History Film / Dragonheart

* The sequel, ''Dragonheart: A New Beginning'' was released direct-to-video in 2000. Although the new dragon, Drake, was voiced by {{Creator/Robby Benson}} of ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' fame, it was fairly standard DTV fare geared towards a younger audience. Toward the end of Bowen's life, he had returned to the cave where he had first met Draco -- and discovered a dragon egg. The egg was put in the care of Gilbert's monastery, where it hatched into a young dragon named Drake. Drake is cared for by a friar and the novice Mansel in secret until he is one day discovered by Mansel's friend Geoff, an orphan stableboy who dreams of being a knight. Meanwhile, a pair of travelers arrive from the East, searching for a dragon they believe has been born; a prophecy says an ancient evil will take hold of the land using a dragon's heart when a two-tailed comet blazes across the sky. The comet is just days away, and they intend to prevent evil from happening.

* The sequel, ''Dragonheart: A New Beginning'' was released direct-to-video in 2000. Although the new dragon, Drake, was voiced by {{Creator/Robby Benson}} of ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' fame, it was fairly standard DTV fare geared towards a younger audience. Toward the end of Bowen's life, he had returned to the cave where he had first met Draco - and discovered a dragon egg. The egg was put in the care of Gilbert's monastery, where it hatched into a young dragon named Drake. Drake is cared for by a friar and the novice Mansel in secret until he is one day discovered by Mansel's friend Geoff, an orphan stableboy who dreams of being a knight. Meanwhile, a pair of travelers arrive from the East, searching for a dragon they believe has been born; a prophecy says an ancient evil will take hold of the land using a dragon's heart when a two-tailed comet blazes across the sky. The comet is just days away, and they intend to prevent evil from happening.
* A third film, titled ''Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse'', was released direct-to-video and on Netflix in February 2015, and it serves as a prequel to the first film. Gareth, a squire aspiring to be knighted, discovers a dragon and a clutch of eggs while searching for treasure to pay off his debt. The dragon - who Gareth names Drago (voiced by {{Creator/Ben Kingsley}}) - saves Gareth's life by sharing his heart after the young man is badly wounded protecting the eggs, and the two become bonded. Drago, however, becomes cursed by the evil sorcerer, Brude, who wants the eggs for himself: in bright light or by fire, Drago becomes ghostly, unable to fight, and on the night of the full moon - just two days away - Brude will be able to fully bend Drago to his will. Gareth and Drago, and their two new companions, must protect the eggs, figure out a way to break the curse, and stop Brude and his army.
* A fourth film titled ''Dragonheart: Battle for the Heartfire'' was released direct-to-video and on Netflix in June 2017. It's a sequel to ''Dragonheart 3'' and Drago is voiced by {{Creator/Patrick Stewart}}. After Gareth, king of Britannia, passes away, his twin grandchildren, Edric and Mehgan, fight each other for the throne using their inherited dragon strength and fire powers. When Vikings led by Thorgrim steal the Heartfire - Drago's source of power - and challenge the siblings' rights to the throne, Edric and Mehgan must set aside their sibling rivalry or the kingdom may fall.

* AttemptedRape: Einon to Kara, in the scene where she stabs him. In the novelization of the film, [[spoiler: it's not an attempt - he DOES rape her]].

** Draco considers his soul fading into nothingness - a fate that awaits him if he is unable to redeem himself - to be one.

* MartialPacifist: What Brother Gilbert turns into when he proves to be a quick study with the bow - rather than aim to kill, he tries to incapacitate his targets. His only exception, complete with quoting ThouShaltNotKill while lining up the shot in a moment of conflict, [[spoiler: is loosing an arrow at King Einon, though he ''remains'' this due to Einon's immortality clause kicking in.]]

* UnwantedRescue: Queen Aislinn helps Kara escape from the castle rather than be forced to marry Einon. Kara initially doesn't ''want'' this rescue - not because she doesn't want to escape, but because she doesn't want to accept help from the woman who gave birth to the monster. Aislinn wins her compliance by saying, "I won't let you suffer the same fate as me."

* FanDisservice: Seeing a monk - even a supposedly teenage one - run around in nothing but diaper-like underwear.

** Drago attempts to teach Gareth how to "shadowjump" - to use shadows like doors. He is unsuccessful during their training sessions but is able to pull it off during a fight.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Lorne tries to use a spell to free some slaves by breaking the ropes binding them. It works - but also snaps Rhonu's bowstring as she's firing at the guards.

-->'''Mehgan:''' Just remember that when we set sail, I needed an army - and that now, I ''am'' one.

* ContinuityNod: Once again, a character finds himself in the jaws of the dragon. Kudos to Siveth being able to unhinge her jaws like Draco.
** This film is also the second in the series to feature a dragon breathing ice.

* FemaleMonsterSurprise: In another first for the ''Dragonheart'' franchise, Siveth is the first female dragon to be seen onscreen, voiced, and be one of the main characters in a film.
-->'''Siveth:''' My name is Siveth.
-->'''Lukas:''' So you're a girl dragon?
* HiddenDepths: Darius and Siveth.
* HiddenVillain: [[spoiler:King Razvan.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Darius.

* ShapeShifter: Siveth, who is able to transform into any animal - including horses and cats!

* DisneyDeath[=/=]DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Einon]] appears to die by falling off the highest tower of the castle. This fails to kill him, due to [[spoiler:the fact that he is bound to life as long as Draco lives]].

* TheDragon: Not Draco, actually - Einon's general, Brok.

* TheExile: Before the events of the film, Siveth refused to share her heart with the wounded King Razvan. For her act of "betrayal," Siveth was labeled a traitor and forced to become a recluse. From that point on, people stopped using her name and only speak of her in whispers.

* TalkingToHerself: Siveth. After spending 20 years in exile with no one else to talk to, it's expected. Doubles as her ThinkingOutLoud.

** In the film, Bowen's character arc of an honorable knight turned dragonslayer and going back to a knight of the Old Code is shaky and questionable at best. The book details that Draco uses the cons with Bowen as a way to pick at Bowen's conscience as he sees the peasants suffer under Einon's rule until they and Kara arrive at the reeking swamp village, where Bowen is at the end of his rope and he can no longer justify conning the king's minions; a plot point nonexistent in the film.

-->''Inside the Table's circle,\\
Under the Sacred Sword,\\
A Knight must vow to follow\\
The Code that is unending.\\
Unending as the Table -\\
A Ring by Honour bound.''\\

-->''A Knight is sworn to Valour.\\
His Heart knows only Virtue.\\
His Blade defends the Helpless.\\
His Might upholds the Weak.\\
His Word speaks only Truth.\\
His Wrath undoes the Wicked.''\\

-->''The Right can never die\\

The Words are not forgot\\

The Code forever shines\\

* A fifth film, titled ''Dragonheart: Vengeance'', was released direct-to-video and on Netflix on February 4th. It's a sequel to ''Dragonheart 4'' and features the ice dragon Siveth, voiced by {{Creator/Helena Bonham Carter}}. After his family is killed by marauders, young farm boy Lukas enlists the aid of the reclusive Siveth and the mercenary Darius in his quest for revenge.

A sequel, ''Dragonheart: A New Beginning'' was released direct-to-video in 2000. Although the new dragon, Drake, was voiced by {{Creator/Robby Benson}} of ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' fame, it was fairly standard DTV fare geared towards a younger audience.

Toward the end of Bowen's life, he had returned to the cave where he had first met Draco - and discovered a dragon egg. The egg was put in the care of Gilbert's monastery, where it hatched into a young dragon named Drake. Drake is cared for by a friar and the novice Mansel in secret until he is one day discovered by Mansel's friend Geoff, an orphan stableboy who dreams of being a knight. Meanwhile, a pair of travelers arrive from the East, searching for a dragon they believe has been born; a prophecy says an ancient evil will take hold of the land using a dragon's heart when a two-tailed comet blazes across the sky. The comet is just days away, and they intend to prevent evil from happening.

----

A third film, titled ''Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse'', was released direct-to-video and on Netflix in February 2015, and it serves as a prequel to the first film. Gareth, a squire aspiring to be knighted, discovers a dragon and a clutch of eggs while searching for treasure to pay off his debt. The dragon - who Gareth names Drago (voiced by {{Creator/Ben Kingsley}}) - saves Gareth's life by sharing his heart after the young man is badly wounded protecting the eggs, and the two become bonded.

Drago, however, becomes cursed by the evil sorcerer, Brude, who wants the eggs for himself: in bright light or by fire, Drago becomes ghostly, unable to fight, and on the night of the full moon - just two days away - Brude will be able to fully bend Drago to his will. Gareth and Drago, and their two new companions, must protect the eggs, figure out a way to break the curse, and stop Brude and his army.

----

A fourth film titled ''Dragonheart: Battle for the Heartfire'' was released direct-to-video and on Netflix in June 2017. It's a sequel to ''Dragonheart 3'' and Drago is voiced by {{Creator/Patrick Stewart}}. After Gareth, king of Britannia, passes away, his twin grandchildren, Edric and Mehgan, fight each other for the throne using their inherited dragon strength and fire powers. When Vikings led by Thorgrim steal the Heartfire - Drago's source of power - and challenge the siblings' rights to the throne, Edric and Mehgan must set aside their sibling rivalry or the kingdom may fall.

----

A fifth film, titled ''Dragonheart: Vengeance'', will be released direct-to-video and on Netflix on February 4th. It's a sequel to ''Dragonheart 4'' and features the ice dragon Siveth, voiced by {{Creator/Helena Bonham Carter}}. After his family is killed by marauders, young farm boy Lukas enlists the aid of the reclusive Siveth and the mercenary Darius in his quest for revenge.

----

!! These films provide examples of:

* ContinuityNod:Once again, a character finds himself in the jaws of the dragon. Kudos to the jaw shape design being similar to Draco's.

* PlayingCyrano: While hiding in the shadows, Siveth whispers to Lukas what to say to a girl he fancies to impress her.

* ConspicuousCG: Some of the worst spots are Drake's first flight, and the final battle, with [[spoiler:the dragons being especially shiny and the way they're moving when compared with the rest of the movie]].

Quaid plays Bowen, a knight in 10th Century (Saxon) England who is one of the few left who adhere to the "Old Code" of KingArthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Bowen is the teacher and mentor to a young prince named Einon. During a peasant uprising, the King is killed in battle and the prince is horribly injured. Bowen takes the boy to his mother, who strikes a deal with an intelligent dragon (Sean Connery) to perform an ancient ritual, which will give the prince his life back. A few weeks later as Einon assumes his role as the new King, Bowen realizes that Einon is [[TheCaligula cruel and sadistic]], more than the previous King. Disillusioned, Bowen believes that the dragonheart corrupted Einon and sets out to hunt down and kill every last dragon.

After many a year of dragonslaying, Bowen comes across the one who performed the dragonheart ritual, though he doesn't recognize him. They fight to a standstill, and decide to strike a partnership instead of killing each other. The dragon harasses towns and Bowen will pretend to kill him. The dragon doesn't have to worry about actual slayers and Bowen makes a living hustling the villagers.

Bowen eventually gives the dragon a name, Draco, after the dragon constellation. His time with Draco reminds him of how far he has gone away from the Old Code, and he realizes that Einon was always evil. Both Bowen and Draco believed their influence could change him but they were wrong. They then decide to encourage another peasant uprising to bring down Einon. With Bowen as a leader and with Draco as muscle, they believe they can succeed. What no one expected was that Draco and Einon's fates are linked together through the dragonheart.

Toward the end of Bowen's life, he had returned to the cave where he had first met Draco - and discovered a dragon egg. The egg was put in the care of Gilbert's monastery, where it hatched into a young dragon named Drake. Drake is cared for by a friar and the novice Mansel in secret, until he is one day discovered by Mansel's friend Geoff, an orphan stableboy who dreams of being a knight. Meanwhile, a pair of travelers arrive from the East, searching for a dragon they believe has been born; a prophecy says an ancient evil will take hold of the land using a dragon's heart when a two-tailed comet blazes across the sky. The comet is just days away, and they intend to prevent the evil from happening.

* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: Compared to the novelization, the film has many additions and omissions that create a number of plot holes:

** In the film, Gilbert's mule Merlin is last seen before Bowen and Draco's fight. In the book, Merlin is with Gilbert when he appears at the swamp village, and later accompanies the group to Avalon and Kara's village.

* AllThereInTheManual: The novelization not only gives greater detail about the world and its deterioration under Einon's rule, it has more development and provides insight for characters like Bowen, Draco, Kara, Gilbert, Einon, Queen Aislinn, Brok, and Lord Felton.

* AttemptedRape: Einon to Kara, in the scene where she stabs him. In the novelization of the film, [[spoiler: it's not an attempt - he actually DOES rape her]].

* ColorMeBlack: This was attempted on the BigBad prior to the events of the movie. It utterly failed, the [[spoiler:dragon in human form]] is still bent on genocide.

* IdiotBall: Lian and Kwan are knowingly carrying around the heart of an extremely evil dragon. How did it not occur to them until [[spoiler:Osric regained his true form that his heart, rather than Drake's, might possibly be the one in the prophecy?]]

* RenownedSelectiveMentor: Geoff is trained by the king's advisor Osric. Osric claims it is because he's a natural and deserves special attention, but his real motive [[spoiler:was to make Geoff eager for battle and to trust him in order to convince Drake to give up half his heart]].

* WaifFu: Lian uses this a couple times.

** Drago attempts to teach Gareth how to "shadowjump" - to use shadows like doors. He is unsuccessful during their training sessions, but is able to pull it off during a fight.
** At the beginning of the movie, Brude uses a spell to swap places with one of the Druid mages, putting the mage in the path of a deadly spell. [[spoiler:Lorne uses this spell in the final battle to swap places with Gareth, so that Gareth can get free and join the fight.]]
* TheChosenOne: Gareth is referred to as this a couple times due to him finding the eggs and Drago sharing his heart with him.
* CoveredInMud: Sir Horsa tells Roland to kneel, and then then keeps telling him to get lower until his face is in the mud, and tells him that that's the stench of the common people and asks if wants to go back to that.

* DramaPreservingHandicap: Brude puts a spell on Drago early on that makes him ghost-like when light shines on him, thereby nullifying his StoryBreakerPower for much of the film (this of course, has the added bonus saving the film money by not having to animate Drago realistically in all scenes)

* AccidentalMurder: Edric explains to Drago that Mehgan's flames got out of control and set the house ablaze when she was mad at her father, and he died in the fire. [[spoiler: Later, Mehgan reveals that she set the house on fire only to hide the fact that ''Edric'' accidentally killed their father, when he pushed him onto a sharp spike without realizing it during an argument and stormed out of the house.]]

* BigDamnHeroes: Drago shows up right at the perfect moment to save Edric, and later both of the twins, and then later on [[spoiler:the women that Mehgan trained to fight show up to save her.]]

* BrokenBird: Mehgan, to an extent. Having to grow up wearing up hood to hide the dragon scales on her face, and having the ability to control fire, Mehgan was constantly accused as being an evil witch, and put down by her father.

* DoesntTrustThoseGuys: Edric and Mehgan were raised by their father to never trust dragons. Both siblings would eventually [[SubvertedTrope learn to trust Drago]] over the course of the film's story.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Drago gives up his Heartfire, knowing that he'll die without it, so that Edric can save Mehgan's life. This earns him his place in the stars.]]

* MightMakesRight: Mehgan fights with Edric over the throne because she is the firstborn twin and the rightful heir.

* RefusalOfTheCall: Blaming dragons for his [[ParentalNeglect father's neglect]] [[spoiler:and his mother's death]], Prince Walter [[RichesToRags abandons his royal heritage and chooses to live the life of a simple woodsman]] with his children Edric and Mehgan, to whom Walter passed on his contempt for dragons. When both children manifested scales and dragon-related abilities (super strength for Edric, fire magic for Mehgan), [[IJustWantToBeNormal Walter only saw such as a curse]], resulting in him pressing his children, especially Mehgan, even harder to be normal humans. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Walter's life choices would bring much hardship to Edric, Mehgan and the kingdom of Brittania.]]

* SelflessWish: Drago blames himself for King Gareth's family being fractured and Drago fears he will be refused entry into the Dragons' Heaven as the result. When Walter's children Edric and Mehgan are discovered, Drago takes it upon himself to heal the rift between them and their family. [[spoiler:This act is what earns him a place in the stars.]]

* SuperpowerfulGenetics: Edric and Mehgan have respectively inherited enhanced strength and the pyrokinesis from their grandparents, King Gareth and Queen Rhonu.

* {{Synchronization}}: This occurs due to the dragonheart, but in an unusual way since it's inherited and split by twins: Drago is bonded to Edric emotionally and to Mehgan physically.
* UngratefulBastard: Mehgan is angry, rather than thankful, when [[spoiler:Edric saves her from being killed by Sable in her sleep.]]

* LightIsNotGood[=/=]DarkIsNotEvil: In a complete reversal of the [[GoodColoursEvilColours standard]], Einon's wardrobe is almost entirely white, and Bowen's is almost entirely black.

* PromotedToLoveInterest: Kara in the novelization.

* ThisIsMyNameOnForeign: Kinda. Draco even replies that Bowen is just calling him "Dragon" in a different tongue instead of his own, but accepts the name because he finds an honor to be named after the constellation.

A 1996 fantasy movie starring Creator/DennisQuaid, Creator/DavidThewlis, Creator/PetePostlethwaite, Creator/JasonIsaacs, Creator/DinaMeyer, and, most famously, the voice of Creator/SeanConnery.

Quaid is Bowen, a knight in 10th Century (Saxon) England who is one of the few left who adhere to the "Old Code" of KingArthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Bowen is the teacher and mentor to a young prince named Einon. During a peasant uprising, the King is killed in battle and the prince is horribly injured. Bowen takes the boy to his mother, who strikes a deal with an intelligent dragon (Sean Connery) to perform an ancient ritual, which will give the prince his life back. A few weeks later as Einon assumes his role as the new King, Bowen realizes that Einon is [[TheCaligula cruel and sadistic]], more than the previous King. Disillusioned, Bowen believes that the dragonheart corrupted Einon and sets out to hunt down and kill every last dragon.

* CaveBehindTheFalls: Quite literally, Bowen finds Draco in a... well, a cave. [[CaptainObvious Behind a waterfall.]]

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: After being rescued by Drago from a Norse slaver's ship, Edric ponders the idea that things could have been different if he had trusted Drago in the beginning, especially since his sister and his supposed "friend", Earl Robert, were responsible for his predicament.

* DoesntTrustThoseGuys: Edric and Mehgan were raised by their father to never trust dragons. Because of this, both would later learn about humans' capacity for betrayal and cruelty the hard way.

* SpontaneousHumanCombustion: [[spoiler:During the film's final battle, Thorgrim attempts to [[DeadlyUpgrade gain the Heartfire's power by swallowing it]]. He is killed seconds later as the Heartfire immolates him from within.]]

* DoesntTrustThoseGuys: Edric was raised by his father to mistrust dragons.

* KingIncognito: After Prince Walter runs away from home after [[spoiler:his mother's death,]] he goes on to live as a commoner.

* ABoyAndHisX: In this case, a grown man and his dragon.

* ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his dragon.

* ABoyAndHisX: Again, a boy and his dragon.

** The film exposes Einon as a villain to the audience early on when he takes his father's crown and tells him to die, making Bowen look stupid for blaming Draco's heart for Einon's "corruption." It makes sense in the book since Einon doesn't tell Freyne to die and jerks away with the crown, and it's after he's revived by Draco that Einon reveals his true nature by laying waste to the peasant village and rounding up rebels for his quarry the following day.
** The book explains that King Freyne was a dragonslayer who forced Aislinn into a loveless marriage as he only wanted her for her beauty, after which he slaughtered her dragon-worshipping people, leaving her unable to love Einon and for his father to taint him. Aislinn reveals all of this during the scene in Draco's cave and when she helps Kara escape the castle.

* AsLongAsThereIsEvil and AsLongAsThereIsOneMan: Draco tells Bowen that there is an equalizer in this story, the day cannot be won until Einon is dead. [[spoiler: And Einon can't die unless Draco dies.]]

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Not only Einon is the evil ruler of England but turns out that he's a quite good swordsman and fighter. He even arrives to almost kill Bowen twice.

* ButtMonkey: Felton in the novelization. He's always picked on by Einon's men (and occasionally Einon himself), partly because he is poor at hunting (to the point that once he left a dead deer out the day before, claiming to shoot it that day, but didn't realize before telling everyone to look at his "kill" that the carcass had been half eaten by a scavenger overnight). He's caught with his pants down when Draco attacks the village, his house is damaged in the attack, and Bowen steals his money by asking for it in advance and then pretending to have been eaten. [[spoiler:He gets his ''hand'' cut off by a peasant.]] Later on, during the battle, Gilbert shoots him in the rear with an arrow, giving a BondOneLiner to add insult to injury. Immediately after, the girl he had been in bed with attacks him, knocks him out, and then steals some money and his jeweled cuff (which he had been wearing over his stump). In the end, he [[spoiler:is stabbed from behind and killed by the peasants.]]

* ChekhovsSkill: When pretending to be hunted down by Bowen, Draco deftly catches the ballista bolts that Bowen shoots at him. During the final battle, it comes useful when the real dragon killers use ballistas against him.

* ADogNamedDog: "Draco" is Latin for "dragon". Justified in that he refuses to tell his real name and says humans can't pronounce it anyway. Lampshaded by Draco:
-->''So instead of calling me "dragon" in your tongue, you'll call me "Dragon" in some other tongue.''
* DoNotTauntCthulhu: Kara's father remarks to Einon that he should be grateful, for it was a stroke from his blade that made Einon a king. [[EyeScream That crack ends up costing him dearly.]]

** Einon is a big fan of this trope. In his words, 'Death should be a release, not a punishment.' It gets brought up in a scene as well: "In your kingdom, Einon, there are fates worse than death!" "I'll think one up for you." He later decides to make her his bride, which may be the fate he intended.

** His [[BoomHeadshot first]] and [[GroinAttack second]] shot in his life, after some vague instructions, are both deadly shots.

* HeroicBSOD: Bowen has one after realizing that he had helped wipe out an innocent species for no reason (he thought that Draco's heart had made Einon evil, when in fact Einon had always been a monster.)

* IWantThemAlive: When Einon realises that he is immortal as long as Draco lives, he orders off the dragonslayers his mother hired, even using the exact words, "I want it alive!"
* IWasBeatenByAGirl: [[spoiler:Brok is killed by Kara.]] His final words are, "A girl?"

* LeftStuckAfterAttack: During their first fight, Draco uses his bladed tail against Bowen, which slices through a standing tree with ease, but when he bring it down on a fallen log, it has just enough give that it doesn't cut through, and his tail gets stuck.

* OlderHeroVsYoungerVillain: Bowen the instructor vs Einon the evil monarch.

* PlotHole: Number of scenes were cut from the film that help the story flow more naturally, contain character development, and help explain their motivations.

* SceneryPorn: The landscape and castle are beautiful.

* StargazingScene: As Sir Bowen and the dragon prepare for a night's rest al fresco, Bowen points out the constellation Draco in the night sky, and suggests calling the dragon by that name. The dragon replies that he'd feel honored to be named after an array of stars.

* YouKilledMyFather: Einon slaughters Kara's father right in front of her, inciting her endless hatred.Kara's father killed Einon's father

* ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his dragon.

* ABoyAndHisX: Again, a boy and his dragon.

* CoveredInMud: Sir Horsa tells Roland to kneel, and then then keeps telling him to get lower until his face is in the mud, and tells him that that's the stench of the common people and asks if that's what he wants to go back to.

* IWantThemAlive: Brude wants Drago kept alive so that he can use him, and, because Gareth's death would mean Drago's death, he needs Gareth alive too.

* MindControl: Brude intends to use this on Drago.

* RhymesOnADime: The spells. For instance: "By sun and moon, switching stance, two as one, Druid’s Dance!"

* DePower: Happens twice: [[spoiler:to Drago when Mehgan steals his Heartfire, and to both Mehgan and Edric at the end of the film.]]

* SeriesContinuityError: Assuming that the Draco in the mural is the one in the original Dragonheart movie, he shouldn't have his name yet, since it was Bowen who gave it to him.

* ABoyAndHisX: In this case, a grown man and his dragon.