Dragons don’t exist in real life. But, we have a clear foundation of what they look like—beasts with scaly skin, four legs with up to four toes on each, nodes that run down the spine, a tail, and rows of sharp, pointed teeth.
We have legends to thank for these descriptions that have been passed on for centuries from children’s books, films, folklore, fairy tales, and more. It goes to show that dragons get more exposure than many real-life beasts that walk the earth—and for good reasons.
When asking your best bud out to see a dragon-themed movie, add a dragon emoji to your text.
As mythical creatures, they’re fun to create and reimagine as the templates that exist are quite open to modifications. To prove our point, why don’t we take a look at some of the best movies where dragons play a crucial role in the story?
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Beowulf
Beowulf is an Old English heroic poem that has had several movie adaptations, each with different versions. But, their common ground is the portrayal of dragons where they are flat out terrifying. They are a destructive yet intelligent force—a match for Beowulf. Both the dragons and Beowulf use their strength to accumulate treasures, but all that the treasure did is bring about their death.
The Neverending Story
The 1984 film is based on the 1979 novel of the same title by Michael Ende. It features Falkor, a Luck Dragon that accompanies Atreyu and Bastian in finding a cure for the Empress after escaping the web of Ygramul (The Many). What makes Falkor different is that it’s not as violent as many other versions of dragons that have come around. It is optimistic, friendly, and wise—something that you would want to be friends with.
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How to Train Your Dragon
Hiccup, a young Viking who is destined to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely friend of a young, extremely rare dragon, Toothless. It’s amazing how a small dragon, with a missing tail-fin that keeps him from flying, can be one of the most powerful. With his physical power, plasmablasts, loyalty, and wit, he easily outmatches just about any dragon. The two work seamlessly together in battles, and their friendship ended the life-long rivalry between dragons and Vikings.
Pete’s Dragon
Many of us grew up watching Pete’s Dragon. Its 1977 film is probably even what you remember fondly. It’s about Pete Healy, an orphan who travels with a ranger named Grace to find his friend Elliot—a green-winged dragon who disappeared from the forest. It was adapted into a live-action remake in 2016, but Disney took quite a different direction that according to reviews if it weren’t for the title, the latest film is hardly a remake at all.
Shrek
Many would call her Dragon, but who started as an antagonist in the Shrek franchise has a name: Elizabeth the Dragoness. She was in charge of guarding Princess Fiona in her castle but later became Donkey’s love interest and eventual wife. We even got to see their kids, which are some strange donkey/dragon hybrids in the later sequels of the film. Let’s admit it: the Dreamworks film wouldn’t be as complete without her.
Mulan
Mushu is the self-absorbed, talking dragon sidekick of Fa Mulan that we all loved. He was famously voiced by Eddie Murphy, adding humor to the classic Disney film. It’s why many were disappointed when the live-action remake of the movie completely ditched the character in exchange for a more serious take on the legend of Mulan.
Harry Potter
Dragons appeared at least two times on one of the most successful movie franchises. First, when Harry survived the biggest, meanest dragon during the Triwizard Tournament (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). And second, when the trio escaped the Gringotts Wizarding Bank by releasing and riding on the back of a dragon who was used to guard several high-security vaults in the bank (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). In both appearances, the dragons were portrayed as vicious. Even the baby dragon in the first film is already showing signs of aggressiveness.
Takeaway
Dragons are present in every culture and many films, too. Regardless of their shape, size, and how stories portray them, one thing is certain about this mythical creature: you’ll either love them or hate them. Don’t forget to add the dragon emoji whenever you post about them on social media, or when you ask your friends to watch a dragon movie with you.
Do you have any other films with dragons to add to the list? Let us know in the comment section below. Make sure to share this article with your friends, too!
