| “ | Hobgobblers will literally eat anything. When they team up in a pack, they can tear through warships, Viking houses, Gobber, and anything else that crosses their path. [src] | ” |
| — Fishlegs |
The Hobgobbler is a small Mystery and Stoker Class dragon that first appeared in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
Quick Answers
What class of dragon is the Hobgobbler in the How to Train Your Dragon series?
What animals is the Hobgobbler based on in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World?
What is the unique ability of the Hobgobbler according to Dragonpedia?
What is the significance of the Hobgobbler in the plot of The Hidden World?
Official Description[]
| “ | Pug-nosed, wide-eyed and drooling, Hobgobblers would be cute — if they weren't so destructive! They love to devour everything in their paths like airborne piranhas. | ” |
| — Dragonpedia stat card |
| “ | Believed by many to bring bad luck, Hobgobblers had a nasty reputation due to superstitious assumptions. These days, Vikings find them pretty cute! Save for the mess they make. | ” |
| — Dragons: Rise of Berk |
| “ | After the discovery of Hobgobblers, Vikings have been fascinated in learning more of these incredible dragons that has led many to visit their beautiful home. Hobgobblers appear to be small, fierce, powerful dragons but they are rather mischievous in their own way, perfectly resembling the area in which they live; full of mystery and hidden surprises! Don’t forget to check out all the possible hidden spots that Hobgobblers can use to hide and protect themselves in. As we all know, these curious little creatures certainly love to hide. | ” |
| — School of Dragons |
| “ | It wasn’t long before these bad boys grew out of their size and into a powerful ally for Vikings. With incredible fire power these dragons are a force to be reckoned with. Their petite frame might fool some but their strength makes them one of the most fearsome dragons around. Contrary to popular belief, or maybe just Gobber’s, they are not bad omens but protectors that have proved themselves to be powerful companions. Now that they’ve aged up into mighty Titans, they have become slightly larger in frame; showcasing a nasal horn and a stronger jaw to fulfill their large appetite and continue an overall feeding frenzy! |
” |
| — School of Dragons |
Development[]
The Hobgobbler's name was revealed at the 2018 Annecy Film Festival preview of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, along with the fact that they are based on a bullfrog, a French bulldog, and a beach ball.[1] They were pictured and mentioned again by Dean DeBlois on a Twitter post.[2] According to Dragonpedia, the Hobgobbler's ability to eat anything while in a feeding frenzy is based on a piranha.
Physical Appearance[]
Egg[]
In School of Dragons, Hobgobbler eggs are oval-shaped with a scale-like pattern covering them, except for the top. They are purple with darker spots on them.
In Dragons: Rise of Berk, Hobgobbler eggs are red with purple spots on them. They have a bumpy pattern all over them.
Hatchling to Adult[]
Juvenile Hobgobblers are generally dark green with brown markings, as seen in the School of Dragons Expansion, "Curse of the Hobgobbler". Other than a larger ratio between the size of the eyes to the body, young Hobgobblers are physically similar to adults.
Hobgobblers are small, plump dragons that are slightly larger than Terrible Terrors. They possess a single nasal horn, short legs, small spines on their back, and a mouth that takes up a large amount of their physical size. Their coloration is mainly purple with darker spots and yellow undersides, with the exception of the Smitten Hobgobbler, who is white and grey with pink, beetle-like eyes.
In DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders, the Hobgobblers that appear are generally purple with pale underbellies. However, a trio saved from Dragon Trappers appears to be green with dark green markings after taking up residence on Havenholme.
Titan Wing[]
Titan Wing Hobgobblers have a slightly larger body size, nasal horn, and a sturdier lower jaw. They are dark purple with light blue circles and stripes, as well as a dirty yellow underbelly. Its Hidden World glow is similar to an adult's, just with additional ovals where the extra blue circles are.
Abilities[]
Incendiary Slobber/Flammable Saliva[]
The slobber of the Hobgobblers possesses incendiary properties that can burst into flames when making contact with a physical object. Hobgobblers also tend to coat themselves with their own slobber so that they can slip out of tight spots.
School of Dragons reveals that Hobgobblers can launch blasts of orange fire from their mouths.
Feeding Frenzy[]
When Hobgobblers are hungry, they will enter a state of frenzy, and will devour whatever they see. A flock of Hobgobblers can easily strip the planks of a ship's deck within seconds.
Jaw Strength[]
Hobgobblers possess a powerful set of jaws that enables them to chew and devour almost anything. When they bite down on something, Hobgobblers can be lifted and even moved around with no sign of letting go, as was the case when the Rescued Hobgobbler wouldn't let go of Gobber's prosthetic leg. As shown by Hobs, their powerful teeth are strong enough to hold onto dragons that are larger than they are.
Strength and Combat[]
Hobgobblers use their jaws as their primary weapons. Despite their small size, Hobgobblers are strong enough to carry Vikings on their backs, as seen in School of Dragons. Also seen in the episode "Hobs and Saw" an individual saved Chief Baker by grabbing the tail of a Speed Stinger and stopping it from its attack.
Endurance and Stamina[]
Hobgobblers are shown to have high stamina. Despite their small body, they travelled from New Berk to the Hidden World without tiring. In addition, one individual took a blow to the under belly from a Flame Thrower's tusks, and recovered quickly.
Stealth[]
Hobgobblers are very stealthy dragons, as proven by the rescued one and its pack appearing in unexpected places to scare Gobber.
Increased Fertility[]
| “ | The Hobgobblers are able to spread so quickly around the archipelago because they have evolved to have increased fertility. They hatch more eggs, so that Hobgobblers maximize the possibility that their young will survive to reproduce themselves. [src] | ” |
| — Fishlegs Ingerman |
According to School of Dragons, Hobgobblers are very prolific breeders. They can quickly overwhelm an area with their high numbers.
Poison Immunity[]
Thanks to their diet of glowing slugs, the Hobgobblers have developed an immunity to poisons made from plants that grow in the Hidden World.
Social Nature[]
Hobgobblers can gather and live in small groups for better protection and to cooperate in defending their feeding grounds from intruders.
Weaknesses[]
Overeating[]
Due to their appetite Hobgobblers tend to bite everything in their path, even though some hard materials which sometimes can cause them to choke.
Small Size and Pack Dependency[]
Due to their small size, Hobgobblers can be easy to defeat. Also, those individuals that prefer to live a solitary life can become easy targets for other predators.
Behavior and Personality[]
As their name suggests, Hobgobblers possess a huge appetite, and they tend to devour almost anything they see. They tend to coat themselves with their own slobber so that they are be able to slip out of tight spots. They also appear to be quite lazy too, as they are rarely seen doing something other than sitting still, except when they are eating. Despite this, they are not dragons that should be underestimated. If provoked, Hobgobblers will become exceedingly ferocious against their enemies, engaging them in a frenzied attack in which they will devour everything in their path until their opponent either flees or is torn to pieces.
In addition, Hobgobblers appear to be rather mischievous, as they will often play tricks and scare unsuspecting humans. This was indicated when the rescued individual, and his pack, tended to surprise Gobber the Belch with their sudden appearances at random occasions, and later when an unnamed individual in the Hidden World comically tormented Eugene Wong when the boy disrespected him.
As seen in School of Dragons, Hobgobblers behave in a similar way to frogs, with several individuals being seen croaking to communicate. They are also commonly seen licking their eyes with their tongues in a similar manner to geckos.
They are also territorial when it comes to protecting their feeding grounds in the Hidden World, and they will gather in large numbers in the Nature Realm to feed on their favorite food, glowing slugs, which provides them with the antidote to poisonous plants from their native realm.
Much like a Hideous Zippleback, Hobgobblers will grow incredible attached to those that help them immediately, sticking close to their rescuer whenever possible as seen with Hobs.
Training[]
Hobgobblers are a very easy species of dragon to train, largely due to their unaggressive nature and idle behavior. Generally possessing little fear of humans, Hobgobblers usually don't seem to mind their presence, thus allowing potential trainers to get in close without fear of being attacked. These dragons will generally bond well with those who show them kindness and affection, earning the dragon's trust and allowing a connection to be established. This was demonstrated by the docile behavior of the rescued Hobgobbler towards Valka when she warmly expressed affection and playfulness towards him, and by another Hobgobbler towards Jun Wong when she showed gentleness and concern towards it. If showed respect and compassion, a Hobgobbler will have no trouble obeying a trainer’s commands, despite their rather lazy personalities.
Another way to gain their trust is to save them from a threatening situation or help them to heal, the dragon will remain loyal and protective towards its savior. They will remain focused only towards their savior and stay wherever they would go and will turn the favor back.
However, if one does not show proper kindness towards a Hobgobbler or patience for its sluggish behavior while attempting to train it, the dragon will not only be uncooperative, but also mischievous towards that person as well. This was demonstrated when Eugene Wong continuously mocked a Hobgobbler while he was attempting to train it, during which the small dragon deviously began biting at his leg and spilling its flammable saliva onto his feet.
According to the School of Dragons, once a person has bonded with a Hobgobbler it will become a very powerful companion, being fiercely loyal and protective of its trainer against any threats that come their way. This was proven in Dragons: The Nine Realms, as shown when Hobs held back a wild Speed Stinger from attacking Phillip.
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World[]
The Dragon Riders rescue a trapped Hobgobbler on one of their missions and bring it back to Berk, much to Gobber's dismay.
Gobber is terrified of Hobgobblers, believing that they bring bad luck, and this belief worsened for him when more of them come to live with the rest of the Hooligan Tribe. His opinion about the Hobgobblers changed when a flock of them rescued him from Ragnar the Rock, whom they (possibly) ate alive off-screen.
When the battle ended, Hiccup realized that the only way the dragons can be safe from humans was for them to go to the Hidden World. After Toothless gave the command to the dragons of Berk, all of them, including the Hobgobblers, said their farewells to the Vikings and flew off to the Hidden World.
Dragons: The Nine Realms[]
Season 3[]
In "It Flies in the Family", a Hobgobbler in the Crystal Realm served as a potential candidate for Eugene Wong to train in order to be initiated into the Dragon Club. Eugene, however, found the small dragon to be thoroughly unimpressive, both mocking its appearance and assuming it to be unintelligent. In retaliation, the Hobgobbler proceeded to humorously bite onto Eugene's leg before dropping its flammable saliva onto his foot, much to his panic and embarrassment. Soon after, the wild Hobgobbler was set upon by a trio of Flame Thrower dragons who quickly surrounded him. Though the Dragon Club came to his aid, one of the Flame Throwers managed to strike the Hobgobbler, leaving it with a lightly burned wing. Fortunately, the wound was minor and successfully treated by D'Angelo, before he and the other riders went on ahead to finish dealing with the Flame Throwers.
Season 4[]
In "Cold Open", a female Hobgobbler was one of D'Angelo's patients that was injured during the battle with the Sky Torcher and Flame Throwers. She kept snarling and nipping at Eugene because he pulled her tail, making it hard for D'Angelo to do his job.
Season 5[]
In "Welcome to the Wonderful World of Dragons" when Tom plans to stage a guided tour of the Hidden World for his mom, Olivia, Jun brings back a Hobgobbler as part of a group of "friendly dragons". When they arrive, Olivia immediately sees the Hobgobbler and goes in for a closer look to take notes of it. When the Scuttleclaw starts making the other dragons go crazy, it makes the Hobgobbler act aggressive too. But as soon as all the dragons have calmed down, they bring the Hobgobbler back to its original home.
Season 6[]
In "Dragons Everywhere!", a Hobgobbler was one of the many dragons that fled to ICARIS due to Sledkin and Linda provoking Deadly Nadders for their Dragonsite in the nest, which made them chase off other dragons out of the Hidden World. But after placing fake eels everywhere, they, along with the rest of the Hobgobblers, returned back into the Hidden World.
In "Poison Control", Buzzsaw traps and poisons a Hobgobbler to lure the riders so that he can poison Thunder to lie that he has an antidote for the poison, but in exchange for the Book of Dragons. The riders bring the Hobgobbler back with them to the infirmary while treating Thunder, but after Eugene lets it out of his sight, they see the Hobgobbler chasing Pete and find out he was poisoned too, but is in perfect health. After examining the poison darts, D'Angelo realizes that the Hobgobbler has some sort of immunity. After checking the book, D'Angelo theorizes that the flowers the Hobgobbler eats could be a cure, although when they find the flowers, the Hobgobblers living there are protective of their food. When Eugene tries to pick a flower, a swarm of Hobgobblers chase after him, allowing D'Angelo and Jun get the flowers. But when they fed the flowers to Thunder, it didn't work, leaving Tom with no choice but to give Buzzsaw the Book of Dragons for the antidote. While D'Angelo feels sorry for being unable to heal Thunder, he notices the Hobgobbler trying to get to the flowers and discovers slugs in it, which it wants to eat. D'Angelo then realizes the slugs are the cure, so he feeds one slug to Thunder, and he's miraculously cured.
Season 7[]
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Main article: Hobs |
In "Hobs and Saw", a stray Hobgobbler finds its way to the surface and starts nibbling on the sensors, in which it hurts itself and triggers the alarm. When Phil and D'Angelo went to check on it, thinking it could be Buzzsaw, they were surprised to see the little dragon. However, the Hobgobbler was choking on a piece of the sensor, so Phil used the Heimlich maneuver to force it out of him, which made the little dragon take a liking to him and became loyal him, despite Phil's negative opinion of the dragons. After D'Angelo examined the Hobgobbler to check if he was okay, he finds out the dragon is injured and cannot return to the Hidden World until it's healed, which really started to bother Phil, as he wanted it gone. Things got worse when it followed them home and wouldn't leave Phil alone, and then D'Angelo and Angela outvoted Phil that the Hobgobbler should stay here. The little dragon then kept following Phil and making things hard for him. When Phil had enough of the Hobgobbler, he put it outside, but it assumed he didn't want anything to do with it anymore, so it went back to the Hidden World, despite being vulnerable to predators. Having learned of this, D'Angelo and Phil went to the dragon world to retrieve the Hobgobbler before it got itself killed. When they found it, the dragon wasn't happy to see Phil, but then when a Speed Stinger was closing in, they rescued the Hobgobbler and got to safety before the Speed Stinger could find them. A while later, when it did find them and was about to kill Phil, the Hobgobbler bit the Speed Stinger's tail and held it back to prevent the Speed Stinger from hurting Phil. After this, Phil let the Hobgobbler stay, assigned him to keep a lookout for escaped dragons and Buzzsaw, and then named him Hobs.
Season 8[]
In "Science vs. Nature", Buzzsaw has a strategy to collect injured dragons after Jörmungandr knocks them down, allowing him to easily capture them, which included a Hobgobbler. However, after the riders take his ballista, along with Ford and Winston, they free all the captured dragons, including the Hobgobbler.
Games[]
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
Hobgobblers were released as part of the game's fall 2019 update.
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School of Dragons[]
Hobgobblers were added to the game on July 31, 2019 as part of the "Curse of the Hobgobbler" expansion pack. The Smitten Hobgobbler was released as an expansion exclusive, while "regular" Hobgobblers were released in the game store.
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DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders[]
Eir Stormheart has captured several wild Hobgobblers and poisoned them with a concoction made of Grimora venom and dragonvine. Scribbler encountered some of them and freed them. The Hobgobblers could later help Scribbler in fight, if he chose to call them with the Horn of Dramillion.
Dragon Trappers also held three Hobgobblers captive on Wildweed Woods. This trio, once freed by Scribbler, takes up residence on Havenholme.
A single Hobgobbler icon is also used to notify the player that the game is auto-saving his or her progress in the game.
Trivia[]
The official measurements given by DreamWorks Animation do not appear to be realistic when considering the relative sizes the viewer sees within the Franchise. Based on the Model Sheet for the Hobgobbler, this dragon should a Wingspan of 4 feet 11 inches.- According to the Urban Dictionary, the Hob Gobbler is a creature from Appalachia folklore that grants wishes, as well as plays tricks on humans. It also can turn into a turkey.
- The Hobgobbler's name may also be derived from a type of fairy or goblin from the folklore of the British Isles called a Hobgoblin. This spirit or creature resided in homes and was helpful to the resident family but could also wreak havoc if they were offended. Though the Hobgoblin is not specifically mentioned, elves, fairy folk, and other such beings are mentioned in Norse Mythology.
- According to The Art of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Hobgobblers are the most feared dragons on Berk to date.
References[]
- ↑ Giardina, Carolyn. (Date Published - June 14, 2018). 'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World': Director Dean DeBlois Reveals New Details. The Hollywood Reporter.
- ↑ "Almost there!" (Date Posted - September 7, 2018). Twitter.
| Hobgobbler uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the DreamWorks School of Dragons Wiki page Hobgobbler. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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| Hobgobbler uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Rise of Berk Wiki page Hobgobbler. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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