Light[]
As seen in the episode "Ride or Die", Flame throwers can experience disorientation when exposed to a bright light reflected off a shiny surface, such as a shield.
Pack and Alpha Dependency[]
Ironically, while their pack mentality is one of their greatest strengths, it can also serve as one of their greatest weaknesses. While an individual Flame Thrower can still be a formidable foe, even without other members to support it, it can be more easily defeated compared to an entire group.
In addition, members of the pack make their moves according to the instructions of their Alpha. If the Alpha of the pack is defeated or missing, the Flame Throwers will be left leaderless and confused, which can result in them retreating from their opponents, even when they still have the advantage.
Behavior and Personality[]
Exceedingly aggressive and territorial, Flame Throwers are an exceptionally dangerous species of dragon that will attack their prey without any provocation. Though their preferred type of prey are other dragons, they aren't adverse to eating humans, or other creatures that they come across either. They are very protective of their territory, and will relentlessly engage and pursue any other dragon that trespasses within it. They are also unafraid to fight both multiple opponents at once or individual dragons much larger than themselves.
Flame Throwers exhibit a tendency to engage in playful behavior with their prey prior to eliminating it. Additionally, they predominantly inhabit volcanic regions, selecting nesting and hunting sites characterized by exceptionally elevated temperatures.
Flame Throwers live and travel in large packs, consisting of, at most, well over a dozen individuals. This is done to both outnumber and overwhelm their prey, while also providing further protection to each member of the pack during battle. Within their pack mentality, they are shown to be highly intelligent and methodical. When attacking a group of dragons, Flame Throwers will generally engage in a series of frenzied, yet highly organized attacks from multiple directions to confuse and separate their prey from one another. Once this is achieved, the Flame Throwers will generally go after the most vulnerable or weakest members of the group they are preying upon, a standard tactic used by pack hunting predators.
Despite being highly aggressive towards other dragons, Flame Throwers are willing to allow other species to dominate their social hierarchies. This was demonstrated by a particular pack of Flame Throwers in the Hidden World's Fire Realm, who had a Sky Torcher as their Alpha. These Flame Throwers were shown to not only accept the Sky Torcher as one of their own, but also acted as minions that obeyed its command without any defiance. Whether this pack was forcibly dominated by the Sky Torcher, or if these two species are naturally coexistent remains unknown. As partially proven in "Punishment and Torcher", the Flame Throwers were sought by their Sky Torcher alpha who came to rescue them from Buzzsaw, and after the group rescued and reunited them, the Sky Torcher and its Flame Thrower pack left in peace, showing the Sky Torcher's kinder, softer and caring side.
Despite their nature, Flame Throwers can hold off their animosity towards their enemies if they are in danger or need help when separated from their alpha. Upon meeting the Dragon Club in the Ice Realm after they were captured by Buzzsaw, the Flame Throwers didn't attempt to attack them despite their previous encounters, knowing they needed their help.
Training[]
In a manner similar to his previous training methods with the Timberjack, Buzzsaw employed a Dragon Whistle to attract and train them. This specially crafted wooden whistle allowed him to issue commands that the dragons would follow. The high-pitched notes produced by the whistle would excite the dragons, while the lower notes had a calming effect, enabling Buzzsaw to control their behavior.
Appearances[]
Dragons: The Nine Realms[]
Season 3[]
In "Ride or Die", Tom and Jun encountered a pack of Flame Throwers in the Fire Realm preying on an injured Terrible Terror that had wandered from the Crystal Realm. The two dragon riders came to the aid of the little dragon and attempted to fight off the Flame Throwers, though they were initially defeated and eventually cornered by the fearsome dragons, due to their effective pack-based precision strikes. Fortunately, the riders were able to hold off the Flame Throwers when Jun managed to disorient them by using a metal shield to blind them with the light reflecting off of it. Before the dragons could counterattack, the Flame Throwers were recalled back to their nest by their Sky Torcher Alpha.
In "It Flies in the Family", while searching the Hidden World for a dragon that Eugene could train, the Dragon Club found a pack of Flame Throwers invading the Crystal Realm and attempting to attack the dragons within it. This led to a scuffle between the Club and the Flame Thrower pack when the invading dragons attempted to devour a Hobgobbler, which, though injured, was rescued by the Club. Soon after, the Club learned that the Flame Throwers had entered the Crystal Realm through a large lava-spewing hole that led to the Fire Realm. Eventually, however, the Club drove them back to their habitat, sealed the hole with the help of Eugene's Deadly Spinner, Webmaster.
In "The Sky Torcher", the same pack of Flame Throwers invaded the Crystal Realm again, led by their Alpha, a fearsome Sky Torcher. However, by befriending and training the Fault Ripper, the Dragon Club was able to fight off the two species, and drive them back to the Fire Realm once and for all.
Season 4[]
In "Journey to the Snowcano", three Flame Throwers returned to attempt another invasion of the Crystal Realm, but are seen being chased off by the Dragon Riders. When one broke off from its pack, Eugene decided to pursue it, not realizing it wanted one of the riders to chase it, and lead Eugene to another Flame Thrower waiting for an ambush. Luckily, Wu and Wei came in to save him and Webmaster by blocking the Flame Throwers' Blast with their mist blast, forcing them to retreat.
Season 5[]
In "Punishment and Torcher", Buzzsaw captured three Flame Throwers with his dragon call whistle. He used them to guard his captured dragons in cages and called them "Fire Spitters". They didn't harm the lumberjack, but they called the Sky Torcher for help. As Buzzsaw saw the giant dragon, he flew away out of fear on Jack. The Sky Torcher then attacked the Dragon Club after mistaking them for being the Flame Throwers' captors. After a lengthy battle, the Dragon Club set the Flame Throwers free and the Sky Torcher left the group on better terms.
Season 7[]
In "Eugene's Lean Mean Extreme Dream Team", Buzzsaw managed to capture Flame Throwers again but this time he has more and managed to get them to work for him, when Eugene spots them it prompts him to start his own Dragon Rider team which doesn't work out well so he handles this himself. However after Nibbles alerts them two Flame Throwers try attacking Eugene until Webmaster traps them in a web however the two end up getting caught in a net trap and the Flame Throwers manage to free themself from the web and assist Buzzsaw in what to do with Eugene, when the riders come and rescue him the Flame Throwers assist Buzzsaw and Sledkin in fighting the riders but are taken out by Wu and Wei.
In "Rise of Jörmungandr", Buzzsaw stated that he recruited the Sky Torcher by using the Flame Throwers somehow, most likely he threatened to kill them.
Season 8[]
In "Ragnarok: Part 1", Buzzsaw's Flame Throwers had managed to get back to the Fire Realm however when Tom and Jun enter the Realm to find a Fire Gronckle and Iron they find them both next to the Sky Torcher who was fast asleep and was guarded by an army of Flame Throwers wanting to protect it after everything it had went through with the humans and Jörmungandr. Tom and Jun sneak around the Flame Throwers however when an angry Gronckle wakes the Sky Torcher who alerts the Flame Throwers they flew down and with the Sky Torcher to attack the intruders however their beaten by Thunder, Jun and Wu and Wei.
Trivia[]
- They might be partially inspired by crested newts, as their general body shape as well as their usual pattern appear similar to aforementioned newts, especially triturus cristatus (northern crested newt).
- Flame Throwers do have many similarities to the Small Shadow Wing:
- Both are highly intelligent.
- Both live and hunt in a pack.
- Both are fast and agile flyers.
- Both are leaded by a large Alpha dragon of an other species.
- Both live in a symbiotic relationship with their Alpha.
- Both are dragons of the Stoker class and do have large fire capacities.
- Flame Throwers are similar to Komodo dragons, both in appearance and their aggressive behavior.
