|
| “ | Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend. [src] | ” |
| — Hiccup introducing the Gronckle. |
The Gronckle is a medium-sized Boulder Class dragon that first appeared in How to Train Your Dragon.
Official Description[]
| “ | One of the toughest dragons in our world is the Gronckle. Gronckles have gigantic heads, short bodies, and round tails. Gronckles are lazy, and spend most of their time sleeping in communal heaps. They have been known to fall asleep while flying, waking only when they crash into the ocean or the side of a mountain. Gronckles have relatively small wings that beat as fast as a hummingbird's. They are slow in the air, but make up for this with their maneuverability. A Gronckle can fly backwards, sideways, and even hover. Gronckles attack from the air, where their primary weapon is most effective. Gronckles chew rocks, melting them in their bellies and firing them as balls of molten lava. | ” |
| — Dragonpedia |
| “ | This Boulder Class Dragon is not built for speed, but it can fly like a hummingbird. A giant, stubborn hummingbird that shoots lava rocks! The Gronckle's tough hide can take more hits than almost any other Dragon...or any two Dragons combined! |
” |
| — Dragons: Rise of Berk |
| “ | With its bulbous shape, tiny wings and laid-back demeanor, the wart hoggish Gronckle is proving to be a fan favorite. He is a series of round balls, including warts. He’s just lazy, cantankerous and grumpy, and that makes you like him even better. The critter is known to doze off even in mid-flight as he floats about like the Goodyear blimp. But there is no denying that his fire packs a lethal punch. |
” |
| — Sanders[1] |
| “ | This dragon is one of the toughest in the world. Gronckles are lazy, and spend most of their time sleeping in communal heaps | ” |
| — DreamWorks Dragons: Wild Skies |
Development[]
| “ | Flies like a cross between a bumblebee and a helicopter, fueled by the roar of a motorcycle. [src] | ” |
| — Simon Otto, Head of Character Animation |
Simon Otto also mentions that the Gronckle is inspired by a mix of a pit-bull, a crocodile, a Harley-Davidson, and surprisingly, a helicopter[2]. While the Gronckle evidently gains inspiration from a bumblebee's stature and a helicopter's ability to hover and move in all directions, the Gronckle is also based off walruses and rhinoceroses. The animation team studied their behavior and movements, and imagined how the Gronckle would be like if it had the size and speed of a hummingbird's wings.
While most of the early concept art still preserve its stubby, segmented body, as well as its warty skin, several variations on their spikes and body design exist. Gronckle by Nico Marlet, for example, features a much larger lower jaw. Whereas another concept art depicts the Gronckle with a more 'Monstrous Nightmare' like vibe, for it has a significantly longer tongue, frilly nasal horns and eyelids, smoother skin and leaf-like lobes along its back.
Physical Appearance[]
Egg[]
Gronckle eggs are the smallest of all the species. Some are a bluish color, while others are goldish, some even purple, and have a rocky appearance. They also bounce around like jumping beans. They are shown to explode when they hatch. Although the eggs are supposed to be barely larger than a marble, it's shown that Meatlug's eggs are just a bit smaller than the average Viking head and snugly fit inside Viking helmets.
Hatchling to Adult[]
The Gronckle can be a slow, lazy, and cranky bulldog-like dragon, It has been known to fall asleep mid-flight, waking only when it plunges into the sea or crashes into a mountain. They spend the majority of the day sleeping. However, during battle, they can be fierce adversaries because of their high defenses.
Because of its tremendous weight and small wings, it would seem impossible for them to fly. However, because the wings of a Gronckle beat at a speed similar to that of hummingbirds', dragonflies', or bees' wings, it is possible for one to sustain flight. In fact, a Gronckle can fly backward, sideways, and even hover in place. However, due to their massive weight and small wings they are the slowest species in the dragon world, which is not helped by their extreme tendencies towards laziness and falling asleep whilst flying. Despite this, they can still perform some pretty impressive flight maneuvers when trained to do so. Its tail can be mistaken for the head if little attention is paid to it.
Because of its large stout body and clubbed tail, the Gronckle somewhat resembles an Ankylosaurus. It has huge jaws which can be used to hold food. It has a rather blunt nose horn and fairly stubby toe claws. Its legs are practically useless in battle, and due to its short tail it has a fairly small attack range.
In the How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular, Gronckles appear to have a similar body structure as the animated version. However they have much more bulk in their torso and a diminished tail size. This is probably due to design requirements for making real life puppets and robots. The live action Gronckles also have an exit orifice at the very end of their tail which is able to spew out debris and flatulence.
In Dragons: The Nine Realms, Gronckles are native to the Fire Realm of the Hidden World. Their skin coloring is red, orange, and swampy green. Some have big red spots on their back that can be shown reaching from head to tail. Most Gronckles have red spots on their heads and faces.
Titan Wing[]
Titan Wing Gronckles are volcano-like in color, as seen in the games School of Dragons and Dragons: Rise of Berk. They are black with irregular striping and eyes with no visible pupils. Their wings are gray with yellow edges. They mouth and nose are glowing yellow from the lava inside them. Beside the color, nothing else is changed from the adult form. It is unknown if the red stripes are lava or it is just their color.
In Book of Dragons, the life stages of the Gronckle are presented. It shows a Titan Wing Gronckle as a final stage. Here, the Titan Gronckle looks like a regular adult, except somewhat larger and longer wings. This is most likely the first mention of Titan Wing Dragons.
Abilities[]
Babies' Abilities[]
Once they hatch, the egg will explode like a grenade, which can cause destruction as seen in Gift of the Night Fury.
As babies, they are able to make up for their tiny wing size with tremendous flapping velocity, like hummingbirds. Just like the adults, hatchlings are able to fly forward, backward, and sideways. As seen in Gift of the Night Fury, along with the other hatchlings, they couldn't handle flying through strong winds. Though older hatchlings could fly and blast as shown in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Baby Gronckles need a lot of naps just like children. As they were observed to fall asleep in mid-flight.
A baby Gronckle's bark is far worse than their bite. Although they bellow and open their mouths to display their growing teeth, they are seldom seen attacking anything.
Rechargeable Firepower[]
| “ | As a member of the Boulder Class, Gronckles can consume rocks and use them to fuel their “lava blasts”, which involves shooting large amounts of lava from their mouths. This ability requires Gronckles to have a high firepower in order to maintain their “lava blasts”. | ” |
| — School of Dragons Website[3] |
The Gronckle can launch a devastating fire attack but is limited to six shots at a time. Both its fire attack and hovering flight pattern make it a very dangerous dragon. It can simply hover slightly out of reach of the Vikings and then blast them with its powerful fire. Unlike the other dragons, the Gronckle can refill its shot limit fairly quickly.
Most dragons use a flammable gas, but the Gronckle eats rocks and then melts them in its stomach. So as long as there are edible rocks in the area, the Gronckles will be one of the few dragons to be able to refill their shot limit. The Gronckle's lava depends on the type of rocks they eat. They are able to produce regular flaming hot lava, lava coated rocks, Gronckle Iron, glass, and lava of different colors.
Jaw Strength and Expansion[]
Like all Boulder Class dragons, Gronckles have extremely strong jaws, being able to crush boulders with ease. They are able to carry large boulders in their mouth, eat them, and shoot back at their enemies as shown by Meatlug. She was also able to hold 3 fully grown sheep in her mouth.
Strength and Combat[]
Gronckles have much strength, being able to lift heavy Vikings such as Fishlegs or Stoick. The Gronckle uses its brute strength as an advantage when fighting its opponents, whether they are Vikings or Dragons. This was demonstrated by Meatlug several times, and a group of Gronckles were able to take on a much larger Screaming Death. Meatlug has left a mighty warrior like Stoick the Vast stunned on the ground for a short period of time, and did the same to a Razorwhip as they can use their tail-club on its belly. She also did the same to Toothless when he was under the effects of Eel Pox. Meatlug manage to carry a large Singetail (which weight 816.4 kilograms) to Dragon’s Edge in flight, despite previous in "Viking for Hire" Meatlug couldn’t fly with a heavy saddle that was equipped four large iron maces and her rider, or in "Have Dragon Will Travel, Part 1", Meatlug struggled to fly with saddle bags full of huge rocks. Showing that dragons like Gronckles can get stronger over time.
Despite their might, a wild Gronckle have been shown to be no match for a Night Fury in single combat. This was shown with the wild Gronckle that attacked Toothless in “Defiant One” and Meatlug in “The Eel Effect”. Also as seen in "Quake, Rattle and Roll", despite having some training learn some combat from Snotlout, Meatlug was easily defeated when Toothless shot a small plasma blast at her. Also in the “Loyal Order of Ingerman”, Meatlug was easily defeated by a Dramillion. This is possibly due to the fact that Gronckles do not actually enjoy combat, and when faced with a fight, become rather tame as it’s more possible only fight for defense or territorial.
Gronckle Iron Creation[]
Main article: Gronckle Iron
One interesting fact about a Gronckle’s stomach is that it is able to melt down any type of rock and metal like a forge. By mixing certain minerals and ores, it is able to create an alloy called Gronckle Iron, which can be shaped into weapons and instruments that are lighter and stronger than those made of pure iron. Meatlug was able to create a large amount of Gronckle Iron in the episode, "The Iron Gronckle". Other mixtures allow them to be magnetized and create glass (sandstone alone).
Dragon Root Immunity[]
Gronckles are one of the few known dragons that are immune to Dragon Root, possibly because of their mineral-based diet. Gronckles are also immune to Dragon Root lanced arrows.
Bump Blast[]
| “ | Gronckles are famous for their lava blasts and the hard, armorlike bumps all over their bodies. If they really need to do some damage to their enemies, they out these two features together. When provoked, Gronckles inhale deeply, and the bumps on their bodies blast off in every direction! | ” |
| — Guide to the Dragons, Volume 1 |
As seen in one Gronckle merchandise toy, these dragons are able to blast off the large bumps on their bodies, which scatter in every direction. This is presumably for self-defense purposes. However, this ability was never seen on screen. Bump Blasting was however also mentioned in the Guide to the Dragons, Volume 1 and DreamWorks Dragons: Ultimate Movie Guide.
This ability may also be demonstrated by Meatlug in the game, Dragons Hero Portal. Her special attack consists of rotating in a circle and firing off groups of four spikes in all directions to hit opponents.
Speed and Agility[]
Interestingly enough, Gronckles are much faster on the ground than in the air, as shown when Meatlug was able to run faster than the objects that were attracted to her magnetic body. They are very maneuverable in the air, being able to go backward, sideways and even hover. As Meatlug has shown, they are able to stand and walk on their hind legs. Also the dragons can be motivated, if they are in a feeding frenzy state like the hungry Gronckles that runs and fights over the eggs of a Catastrophic Quaken.
Durability and Stamina[]
| “ | Gronckles possess one of the hardest exteriors amongst dragons, giving them a layer of nearly impenetrable natural armor. This exterior is what gives Gronckles their bulk, and also makes them a formidable opponent in battle. | ” |
| — School of Dragons Website[3] |
Gronckles have extremely tough scales, able to withstand many attacks from enemy dragons and Vikings. A wild Gronckle was shown to be able to withstand attacks from a Viking's mace without suffering major injury. This makes them one of the toughest dragons in terms of defense. According to a Webisode, they can survive a crash into a mountain or fall from high altitudes. Despite their small wings and laziness, their stamina seems comparable to that of other dragons as Meatlug is often seen flying for the same length of time as the other dragons.
Weaponry[]
Gronckles have a number of weapon-like physical features - the body of armor with bumps, sword-like teeth, sharp tusks, club-like tail, nose horn, claws, and the ability to use their head as a bludgeon. Meatlug has shown that their flatulence is rather pungent and can be used to stun dragons as large as the Screaming Death. Their club tail is quite a strong weapon, against both Vikings and dragons. Meatlug demonstrated this in battles with a Whispering Death and a Typhoomerang.
Intelligence[]
Gronckles are shown to be much smarter than they appear, as Fishlegs is able to teach Meatlug many tricks and skills. He was also able to show wild Gronckles how to stop the Screaming Death using their lava blasts.
Senses[]
Gronckles have a strong sense of smell, which was demonstrated several times when Meatlug found hostile Outcast Vikings from a far distance, or when she found a Changewing egg buried in the sand of a beach. Although they are stated to have weak vision, Meatlug was able to see Fishlegs' hand signals while he was in a tree and she was way higher up in the air.
Swimming[]
Although it hasn’t been shown, it’s possible Gronckles may be good swimmers, as in the “Last Auction Heroes” Meatlug manage to save Toothless who was underwater while carrying both him and Fishlegs out of the water.
Curling Up[]
As seen in Dragon Training Legends, Gronckles can curl themselves up into a ball and roll themselves around for faster movement. It can also be used in means of offense as shown in "Quake, Rattle and Roll" when Meatlug ran over Snotlout. Shatter Scatter is a battle move where Shattermaster curls up into a ball and rolls at high speed and then uncurls seconds before he hits his target. It is capable of breaking through dragon proof metal. Also it can combine with Windshear to create Flying Shatter Scatter where Windshear uses her tail to hold Shattermaster and then tosses him towards a target, then Shattermaster curls up into a ball and rolls at high speed and then uncurls seconds before he hits his target.
Glowing Body[]
Similar to a Flightmare, Night Fury, and Deadly Nadder, by eating glowing algae, a Gronckle can control the intensity of its glow. It can turn its glow on bright in order to scare off other dragons who are trying to attack it. This was shown in "Fright of Passage", where Meatlug drank some of the glowing algae, which caused her to glow.
Resistance to High Temperatures[]
In Dragons: The Nine Realms, the Gronckles live in the Fire Realm that’s full of magma, and extremely high temperatures. Meatlug was also the best choice to transport the Eruptodon egg to the volcano in "Out of the Frying Pan".
Weaknesses[]
Loud Sounds[]
If one clatters metallic objects together near a Gronckle, it can momentarily disorients it, and even obscure its vision. This also includes loud screeches from other dragons like the Screaming Death or the Sentinels, but this could be said for most dragons.
Sensitive Spot[]
Like Deadly Nadders and other dragons, the Gronckle has a specific spot that, when scratched, will cause the dragon to instantly calm down. Gobber found out from being a dragon doctor that these dragons' have a sensitive spot under their belly where, when tickled by a single feather, can induce vomiting of lava.
Allergies[]
Gronckles appear to be prone to allergies, whether seasonal or environmental. These manifest as respiratory symptoms such as sneezing. Sneezing in a dragon can involve snorting out fire or lava. Fishlegs indicates Meatlug has allergies as early as "How to Pick Your Dragon". Yawnckle also has allergies to Flowers.
Overeating[]
Eating too many rocks can make them overheat and also cause stomach upset, some of which can cause discomfort/pain or inability to produce lava blasts. Their fire is also dependent on the type of rocks consumed, ranging from those that give them uncontrollable magnetic forces to causing them to spit out glass. According to Fishlegs, different Gronckles react differently to different types of rock: limestone might be one Gronckle's favorite treat, but cause another to get an awful stomach ache. They can also choke on certain rocks, especially quartzite, even as adults.
Slow Speed[]
Gronckles are one of the slowest and laziest dragons, making it easy for them to get left behind by other dragons. Much like Hotburples, they may also fall from the sky after falling asleep in mid flight. However, Meatlug has been shown to travel very long distances yet either ended up being more exhausted than the other dragons or at times even flew in her sleep.
Weak Vision[]
Gronckles are also described as having extremely weak vision, but it is unknown exactly how weak it is.
Improper Food Diet[]
When a Gronckle eats something that isn't rocks, like silver crystals, it makes them sick and regurgitate it out.
Behavior and Personality[]
| “ | Gronckles are the most notoriously lazy Gronckles known to Vikings — which is saying something! Local Berkians have used them as doorstops, footstools, and garbage disposers to get rid of leftover food. | ” |
| — Dragons: Titan Uprising |
Gronckles are usually very friendly unless something angers or threatens them, and are said to be sociable to most dragons and animals. They often enjoy physical contact and nap in "communal heaps" with other Gronckles.
As mentioned before, Gronckles are lazy and sometimes cranky dragons. They fly slowly due to their small wings and bulky bodies, but their fire attacks are devastating. They can be sweet-natured and motherly at times, especially towards their hatchlings or their riders. Gronckles can be extremely deadly, considering that they can shoot molten lava. But if you befriend a Gronckle (which is pretty easy), they will love you forever and are very protective over their owners. They like to spend time with their owners, and are very playful.
Gronckles have a bit of a dog-like personality as they apparently love to play catch. They love to get their belly rubbed, but according to Fishlegs they don't like to get their chins rubbed. Also, they can whine like dogs when upset.
Gronckles are said to be territorial like some other dragons, as proven by a wild Gronckle that was fighting Toothless. As Fishlegs stated, Gronckles can be tenacious dragons if needed.
According to the description for Rubblegrubber, "few Gronckles ... [have] the ability to purr. … the Gronckle's purring sound is produced by gravel in its gizzard rubbing together. It is a gritty purr, but if you hear it, you know you're loved." This appears to be a learned behavior to show affection by manipulating their gastrointestinal organs.
In Dragons: The Nine Realms, Gronckles are seen preying on Catastrophic Quaken eggs. Three Gronckles are shown going on a feeding frenzy when fed the Quaken eggs. They even fight one another over the last remaining egg. They will even chase after anyone, human or dragon, that carries a Quaken egg, which can be used to lure the Gronckles someplace else.
Training[]
| “ | Warm, friendly, and loyal, Gentle Gronckles are ideal training partners, endless sources of Gronckle Iron, and beloved household pets on Berk. But seriously, though — don’t pull on those bumps! | ” |
| — Dragons: Titan Uprising |
Gronckles love to eat dragon nip and can be calmed with it as seen in the first movie. Feeding them rocks can also help one train this dragon. Their main diet is rocks, but they can also be fed fish. According to the game How to Train Your Dragon, training a Gronckle can be as simple as feeding the dragon Rack of Lamb. Because of their generally warm and friendly nature, Gronckles are ideal for young and first-time trainers. Some types are even more suited as a "starter" dragon, such as the Gentle Gronckle.
Comparative Statistics[]
| Ultimate Book of Dragons |
Guide to Dragons Books |
Dragonpedia | Dragonpedia Stat Cards |
World of Dragons |
School of Dragons |
Other | |||||||
| CLASS | Boulder | Boulder | Boulder | Boulder | Boulder | Boulder | |||||||
| SIZE | 14 feet | 14 feet | 14 feet | ||||||||||
| WINGSPAN | 18 feet | 18 feet | |||||||||||
| WEIGHT | 5,724 lbs | 5,724 lbs | |||||||||||
| ATTACK | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 (Live) | |||||||
| SPEED | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.2 | 4 (Live) 4 (WS) |
||||||
| ARMOR | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 (Live) | |||||||
| FIRE POWER | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 7.1 | 14 (Live) 14 (WS) |
||||||
| SHOT LIMIT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 (Live) 6 (WS) |
||||||
| VENOM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (Live) | |||||||
| JAW STRENGTH | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 (Live) | |||||||
| STEALTH | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 (Live) | |||||||
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
|
|
Main article: Meatlug |
The Gronckle was first seen in Hiccup's opening narration on common dragon species, picking livestock off the fields. The Gronckle is the first dragon that the Viking Trainees have to fight in the arena. It is used to teach them how to use the shield to block attacks and shown to have a six shot limit. One almost blasts Hiccup, but he is saved by Gobber the Belch. Hiccup learns from Toothless that dragons love Dragon Nip and uses this to calm down the same Gronckle in a later training session. The Gronckle is used to determine who will kill the Monstrous Nightmare and is seen subdued by Hiccup (presumably through scratching a particularly sensitive spot dragons have), earning him that right. Hiccup later gives the Gronckle to Fishlegs during the attack on the Red Death and during the battle, she hovers beside the dragon's head, allowing Fishlegs to distract the Red Death by banging on his shield. This also confuses the Gronckle and causes her to crash and flip upside-down, pinning Fishlegs who ends up being okay. The Gronckle and Fishlegs are nearly crushed by the Red Death's foot, but thanks to Snotlout's antics, it barely misses them and the Gronckle is later seen flying around the village as Fishlegs' pet dragon, Meatlug.
How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular[]
Various Gronckles appear in this theatre production of the first movie, including a large, rideable animatronic model, 'wrestle dragon' suits, and smaller puppets suspended for ceiling tracks. The large animatronic Gronckle is one of the dragons the Viking trainees fight with during training.
Racing For The Gold[]
In the "Snowboarding" video segment, Hiccup is being chased a pack of dragons which two of them were Gronckles and as he takes shelter in a house they blast it away causing him to use the wood from the building as snowboard doing all sorts of tricks. However, the Gronckles and dragons eventually catch up to him and making him wipeout.
Two Gronckles appear in the "Speed Skating" video segment. They are small and are tied to the backs of Stoick and Gobber. The Gronckles are being used as a sort of jet pack to propel the Vikings across the snow, wearing skates with an axe-like appearance.
Gift of the Night Fury[]
|
|
Main article: Meatlug's Mate |
|
|
Main article: Meatlug's Offspring |
In this short, there were several Gronckles seen on Rookery island, clustered in family groups and tending to their young. They later helped Hiccup ferry a Viking Ship filled with baby dragons back to Berk. This movie short also showed that Gronckle eggs explode when hatching.
Legend of the Boneknapper[]
As Gobber's house was set on fire and Stoick coordinated everyone on putting it out he ordered the Gronckles drop water on the roof which one assisted Fishlegs and Meatlug in doing. The Gronckles along with the other dragons witnessed with the vikings as Gobber ranted on saying a so called Boneknapper dragon was responsible for the fire.
Book of Dragons[]
A Shortwing Gronckle
The Gronckle's abilities and features were mentioned in this short, along with its life cycle, which composes of the egg, Tiny Tooth, Short Wing, Broad Wing, and the Titan Wing stages.
We also see that Gronckles will eat sheep. They decimate Bork the Bold's entire flock, except for Willie.
Dragons: Riders of Berk[]
|
|
Main article: Book Wyrm |
In "How to Start a Dragon Academy", a group of Gronckles was seen eating Mildew's cabbage and sleeping on his house.
In "Alvin and the Outcasts", when Outcast Island is invaded by wild angry dragons a Gronckle is seen reining lava chunks all over the island.
In "Heather Report, Part 2", a wild Gronckle was standing on top of the Dragon Manual when it fell on Outcast Island. Savage and a group of Outcast Soldiers attempted to get the book from her. One of the soldiers tried to retrieve the book, but was violently attacked. Savage asked if one of the others would go get the book, but the others refused. Savage had to get the book himself and, though he succeeded, he got slightly burned by the dragon.
In "Twinsanity", when news of the Berserkers are visiting Berk for a peace treaty, fearing the Berserkers would go berserk if they knew about the dragons Stoick ordered Hiccup and the riders to hide the dragons in which they move many dragons including Gronckles away from the village. Later as the new Breaker Chief Dagur the Deranged was given a tour of the village, at the armoury he tests out the weapons by pretending to kill dragons in which he yells "who want some of this Gronckle".
In "When Lightning Strikes", a Gronckle and a Monstrous Nightmare are sitting on top of two viking houses however the roofs couldn't support their weights causing them to fall through them and collapse the houses. This prompts the village to build perches for the dragons.
In "Defiant One", another wild Gronckle on Outcast Island appears but this one is blue. When Hiccup and Toothless arrived at the Outcast forge, Hiccup slips through the bars but Toothless is too big. Hiccup tells his dragon to stay hidden. However, the wild Gronckle that is on the roof attacks Toothless, knocking them both into a small gorge. As Toothless continues his fight with the Gronckle by avoiding its shots. Once the wild dragon is out, Toothless fires two plasma blast to send the Gronckle flying. Sensing Hiccup is in trouble, he tries to climb out of the gorge, but it's too steep. Toothless picks up on Snotlout's scent and follows it out of a mouth in the gorge.
In "We Are Family, Part 1", when the village sets up the decorations for Bork Week, two Vikings riding Gronckles carry a sign towards the foot of the Great Hall saying "Bork Week". Meanwhile in the cove the Dragon Riders are showing off their dragon calls Fishlegs demonstrates his Gronckle call which summons Meatlug but also an entire herd of Gronckles which he lets Meatlug go off and play with them. Later after watching Fishlegs' Gronckle Squad practise flying in formation for the Bork Week Dragon air show Hiccup feels sorry for Toothless since there are no other Night Furies to fly with him.
In "We Are Family, Part 2", when Hiccup and Mildew escape from the Outcast prison they enter a field full of wild and aggressive dragons including Gronckles, and like the other dragons the Gronckles don't take too well of them.
Dragons: Defenders of Berk[]
|
|
Main article: Exiled Gronckle |
In "The Iron Gronckle", Fishlegs and Meatlug discover that when a Gronckle eats a certain combination of rocks it can help produce lava that cools into a light and near indestructible metal Gobber named "Gronckle Iron", although its unknown what rocks help make it.
In "The Night and the Fury", during Astrid's idea of a training exercise where everyone spends the night on Dragon Island without their dragons, Hiccup encounters two Gronckles fighting each other until Hiccup calms them down by throwing a couple of rocks at them which they can't resist and eat.
In "Appetite for Destruction", during the rider's mission to paint tag dragons to determine which island their from, at Crescent Island the Twins try tagging a Gronckle but as it flies away Tuffnut ends up throwing paint at Ruffnut which results in a paint fight. After Hiccup scolds the Twins Astrid informs him of two paint tagged Gronckles but one of which was tagged green which concerns Hiccup and wishes to inform Fishlegs of the matter via Terror Mail. Later after investigating the disappearance of two islands once returning to Dragon Island Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs see many different dragons including Gronckles tagged with all sorts of different colours showing that they've been exiled form their islands. After finding out the Screaming Death was behind the islands sinking Fishlegs informs Hiccup and Astrid that dragons and Gronckles from Boarhead and Thor Rock Island have arrived showing the Screaming Death destroyed their homes as well. Once the Screaming Death arrived at Dragon Island Fishlegs and Meatlug lead an army of territorial exiled Gronckles to attack the Screaming Death who are angry the large dragon destroyed their homes, and with help from the other riders including Astrid's army of exiled Deadly Nadders they all work together to drive away the Screaming Death. However all the digging the large dragon caused the island to become unstable and sink however Fishlegs and Meatlug then lead all the Gronckles into blasting at all the holes plugging them up with hardened lava preventing the island from sinking. With the island saved it then became the new home for both the Gronckles and all the exiled dragons.
In "A Tale of Two Dragons", when finding out Dragon Root was the main cause for Hookfang and Stormfly going at each other, Fishlegs and Meatlug get rid of it without any problems as Fishlegs theories that because of a Gronckle's rock based diet, that their immune to its overpowering effect.
In "Bing! Bam! Boom!", when the riders struggle to get Bing, Bam and Boom to stay on Dragon Island, after Stoick and Thornado lead them back them Hiccup and Fishlegs discover that the baby Thunderdrums were actually driven out by a large pack of angry wild dragons which included Gronckles. Leading to them all working together to fight off the wild dragons.
Dragons: Race to the Edge[]
Season 1[]
|
|
Main article: Tuffnut Junior (Franchise) |
|
|
Main article: Junior Tuffnut |
|
|
Main article: Junior Tuffnut Junior |
A wild Gronckle was seen caught in Death Song amber in "Imperfect Harmony". Though not seen, it is presumed that it was freed by the Dragon Riders after they defeated the Death Song.
Tuffnut Junior, Junior Tuffnut, and Junior Tuffnut Junior first encountered Fishlegs, Meatlug, Hiccup and Toothless shortly before they were ambushed and chased away by the Catastrophic Quaken in "Quake, Rattle and Roll". The three Gronckles were temporarily relocated to Dragon's Edge with all the other Gronckles from Dark Deep, much to the annoyance of the other Dragon Riders. Later, they returned to Dark Deep and befriended the Quaken, who had become more welcoming thanks to Fishlegs and Meatlug.
Season 2[]
|
|
Main article: Gothi's Gronckle |
Gothi was assigned to a purple Gronckle when she joined the Auxiliary Riders in "Team Astrid". She then joined the battle for the Edge, helping the gang succeed.
In "Night of the Hunters, Part 1", when Astrid and Stormfly were out for a morning fly, they witness a group of Dragon Hunters which in one of their cages was a Gronckle they captured. Later as the plan to rescue Stormfly from them fails as they try and use Fishlegs and Meatlug to get through their Dragon Root Arrows the hunter leader Ryker Grimborn mocks them saying he already knew Gronckles were immune to Dragon Root.
In "Bad Moon Rising", to prove to Tuffnut that he wasn't bitten by a Lycanwing Dragon, Ruffnut makes Snotlout get bitten in the arm by a bunch of different creatures which one of them happened to be Gronckle.
In "Snotlout Gets the Axe", when Tuffnut accidentally marries Fishlegs and Ruffnut and she decides to move into his hut, she decides Fishlegs' dragon figurines must go in which one of them was carved to look like a Gronckle.
In "Edge of Disaster, Part 1", when Hiccup, Fishlegs and Snotlout go to rescue Trader Johann they find him and his ship being attacked by a large pack of Gronckles, Deadly Nadders and Monstrous Nightmare so when they went to go rescue him they try leading them all away but proves difficult as their all angry. One of the Gronckles tries nibbling at Johann's mast which he tries swatting with a broom and even hits another one in the face making it mad and then another one close in until Snotlout and Hookfang fly by distracting them and prompting them to chase him although they fly away as Hookfang lights himself on fire. Later as Fishlegs was kidnapped by the dragons and the others go to rescue him Hiccup and Snotlout are confused by this considering that even Gronckles, Nadders and Nightmare aren't usually this aggressive.
Several rouge dragons held Fishlegs captive on an island during the events of "Edge of Disaster, Part 2". He managed to tame them when he saved a young Gronckle from choking on quartzite.
In "A Time to Skrill", as the riders sneak into a Dragon Hunter's camp to free the Skrill they sneak past the cages fill of captured dragons, some of which are Gronckles.
In "Maces and Talons, Part 1", as the Dragon Riders are attacking a Hunter Ships Hiccup and Toothless break into the lower deck the ship and free the dragons inside two of which were Gronckles.
In "Maces and Talons, Part 2", when Hiccup sneaks into the Hunter's base through all the Dragon Cages a Gronckle is seen locked up in one of them and couple more are heard growling.
Season 3[]
|
|
Main article: Shattermaster |
In "Crash Course", when the riders encounter Cavern Crasher Fishlegs pulls out in new Dragon Cards to identify it properly, one of the cards had a Gronckle picture on it.
In "Stryke Out", when Hiccup and Toothless are kidnapped and taken to Dragon Fights, then locked up with the dragons one of the dragon gladiators was an aggressive but hungry Gronckle which Hiccup used his leg to break off some rocks on the wall to feed and befriend it.
In "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", when the riders find attack a Dragon Hunter ship but only find marble blocks on it they then see a humungous flock of dragons flying away in a hurry which some of them were Gronckles.
During the events of "Family on the Edge", Dagur was assigned to ride Shattermaster when he begged Hiccup to teach him to ride. Dagur was hoping for a Skrill, and was a bit displeased upon seeing that he'd be riding a Gronckle. In fact, he initially thought that Shattermaster was going to be breakfast for a more powerful dragon. However, he completely changed his mind upon seeing Shattermaster's abilities. The duo then enthusiastically began training with Hiccup, and later Fishlegs and Astrid. Shattermaster was said to be a fast learner, as shown by his mastery of the 'Inverted Gronckle Drop' maneuver. When Dagur was locked up after being accused of spying for the hunters, Shattermaster broke them out, which prompted Fishlegs to comment on how well they had bonded. Upon reaching a Dragon Hunter hidden shipyard, Dagur and Shattermaster charged into battle and laid waste to the Hunters' fleet.
In "Last Auction Heroes", Viggo captured many Gronckles for his Dragon Auction. Fortunately, the Dragon Riders were able to infiltrate into the auction and free all the caged dragons, including the Gronckles.
In "Defenders of the Wing, Part 1", when the Defenders of a Wing and their queen Mala accuse the Riders of being Dragon Hunters and send them to be killed int he Dragon's Nest, once they arrive there they see two Gronckles sleeping there.
Season 4[]
In "Defenders of the Wing, Part 2", when the Great Protector was starved by the Dragon Hunters and forced it to make the volcano of Dragon's Edge erupt, Meatlug called every Gronckle on the island to regurgitate lava and lure the Eruptodon away from the volcano.
In "Saving Shattermaster", Dagur revealed that Shattermaster, along with many other Gronckles, were captured by Dragon Hunters. He, with the help of Hiccup and Heather, released them and brought them to a safe place.
In "Dire Straits", as the riders disrupt a Dragon Hunter operation in the eastern waters they free both a Gronckle and Monstrous Nightmare. Later as Viggo chained a Submaripper in Berk's sailing lanes preventing trade ships bringing food to the island, Hiccup still needed to test his new diving bell to free the Submaripper but he looks over to see the people of Berk along with a Gronckle looking very weak and badly starving prompting him to start the mission immediately.
Season 5[]
In "Living on the Edge", the Dragon Riders rounded up the Gronckles from Dark Deep to produce Gronckle Iron that would help them in preventing the volcano of Dragon's Edge from erupting.
In "A Matter of Perspective", when the riders try to find a way to sneak off Vanaheim without the Sentinels knowing, Meatlug discovers the Tomb of the Gronckles which disturbs her but Fishlegs is impressed by thinking the bones must go back centuries ago and even states that Meatlug could be related to them, but this concerns her however Fishlegs assures her she's along way from this but states it would be nice way to spend her elder years.
In "Searching for Oswald... and Chicken", when Grim Gnashers sneak onto Vanaheim to prey on sick and weak dragons they go after an elderly Gronckle. However, Hiccup, Toothless and Dagur come to its rescue by attacking the Grim Gnashers.
Season 6[]
In "No Bark, All Bite", after Stoick ordered all of Johann's trade to be destroyed including the willow bark for medicine and even when the new traders didn't posses the bark either Hiccup and Stoick travelled to a few islands to procure it themselves in which they were met with a swarm of scared dragons including Gronckles who were running away from their island being set on fire. Later after Krogan and the Dragon Hunters invaded and took over Berk while Stoick was distracting Krogan Hiccup frees and leads all the captured dragons including many Gronckles to attack the Hunters and Flyers and drive them all out.
In "Loyal Order of Ingerman", when the news of the Dragon Explorers were coming to the edge earn their badges Snotlout was upset that the Gronckle Badge was the highest ranked of all the other badges.
Many Gronckles were summoned by the Berserker Bewilderbeast during the final battle in "King of Dragons, Part 2". The formed a compact group high in the air and let lava fall from their mouths at the same time. They flew above the entire Dragon Hunter fleet in this position, managing to sink many ships.
How to Train Your Dragon 2[]
Several Gronckle were seen in Valka's Mountain, along with her other wild dragons, including three babies that were briefly seen playing.
All the adult Gronckles from Valka's Mountain fought viciously in the battle against Drago's Army. After Drago's Bewilderbeast defeated Valka's, all the Gronckles bowed to their new Alpha. After they were freed by Toothless from the Bewilderbeast's control, they fought against the giant dragon. In the aftermath, they bowed to Toothless, acknowledging him as their new Alpha.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World[]
|
|
Main article: Fishmeat |
After Meatlug has babies again, Fishlegs decides to keep one of them, whom he names Fishmeat. The two eventually form a close bond, and Fishlegs brings the baby Gronckle with him everywhere he goes, carrying him in a special pocket of his dragon armor.
Lots of wild Gronckles are among the myriad of dragons in the Hidden World who are bowing down to Toothless and the Unnamed Light Fury, showing respect for their Alpha.
How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming[]
The Gronckle is pictured in a Dragon Manual formerly belonging to Stoick that Zephyr Haddock finds packed away in the Haddock House on New Berk.
Snoggletog Log[]
While the cauldron was brewing and everyone does their antics around it, Nuffink is seen having two baby Gronckles attached to his back which he has them blast out fire making him fly around the room and is happy that is idea works. Later Zephyr and Nuffink then use a baby Gronckle each and playfully blast each other with them, although Astrid calls out to them to take their shenanigans outside.
Dragons: Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon[]
A picture of a Gronckle is seen on the wall leading to the Golden Dragon. Leyla identifies it as a Boulder Class dragon.
Dragons: The Nine Realms[]
Season 1[]
In "First Flight, Part 1", in the prologue showing the Book of Dragons, a page shows a two Gronckles attacking Vikings. Another one was shown briefly pictured on the map of the Barbaric Archipelago.
Season 3[]
|
|
Main article: Fire Gronckle |
As seen in “Empty Fireworm Nest”, Gronckles native to the Fire Realm are a different breed called "Fire Gronckles".
Season 5[]
In "Punishment and Torcher", while Tom was grounded and spent time translating the Book of Dragons and informs the riders minus Eugene about it, he and Jun manage to identify one of the dragons they encountered as Gronckles, which D'Angelo thinks are a good name for them. Tom also states that baby Gronckles feed off puddles until Jun corrects him stating the book says pebbles. Later, while Tom was translating information about the Sky Torcher, a page shows a Gronckle's skeletal anatomy.
Season 6[]
In "Sledkin Stakeout", as the Riders were flying through the Nature Realm they see both a big and small Gronckle fighting over a boulder to eat, Alex and Feathers take the boulder from the bigger one but the Gronckles go nuts wanting it back and then fight over it again until D'Angelo and Plowhorn break it in half for the both of them to eat and then they go on their way. Later when confronting Buzzsaw thinking he set off an explosion Ford and Winston now have two barely trained Gronckles for themselves.
In "Poison Control". Ford and Winston ride their Gronckles back to Buzzsaw when returning from trying to capture dragons, but came back empty handed after claiming the riders thwarted them.
In "In Too Deep", Ford and Winston have their Gronckles lift a tied up Octofin out the ocean but when the Riders arrive Buzzsaw orders them to drop the dragon so that they could escape. Later, Winston uses his Gronckle to help light up a forge but is shown to be nicer to it than Buzzsaw is to Jack, it's unclear though if their Gronckles helped Buzzsaw attack ICARIS or not.
Season 7[]
In "Hearts of Heroes", while Buzzsaw deals with Jun and Tom, he orders Ford and Winston to handle the other riders, but when he leaves, their Gronckles wander off. Later, when Ford and Winston are tied up, Buzzsaw is annoyed with them and makes them look for their dragons themselves. While they, do the Grockles appear behind them without them knowing.
In "Eugene's Lean Mean Extreme Dream Team", when the other riders come to save Eugene trapped in a net, Buzzsaw and Sledkin, along with their subordinates, prepare to fight them, in which Ford and Winston get their Gronckles ready to fight; however, they're both taken out by D'Angelo and Plowhorn.
In "404 Alex Not Found", when Alex and Feathers are captured by Buzzsaw and his crew, she tries getting to Feathers but is blocked off by the Gronckles. Later, when Buzzsaw needs her help to find a Death Dragon, he has Ford, Winston and their Gronckles guard Feathers. Later, when the riders arrive to free Feathers, Thunder distracts the men while the others free Feathers and get the Gronckles to fly away, leaving Ford and Winston stranded in the Crystal Realm.
Season 8[]
In "Science vs. Nature", when Jun does reconnaissance around Buzzsaw's camp to see if his ballista is unguarded, she sneaks around Ford and Winston's Gronckles who sense her presence, but they don't notice her and go back to sleep. Once Buzzsaw's lackeys were captured, the riders removed the Gronckles' reins. Later, when Buzzsaw returns to his camp to find all his dragons had been freed and wants to get mad at Ford and Winston, all he finds are their Gronckles who wake up and snort at him, then leave flying away from him.
Games[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
According to the How to Train Your Dragon (game), training a Gronckle can be as simple as feeding the dragon Rack of Lamb. The player can customize their Gronckle by altering their head horns, feet, tail style, wing style, color, and back ridges.
Dragons Hero Portal[]
Meatlug appears in this game as part of one of the rider/dragon pairs the player can choose to play as.
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
The Gronckle species appears in this game, along with individuals like Meatlug, Meatlug's Mate and offspring, Book Wyrm, Gothi's Gronckle, and an Exiled Gronckle, which is one of the Screaming Death's subjects.
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
/h at Level 175 
/h at Level 175 
at Level 175 
/h at Level 175 
Tough Defender 
at Level 175
School of Dragons[]
The Gronckle is one of the original starter dragons available to players. They are also one of the few dragons in this game that has its Titan form available, adapted from Dragons: Rise of Berk.
In addition to the dragons the player may obtain, a Titan Gronckle appears on the explorable location The Tempest in the Expansion "Rise of Stormheart". It, along with a Moldruffle, does not have a known purpose as yet, but appear to be generating the energy to steam-power the ship.
Blue Gronckles appear as part of the Snoggletog special Dragon Tactics mini-game. They shoot giant candy can balls that turn to rock and Snoggletog decorations at the player.
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dragons: Titan Uprising[]
Several Gronckle individuals, like Obsurdian, Grove Gronckles, Gentle Gronckles, and the Molten Magmannette, and hybrids, like the Abomibumble and the Thunderbottom, appear in this game.
DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders[]
Gronckles appear indirectly in this game. Meatlug appears with Fishlegs Ingerman on a Terror Mail letterhead. Fishmeat is also mentioned. Artistically rendered Gronckle images also appear on large uniform blocks within the ruins under Havenholme that are used to solve puzzles and open passageways.
Dragon Pets[]
A Gronckle is one of the four dragons that appear in this game, along with the Deadly Nadder, Monstrous Nightmare, and Night Light.
Trivia[]
- The Gronckle's wing-to-body ratio would mean it would have to beat its wings significantly faster than any hummingbird would need to flap its own wings. It would have to beat approximately 4.1 times faster than an average hummingbird.
- It is likely that when Gronckles fly, they don't flap their wings up and down, but instead they most likely move their wings back and fourth similar to a helicopter. This is how bumblebees fly based on their wing and body proportions.
- Gronckles originally come from Dark Deep, as mentioned in "Quake, Rattle and Roll".
- The Titan Wing Gronckle has strong resemblance with the Lava Hound from the game, Clash of Clans.
- It is very likely that Gronckles carry their offspring inside their large jaws, like a crocodilian would, as that is how Meatlug took Fishmeat to the Hidden World.
References[]
- ↑ 'How to Train Your Dragon' takes flight - USA Today—Page 3 of 7
- ↑ Otto, Simon. How to Create Your Dragon: The Inspirations Behind the Creatures. (July 10, 2014)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gronckle in School of Dragons.
| Gronckle (Franchise) uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Rise of Berk Wiki page Gronckle. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
|
| Gronckle (Franchise) uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the DreamWorks School of Dragons Wiki page Gronckle. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
|
[]
|
|
Gronckle (Franchise) is also available in other languages. Do visit these pages if you prefer reading content from the respective languages: Deutsch • Español • Русский • Polski • Italiano • Português • 中文 • Français • Română |
