The original How to Train your Dragon was a wonderful film, directed by Chris Sanders. This one was written and directed by Dean DeBlois, and is a very strong film and a great sequel. It has a lot of Gospel imagery, but we’re going to focus in on the theme of loyalty, because it runs deep through the film.
Alpha Dragon – In the world of the film, the alpha dragons control all the other dragons. When the alpha dragon speaks, the dragons know his voice and follow him. Christ tells us that He is the Good Shepard, and that His sheep know his voice. He also says that some people follow their father, the Devil.
Alpha Loyalty Shifts – When a more powerful Alpha comes along, he is able to take all of the dragons from the weaker alpha and make them his own. When Drago’s alpha comes and kills the good alpha, all the good dragons change allegiance and become evil. In a similar way, all of humanity has been following an evil alpha dragon since The Fall. That is the Devil. He whispers to our souls, telling us to do what is wrong, and we follow him.
Toothless – Toothless overcomes Drago’s alpha and becomes the new, most powerful alpha. He is so powerful that if any other alpha were to ever challenge him, he would not be defeated. Christ is the most powerful. He tells us that no one and nothing could ever take us from His hand, because His Father has given us to Him, His Father (God) is greater than all, and He and the Father are one. That’s all the assurance I need, and I hope you and your children can find peace in it as well.
Discussion Questions:
- What is an alpha dragon? Why do the dragons follow the alpha and do whatever it tells them to do?
- What happens to the dragons that follow the good alpha when Drago’s alpha over-powers it? By our fallen nature, all humans have been following an evil “alpha dragon”, do you know who that is?
- Toothless over-powers Drago’s alpha because he is the most powerful dragon in the world. What would happen if another alpha were to come and try and defeat Toothless to steal his dragons? (The other alpha would lose, because Toothless is the most powerful.) Jesus has over-powered the Devil and those that follow Jesus are called “Christians”. The Bible tells us that no one could ever take us from His hand because he is too powerful. Doesn’t it feel great to be secure and have Jesus as our “Most Powerful Alpha”?