| “ | A Zippleback? Exotic. Two heads, twice the status. [src] | ” |
| — Hiccup introducing the Hideous Zippleback |
The Hideous Zippleback is a large Mystery Class (formerly Fear Class) dragon that first appeared in How to Train Your Dragon.
Quick Answers
What inspired the head, neck, and tail movements of the Hideous Zippleback?
What real-life creatures does the Hideous Zippleback's posture and walking structure resemble?
What was the original concept of the Hideous Zippleback in How to Train Your Dragon?
How does the Hideous Zippleback differ from other dragons in How to Train Your Dragon?
Why is the Hideous Zippleback classified as a Mystery Class dragon?
Official Description[]
| “ | Of all the dragons that inhabit our world, one of the most unusual and dangerous is the Hideous Zippleback. The Zippleback is one of the largest dragons you may ever encounter. It's unmistakable with its twin heads. The heads are distinct, with separate thoughts and different personalities. Like most dragons, Zipplebacks can fly, but their wings are small and they spend most of their time on the ground. Zipplebacks are solitary, preferring to hunt alone. They come out after sundown, prowling dark forests for victims. The attack of a Zippleback is like no other. Instead of breathing fire, a Zippleback makes explosions. One head BREATHES gas, and the other head lights it. | ” |
| — Dragonpedia |
| “ | This two-headed threat is the longest dragon and has the smallest wings & stubbiest legs. But the way it produces fire makes up for any physical drawbacks. While one head shoots out a flammable gas, the other ignites it with a spark—allowing for attacks from long distances. “It is based more on a Siamese cat combined with a devious snakelike quality. | ” |
| — Dean DeBlois in an interview with USA Today.[1] |
| “ | Gas + Spark = BOOM! This tricky and evasive 2-headed Mystery Class Dragon is double trouble . . . when it isn't bickering with itself. The Hideous Zippleback's gas-and-spark combo makes this Dragon a powerful force in battle. |
” |
| — Dragons: Rise of Berk |
| “ | The Hideous Zippleback is classified as a member of the Mystery Class in the Journal of Dragons. These dragons possess a unique method of attack: one head produces a thick green gas, while the other one produces sparks to light it on fire. Any Viking facing off against a Hideous Zippleback should also make sure to not breathe in the gas: It can easily disorient you! This species of dragons can also use the gas produced by one head to obscure itself from view. This makes it easier for the Hideous Zippleback to sneak up on its opponents. | ” |
| — School of Dragons Website[2] |
| “ | With two heads, the Zippleback is twice the trouble of other dragons. One head releases a flammable gas while the other head lights it on fire. | ” |
| — DreamWorks Dragons: Wild Skies |
Development[]
The Zippleback's head, neck, and tail movements were inspired by cobras, as they were "fluid" and "mesmerizing", says Simon Otto. Their posture and walking structure, however, resembles that of a Komodo dragon or a horned lizard[3].
Original concept art, such as Two Headed by Nico Marlet, depicted the Zippleback with three heads and a flatter, more collapsible skull. Special attention was paid to the coloring palette, in which the combinations of yellow and red, purple and orange, and teal and orange, were tested.
| “ | The modeling and rigging teams had more than twice the fun working on the build of this dragon: imagine what they thought when they were told this design "would have two heads and two long necks that should be able to zip together," recalls Head of Rigging Jeff Light. | ” |
| — The Art of How to Train Your Dragon |
The Zippleback is described to have 4,769 keyable animation controls, whereas humans only had 1,100.
Physical Appearance[]
Egg[]
In promotional material for the first film, these eggs are described as containing buoyant natural gases that are often mistaken for air bubbles. These bubbles give the surface of the egg a bumpy look full of craters. The eggs in School of Dragons look similar to those in the promotional material too. In Dragons: Rise of Berk, the eggs don't have any bubbles or mark of their presence whatsoever. Instead, the eggs have a pattern of scales similar to the markings on the neck and back of a Zippleback. They come in a variety of colors.
Hatchling to Adult[]
The Hideous Zippleback is often described as one of the most unusual dragons in the world. This dragon has two long, serpentine necks with rounded spikes from head to tail. These spikes can "zip" together, in order to create the illusion of one neck. At the end of the necks, are two short heads. The Zippleback has a large horn on each nose, and two thinner horns on top of each head. Like most dragons, they have yellow reptilian eyes. The teeth in their lower jaw seem to be longer than the ones in the upper jaw, sticking out. They also have two tails, which can also "zip" together. The end of each tail possesses a fin-like structure shaped like an arrowhead. The official website stated that thanks to their relatively short legs and wings, Zipplebacks are slow walkers and fliers. Despite this, Barf and Belch have been seen flying quite fast. They have short, but strong legs with four sharp claws. The Zippleback is probably one of the longest of the medium-sized dragons, if not the biggest.
According to Dragons: Rise of Berk, Zipplebacks have only one heart, and thus it is highly likely that they have only one set of internal organs, except for the heads, necks, and tails.
In the How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular, a dragon puppet appears that is simply referred to as "Nesting Dragon". It is probably patterned after the Hideous Zippleback, Barf and Belch in particular. It appears to be a sinuous dragon as only coils of it are seen wrapped around a mound of dragon eggs. It has at least one head (but probably more), which has a nasal crest similar to other Zippleback representatives. It also has the characteristic blunt-ended spines along the dorsum, as well as red leopard-like spots along the body over a green-colored base.
Titan Wing[]
In Dragons: Rise of Berk, like other Titan Wing representations, the Titan Wing Hideous Zippleback is the same in appearance as a Broad Wing Zippleback, just immensely larger. An example is Sparks and Spew, who was seen in the short image story released by DreamWorks Animation called To Tame a Titan!. Titan Wing Forms, however, appear differently in the games.
According to Dragons: Rise of Berk, Titan Wing Hideous Zipplebacks are rather colorful and have many different patterns on their bodies. Its body is grayish green and their wings have three main colors:
- Blue with white spots
- Purple
- Dark green
There are a large number of spikes added, and their tail tips increased in size and are more of a diamond shape.
In the series, a Titan Wing Zippleback looks different than the one depicted in the games. It is almost entirely blue-green and it is less spiky in appearance.
Abilities[]
Gas and Spark[]
| “ | The Hideous Zippleback's gas-and-spark combo makes this Dragon a powerful force in battle. | ” |
| — Dragons: Rise of Berk |
The head on the right side breathes a green, flammable gas, while the left head produces an electrical spark from its mouth to ignite the gas, creating lethal explosions, small fire bolts, or large fire "walls" to contain their enemies. By itself, the gas can make a human disoriented and confused, except for the Thorston Twins, possibly because they have gotten used to it. Zippleback gas can also be used to determine the location of anything camouflaged because it will go around the solid object. This will give the appearance of an "empty space". As shown in the first film, a Zippleback can still emit gas, but it's not flammable. This is proven when Gobber was unable to make an explosion, despite having the gas near his head.
Stealth and Hunting[]
Hideous Zipplebacks can use their gas to hide in, which makes them very stealthy. They also use it to unexpectedly strike their victims. The gas acts a smokescreen, obscuring their movements.
These dragons are solitary hunters that prefer to hunt as an ambush. Since these dragons have great stealth, they will use their gas to trap their prey in before launching a sneak attack. They are even able to hunt well in forest bushes.
Flaming Ouroboros Formation[]
This special ability of the Hideous Zipplebacks consists of releasing a large amount of gas and then setting themselves on fire. They bite their own tails and become a flaming wheel or ouroboros, which they can use to knock out enemies. It is likely they have to be taught how to use this ability, however.
Venom[]
In the first movie, Fishlegs stated the Zippleback's venom is injected for pre-digestion, which may mean that they have a weak digestive system. However, the stats in the Dragonpedia say that the Zippleback has no venom at all.
Speed and Agility[]
Despite the official website claiming Zipplebacks are poor fliers and walkers, Hideous Zipplebacks have shown to be quite agile and fast. This was demonstrated in the battle with the Red Death and later also multiple times in the series. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the Zippleback is actually a quite agile and flexible dragon, although nowhere being near the fastest. As shown by Barf and Belch, Hideous Zipplebacks are one of the few dragons that can fly upside down. Barf and Belch were also able to temporarily outrun two rolling Quakens. Barf and Belch are also able to catch up with the Skrill, although the Skrill had been slowed down slightly by Stormfly and Toothless.
Endurance and Stamina[]
Zipplebacks are able to endure the attack of a Typhoomerang and still able to continue the battle, as they have a large amount of stamina on their side to continue long flights to catch up with other dragons. As shown repeatedly from Barf and Belch, Zipplebacks can recover easily from an giant attack, like a electric-plasma explosion, and remain unscratched. Also, when Barf was stung by a juvenile Speed Stinger, Belch was unaffected and was able to still control the body while dragging around a paralyzed Barf who constantly emitted flammable gas. Barf and Belch were able to recover fast after being hit with a dragon root arrow and crashing into the ocean.
Climbing[]
Hideous Zipplebacks have shown to be great climbers as Barf and Belch have shown in the episode "We Are Family, Part 1" as they are able to climb steep terrain very well.
Senses[]
Hideous Zipplebacks have great senses. Both Barf and Belch were able to smell that Hiccup had an eel in him, in the first film. As stated in "Twinsanity", they can see through fog. Their sense of smell is increased when they are in their Titan Wing stage, but it unknown how acute their smell is in their Broad Wing stage. Due to their two heads, Zipplebacks don't often rely on their senses as their two heads make them incredible hard to sneak up on.
Strength and Combat[]
Despite their long, thin appearance, the musculature in a Zippleback's necks is enormously powerful, which combined with the thickness of their skulls make their heads formidable weapons. In "A Grim Retreat", Barf and Belch used their heads as hammers, pounding sheets of Gronckle Iron flat after they had been smelted by Meatlug and heated by Hookfang. Likewise, in "Defenders of the Wing, Part 2", Barf and Belch were able to smash a stone pillar supporting the statue of the Defenders' Great Protector, dropping it into the path of oncoming lava.
A Zippleback can entwine its necks and produce even greater force. In "Dire Straits", when Hiccup was trapped inside his Diving Bell, Fishlegs initially believed its reinforced Gronckle Iron made it dragon-proof, but Tuffnut inserted a pry bar and, at his command, Barf and Belch "zipped" their necks together and were able to apply enough torque to open a panel in the side. A Zippleback likewise proved capable of carrying the combined weight of a Gronckle, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut without too much difficulty. However, a single neck of a Zippleback, as shown by Barf, was incapable of carrying a very heavy rider. Barf and Belch were also shown to be able to carry a large dragon, like the Titan Wing Dramillion, with little effort and without the aid of other dragons; however, this is an inconsistency and should not have happened as portrayed.
In combat, Barf and Belch were strong enough to easily take out multiple Outcasts, Berserkers, and Dragon Hunters with just their heads. They are also strong enough to hold their ground against a Night Fury, as in "Twinsanity", their leg strength was able to temporarily allow them to be avoid being dragged off a roof by Toothless, but he later got them off the roof by the time Hiccup came, and in "A Tale of Two Dragons", Toothless slightly struggled to pull Barf and Belch away from the dragon root.
Intelligence[]
While growing, hatchlings are stated in the Dragonpedia to have high intelligence and problem-solving abilities, such as having one head watch for danger while the other watches for food, or managing to solve complex problems such as one head scaring the prey into the mouth of the other head.
Zipplebacks have proven to be very intelligent at times. In the first film a Zippleback was the first out of all the dragons to find where the Hooligan Tribe hid their sheep. Barf and Belch knew to use their distress call when Hiccup was in trouble in "The Zippleback Experience". They also knew to use the Eruptodon statue on Caldera Cay to stop the flow of the lava threatening to destroy the village, as shown in "Defenders of the Wing, Part 2".
Transmitting Information[]
They have a special ability to simultaneously transmit information to both of their brains. For example, if one head wears a blindfold and food is stuck in front of the other head, both heads will start salivating at the same time, even though only one can actually see the food. With this special ability, it makes it nearly impossible to sneak up on a Zippleback. The two heads, however, still possess their individual thoughts and different personalities.
Titan Wing Abilities[]
As shown by the Titan Wing Zippleback and Sparks and Spew, Titan Wing Hideous Zippleback could find the twins with their enhanced senses to sniff them out and smart enough to use their flammable gas to determine their location. They are also have better stamina and endurance, able to take multiple blast from a Deadly Nadder, a Gronckle, and even a Night Fury plasma blast to the head. They are much stronger than their Broad Wing counterparts. As other Titan Wings, they are seen as the leaders of their species, as the Titan Wing Zippleback was able to command his pack of Broad Wing Zipplebacks.
Weaknesses[]
Loud Noises[]
Similar to Gronckles and Monstrous Nightmares, Hideous Zipplebacks can get confused with too much racket and loud noises[4].
Conflict between Personalities[]
The dual heads can be a vulnerability, as Drago Bludvist's forces were able to incapacitate a Zippleback by shooting darts into the neck of one head, knocking both heads out. The two heads have different personalities, and if they don't work together, it can be hard for them to do anything. They even slam into objects if both heads are not paying attention when chasing prey, as shown when a wild Zippleback chased Tuffnut into a tree. However, when Barf was stung by an immature Speed Stinger, Belch was unaffected and proceeded to drag around a paralyzed Barf who constantly emitted flammable gas. This is especially a problem when they reach their Titan Wing stage, as shown by Sparks and Spew.
Lack of Speed[]
Perhaps due to their larger size and relatively short but broad wings, Zipplebacks are slower in flight than many other species. Although this doesn't mean they are slower than some dragons, like Gronckles.
Dousing Spark Ability[]
According to the first film How to Train Your Dragon, dousing the sparking head with water can short out the fire-starting ability, leaving the Zippleback unable to light up the flammable gas from the other head.
Behavior and Personality[]
The dragon has two personalities and two minds, one in each head, and often these different ideas, thoughts, and personalities cause the Hideous Zippleback's heads to argue with each other over what to do. This dragon reminds some Vikings of bickering siblings when they aren't running away from it. Occasionally the dragon forgets that it's a two-headed dragon, and one head tries to go one way, while the other head tries to go the other way, this can be problematic. As seen in Dragons: Rise of Berk, one head of some Hideous Zippleback individuals, such as Sparkle & Sparks, can even end up falling in love with the other head. Even baby Zipplebacks fight over which direction to go or what to do.
Despite squabbling between heads, Hideous Zipplebacks tend to be very social amongst their own kind and even other species. Many tend to form packs, such as the Valley Zippleback.
It has been stated by Gobber that once this dragon is saved by a Viking, they must pay their longtime debt. They are willing to do everything to show how grateful they are of their savior by giving them fish or affection. This could be another way of training a Zippleback or any other dragon species. As Barf and Belch have proven, they will even leave their old riders behind to stay with another for their entire life until they return the favor.
It is shown in a bonus feature of How to Train Your Dragon that Hideous Zipplebacks (and other dragons) have a sense of humor; when a Hideous Zippleback attacks Ruffnut and Tuffnut while the Twins fight, the heads grin at each other as the Twins continue to fight while dangling from the Zippleback's mouths.[4]
As seen in the "Battle for the Edge" expansion in School of Dragons, Hideous Zipplebacks typically prefer to eat fish. Fishlegs theorized that this diet resulted in the dragon's two heads, as this would allow the Hideous Zippleback to capture its prey more easily than it would with just a single head.
Training[]
To train a Zippleback, you must feed both heads at once, then play with the dragon to keep it occupied. Another way to train one is to save a Zippleback's life. If this is done, they will be completely loyal to the person no matter what until they can repay the favor.
In the game How to Train Your Dragon, feeding ham to a Zippleback will train it. No further instructions are given. According to the game, ham is a Hideous Zippleback's favorite food.
Dragons: Titan Uprising indicates that Zipplebacks are easily trained by feeding both heads fish. This is more true for certain groups of Zipplebacks, such as the Valley Zippleback.
Despite being relatively easy to train, Zipplebacks tend to learn mischievous lessons quicker than mundane ones, especially those that involve destruction, as indicated by Dragons: Titan Uprising.
Comparative Statistics[]
| Ultimate Book of Dragons |
Guide to Dragons Books |
Dragonpedia | Dragonpedia Stat Cards |
World of Dragons |
School of Dragons |
Other | |||||||
| CLASS | Fear | Mystery | Mystery | Mystery | Mystery | Mystery (TBaB) Fear (WS) |
|||||||
| SIZE | 66 feet | 38 feet | 66 feet | 66 feet (TBaB) | |||||||||
| WINGSPAN | 38 feet | 38 feet | 38 feet (TBaB) | ||||||||||
| WEIGHT | 6,036 lbs | 6,036 lbs | 6.036 lbs (TBaB) | ||||||||||
| ATTACK | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 (TBaB) | |||||||
| SPEED | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5.8 | 10 (TBaB) 10 (WS) |
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| ARMOR | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 (TBaB) | |||||||
| FIRE POWER | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 7.2 | 14 (TBaB) 14 (WS) |
||||||
| SHOT LIMIT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 (TBaB) 6 (WS) |
||||||
| VENOM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (TBaB) | |||||||
| JAW STRENGTH | 6 (3x2) | 6 (3x2) | 6 (3x2) | 6 | 6 (3x2) | 6 (3x2) (TBaB) | |||||||
| STEALTH | 22 (11x2) | 22 (11x2) | 22 (11x2) | 22 | 22 (11x2) | 22 (11x2) (TBaB) | |||||||
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
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Main article: Barf and Belch |
Ruffnut and Tuffnut on the Hideous Zippleback, when fighting the Red Death
The Zippleback is introduced during Hiccup's opening narration, where he describes the Zippleback as "two heads, twice the status" as one blows up a hut. When Hiccup reads the Dragon Manual, he skims the Zippleback page as, well as passes an illustration of a Zippleback getting both its heads chopped off. During the gang's third test they were pitted against a Hideous Zippleback as Gobber wished to teach them that a dragon can't breathe its fire if its head is wet, so the gang were split into teams of two and were given buckets of water to splash onto the head that creates sparks. The dragon starts the drill with a bang, releasing gas into the arena the moment the doors are loose. Amidst the fog, it slowly picks out the students. When they face the last pair, Hiccup and Fishlegs, Fishlegs pours a bucket of water over the head that spews gas, and the Zippleback attacks Fishlegs who makes a prompt escape. The other head emerges from the fog, and Hiccup prepares to splash the head that sparks with water, only to miss hopelessly. Hiccup learns from Toothless that most dragons hate eels enough to actually fear them and uses this against the Zippleback to scare it back into its pen during dragon training, which surprised everyone as they stood in shock and disbelief. When Toothless brought Hiccup and Astrid to Dragon Island, a number of Zipplebacks were seen within the mountain, most notably one that was consumed by the Red Death as she went after the escaping dragons. Although when Stoick and the Hooligan tribe arrived to seize the nest every Zippleback and dragon fled the island as the Red Death emerged from the mountain. Later in an attempt to rescue his father and the village Hiccup received help from the gang which the Hideous Zippleback was given to the Twins, with Ruffnut riding and naming the left head Barf and Tuffnut riding and naming the right head Belch. The Twins rode their Zippleback around the Red Death, provoking it so it would fire at them and drain its shot limit. Later, they came to Snotlout's rescue as he jumped off the Red Death and right between Barf and Belch's neck. When Hiccup killed the Red Death and survived the ordeal the Zipplebacks as well as every other dragon cheered for the boy and eventually moved to Berk living amongst the Vikings. At the very end of the film, the Twins along with Barf and Belch flew alongside the other riders as they soared over Berk.
Racing For The Gold[]
In the "Snowboarding" video segment, Hiccup is seen being chased by a pack of wild dragons, which one of them is a Zippleback, and as he takes shelter in a house, they blast it away. This causes him to use the wood from the building as a makeshift snowboard, doing all sorts of tricks. However, the Zippleback and the other dragons eventually catch up to him and make him wipe out.
Gift of the Night Fury[]
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Main article: Barf and Belch's Mate |
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Main article: Barf and Belch's Offspring |
When Berk celebrated their first Snoggletog with the dragons, every dragon including the Zipplebacks witnessed the flocks of hundreds of dragons flying in the skies causing them all to migrate towards the Rookery in order to lay and hatch their eggs. Although when Hiccup discovered their island and had Hookfang fly him home, the Zipplebacks and other dragons began to follow. However, the babies were unable to go with them due them not being able to fly in the strong winds. Fortunately, Hiccup found a shipwreck which he had the dragons hold up as they carried the babies in it back to Berk. When everyone was happy the dragons had come back, Barf and Belch were briefly standing next to a baby Zippleback, indicating that this could be their son or daughter, meaning they had mated with a female Zippleback. Later in the Great Hall, when everyone was celebrating the return of their dragons, Barf and Belch's offspring was seen playing with two young children.
Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon[]
As Gobber's house caught fire, Zipplebacks along with other dragons witnessed the people of Berk putting out the flames, as well as Gobber's rants about the Boneknapper.
Book of Dragons[]
When discussing the Fear Class dragons, their symbol resembles two snakes which could be a Hideous Zippleback. Gobber also states that Fear Class dragons are sneaky as he tells the story about how Bork encountered a Zippleback by accident. Bork chased his trusted sheep Willie into a cave that was unexpectedly a Zippleback's lair. The dragon caught Bork's attention, and he pulled out a sword and tried battling both heads, but the Zippleback caused an explosion and defeated Bork while Willie escaped. According to Hiccup, you may be able to befriend a Hideous Zippleback if you feed and play with both heads at once, keeping them occupied and making them an agreeable dragon.
Dragons: Riders of Berk[]
In "How to Start a Dragon Academy", Zipplebacks are seen throughout the episode causing trouble in the village, along with the other dragons, like pooping over the village and flying around uncontrollably. However, when the riders found a way to make the dragons work with the people, Zipplebacks are seen following Fishlegs and other dragons as they poop over Mildew's field to fertilize it.
In "Viking for Hire", during a trivia lesson, Hiccup asks Team Snotlout what is the shot limit of a Hideous Zippleback, to which Ruffnut has Barf and Belch blast the wall showing six although the Twins not being able to count sees it as a shot limit of three.
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Main article: Zippleback Boots |
In "In Dragons We Trust", on Boot Night, everyone finds out the boots they put out to air dry have been stolen which there are tracks around the homes which Fishlegs identifies they belong to a Zippleback which lead to Barf and Belch making them look guilty. However, it is later revealed that the boot incident was Mildew's doing, as he used a pair of Zippleback feet-shaped boots as part of his plan to frame the dragons to have them banished.
In "Heather Report, Part 2", illustrations of the Zippleback are seen in the Book of Dragons as Alvin reads it. Later, as the riders attempt to sneak onto Outcast Island, there are wild dragons present, including Zipplebacks who try and attack them, although they all get distracted by fish that the riders drop to lure them.
In "Twinsanity", it is revealed if two riders share a Hideous Zippleback, they must command them one head at a time, or else both heads will listen to a different rider and be unable to work together. Later, when the Berserkers announce their arrival to Berk for a treaty, Hiccup and the riders are tasked with hiding all the dragons, including the Zipplebacks.
In "What Flies Beneath", after their first encounter with a Whispering Death, Tuffnut states that it's a better name than Zippleback, which he covers Belch's ears for it so the dragon wouldn't feel offended.
In "We Are Family, Part 2", when Hiccup and Mildew escape the Outcast jails and attempt to get to Toothless, they must pass through a field of aggressive wild dragons, including Zipplebacks. Later, as Hiccup looks at the Book of Dragons, there is a page showing pictures of a Zippleback.
Dragons: Defenders of Berk[]
In "The Night and the Fury", during Astrid's night training exercise on Dragon Island, Tuffnut was in charge of watching the dragons, but they escape. While searching, Tuffnut thinks he's found Barf and Belch but instead woke up a different Zippleback who wasn't happy to be awakened, so they start chasing and blasting at him. As Tuffnut flees, he closely runs past a tree, causing the Zippleback to crash their body into it. However, as Tuffnut gloats, the dragon tries blasting at him again until he runs off.
In "Bing! Bam! Boom!", when Bing, Bam and Boom are being attacked by wild dragons on Dragon Island, many of them were Zipplebacks. When one tried attacking the adolescent Thunderdrums, Stoick and Thornado got its attention and blasted it away. However, as more dragons showed up, including more Zipplebacks, the four Thunderdrums combined their sonic attacks to blast them all away.
Dragons: Race to the Edge[]
Season 1[]
In "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 2", when Gobber tries opening the Dragon Eye, it sprays out Zippleback gas, causing Tuffnut to begin shiver on the floor uncontrollably.
Season 2[]
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Main article: Whip and Lash |
In "Team Astrid", Bucket and Mulch received a blue and green Zippleback named Whip and Lash during their recruitment into the Auxiliary Riders. They later helped defend the Edge against Dagur's attack and received a compliment from the Twins that they were like a better-looking mirror.
In "Night of the Hunters, Part 2", when everyone sees the Hunters washing and feeding Barf and Belch, it's revealed that they're fattening them up, as Ryker states Zippleback hide will fetch high prices in the Northern Markets, which Tuffnut agrees, saying it's soft and supple, until he realizes they plan to skin the dragon.
In "Snotlout Gets the Axe", one of Fishlegs' dragon figurines is carved to look like a Zippleback, although when Tuffnut accidentally "marries" Fishlegs and Ruffnut moves in, she decides to throw them out.
In "The Zippleback Experience", Gobber states that his cousin Bard once saved a Zippleback from a pack of Changewings. Afterwards, the dragon wouldn't leave him alone, as it paid homage to him for saving its life. This explains why after Hiccup saved Barf and Belch, they wouldn't stop bugging him.
In "Edge of Disaster, Part 2", one strategy to stop the Hunters from destroying Dragon's Edge was by blowing up balloons but filling them with Zippleback gas, as well as placing helmets on them, making them look like Vikings. When the Hunters shot the Viking dummies with arrows, Zippleback gas sprayed out. This was bad, however, as they planned to use flaming arrows next, resulting in an explosion and causing Dagur and two Hunters to return singed.
Season 3[]
In "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", when the riders attack a Hunter's ship, but only find marble blocks on it, they then see a humongous flock of dragons flying away in a hurry, which some of them were Zipplebacks.
In "Last Auction Heroes", Viggo captured many Zipplebacks for his Dragon Auction. Fortunately, the riders were able to infiltrate into the auction and free all the caged dragons, including the Zipplebacks.
Season 5[]
In "Living on the Edge", as the volcano begins shooting out lava out the ground, a Zippleback is seen running through the field of lava geysers to escape.
In "A Matter of Perspective", while the Twins scouted Vanaheim, they found dragon tombs in their guide book, and as documented, they found one for the Hideous Zippleback, which explains how the Sentinels countered their attack.
Season 6[]
In "No Bark, All Bite", Stoick ordered all of Johann's trades to be destroyed, including the willow bark for medicine. When the new traders didn't possess 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 Zipplebacks, 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 freed all the captured dragons and led them, including many Zipplebacks, to attack the Hunters and Flyers, driving them all out.
In "Loyal Order of the Ingerman", when the Dragon Explorers are about to visit Dragon's Edge, the Twins are annoyed there is no Zippleback badge so when Fishlegs leaves the twins in charge of the explorers the plan to add one and teach the kids about how sneaky Zippleback and mystery class dragons are referring to them as Zippleback scouts, and even state that a little bit of Zippleback gas is never enough. Later, after the kids mess with Snotlout and the Twins and even destroy Snotlout's hut with Zippleback gas, Fishlegs admits they've definitely earned their Zippleback badges.
In "A Gruff Separation", Ruffnut and Tuffnut take the Thorston Induction Trials which the final task set by Gruffnut is to obtain a chest from a cave; however, Tuffnut neglected to tell them that it was inhabited by Titan Wing Zipplebacks, which Fishlegs states are extremely territorial. The Twins use shed Changewing skins as invisibility cloaks to sneak past a sleeping Zippleback and grab the chest, but they end up waking it up, which it takes Tuffnut to a lair full of Titan Wing Zipplebacks. Ruffnut tries to rescue him with the Changewing cloak, but the Zipplebacks find them by spraying gas, revealing the cloak's outline. Tuffnut grabs a rock and rubs it against the metal lock on the chest to spark and ignite the gas, allowing them to escape. However, the Titan Wing Zipplebacks corner them, but that's when the other riders show up to rescue them.
In "Triple Cross", the Twins literally crash Hiccup and Astrid's picnic by trying to make Barf and Belch create a huge skid mark in order for their dragon to set a record for the Zippleback. Later, they try a record for the longest flight a Zippleback can do upside-down, although that failed, as Ruffnut got sick and plummeted towards the ocean. Their next idea was for the most apples in a Zippleback's mouth while being crushed by a mace, although Barf and Belch did not like that idea. Eventually, when the Twins rescue Hiccup and Toothless by having Barf and Belch create a giant explosion, Hiccup states that has to be a world record for the biggest explosion.
In "King of Dragons, Part 2", when the Berserker Bewilderbeast summoned thousands of dragons to save it from the Dragon Hunters and Flyers, amongst them were many Zipplebacks who came to the king's aid.
How to Train Your Dragon 2[]
Many Zipplebacks were now living on Berk with the other dragons amongst the Vikings as plenty were seen watching the races or living in the stables, later Gobber was even inserting a gold tooth into a blue Zippleback's mouth as a cavity filling. Later on some were seen in Valka's sanctuary amongst the flock of her Bewilderbeast which when during the battle of the Bewilderbeasts, the Zipplebacks used a Flaming Wheel technique to knock out the traps and trappers although one was caught in a trap but was saved by Hiccup and Toothless. Although as Drago's Bewilderbeast emerged victorious, every dragon, including the Zipplebacks, fell under its control, and soon all the Zipplebacks from Berk succumbed to the same fate. But as Toothless became the new alpha, every Zippleback and other dragon followed his order and attacked Drago's Bewilderbeast, driving them out, and the dragons with riders or masters returned to them.
Also, Hiccup's second Inferno Sword possessed a feature, where it could spray out Hideous Zippleback gas, which startled Eret's crew, calmed down the dragons at Valka's sanctuary, and even knocked Drago off his Bewilderbeast.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World[]
Throughout the film, many Zipplebacks were seen either living on Berk amongst all the other dragons, or among the many dragons residing in the Hidden World who bowed showing respect to Toothless as their alpha. During Ruffnut's imprisonment by Grimmel, she kept talking to annoy him, which she commented how her braids looked like baby Zipplebacks. Although the ones living on Berk were eventually taken away with the other dragons by Grimmel and the Warlords, but thanks to the riders, they returned home safe. However, knowing the threat of humans wouldn't keep them safe, the Zipplebacks and the rest of the dragons followed Toothless as he and the Unnamed Light Fury led them to the Hidden World.
Also, Hiccup developed a Zippleback gas grenade bomb, where after he handed it to Astrid, she bit the pin off and tossed it onto a Trapper Boat. Hiccup then ignited the gas by throwing his Inferno Sword into it, causing an explosion.
How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming[]
The Hideous Zippleback is pictured in a Dragon Manual formerly belonging to Stoick that Zephyr Haddock finds packed away in the Haddock House on New Berk.
Dragons: Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon[]
A picture of a Hideous Zippleback is seen on the wall leading to the Golden Dragon. Leyla identifies it as a Mystery Class dragon.
Dragons: The Nine Realms[]
Season 1[]
In "First Flight, Part 1", during the prologue showing the Book of Dragons, a page shows a Hideous Zippleback attacking Vikings. When it then shows Hiccup's map of the archipelago, a Hideous Zippleback is pictured on it.
Games[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
In this game, Zipplebacks can be trained by feeding it ham. There are both trained and wild Zippleback to fight throughout the game. Zipplebacks are also customizable — their head horns, wings, feet, spine protrusions, tail ends, and color can be changed.
How to Train Your Dragon Mobile Game[]
Hideous Zipplebacks appear in this game fleeing in large numbers from something (discovered to be the Red Death). The player — playing as Hiccup flying on Toothless — must dodge these dragons to avoid health damage.
DreamWorks Dragons: Wild Skies[]
Described as "Double Trouble, Two Heads are Better than One", this dragon resides in Black Heart Bay. In this game, only one rider is required to properly control this dragon. Training this dragon unlocks the 'Double Trouble' achievement.
Dragons Hero Portal[]
Barf and Belch appear in this game the player — playing as part of one of the rider/dragon pairs — can choose to play as.
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
The Zippleback, as well as Barf and Belch, their mate and offspring, Exiled Hideous Zippleback, and Whip and Lash became available in Rise of Berk. Their Titan form and battle form were also made available in the game.
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/h at Level 175 
/h at Level 175 
at Level 175 
/h at Level 175 
Relentless Attacker 
at Level 175
School of Dragons[]
This dragon was also made playable, along with its Titan Wing form, which was adapted from the Rise of Berk version.
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Dragons: Titan Uprising[]
Several Hideous Zippleback individuals, like Sparks and Spew, Tricky Two-Heads, Zesty Zippleback, Valley Zippleback, and Muck and Tumble, as well as hybrids, such as the Ghastly Zapplejack and Zipplewraith, appear in this game.
Live Shows[]
How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular[]
Zipplebacks are mentioned a few times in dialogue in this theatrical retelling of the first movie. There is a small part of this production that has a serpentine-appearing dragon coiled around a mound of eggs that has very similar features to Barf and Belch that may be a live-action representation of a Zippleback. This creation is only referred to as "Nesting Dragon".
Trivia[]
The official measurements of the Hideous Zippleback, as released by DreamWorks Animation are "66 feet (20.11 meters) in length", and "38 feet (11.58 meters) in wingspan".- Throughout the franchise, the Hideous Zippleback has changed physical appearances.
- In the first film, a lot of Zipplebacks, with the exception of Barf and Belch, possessed longer spikes at the back of their flatter jaws and smaller eyes.
- There are differences between the gum tissue, as well as the nasal horn shape of the two heads, which has also become less noticeable.
- In School of Dragons, Tuffnut said that only a Zippleback can light its gas on fire, while a Nadder can't do that. Ironically, in the second film, it was shown exactly the opposite; after Barf and Belch covered the traps with gas, Stormfly set it on fire.
- Although in Barf and Belch, the left head spews gas while the right head sparks, different Zipplebacks can have the opposite effect, as Gobber mentioned it was "tricky" to tell which head was the spark-igniting one.
- The Hideous Zippleback resembles Zmey Gorynych, the Slavic Dragon.
- The Zippleback's name is possibly derived from Zippo, a brand of lighter. Its name is actually fitting, as one of the dragon's heads serves to light the gas produced by the other head.
- It could also be derived from "zipper", as the dragon can link and unlink the spines on its neck and tail together.
- When Barf and Belch approached Hiccup in the first film, they fanned out their wings while flapping them slightly and started aggressively hissing at him. This mimics the behavior of the Dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park, when it fans out its frill and growls to spit venom. This behavior is presumably done to make the Zippleback seem more menacing and larger than they appear; however, this display is never seen again in later installments of the franchise.
- In the early concept arts, the Hideous Zippleback had a frill similar to the Dilophosaurus.
- The film Wrath of the Titans may have referenced the Zippleback: one of the monsters Perseus fights is a two-headed Chimera, where one of its heads spits out flammable saliva and the other one ignites it with hot embers, and both working together can produce bursts of flame, just like the Zippleback.
- In DreamWorks Dragons: The Series, Barf and Belch can't fly with only one rider, or even no riders. However, in Dragons: Race to the Edge, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the How to Train Your Dragon video game, DreamWorks Dragons: Wild Skies, and School of Dragons, Hideous Zipplebacks only need one rider.
- The Dragonpedia states that Seashockers are cousins of Hideous Zipplebacks. It is possible that Seashockers share a common two-headed ancestry with Hideous Zipplebacks, since extreme adaptations likely evolved once.
- According to the "Battle for the Edge" expansion pack in School of Dragons, the Hideous Zippleback shared a common ancestry with the Snaptrapper at some point in the past. This ancestry then diverged into the two different species after their physiology adapted to match their preferred diet and habitat.
- In The Art of How to Train Your Dragon, the Hideous Zippleback is described as having the best vision among the dragon species.
- It is possible, like conjoined twins, Hideous Zipplebacks have two hearts and two pairs of lungs. This is likely because the Zippleback's upper torso appears to be divided.
- Zipplebacks made an appearance in the trailer for Minecraft's How to Train Your Dragon DLC, and have been put into the DLC as a blocky, tamable, ridable dragon.
References[]
- ↑ Wloszczyna, Susan. (2010). Train yourself to spot a dragon. USA Today.
- ↑ Hideous Zippleback in School of Dragons.
- ↑ Otto, Simon. (Date Published - July 10, 2014). How to Create Your Dragon: The Inspirations Behind the Creatures. Empire.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON - Dragon Training Lesson 4: The Hideous Zippleback. (Date Posted - February 19, 2010). DreamWorksTV on YouTube.
| Hideous Zippleback uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Rise of Berk Wiki page Hideous Zippleback. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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| Hideous Zippleback uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the DreamWorks School of Dragons Wiki page Hideous Zippleback. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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