| “ | Bork says the Whispering Death knows only one thing — killing! It burrows through the dirt and rock, attacking from below! [src] | ” |
| — Gobber talking about the Whispering Death |
The Whispering Death is a large Boulder Class dragon that was first mentioned in How to Train Your Dragon and first appeared in Book of Dragons.
Quick Answers
What class does the Whispering Death dragon belong to in How to Train Your Dragon?
What is the Whispering Death's preferred method of attack?
What is the Whispering Death's unique characteristic compared to other dragons?
What is the Whispering Death's preferred habitat?
What is the Whispering Death's primary instinct according to Bork?
Official Description
| “ | Constantly hungry and always burrowing for unwitting food, the Whispering Death is one Dragon that actually prefers being on the ground (or, more accurately, under it) to flying freely across the sky. Although plagued with poor eyesight and a terrible sense of direction that often gets them lost, Whispering Death more than make up for these weak points with their multiple rows of buzz-saw teeth that can bore through any solid materials, including rock. It is this signature drilling power that creates the hushes rumbling sound which always announces a Whispering Death before it bursts out of the earth to attack. |
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| — Dragonpedia |
| “ | Using its grinding teeth, this deadly Boulder Class Dragon burrows underground to attack from below. Very intelligent, with a long memory. If the Whispering Death's rings of teeth and rock-hard exterior don't scare its opponents, breathing rings of fire will definitely do the trick! |
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| — Dragons: Rise of Berk |
| “ | Classified as a Boulder Class dragon, the Whispering Death is one of the most feared creatures on the Isle of Berk. Vikings can identify a Whispering Death by its bulging eyes, spiked body and the hundreds of sharp teeth that line the entirety of its mouth. These deadly teeth can rotate, making an eerie noise that sounds like hundreds of people whispering. “The Whisper” and the sound of the ground rumbling are the only two signs that this beast is approaching. While other dragons are sensitive to these signs, Vikings have a difficult time hearing these noises… until it’s too late. This dragon has a snake-like body, reaching approximately ninety-five feet in length and weighing 2,500 pounds. Because of its long, thin body, its tail often makes a cracking whip noise as it moves. Razor-sharp teeth is not the only thing that makes its mouth deadly; it also possesses the strongest jaw of all the dragons, which it uses to travel through solid rock and to burrow underground. If its sharp teeth don’t get you, it can also expel scorching rings of fire or shoot the spines that grow on its head and body at you. The only known weaknesses of this dragon are its poor eyesight, sunlight and the inability of its sharp teeth to rip through steel. The Whispering Death is extremely dangerous and difficult to tame, and it is important that young Vikings should be extremely cautious when dealing with this ferocious beast. |
” |
| — School of Dragons Website[1] |
| “ | The Whispering Death uses its rows of rotating, razor-sharp teeth to burrow through underground tunnels. Watch your fingers. | ” |
| — DreamWorks Dragons: Wild Skies |
Physical Appearance
Egg
Whispering Death egg in Dragons: Rise of Berk
Whispering Death egg in School of Dragons
In the series and in School of Dragons, these eggs are smooth and oval, and of a dark color with even darker spots. In Dragons: Rise of Berk, they looked as if encrusted in a translucent crystal. They have jagged edges and a dark swirl in its middle. This dark swirl could possibly be the curled up embryo of the baby Whispering Death.
Hatchling to Adult
Whispering Deaths resemble more like a giant gulper eel than a Screaming Death, with bulging eyes, spiny face and six rows of rotating teeth in their mouths. They also greatly resemble a serpentine Deadly Nadder, but with no legs and only spikes decorating their undersides.
Rarely, some varieties that live in deep, lightless caverns have developed a protuberance from their snouts instead of a horn. At the end of this is a luminescent bulb to aid with the Whispering Death's sight.
Titan Wing
Titan Wing
Titan Wing Whispering Deaths are bigger and armed with many more rows of larger, sharper teeth, making them even more dangerous. They have bigger eyes that do not show their pupils, their eyes are encircled by a small white ring. Titan Wing Whispering Deaths are covered with more dark blue spikes. These spikes can be found on their chin, behind their eyes, their neck and on their tail. They have pairs of purple wings with glossy blue edges. Their body is sand brown and the bottom of their chin is faint purple in color.
In School of Dragons, Titan Wing Whispering Deaths also appear to have a crown of large, twisting horns around their head. Their eyes remain white while the area around them turns red and they grow larger. Their spines grow thicker and appear more across their body while getting shorter near the tail. Their wings also gain a blue stripe while becoming spikier along the edges.
Abilities
Jaw Strength
A Whispering Death has the ability to use its jaw to travel quickly through solid rock via drilling. But despite their powerful jaws, they can't drill through metal, specifically cast iron.
Rotating Teeth
Whispering Deaths have special ability to tunnel underground at great speeds because of their rotating sharp teeth. As these rows of teeth move backward, it literally sucks everything in a good range in its path. This is called the vacuum effect.
Firepower
Whispering Deaths can breathe powerful rings of fire. An immature Whispering Death's fire is considerably weaker than an adult's.
Strength and Combat
Whispering Deaths are very strong physically according to Fishlegs, as shown by Toothless' Nemesis being able to throw Toothless a great distance by using its tail. They are also able to carry the weight of Alvin and Mildew by the tail.
As proven by Toothless' Nemesis, the Whispering Death is one of the few dragons able to fight against a Night Fury.
Speed and Agility
The Whispering Death’s body is long and extremely flexible, and it can simply spins its body in a circular motion at a higher rate in order to fly faster. With its long, thin body, the tail often makes a whip-crack noise.
Spine Shot
Whispering Deaths are able to shoot their spines just like a Deadly Nadder, which grow on the head and along the length of his body. According to Fishlegs, they can shoot spines from any part of their body.
Tunneling
Whispering Deaths have six inner rings of sharp teeth that can be rotated in opposite directions which helps the dragon to make tunnels. When these teeth move, they make a terrible and eerie noise that sounds like whispering. Hearing "The Whisper", together with the ground rumbling, are often the only two warning signs that a Whispering Death is coming from underground tunnels if it is not near the surface, throwing earth and rock. Toothless could detect the presence of one from Hiccup's bedroom, which is above ground level.
Endurance and Stamina
Whispering Deaths have high defense, being a Boulder Class dragon. They can take many attacks from their enemies as demonstrated quite profoundly by Toothless' Nemesis, who was able to fight against Toothless, and even survive getting slammed by two very large boulders in the face.
Senses and Immunity
It's possible that the Whispering Death's sense of smell is strong enough to track down its enemies as Toothless' Nemesis was able to find Toothless in Berk.
Apparently, it has an immunity to the effects of conventional dragon nip. When Hiccup tried to use dragon nip to stop an attacking Whispering Death, sniffing it just made the dragon sneeze.
Intelligence
Whispering Deaths are shown have great intelligence as the babies were able to work together as a team to be able to pick up the Screaming Death and Toothless' Nemesis was able to understand that Toothless is unable to fly.
Whispering Deaths are said to have a great memory, fact proven by Toothless' Nemesis, who remembered the grudge with the Night Fury for years and came back to finish it and by Groundsplitter, who recognized Hiccup as the one who helped her reunite with her son.
Hunting and Fishing
Whispering Deaths are shown to hunt from underground. It is quite possible they use tunnels to trap their prey so they can hunt much easier. It is also implied that the Whispering Death can swim, as the hatchling Whispering Deaths were shown to bring fish to their wounded Screaming Death sibling.
Stealth
Whispering Deaths are able to ambush their victims from the ground without being noticed.
Weaknesses
Light Sensitivity
Being essentially underground cave dwellers, Whispering Deaths are sensitive to bright light and can be deterred by it. They can tolerate overcast conditions however, as long as the sun is not out or hidden behind cloud cover. Individuals with better vision, such as Wrylite, tend to be even more sensitive to bright light than typical members of the species.
Bite Limitations
Although Whispering Deaths can efficiently chew through rock and most other material, they are unable to break through metal plating, specifically cast iron.
Poor Eyesight
According to the School of Dragons Website[1], Whispering Deaths have poor eyesight. This might be connected to the lack of a visible pupil, or living in a dark environment.
Behavior and Personality
Whispering Deaths are extremely dangerous, like most other dragons, and are able to chew their victims after their ingestion, using their six rows of rotating teeth. They usually live in underground tunnels they burrow themselves, using a burrowing attack against oncoming enemy/prey.
The Dragon Manual once said that they were extremely dangerous and must be killed on the spot. Nevertheless, despite their fearsome reputation, they want their teeth to be brushed. In "What Flies Beneath", Fishlegs noticed that a Whispering Death's eyes were sensitive against direct sunlight, which is why it spends most of its time underground.
When Whispering Deaths find intruders in their tunnels, they will forcibly eject them from the nearest pit. This was done to Bucket, but later, when he did the same to Hiccup, he also tried to kill him, pursuing him even above the ground; this may be because although Bucket had simply fallen in, Hiccup was caught running along its tunnel system. Perhaps the dragon believed he was deeply invading his territory or he smelled Toothless' scent on Hiccup thinking they are allies.
Whispering Deaths are known to be more dangerous in their infant stages, in contrast to their adult forms. They say that they have less control over their rotating teeth and spines, and are described to be "out of control saw blades". Young Whispering Deaths are known to be extremely territorial of their homeland, "claiming it as their own".
Though most varieties of Whispering Deaths spend most or part of their time underground, Rushing Deaths spend a considerable amount of time above ground in well-shaded woods. They hunt fish by opening their maws downstream and wait for fish to swim in their mouths.
Training
Whispering Deaths are almost untrainable. They are very destructive and aggressive in nature, attacking anything in their way and are generally feared by other dragons and humans in general. The only way to train a Whispering Death would be to capture it and take your time until you eventually gain its trust or by raising one as a hatchling.
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 | |||||||||
| SIZE | 50 feet | 7 feet 6 inches | 50 feet | ||||||||||
| WINGSPAN | 10 feet | 10 feet | |||||||||||
| WEIGHT | 2000 lbs | 2,000 lbs | |||||||||||
| ATTACK | 16 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |||||||||
| SPEED | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6.7 | 8 (WS) | |||||||
| ARMOR | 20 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| FIRE POWER | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1.8 | 10 (WS) | |||||||
| SHOT LIMIT | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 (WS) | |||||||
| VENOM | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| JAW STRENGTH | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| STEALTH | 14 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
Appearances
How to Train Your Dragon
The Whispering Death is mentioned when Hiccup reads through Dragon Manual for information about Night Furies. Apparently, this dragon is one of the most feared dragons, as Hiccup says its name with great fear. Extremely dangerous and must be killed on sight.
Book of Dragons
The Whispering Death has a longer appearance in the short film, Book of Dragons. Its characteristics and features are spoken about, as well as its' love of having its teeth brushed. It is also shown when he attacks Bork and his girlfriend, it burned Bork.
Dragons: Riders of Berk
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Main article: Toothless' Nemesis |
The Whispering Death made its first appearance in the episode "What Flies Beneath". This dragon had a grudge with Toothless because of some past confrontation that led to the Night Fury leaving a characteristic scar on the skin of it. Although Toothless tried to fight him on his own, his inability to fly to put him at a disadvantage. The Whispering Death almost killed Toothless, trying to knock him into a canyon. It was only after Toothless accepted Hiccup's help that the Whispering Death is defeated and, at Hiccup's insistence, spared him. Once it fled, the holes that it caused were blocked with boulders. In "We Are Family, Part 2", a Whispering Death makes another appearance. The dragon was seen in the cells on Outcast Island throughout the episode. Alvin tried to get Hiccup to train it along with two other dragons, but Hiccup fled on a Deadly Nadder leaving Alvin disappointed. At the end of the episode, Alvin finally learns to train a dragon, and bonded with a Whispering Death. Thus, Alvin reached his goal at the end of "Live and Let Fly". The Outcasts put a large number of Whispering Death eggs under the tunnels of Berk, and soon, one of the eggs hatched.
Dragons: Defenders of Berk
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Main article: Groundsplitter |
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Main article: Screaming Death's Siblings |
In "The Iron Gronckle", Savage and some Outcasts revisited the tunnels, where many young Whispering Death had hatched and tunneled. Later, they found the Screaming Death egg, and its very large tunnel. They escaped when they heard the Screaming Death roaring in the distance.
In "Tunnel Vision", at least three Whispering Death juveniles emerged and attacked the village. After the Whispering Deaths were driven off, the Screaming Death appeared and summoned them back. The Whispering Deaths re-engaged the riders but were eventually defeated. When the Screaming Death was wounded by Hiccup and Toothless, the Whispering Death juveniles came to its aid, carrying it to an unknown location and feeding it to aid in its recovery.
One is shown on Outcast Island where Mildew is feeding it fish in "Cast Out, Part 2". It also tried to steal his staff. After that, the mother of all the juvenile Whispering Deaths (including the Screaming Death) seen so far is also shown, sleeping above her nest. As part of the plan to rescue Stoick, Hiccup, and Toothless from Dagur, Alvin and Mildew released the dragons. They begin attacking the Berserkers, not to mention destroying the Outcast killing arena. After Fishlegs brought the Screaming Death to Outcast Island, it finally noticed its mother (the one it was looking for in the first place, and it goes berserk), yet Dagur captured and threatened to kill the mother, making the giant dragon go mad once again. Thanks to Snotlout and Hookfang's acts, the mother is freed, and the Screaming Death reunites with its family, not forgetting to thanks Hiccup and Toothless by roaring at him before flying off with its siblings.
Dragons: Race to the Edge
Season 1
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Main article: Trailtwister |
When the gang was searching for a new base of operations in "Imperfect Harmony", they came across an island, only to notice familiar holes in the ground. They later realise that they are Whispering Death tunnels, and several young ones emerge and the gang flees.
Season 2
In "Night of the Hunters, Part 2", Hiccup and Snotlout journey to Screaming Death Island after their friends have been captured by Dragon Hunters. They intend to use shedded Screaming Death scales to protect their dragons from dragon root arrows, but Screaming Death is very protective of them. However, the Screaming Death’s Mother scolds her child and allows the Riders to take the scales with them.
Comics
"The Stowaway"
When Hroar goes to Dragon Island in order to enrage many dragons and lead them to Berk, he does so with several Whispering Deaths. However, after he is thrown off his saddle, the Whispering Deaths and all the other dragons return to their island.
Games
DreamWorks Dragons: Wild Skies
Whispering Deaths also appear in the companion game, DreamWorks Dragons: Wild Skies. They are available for the player to tame in The Woods That Howled. Taming one completes the "Make Sure to Floss" Achievement.
Dragons Hero Portal
Whispering Deaths appear in this game as part of the armored dragons in Drago's Army. They attack the player - playing as a Rider/dragon pair - until the player blasts off the armor and frees them.
Dragons: Rise of Berk
Whispering Deaths also appear in the game, Dragons: Rise of Berk. Toothless can find their eggs in Banshem, and can be trained to collect wood and fight for Berk. Toothless' Nemesis, Groundsplitter, Trailtwister and Tuffnut's Death Ride also appeared in it.
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/h at Level 175 
/h at Level 175 
at Level 175 
/h at Level 175 
Tough Defender 
at Level 175 School of Dragons
The Whispering Death also appeared in School of Dragons, with its titan form also available.
A skeleton of a juvenile Whispering Death appears on Auction Island on display by the seedy vendors there.
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Dragons: Titan Uprising
Many Whispering Death individuals, like Brisk Whisper, Sky-Pirate, Gritty Sawmaw, Bombwelter, and Guarded Whisper, and hybrids, like Hushbogle and Humbanger, appear in this game.
Trivia
- In flight, the Whispering Death rotates around in a corkscrew motion, probably to add more propulsion due to its small wings.
- According to Gobber, a Whispering Death knows only one thing: killing. In fact, it is kind of true. The Whispering Death that appeared in "What Flies Beneath" was untrainable, and one that appeared in the finale was extremely aggressive towards Hiccup and Mildew. If this saying is true, then it helps to explain why Alvin could train his Whispering Death. Like most dragons and riders, they share personality traits.
- In "What Flies Beneath", Tuffnut states that he wants a Whispering Death and thinks its name is "...much better than Zippleback!" He and Ruffnut later state that the destruction they cause is 'beautiful'.
- Being subterranean worm-like predators that attack from underneath, the Whispering Death is similar to the Graboids from the film Tremors.
- According to its statistics, the shot limit of the Whispering Death is two. But in "What Flies Beneath", Whispering Death fires more than twice, continuously. According to School of Dragons, they have a shot limit of 10 which would appear to be the case.
- Young Whispering Deaths are more violent than adults, as they have less control of their jaws or their spines.
- Baby Whispering Deaths are able to fly as soon as they hatch.
- The Whispering Death resembles the Mongolian Death Worm, a mythical creature from Asia.
- In the Dragons: Riders of Berk comic book series, it is shown that Whispering Deaths can be trained if they are babies. It is also shown that a dragon's fire can incubate and hatch a Whispering Death egg.
- Whispering Death hatchlings are known to come back to their place of birth and claim it as their own.
- Even though Whispering Deaths were officially stated to be 95 ft long, most specimens seem to be much larger. Actually, the juvenile Whispering Deaths from "Tunnel Vision" are about 95 ft long, with adults like Toothless' Nemesis being longer than 140 ft.
References
| Whispering Death uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Rise of Berk Wiki page Whispering Death. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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| Whispering Death uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Dreamworks School of Dragons Wiki page Whispering Death. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). | 
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