A fan theory about theHow To Train Your Dragonsuggest that the Night Furies may have a secret role in the history of its world. While theHow To Train Your Dragonfilm series is inspired by the books by Cressida Cowell, many of the details intheHow To Train Your Dragonmovies are quite different from the books. This is especially true when it comes to Toothless, who is a small green dragon in the books, and is initially thought to be a common type of dragon, whereas the movie version of Toothless is feared by the citizens of Berk long before he and Hiccup meet.

Night Furies and Light Furies don’t exist in the book series, but they’re crucial dragon species in the films. While the Toothless we know and love is an affectionate and loyal companion, we shouldn’t forget thatNight Furies were once considered fearsome for a reasonand are one ofHow To Train Your Dragon’s most powerful dragon species. While the dragons and the Vikings eventually grow close, especially Hiccup and Toothless, the dragons are still wild creatures, and that’s part of what makes Hiccup and Toothless' bond so powerful.

Hiccup giving Toothless a fish in How to Train Your Dragon

Night Furies Could Have Evolved To Hunt Other Dragons

Night Furies Share Traits With Animals Like Cats That Suggest They Evolved As Hunters

A fan theory from Reddit suggests thatNight Furies might have evolved to hunt other dragons, striking fear into the hearts of not only the humans of their world but also other members of their species. There are many biological details about Toothless that support this theory. Night Furies are the fastest dragons, and Toothless is incredibly intelligent. We see him using things such as his explosive fireballs infights against other dragons in theHow To Train Your Dragonmovies, and it makes sense that they would be even more useful against smaller dragons used as prey (via Reddit).

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It’s possible that part of the reason why Toothless was so feared was becauseNight Furies hunt differently than the other dragons. The way the other dragons raid might not be as natural for him as an apex predator who’s meant to be hunting other dragons. Night Furies and Light Furies' designs are visually different from other dragons in other ways that imply that they could be predators, such as their eyes not being on the sides of their heads.

How to Train Your Dragon live action Hiccup in the ring

Toothless' design inHow To Train Your Dragonwas based on a few different types of animals, including panthers and axolotls. As he’s based on a lot of real-world hunters and predators, this reinforces the idea that Night Furies could have evolved to hunt other dragons.

If The Theory Is True, Toothless And Hiccup Share Another Unique Trait

The Theory Reinforces How Hiccup And Toothless Went Against What Others Thought Of As Their Natures

One of the details that makes Toothless and Hiccup’s friendship one ofthe best human/creature friendships in moviesis the fact that they bridged the divide between their species. The cycle that the dragons and Vikings were caught in kept them killing each other’s kind for many years. However, if Night Furies evolved to hunt other dragons, that would mean thatHiccup and Toothless might also share the trait of turning away from killing dragons.

One of the details that makes Toothless and Hiccup’s friendship so powerful is the fact that they bridged the divide between their species.

How to Train Your Dragon - Poster

If the theory is true, it’s likely that Toothless was never taught how to hunt and behave, as he’s the last Night Fury. It’s no wonder that both Hiccup and Toothless were outcasts at the beginning ofHow To Train Your Dragon. If Toothless was meant to hunt other dragons, it’s a further testament to the way that Hiccup and Toothless both went against the roles they were expected to have and changed things for the better.