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He lives in the shadows. Everyone's afraid of him, even Ryker. [src]
  — Astrid  

Viggo Grimborn was the leader of the Dragon Hunters who wanted to use the Dragon Eye in order to hunt, capture, and sell dragons for profit. In his last days, he was redeemed and learned to respect dragons as equals. He was a primary antagonist turned into a minor protagonist in Dragons: Race to the Edge.

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What was Viggo Grimborn's role in the Dragon Hunters? toggle section
Viggo Grimborn was the leader of the Dragon Hunters in the series 'How to Train Your Dragon'. His primary goal was to use the Dragon Eye to hunt, capture, and sell dragons for profit. He was known for his strategic mind, often preferring finesse to brawn and was an expert trap designer. However, in his last days, he learned to respect dragons and allied with the Riders.
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How did Viggo Grimborn's view on dragons change over time? toggle section
Viggo Grimborn, a character from the 'How to Train Your Dragon' series, initially viewed dragons as tools for profit and power. He was an expert trap designer and used dragons to trap other dragons, selling them to the highest bidder. However, over time, Viggo's perspective on dragons underwent a significant transformation. He eventually came to appreciate the beauty of dragons, a stark contrast to his initial utilitarian view. This change of heart marked a pivotal point in his character development.
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What is the significance of the Dragon Eye to Viggo Grimborn? toggle section
The Dragon Eye holds immense significance for Viggo Grimborn. It is a valuable tool that provides information on new lands and species of dragons, including the Catastrophic Quaken, Night Terror, Death Song, Razorwhip, and the Snow Wraith. It also offers maps to islands and holds more lenses for the Dragon Eye. Viggo, being the leader of the Dragon Hunters, used the Dragon Eye to hunt, capture, and sell dragons for profit. He stated that it belonged to his tribe for centuries, indicating its historical and cultural importance to him.
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What does Viggo Grimborn's attire signify about his character? toggle section
Viggo Grimborn's attire is a reflection of his character in the 'How to Train Your Dragon' series. His black leather tunic with red scales, spiked shoulder pads, and a silver belt buckle with the Dragon Hunters' tribal crest signifies his affiliation with the Dragon Hunters. The dragon's head holster strapped across his back, with a jewel as an eye, symbolizes his fascination and obsession with dragons. His attire is not just a fashion statement, but a testament to his role as a strategic, cunning, and ruthless dragon hunter.
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Who were the primary antagonists in Dragons: Race to the Edge? toggle section
The primary antagonists in Dragons: Race to the Edge were Viggo Grimborn and the Dragon Hunters. Viggo Grimborn was a seafaring trader who visited the Isle of Berk from time to time, offering goods to barter for. However, he was eventually revealed to be the true leader of the Dragon Hunters, secretly working against the Dragon Riders by pretending to be their ally for years.
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Official Description

Calm and collected, Viggo knows that knowledge equals power — especially when it comes to dragons!
Unlike his older, more outwardly barbaric brother, Viggo Grimborn prefers finesse to brawn. An expert trap designer and manipulator of friends and foes alike, Viggo always plays the long game for power. As such, he has developed a twisted plan to use dragons to trap other dragons and sell them to the highest bidder. Viggo often lets Ryker handle the dirty work, but is not above administering his own cruel and unusual punishments from time to time. The younger Grimborn will stop at nothing to obtain the Dragon Eye. And if the Dragon Riders cannot stop him from doing so, they will surely witness the devastation wrought when absolute knowledge falls into the wrong hands.
  Viking Guide  


Biography

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Physical Appearance

Viggo wears a black leather tunic with red scales on his shoulders and around his waist. He also has spiked shoulder pads and a silver belt buckle with Dragon Hunters' tribal crest on it, and black wrist guards.

Viggo has short black hair, large brown eyes, thick, full lips, and a French cut beard. He has three scars on the left side of his neck supposedly from a dragon.

As a result of a burn injury sustained inside the volcano while attempting to retrieve the Dragon Eye, the left side of his face is severely scarred and he is blind in his left eye.

Personality

Viggo possesses an extensive expertise on dragons that rivals Hiccup's and may even be better. He often clashes with Hiccup and the riders over the Dragon Eye, which has belonged to his tribe of Dragon Hunters for centuries. Unlike his brother, Ryker, he's very intelligent, cunning, and incredibly devious. Viggo is a master tactician, using his intellect to outwit his enemies and having dangerously uncanny foresight. While caring for his brother, Viggo also takes pleasure in mocking him over his inferior intelligence and manners. He is also obsessed with Maces and Talons.

Viggo is ruthless and has a low tolerance for failures and betrayals: In his first two appearances, he has one of his men dragged away as punishment for selling precious things without his permission. He was also probably the one who ordered Heather to be executed after he discovered that she was in truth a spy. In "Return of Thor Bonecrusher", he wanted Jarg to be thrown into a Whispering Death tunnel for failing to acquire fish (though Krogan instead had him taken away to be tortured as punishment). After Ryker betrayed Viggo and took control of the Dragon Hunters and Project Shellfire for himself, Viggo showed no remorse over the latter's presumed death by the Submaripper and was instead apparently pleased. Viggo also appears to have very little care for his own men and is willing to sacrifice them to get what he wants. He let many of them die from the Scourge of Odin just so he could capture the Buffalord in "Buffalord Soldier". After sustaining his burning injury in the Edge's volcano, however, he seems to have changed somewhat on his views, as seen when he saved one of his men from falling into the lava in "The Wings of War, Part 1". As revealed in "Dawn of Destruction", Viggo hates taking orders from others.

While Hiccup is an adversary, the two of them share a mutual respect and Viggo thinks of him as a worthy foe and even enjoys competing with him.[1] However, unlike Hiccup, Viggo has no sense of honor. This changed after Johann and Krogan betrayed him and a Monstrous Nightmare saved him from a collapsing cave. Through this experience, Viggo starts to have a new perspective on dragons and helps Hiccup in thwarting his former associates' plans, with the cost of his own life.

Abilities, Skills, and Talents

Viggo's greatest tools are his razor-keen mind and unparalleled tactical instincts. Whether he's on the battlefield or in the middle of a game of Maces and Talons, Viggo's always several steps ahead of his opponents.
  Viking Guide  

Unlike his brother, Viggo does not like using strength to defeat his opponents but relies on his intelligence to find a path to victory, as he shown successfully.

Acting: In "Triple Cross", Viggo acted and managed to fool Johann and Krogan for a short while.

Intelligence: Viggo is an extremely clever individual and noted by Hiccup as a master of deception who battles with his intellect. He is an expert at playing Maces and Talons, even managing to outwit Hiccup — though he admitted that Hiccup had exceeded his expectations and was a brilliant opponent. As an item belonging to his tribe, Viggo has intimate knowledge of the Dragon Eye and — by extension — dragons themselves, on par with Hiccup's. ("Maces and Talons, Part 2")

Dragon Hunting: Though he rarely puts himself in danger, Viggo is considered an elite Dragon Hunter, rivaled only by Krogan.

Leadership: Despite being the younger brother, Viggo is the undisputed leader of the Dragon Hunters because of his cunning intellect and effective strategies. He always plans his moves before he makes them, often seeing his battles as a game of Maces and Talons. He leads the Dragon Hunters with respect and fear.

Strength and Fighting Skills: Viggo is a skilled fighter as he managed to overpower Heather — a warrior on par with Astrid — effortlessly and with his bare hands. He saw Hiccup's fire sword and created his own inventing the idea of Zippleback gas and then lighting it with the sword. Viggo has shown his strength to be able to hold Heather easily but he was stated by his older brother that he is not as strong as Ryker.

Dragon Information Controlled: Viggo used the Dragon Eye to get a lot of information on dragons to control, such as he was able to control the Shellfire by wrapping the dragons with ropes and a large boat, and summoning a Submaripper using the vibrations of a dagger, by dropping it into the ocean, where the dragon was located.

Relationships

Ryker Grimborn

Ryker has always been a bit jealous of the power structure among the Dragon Hunters and his role in that hierarchy. [src]
  — Viggo talking to Heather about his suspicion of Ryker being a traitor among them.  

Ryker is Viggo's older brother. Despite being younger, Viggo leads the Dragon Hunters. He does appear to care for Ryker, despite giving him orders, insulting him, and shunning his ideas. ("Maces and Talons, Part 2") The two were allies until Ryker convinced the Dragon Hunters to betray Viggo and instate him as the new chief of the Dragon Hunters. Viggo then ends up conspiring with the Dragon Riders to take Ryker down.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

We may be adversaries, Hiccup, but my respect for you is beyond what I could possibly put into words. [src]
  — Viggo to Hiccup  

As Hiccup's newest adversary, Viggo challenges him in ways he has never been before. In "Maces and Talons, Part 2", he is impressed by the young Viking's intellect and sees him as a worthy opponent, unlike other villains Hiccup has faced.

Viggo tests Hiccup's intelligence, and even manipulates him to his advantage, leaving the young Viking extremely frustrated.

In "Triple Cross", Viggo seeks revenge and asks Hiccup to help him perform it. When Johann and Krogan dropped a mountain on him, a Monstrous Nightmare saved him. From then on, he respected dragons as equals. He then tells Hiccup this, when it was revealed that he has four arrows in his body from the Dragon Hunters. He then sacrifices himself for Hiccup, buying him time for an escape.

Dagur the Deranged

Stop thinking. All thinking has been done. You simply need to do what you're told; follow orders. Can you do that? [src]
  — Viggo to Dagur  

Viggo treated Dagur the same as the Dragon Hunters. He was seen playing Maces and Talons with Dagur in the episode, "Maces and Talons, Part 2". While he did seem slightly impressed by Dagur's strategy, he still managed to win. It is unknown if Viggo is aware that Dagur freed Heather, but it is most likely since he sent hunters to pursue Dagur. ("Enemy of My Enemy")

Heather

Forgiveness. Not really a sound business practice, now, is it? Trust, however, is imperative, Heather. And, there simply cannot be a traitor among us. A man will never know how far he's willing to go until he steps to the edge and looks down. [src]
  — Viggo suspecting Heather  

Viggo could tell right away that Heather was a spy, possibly because of Windshear. He used her not only to find the Flightmare but to lure out the Dragon Riders. He did seem a bit disappointed that Heather was not a more worthy opponent. When she was captured, it is possible Viggo made arrangements to have Heather executed. ("Maces and Talons, Part 1", "Maces and Talons, Part 2")

Astrid Hofferson

After realizing Hiccup is in love with Astrid, Viggo tried to use her against Hiccup, first by trying to get inside his head with small talk about Hiccup's personal life and Maces and Talons. Then, by trying to trade her life for the Dragon Eye. He was, however, unsuccessful as his plan ended up leading to his supposed demise.

Krogan

Alone, each of us, in our own right, are, shall we say, dangerous. But together, think of the possibilities. We need each other, like it or not. [src]
  — Krogan to Viggo  

While Viggo and Krogan are allies, they do not get along very well. They both give orders to one another and can't agree on a single choice. This led to their multiple failures. However, after they lost the Edge they seemed to start understanding each other and created a stronger alliance.

In "Triple Cross", Krogan decides to betray Viggo since he is no longer useful for his plans.

Johann

It was revealed in "Sins of the Past" the two are allies, who are after the "King of Dragons".

In "Triple Cross", Johann starts to believe that Viggo is no longer useful and decides to betray him.

Appearances


Trivia

  • The name "Viggo" means "war" or "battle."
  • Viggo bears a strong resemblance to Maxim Horvath, a villain who was also played by Alfred Molina in The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
    • Coincidentally, Jay Baruchel also starred in this movie, and it premiered the same year as How to Train Your Dragon.
    • In both films, he also plays the enemy of Jay Baruchel's character and at one point holds his girlfriend hostage in exchange for an important item.
  • Viggo has some similarities with Excellinor the Witch.
    • Both of them have a relative that Hiccup has encountered before them.
    • They are the true masterminds in their families.
    • They both have outsmarted Hiccup several times, as well as obtaining objects in his possession.
    • They both have an interest in certain games.
    • Both of their relatives were killed by dragons that are Hiccup's allies.
  • Since Viggo is the leader of the Dragon Hunters, and he describes the Dragon Eye as "something that has belonged to my tribe for generations", he may be a chief. Further supporting this theory is the fact that he and his grandfather often played Maces and Talons together, which was designed for future chiefs. ("Maces and Talons, Part 2")
  • In almost every situation, his face bears a rather neutral expression, with the occasional smile or glare, reflecting his cool and collected nature. The only true exception seen so far is when he promises to sell or kill every dragon alive, as he snarls his words and bears a vicious expression. Even when ordering Dagur to do as he is told, his voice remains neutral, only louder.
  • Viggo is revealed to be left-handed, as he uses his left hand to sign on the map. This makes him the second left-handed character in the franchise, the first being Hiccup. ("Defenders of the Wing, Part 1")
    • However, he wields his sword with his right hand.
      • It is possible that he is ambidextrous.
  • Alfred Molina uses the same voice for Viggo as the Multi-Bear from Gravity Falls, albeit with a calmer and more "cultured" accent.
  • Viggo and Ryker's last name, Grimborn, might be an allusion to Grimbeard the Ghastly from the books. For Viggo's part, Grimbeard was deceivingly cunning, almost manipulative in the clues he left behind.
  • Viggo's face has somewhat feminine features, including his full lips and large shadowy eyes.
  • Viggo is arguably the fourth most evil villain in the franchise, behind Drago Bludvist, Grimmel the Grisly (both take the role as the most evil), Johann, and Krogan, due to his goal of hunting dragons for profit. However, Drago Bludvist and Grimmel the Grisly can be considered the more evil villain due to Drago’s larger goal of ruling the world and Grimmel’s plan of exterminating all dragons by pure sadism while Viggo's more honorable nature detracts from his malevolence. Despite this, Viggo is seen as one of the smartest and most dangerous foes that Hiccup and the Riders have ever faced, having manipulated and outsmarted Hiccup many more times than all his other foes in the franchise except for Johann, who has manipulated and outsmarted Hiccup and the Riders and nearly all the Vikings in the Archipelago since before the start of the franchise.
  • Despite what many fans think, Viggo never met Drago Bludvist, as he stated that he did not know who had hired Krogan to find the King of Dragons.
  • Viggo shares some similarities with Zuko from the Avatar franchise.
    • Both were enemies to the main characters (Viggo to Hiccup and Zuko to Aang) before they redeem themselves by realizing the errors of their ways.
    • Both have burn scars that are on the left side of their face.
    • Both have a sibling (Viggo's brother Ryker and Zuko's sister Azula) that still oppose the heroes to the end.
    • Both were leaders until a certain point (Viggo to the Dragon Hunters before being betrayed by Johann, and Zuko to the Fire Nation until he retired and abdicated his throne to his daughter Izumi).

References

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