The How to Train Your Dragon series can be experienced in two primary ways:
- The order of the original book series by Cressida Cowell, which includes 12 books starting with "How to Train Your Dragon" (2004) and ending with "How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury" (2015).
- The order of the DreamWorks Animation franchise, which includes movies, shorts, and TV series.
Here is the recommended watch/read order for both:
Book Series Reading Order
- How to Train Your Dragon (2004)
- How to Be a Pirate (2005)
- How to Speak Dragonese (2006)
- How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (2007)
- How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (2008)
- A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (2009)
- How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm (2010)
- How to Break a Dragon’s Heart (2011)
- How to Steal a Dragon’s Sword (2012)
- How to Seize a Dragon’s Jewel (2013)
- How to Betray a Dragon’s Hero (2013)
- How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury (2015)
DreamWorks Franchise Watch Order (Chronological)
- How to Train Your Dragon (2010, movie)
- Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (2010, short)
- Book of Dragons (2011, short)
- Gift of the Night Fury (2011, short)
- DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk (TV series, 2013)
- DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk (TV series, 2013-2014)
- Dawn of the Dragon Racers (2014, short)
- DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge (seasons 1-6, 2015-2018)
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014, movie)
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019, movie)
- How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019, short)
- DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms (2021-2023, TV series; set 1,300 years after The Hidden World)
This watch order is based on the narrative and chronological progression of the story, which will provide the best experience in following character development and plot continuity. If the goal is to watch just the essentials, starting with the three main movies in release order is sufficient, but including the shorts and TV series adds greater depth to the story and characters. For the novel series, the above reading list covers the main story arc written by Cressida Cowell.
