As an Alternate History, Alternate Universe fanfic of How to Train Your Dragon, A Thing of Vikings features a wide and diverse cast, combining the canonical cast from the first HTTYD film, characters taken from other elements of the HTTYD franchise, other media properties, Real Life historical people from the 1040s AD, and original characters, all of them thrown together and allowed to develop.
Note that Book I (chapters 1-31) Spoilers are Unmarked! The character list is organized according to allegiance as of Book II (chapters 32-68).
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Hooligan Tribe
As a whole:
- The Clan: There were five major clans on Berk at the start of the story, being Haddock, Hofferson, Jorgenson, Thorston and Ingerman. After Harthacnut was deposed, four new clans are formed, one of which is Joms. Berk later gains a lot more clans by annexing their allied Bog Burglar and Meathead tribes and even more when the Jorgenson clan splits after being unable to choose a new heir after Spitelout's death.
- Everyone Is Bi: Downplayed. Concubinage is accepted in Viking society, and there are several instances of polygamous marriages featuring same-sex partners. Astrid's great-grandfather, the Hofferson clan-head, has one wife and two concubines (although everyone refers to them as his three wives), and it is explicitly stated at one point that all three of the women have been intimate with each other over the course of their very long marriage, with the two concubines sleeping together most nights.
- Exotic Extended Marriage: Berk and the future North Sea Empire allows polyamory. One epigraph notes that the record for the largest legally wed group is nine.
- Fantastic Naming Convention: The Hooligan Tribe have a unique tradition of giving their children absurd or otherwise unconventional names out of a belief this protects them from real or imagined dangers.
- Horny Vikings: Berk in all its horned helm glory. Except they no longer raid, no longer practice the jarl-carl-thrall system, and there's quite a bit of Scots/Irish/Anglo blood in the mix as well. Most other Scandinavians have dropped Thor's hammer for Christ's cross, but not the Berkians. They're dragon horns, by the way. Some (mainly in the Jorgenson clan) want to use their new dragons to conduct raids. Under Stoick and Hiccup's more even-handed leadership, they start to shift away from this as the story goes on. Their horned helmets are a holdover from the Dragon War, when they would put dragon horns on their helmets both for intimidation and to keep dragons from easily biting their heads off.
- I Am X, Son of Y: Due to naming conventions in the era, patronymics are fairly typical. Formal Hooligan names have a personal name, patronymic, and clan (and position), with Hiccup's full formal name being Hiccup 'Horrendous' Stoicksson clanheir Haddock of the Hooligans.
- Outcast Refuge: Berk has hated slavery for generations, giving freedom to any thrall who managed to make it to their territory. Before the end of the Dragon War they would sometimes go on raids to "steal" thralls and free them, inducting them into the tribe if they wished, and a large percentage of them have thrall ancestry. They extend their emancipation policy to all their territories, and thralls from all over Eire start fleeing to the cities under Berk's control. They also declare that Jews have an open invitation to settle in their lands, in recognition of their oppressed status in much of Europe, and because generations ago a Jew helped the Hooligan Tribe by teaching them all to read and write.
- Rite-of-Passage Name Change: It is common for members of the Hooligan Tribe to change their names once they reach adulthood, since parents would often give their children horrible names for superstitious reasons. The notable example given here being Snotlout Spiteloutsson clan Jorgenson taking the name "Sigurd Trondsson" after leaving to join the Varangian Guard. He also officially changes it when he becomes a Christian.
- Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: The Hooligans, due to having outlawed thralldom over a century earlier, and with nearly everyone in the tribe being either a freed slave or descended from freed slaves, have a particular dislike of the institution of chattel slavery, to the point that 'Sigurd' immediately orders that all slaves in his new territories be freed once he learns of their existence despite the potential challenges this will present to running his territories. Implied to be a major part of why the Berkians were willing to take in the dragons at the end of HTTYD 1, as being freed slaves of the Green Death allowed Berks to understand and bond with the dragons on an emphathetic level.
- Sons of Slaves: The Hooligan tribe are a largely made up either of former thralls or the descendants of former thralls, Stoick's mother (Hiccup's paternal grandmother) being one example. Constant dragon attacks caused one of the previous chiefs to declare that any thrall willing to pick up a weapon and defend the tribe against dragon attacks win their freedom, eventually leading to the tribe itself adopting a cultural hatred of thralldom as a practice, an especially unusual opinion to have given the area and time period. Any thrall that finds themselves on Berk (or any Berk vassal-cities like Vedrarfjord) are instantly given freedom and bed-rights according to their laws.
- Tangled Family Tree: Being a small tribe of only a few hundred people, most of the Hooligans are related by blood, adoption, or marriage to each other, and the (incomplete) family tree on the wiki
◊ is extremely tangled. See also the epigraph for Chapter 122, which mentions the complications involving same-sex and polyamorous relationships. - Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: The Hooligan Tribe's tradition of giving their kids silly names tends to give outsiders pause. The most notable example is that more than one person is stunned or at least surprised that the Hero that tamed dragons is named Hiccup. One of Mac Bethad's spies even mourns the fact that Hiccup is the third person of his line with that name. The main exceptions are the Hoffersons, who feel themselves too skilled to need such protections. It's also noted that the practice has been waning for a while.
Clan Haddock
Hiccup Stoicksson
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: The Brain in the trio he forms with Astrid and Wulfhild as the future rulers of Berk. He's a prodigy, polymath and inventor capable of building technological marvels and innovations that revolutionize Berk and change the face of industry, trade, communication, and warfare.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Kind, decent, friendly, and a pacifist who wants to help people and build things useful in society. Threaten his home with annihilation, though, and our war fleet will be running literally screaming in fear by morning, albeit significantly reduced in size.
- Control Freak: For a brief period, after learning about Snotlout's actions in Rome, Hiccup tries to basically micromanage subsequent dragon training efforts to prevent anyone 'inappropriate' getting access to dragons, until Astrid and Wulfhild make him see that this gives the impression that he doesn't trust others.
- Expecting Someone Taller: Everyone who has heard of the Hero of Berk expected someone who looked like a stereotypical viking. Reactions to actually meeting Hiccup range from mild surprise to complete bewilderment.
- Famed In-Story: Hiccup has a saga, The Hero of Berk. He finds it humiliating. Berk also became renowned, due to their wealth and military might from their dragons, to the point that various powers are trying to either emulate them, ally with them, or destroy them.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Hiccup creates various inventions essentially ahead of their time compared to when they were developed in real history; epigraphs note that the only reason he didn't invent the internal combustion engine centuries ahead of schedule is because he didn't have a need for it.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Hiccup in spades. He still hasn't gotten used to the transition from being an awkward skinny viking who wouldn't kill a dragon to being the Hero of Berk. He is embarrassed when, in Chapter 2, he is called upon to hear and approve a saga written about him. In Chapter 51 he even tells his father he feels like a fake hero.
- Marry for Love: Faced with all kinds of potentially politically advantageous marriages, Hiccup instead goes to great lengths to be allowed to marry Astrid, who he already loves, only accepting an initially-political arrangement with Wulfhild because he and Astrid already liked her as a friend.
- Martial Pacifist: Berk in general and Hiccup in particular. He will always seek a peaceful resolution when dealing with other kingdoms, but if left with no other choice he can and will decimate opposing armies with efficiency, and will take no pleasure in the victory.Hiccup(to King Donnchadh mac Brian): If you change your mind, send a herald to Vedrarfjord. They will be treated with all courtesy and hospitality. I want peace. If you come with an army, I will smash it. If you come with an open hand, I will shake it. Am I clear?
- Messianic Archetype: It is addressed multiple times that Hiccup's altruistic nature is very Christ-like, with various Christians claiming that he acts more like a Christian in-spite of being a pagan than most other Christians, Heather at one point humoring the idea that he might be the Second Coming.
- One-Man Industrial Revolution: While Hiccup canonically doesn't invent steam power, he does create industrial tech that is literally centuries ahead of its time (sheet metal roller, drop press, etc). It is noted that part of the reason for this is that compared to other geniuses of the time or before him, Hiccup as the heir to a rapidly emerging power did not need to seek funding to build his inventions or spend time just trying to earn enough money to feed himself. Lampshaded by one of the epigraphs, where it's stated that many modern students of history lament the fact that Hiccup "just missed" inventing the steam engine, seeing as how he had all the necessary components at hand. However, as the epigraph counters, he lacked the need for such inventions, since many of the things steam power could accomplish, dragon power could do just as well for the needs at the time.
- One True Threesome: With Astrid and Wulfhild. Despite a rocky start to Wulfhild's inclusion for political reasons, they eventually stabilize into a loving polyamorous triad.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: Hiccup is one of the greatest smiths of the era and of all time, being capable of such feats as making a prosthetic tail-fin for Toothless and forging a flaming sword.Stoick: One of these days, a bunch of dwarves are going to tunnel up into the Broodery down there and say that they need help reforging Gleipnir, and ask if they can borrow Hiccup.
- Universally Beloved Leader: Hiccup is almost universally beloved by his people even if they don't always agree with him and in the future, is so fondly remembered his name is almost synonymous with altruism.
- Warrior Prince: Push comes to shove, Hiccup eventually develops into this role to defend his home and family, creating battle plans and weapons and of course, leading his tribe's warriors on dragon-back.
Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
- Action Girl: As per canon. She becomes more of a Lady of War once she starts commanding the Berkian military and strategizing.
- Adaptational Sexuality: While in the series she is shown to have a Single-Target Sexuality towards Hiccup, here it extends to Wulfhild when she joins them in their marital bed.
- Ambiguously Bi: She claims that she and Wulfhild do not have a sex-life outside of Hiccup, but it is implied that a majority of their sex-life after including Wulfhild involves him servicing them (and vice-versa) at the same time. It is later confirmed in Chapter 59 that Astrid sees Wulfhild as a romantic partner just as much as she does with Hiccup.I've fallen in love with both him and with his… our princess-concubine. And while I knew that such a thing was possible… I wasn't expecting myself to enjoy a woman's touch, you know?
- Armor-Piercing Question/Response: Astrid has a tendency to deliver these, to the extent that she describes herself as Hiccup's 'whetstone', allowing him to refine his ideas or get over the moments when he blames himself for some perceived failure.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: The Brawn in the trio she forms with Hiccup and Wulfhild as future rulers of Berk. Her battlefield talents and strategic mind allowing her to command Berk's armies, figure out new ways of using dragons militarily, and act as shield and sword for Berk.
- The Magnificent: An epigraph shows that Astrid will gain quite a few epithets including "The Skydancer," "Freyja's Chosen," and "Sif's Blade."
- One True Threesome: With Hiccup and Wulfhild. Despite a rocky start to Wulfhild's inclusion for political reasons, they eventually stabilize into a loving polyamorous triad.
Wulfhild Olafsdóttir clan Haddock
Protagonist; Princess of Norway, half-sister of Magnus, concubine of Hiccup, High Almoner of Berk. DOB 1020.- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Fills out this trio with Hiccup and Astrid as the Beauty, having far more political knowledge and diplomatic talent than either of the other two. She also proves to be a skilled treasurer and administrator, able to keep the ever-expanding empire of Berk running behind-the-scenes to allow the other two to focus on what they do best. And she often serves as The Heart as the most socially adept of the three.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Downplayed, she got a cut on her cheek and while the resulting scar isn't disfiguring many nobles think that it has tarnished her beauty, with one flat out calling her "damaged goods" to her face.
- Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: Word of God has compared Wulfhild to Julia Stiles in her look from The Bourne Identity, albeit shorter and with longer hair.
- Easily Forgiven: After they're told how Wulfhild was coerced into making wedding vows to Hiccup after he married Astrid, Hiccup and Astrid forgive Wulfhild, although it's implied that it was a good thing Wulfhild was out of the room when they were told, as Astrid apparently nearly attacked Magnus.
- Fallen Princess: Wulfhild had to flee in exile when she was nine years old, she and her brother living off of the begrudging hospitality of their distant relatives before the both of them were used as pawns for their uncle, her life reduced to a political game-piece with no agency of her own before coming to Berk.
- One True Threesome: With Hiccup and Astrid. Despite a rocky start to Wulfhild's inclusion for political reasons, they eventually stabilize into a loving polyamorous triad.
- Token Adult: She is 21 when she becomes Hiccup's concubine (Hiccup and Astrid being 16 and 15 at the time respectively). That being said, the line between "child" and "adult" was much earlier back then so it is more of a downplayed example.
Gothi Hiccupsdóttir
Hooligan tribe's priestess, Stoick's aunt; bonded to a pack of Terrible Terrors, DOB ~960.- Dirty Old Woman: When Mwenda mentions to Gothi and Nanna that he's still learning the Norse tongue, she writes on her tablet, "Tell him that if I was fifty years younger I’d be teaching him a different tongue." Nanna refuses to translate it.
- Her Name Really Is "Barkeep": Historically, Gothi was a religious title in old Norse society. Here, it appears to be her actual name, or at least the only one she's known by.
- Related in the Adaptation: Gothi has no known family in canon. Here she is Stoick's aunt and Hiccup's great aunt.
- Talking with Signs: Since she's mute, Gothi uses her staff to write in the dirt, or a tablet she carries around.
Mistletoe
Female Razorwhip, bonded to Wulfhild.- Interspecies Romance: Depending on how far dragons are different species, Mistletoe has eggs with Toothless.
Stoick Hamishsson
Chief of Berk, aka Stoick the Vast, father of Hiccup; DOB 995.- Adaptational Sexuality: In canon Stoick showed no signs of being anything other than straight, here he is demisexual.
- Big Good: As the King of Berk (though he insists on being called chief), he is the highest authority figure on the side of the protagonists.
- The Chains of Commanding: He takes his duty to his people as Chief incredibly seriously. It's one reason he insists on being a Chief over a King, since in his mind a Chief represents this ideal better.
- Dumbass Has a Point: While he may not be stupid, it's still unexpected when Stoick is the one who realises that dragons shed their scales a week or so before their eggs hatch so that they can use the scales as material for fireproof nests.
- Founder of the Kingdom: Stoick is seen as the founder of the Kingdom of Berk (since it became a kingdom under his leadership), and is sometimes called "The Lawgiver" due to presiding over the Citizenship Conclave, which created what is essentially the country's constitution.
- Insistent Terminology: No matter how large his new North Sea Empire gets, Stoick insists he is a chief, not a king.
- Large and in Charge: He’s 207 cmnote tall and he’s the chief of Berk.
- The Magnificent: The Vast, obviously. An epigraph reveals that Stoick gains the additional epithets "Odin's Spear-carrier," "the Wise," and "the Law-Giver."
- My God, What Have I Done?: Reflects that he had this moment when he learned the truth about the dragons, ashamed that he spent years taking pleasure in killing dragons who were little more than enthralled children who didn't have a choice in what they were doing.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Regardless of the standards of his time, the only rule Stoick insists on for any of his 'subjects' is that nobody is permitted to take or keep thralls. Aside from this, he expresses a willingness to let people practice their own religion and maintain their old traditions as they see fit, so long as they never attempt to force those views on others.
- Rule of Symbolism: After King Henry's surprise attack on him, Stoick reflects attributes of several Norse gods: he's missing a hand like Tyr, missing an eye like Odin, and slept for nine days while pierced with a spear.
- What's Up, King Dude?: Stoick resists being called king because to him, a king is unapproachable while a chief is. The original members of the Hooligan tribe are all used to being casual with him since it was a habit from before they tamed dragons, but not the new members, so Stoick is doing his best to invoke this trope with the new citizens by going with the census team and meeting as many people as he could.
Valka Zephyr Hiccupsdóttir
Hiccup and Astrid's firstborn daughter.- Altar Diplomacy: Before she was born, Stoick and Magnus made a deal that they would try to pair her up with one of Magnus' children to further solidify their alliance (not against their will, of course). According to Dragons of the North: Profiles Of The Viking Lords in Chapter 93, this plan succeeded, Zephyr and Olaf becoming the first empress and emperor of the North Sea Empire.
- Dead Guy Junior: She is named after her (at the time believed deceased) paternal grandmother.
- Debut Queue: She is born in Chapter 93.
- The Leader: Much like her father, she is a born leader, having been the leader of her own clique of friends before becoming the first empress of the North Sea Empire.
- Legend Fades to Myth: Much like her parents, a lot of folk tales and legends are based around her that are flat-out false. One example includes a "nigh-ubiquitous" story where she and her cohorts performed a dragon race down the length of the Ongtupqa Canyon (known in our history as the Grand Canyon).
- Like Parent, Like Child: Much like her parents, she earned a laundry list of accomplishments early in her life hinting that she would be destined for greatness, her stories eventually embellished to the point where fact and fiction become indistinguishable.
Asta Rhonda Hiccupsdóttir
Hiccup and Wulfhild's firstborn daughter.- Dead Guy Junior: Named after her maternal grandmother. Who isn't actually dead, but nobody knew that at the time.
- Debut Queue: She is born in Chapter 94.
- Omnidisciplinary Scientist: As an adult, Asta will be one of the first graduates of Waterford University, with her interests including biology, anatomy, botany, mathematics, geology, paleontology, and cartography.
Stormfly
Female Deadly Nadder, blue coloration, bonded to Astrid.- Interspecies Romance: Depending on how far dragons are different species, Stormfly has eggs with Toothless.
- Humanity Is Infectious: After over two years with humans, Stormfly has developed an interest in ornamentism, having carving on her horns in a similar manner to human tattoos.
Toothless
Male Night Fury, bonded to Hiccup.- The Dreaded: Toothless develops such a devastating reputation that whole armies have been known to panic when they hear his screech.
- Handicapped Badass: Despite having lost one of his tail-fins, Toothless remains a dangerous dragon to oppose in a fight.
- Ignorant of Their Own Ignorance: A semi-humourous example, as Chapter 81 sees Toothless express a lack of understanding about how 'walkers' reproduce, to the extent that he is concerned that Astrid and Wulfhild haven't 'laid their eggs' yet.
- Interspecies Romance: Depending on how far dragons are different species, Toothless apparently has eggs with Stormfly and Mistletoe.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: While Hiccup is able to devise an artificial fin that allows Toothless to fly on his own for mating with other dragons, it can only give Toothless a degree of independent flight, as the fin is restricted to copying the other tail-fin and thus limits the maneuvers Toothless can perform on his own.
Clan Hofferson
Gunvor Dugaldsdóttir
Astrid’s mother, miller. Later becomes Chieftess of Vedrarfjord. Her dragon is Sunflower, a yellow female Deadly Nadder.- Named by the Adaptation: Astrid's parents were unnamed in the films and show.
Hákon Mortensson
Astrid’s father, miller. Later becomes Chief of Vedrarfjord. His dragon is Cloudfox, a bright pink male Deadly Nadder.- Benevolent Boss: Proves to be a very fair and just ruler of Vedrafjord even if it takes a while to adjust to his new office.
- Named by the Adaptation: Astrid's parents were unnamed in the films and show.
- Real Men Wear Pink: He looks like a fierce Viking warrior who rides on the back of a bright pink dragon. Given this is long before the colour became associated with femininity nobody remarks on it.
- You Are in Command Now: When Stoick and Hiccup need someone to become the new leader of the recently annexed Vedrafjord, it falls on Hiccup's new father-in-law to lead as one of the few people they can trust the job to. He and his wife - Gunvor - take to dutifully carrying out the role.
Rikard Ruadhsson
Clan head, Astrid’s great-grandfather. Brother of Mildew.- Control Freak: Has a controlling streak as a result of the fire that nearly killed him and wiped out the rest of his clan, and while he may not be as obstinate about it as Clodgall, he does tend to meddle in the affairs of clanmembers.
- Cool Old Guy: He's an ancient old man who uses a cane to help him walk. The cane doubles as a weapon as shown when he uses it to defend Eret from a beating.
- Every Scar Has a Story: He has a horrible burn on one of his arms from the fire that killed most of Clan Hofferson decades ago and that Mildew started.
Clan Ingerman
Fishlegs Hensteethsson
- The Berserker: Especially when Heather or someone else he loves is in danger.
- Genius Bruiser: Not only is Fishlegs an expert at languages and science, he's also a berserker with serious muscles.
- Morality Chain: Heather basically asks Fishlegs to be this for her when she realises that she needs more than just herself in her role as Berk's spymaster, wanting to ensure that she doesn't end up like Alvin.
- Omniglot: As a result of reading books from different languages, Fishlegs is fluent, or at least competent, in them. As such, he acts as a translator for others when the Hooligans need to travel to other countries.
- Rags to Riches: Fishlegs wasn't really poor per se, but he becomes one of the richest people in the tribe once he sets up a glass workshop.
- The Magnificent: At least one epigraph calls Fishlegs the Dragon Archivist.
Heather nic Oswald clan Ingerman
- Defecting for Love: It is revealed that Heather was sent by Alvin as a means of spying for him with the threat of her adoptive parents being tortured to death if she does not comply. By the time Fishlegs discovers this, they had long since fallen in love with one another. After beating him nearly half-to-death in a panic, she promptly turns herself in after getting him medical attention.
- Fallen Princess: Heather was originally the daughter of an infamously bloodthirsty Viking Chief before she was given to an ally as their ward at only six years old. When she was ten, her birth father died and then she was eventually sold into slavery when her village was raided. And that was before Aldalwin had her trained to be a Sex Slave and spy.
- Femme Fatale Spy: Technically Heather and others have the potential to use their feminine wiles to manipulate men after their training, but they are 'hindered' by their own morality even before they find a way out from Alvin's control.
- Honey Trap: Alvin originally sent her to Berk to seduce Fishlegs and steal information on dragons.
- The Spymaster: Stoick promotes her to this once he trusts her. She is reluctant but admits there is nobody else on Berk with the skills or training to stop other spies.
- Teen Superspy: She'd likely be in over her head in Rome or Constantinople, but by British/Scandinavian standards she is a credible spymaster before she is twenty.
- Training from Hell: YES. Amplified of course by the need of Alvin to keep her physically healthy, which meant her parents paid for any shortcomings.
Bladewit Drorsdóttir
Fishlegs’ great-aunt, Ingerman clanhead, scribe.- Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: Has been compared by Word of God to Judi Dench.
- Jerkass Has a Point: As the author notes, while Clodgall and Bladewit might be going about it in the most ass way possible, their desire to keep dragon ownership limited to the Berkian clans does stem from reasonable concerns; chief among them being that said dragons could be abused, or turned against Berk.
- Honest Advisor: Constant pain in Stoick's ass, senior jurist, head of the Ingerman clan... and with enough honesty and integrity that she will deliver a legal decision that she hates on a deeply personal level, because that is the law.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Like Stoick, she was ashamed to learn that the dragons she's taken pleasure in killing over the years were basically thralls with no choice in the matter.
- Not So Stoic: Normally acerbic and no-nonsense, the 70-something Bladewit is reduced to openly sobbing when she meets Rabbi Dovid and learns more about her long-deceased father.
Fishwings Hensteethsdóttir
Fishlegs’ older sister, scribe and dyer. Bonded to Inkpot, a dark gray male Deadly Nadder.- Abortion Fallout Drama: Has some but only years after the event. She went many years not worrying about using Nadder venom to avoid her unwanted teenage pregnancy, but when her friend Lopsides - who kept her baby despite being the same age - guilt-trips her for "killing her child" it sits with Fishwings for a while. Viggo quite logically points out that had she gone through with it she'd have been just as shunned and shamed for it all her life as Lopsides was and that she certainly wouldn't be the successful, far-travelled dragon-rider she grew up to be.
- Dating Catwoman: Fishwings ends up in a relationship with Viggo. Unknown to her, he is a former dragon hunter and is scheming to use Berk's rise to power to fuel his own agenda. To Viggo's credit, he does have genuine affection for Fishwings, but not enough to jeopardise his chance to make a mark on history.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Casually mentions to Hiccup that she's been saving shipwrecked sailors on her Dragon Mail route along Spain's Coast of Death whenever she spots them.
Fishswill Horsechipsson
Politically savvy member of clan Ingerman.- Jerkass Has a Point: While he might be a bit smug and superior about it, he isn't wrong when he points out Stoick has obtained large amounts of power, and while Stoick and Hiccup might not to abuse that power, there is no guarantee their descendants will do the same. The majority of Fishswill's political manipulations seem to mainly be trying to place checks and balances on the future rulers of their fledgling Empire.
- Villainy-Free Villain: Fishswill holds many of Berk's core values - liberty, diversity, and betterment for the entire community - however, he also makes it clear that he will put what is best for himself and his first. Even Word of God says he's not meant as an antagonist per se, more a "Loyal Opposition." He has good points by design, but his perspective is in opposition, to at least some degree, to the characters we have the most sympathy for by dint of the structure of the narrative.
Clan Jorgenson
Snotlout Spiteloutsson
(See the Roman Empire folder below for tropes related to his adopted identity as Sigurd Trondsson)Spitelout Clodgallsson
Marshal of Berk, husband of Serena. Father of Snotlout, Snitwit, and Snotpout. Clan-Heir to Clan Jorgenson.- Abusive Parents: Similar to his TV-counterpart, he relentlessly bullies Snotlout and places high expectations on him. However, this story makes it clear that this is all part of The Chain of Harm, with Spitelout raising his son the same way his father Clodgall raised him.Spitelout: "I raised my son like you raised me and now he’s not talking to me anymore!"
- Bond Breaker: His death causes Clan Jorgenson to fall apart. For all of Spitelout's faults, he was a well-respected and competent leader who genuinely cared about his clan, and several of his clansmen were looking forward to the day he would succeed his tyrannical father. When he dies and the clan can't decide on a new heir, in part because they can't stand the idea of being under Clodgall's thumb for any longer, all it takes is one little push to split them apart into several smaller clans just so that they don't have deal with him.
- Calling the Old Man Out: In chapter 126, Spitelout gives his father Clodgall a piece of his mind for not only not reporting three of Mac Bethad's spies but also for talking with them about possibly replacing Hiccup with Snotlout as the tribe's heir.
- Death by Adaptation: Dies in chapter 143 after buying time for waveskimmers carrying Jewish refugees from France to friendly territory.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Dies holding the bridge from Henry the Sinister's army.
- Hope Spot: After the Battle of the Seine River it is revealed Spitelout was heavily injured and is now a comatose captive of the enemy army. It seems like he might live... only for him to pass from his injuries a few chapters later, mere moments before the Hooligans are victorious and liberate the camp he's being held in.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Slowly comes to the realization that Snotlout leaving the tribe to join the Varangians is largely caused by the way he treated him. Although it's not clear if Spitelout came to this realization himself or if it came about because of the blame his wife places on him for their son's departure.
- Parents as People: He's gradually revealed to be this. While he could be abusive to Snotlout, it's clear that Spitelout genuinely loves his son and only thought he was doing what was best to raise Snotlout. He shows genuine regret when it ends up driving Snotlout away. Notably, despite their relationship being strained, Snotlout is driven to tears over his father's death and regrets the fact that Spitelout died before they could reconcile.
- Vetinari Job Security: While he has his faults, he's the only option for clan heir to Clan Jorgenson as its most competent warrior and commander, in addition to being a Redeeming Replacement to his tyrannical father. After Spitelout dies, Clan Jorgenson finds they can't decide on a new heir at all. The next best option, Spitelout's son Snotlout, is in exile and in service to the Roman Empire, outright disqualifying him from taking the position, while everyone else is either ineligible or don't have enough support from the various factions of the clan to take it for themselves. Some even seriously discuss recommending Hiccup to be the new heir since his mother was a Jorgenson and descended from one of the old clanheads, even though he's already the heir to another clan and the first in line to Berk's throne — an ironic reverse to prior of the story, where people were angling to make Snotlout the heir to the Haddock clan through the same exact method. Eventually, they end up splitting the clan up instead of choosing someone outright to replace Spitelout.
- Rivals Team Up: After Snotlout leaves the tribe and Hiccup saves them from Harthacnut's fleet, Spitelout finally accepts that Hiccup is the only sensible choice as clan heir and officially buries the hatchet with Stoick and places his full support behind them.
Clodgall Oxwitsson
Clan head of the Jorgensons Gobber's older half-brother; the two of them had a falling out after Gobber lost his hand and used that to disqualify Gobber from ever being Clan head.- Control Freak: Rules his Clan like a petty tyrant rules over his fief. it got so bad that his petty tyranny is one of the main reasons the clan splits.
- 0% Approval Rating: He's despised by almost all of his clan and most of Berk for being a tyrannical jackass. Ultimately, after Spitelout dies and dashes Clan Jorgenson's last hope of having a decent leader again, the clan decides to split up into multiple smaller clans than vote for a new heir and have to deal with Clodgall any longer.
- Big Brother Bully: He's Gobber's older half-brother and ever since he was selected as clanhead of the Jorgensons he's done everything he can to keep Gobber under his thumb, disqualifying him as clan heir due to his disability and preventing Gobber and his male partner siring children of their own on a concubine.
- Jerkass Has a Point: As the author notes, while Clodgall and Bladewit might be going about it in the most ass way possible, their desire to keep dragon ownership limited to the Berkian clans does stem from reasonable concerns; chief among them being that said dragons could be abused, or turned against Berk.
Dogsbreath Rolfsson
Son of Rolf, big brother of Picknose. Bonded to Redsnout, a Male Nadder with red coloration on his snout.- Casanova Wannabe: Gives out unwarranted and unwise advice to all the young men on Berk on how to get ladies all while boasting of his sexual exploits. It's left him no friends among the women of Berk and left the men who took his advice - such as Snotlout - regretting it.
- Character Development: His struggles as he and Inga journey through Europe make him a much more kind and responsible person, who actually respects women.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Does eventually end up in a relationship with Inga, who is the daughter of the woman his father is in a legendary feud with. While they start of dating just to anger their parents, they develop a more genuine relationship after they're exiled.
- The Exile: Winds up becoming this after taking a prank too far, robbing his father, shaving his beard in his sleep and running away with Inga. This is played much more seriously after he is captured by Sir Henry in France and forced to kill on his orders, making the possibility of returning to Berk far less likely.
Fritjof Hrodwulfsson
Adopted thane immigrant. Bonded to Nott and Delling, a Male Hideous Zippleback of gold and blue coloration.- Brutal Honesty: Fritjof never holds back his opinion or criticism for Hiccup's way of doing things.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: After being injured and slowing the others down from escaping, he chooses to go out pulling a You Shall Not Pass! on the small pursuing army being funnelled into a small Cornish valley. He has his equally wounded Zippleback fill the valley with Zippleback Gas and then, once he's overwhelmed in the melee, ignites it in a glorious explosion. Harthacnut is livid to learn they lost a hundred men to kill just one dragon-rider and his dragon.
- Go Out with a Smile: When Hiccup and his group find Fritjob's body, he has a smile on his face.
- Heroic Sacrifice: To save Hiccup and the rest from their pursuers, he and his dragon turn back and managed to take one hundred horsemen and their horses with them. It's widely believed that this is such a Dying Moment of Awesome, that Odin and Freyja are likely competing over who gets to claim his service as an Einherjar.
- Jerkass Has a Point: He is extremely critical of Hiccup's habit of showing mercy to his enemies as it allows them to live to plot against them in the future and come back more prepared the second time around.Fritjof: "Boy, I hurt people and kill them as a profession. Your tenderheartedness is an insult to what I do. I followed your lead because I was oathsworn, but I just saw a man with more charity than brains leave a live enemy at his back. Great gesture. Appalling tactics. And if you think that more won't die because of it, you're a fool."
- Never Be Hurt Again: He proves to be especially unforgiving towards perceived traitors. It's notable that he's the only person in the room during Heather's interrogation who doesn't believe their story or have any pity for them. It's then later revealed his reason for acting like this is because he used to be a sea raider alongside Alvin the Treacherous and after losing his friends and taking a literal knife to his back because of him has been a bit paranoid about treacherous people ever since.
- No Hero to His Valet: Hiccup is worshipped and praised by almost the entire tribe, but Fritjof only holds criticism for every choice he makes and disdain for his flaws and weakness. When Fritjof dies, Hiccup realises part of the reason he'll miss Fritjof so much, despite hating each other, was because the old man was one of the few who still treated him like a person, not a Hero.
- Obi-Wan Moment: Fritjof's last moments. He turns back to slow down the approaching Anglo army, smiling, with his last words being that he and his dragon have a date with a Valkyrie.
- Sour Supporter: Due to his honor and oaths he supports Stoick and Hiccup loyally, but he constantly voices his disagreement with their merciful ways and criticizes Hiccup's kindheartedness in particular.
Gobber Oxwitsson
a.k.a. Gobber the Belch, head smith of Berk, DOB 990.- Related in the Adaptation: In this story Gobber is part of Clan Jorgenson. He is the younger half-brother of Clodgall making him Spitelout's uncle. It is also stated he's the uncle to one of Valka Haddock's parents meaning he's related to Hiccup.
Picknose Rolfsson
Dogsbreath's younger brother. DOB 1031.- Flirty Stepsiblings: He's actually already the lover of both Signy and Mairwen before their mother rekindles her relationship with his father. This causes a lot of awkwardness for the family later when they - and the rest of the tribe - figure out what the step-siblings are doing in secret.
- Mauve Shirt: Starts off as a fairly nondescript child in Clan Jorgenson. Around the start of Book 4 he gets promoted to a POV character.
- Snooping Little Kid: Picknose runs messages and news all over Berk, which - as Mairwen points out to him - makes him bizarrely well informed about the goings-on around Berk, often being aware of threats or problems long before any of the other characters are. On top of this he's friends with Signy and Mairwen - a pair of Bog Burglar sisters - who often involve him in their sneaking around, spying, and pranking.
Serena Hamishsdóttir
Wife of Spitelout Jorgenson, sister of Stoick Haddock, mother of Snotlout, Snitwit, and Snotpout. DOB 1003.- Good Parents: She's kind and loving, but also disciplines her children fairly when they mess up.
- Start My Own: After Clodgall forbids her from going to the Roman Empire to be with her son, she starts her own clan, which sets off a wave of Jorgensons doing the same thing.
Clan Thorston
Ruffnut Thicknutsdóttir Fairhair
Protagonist; daughter of Thicknut, wife of Magnus, DOB Aug 1025.- See Norway
Tuffnut Thicknutsson
Protagonist; son of Thicknut, DOB Aug 1025.- See Norway
Independents
Mildew
Ostracized hermit, DOB 972- Adaptational Badass: In the show, Mildew was nothing if not a coward when facing off against the Scauldron, implying that (at least in his golden years) Mildew was not accustomed to confronting dragons himself. Here, it is mentioned that the only reason why he was not banished entirely was the fact that in his prime he was one of Berk's best dragon-killers (although it is implied that he cheated and used poison, a belief that is eventually confirmed in Chapter 76 when Fishlegs and Heather find his supplier).
- A Taste of the Lash: Mildew's cruelty as a jarl under King Mac Bethad isn't limited to keeping dragons chained up; people in his village routinely receive excessive punishments for minor misdeeds; one fisherman was whipped to death for telling other fishermen from other villages about the dragons that Mildew was training for Mac Bethad.
- Dead Man's Switch: Mildew warns Mac Bethad that if the latter kills the former, letters will be dispatched to Stoick explaining everything they did. It took over a year, but Mac Bethad's people managed to locate those letters, destroy them, and kill the people who had possession of those letters. Except they missed one. Mildew told Peader and presumably most of the others that he'll send them letters every four months. Taskill managed to trace these to Peader and the other possessors of the incrimating letters. However, he told Fraser that he'll contact him yearly. Without a letter to Fraser to trace, he escaped the fate of Mildew's other contacts. The incriminating letter Mildew gave him is still intact. Overall the plan is decent but nearly fails because no one actually likes Mildew all that much. The remaining letter winds up gathering dust in a tavern keeper's papers while he decides what to do about it... until it is seized by Berk as part of entirely unrelated fraud charges. It reaches Stoic and alerts him to Mac Bethad's treachery merely hours after Hiccup's retinue leave to talk to Mac Bethad about his spies.
- Death by Adaptation: In canon, Mildew's fate was left unconfirmed after Berk made peace with the Outcasts; here he is killed when Toothless's sister Fearless sacrifices herself to kill her former nest-lord.
- Death by Irony: Mildew murdered almost his entire family by setting a fire. He meets his own death in a similar way by getting killed by a volcanic eruption.
- Evil Old Folks: He's the oldest living member of the Hooligans that we see, even older than Gothi, and is a cruel, bitter old man.
- Insufferable Genius: It is mentioned in one of the Epigraphs that the reason Mildew was not outright banished from the tribe was that he'd been one of Berk's most prolific and skilled dragonslayers in his prime. Even then, however, he'd been banished from his original clan (Hoffersons) sixty-five years earlier, and was a pariah instead of an elite due to his appalling personality.
- The Magnificent: Mildew becomes known as "Mildew the Vicious".
- Manipulative Bastard: He's able to to play Taskill and Mac Bethad like a lyra, telling them exactly what they expect to hear — lies and character assassination of Stoick and the Hooligans.
- Pragmatic Villainy: It is noted that Mildew was a variation of this, in the sense that he was only loyal to whoever could offer him safety; Mac Bethad notes that if Hiccup had captured Mildew in Iceland, he would have immediately told them the identity of his patron to save his own neck.
- Related in the Adaptation: In canon, he has no known living relatives. Here, he is Astrid's great-grandfather's elder brother who was banished from the Hofferson clan because of his appalling personality.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Mildew dies without a weapon in his hand and while fleeing from a battlefield (in this case, an erupting volcano), disqualifying him from ever entering Valhalla. And his employer Mac Bethad, who he had defected to, was planning to off him anyway once he was no longer useful.
Alba
Mac Bethad mac Findlaich
The Red King, King of the Scots- Alas, Poor Villain: While Mac Bethad is a cunning, cutthroat and remorseless villain who causes much pain and suffering for his own personal gain and security, his eventual downfall seems almost assured and (much like another literary interpretation of the same historical figure) the harder he fights to prevent this seemingly inevitable fate the quicker it seems to come towards him. Word of God had this to say:athingofvikings: While I don't feel sorry for Macbeth, there is a part of him that feels like he's fending off a wild animal, and finding that the stick he's using to keep it at bay keeps getting bitten into smaller and smaller pieces...
- Death by Adaptation: He dies in 1043, fourteen years before his historical death date.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In Real Life he dies at the Battle of Lumphanan; here, he is killed in a duel with Astrid.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He is continually incapable of understanding that Berk won't attack his people, desperately preparing to defend himself against an invasion that will never come.
- Evil Virtues: Mac Bethad has no intention of divorcing or "removing" his own wife, openly voicing that he has that much in common with Stoick.
- Improperly Paranoid: He's the weakest of the main players in the British Isles, knows it, and takes unnecessarily drastic actions because of it. He keeps trying to destroy or at least weaken Berk, thinking they intend to invade his realm but they have no such ambitions. It costs him his life in 1043, fourteen years before his historical death date.
- Pet the Dog: He takes a genuine shine to his young ward Jacob, mainly due to how the former sheep herd is uncorrupted by the skulduggery and scheming that have been central to Mac Bethad's life for so long. However, he never loses sight of the fact he's hiding that Dagur slaughtered Jacob's village on his command.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Every action Mac Bethad takes to subvert and destroy Berk to prevent them from attacking him are the very actions that provoke them into attacking him and cost him his life in a fatal duel with Astrid.
- Pragmatic Villain: Although he regards Berk as a potential enemy, he rejects the suggestion of attacking Hiccup and a group of weakened Riders after the Battle of Iceland because there were too many dragons; regardless of their condition now, if even one dragon got away to warn Berk, Mac Bethad recognises that he'd never be able to resist the subsequent counterattack.
- Villainous Legacy: The epigraph for Chapter 119 mentions that the legacy Mac Bethad left behind is a negative one with his machinations surviving him. He may be dead, but he planted the seeds for future conflicts. By having Mildew enthrall dragons, Mac Bethad caused many Thengills to start banding together to attack humans while the epigraph mentions that the conflicts that led to the Norse Reformation was also partially his fault. He's also indirectly responsible for King Henry's attack on Stoick, since he sent plans for Hiccup's anti-dragon weapons to all the royals of Europe.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: King Mac Bethad and his court think that they're in a Game of Thrones-style grimdark setting of musical backstabbing and Disproportionate Retribution, not realizing that Hiccup and Berk are much more idealistic than that. To be fair though, they weren't previously wrong, and their beliefs and actions have served them well in helping them survive before. The issue is that with Hiccup and Berk entering the political landscape, the genre shifted and they haven't realised it.ATOV from the comment section: And on top of that, Macbeth has reasons to be paranoid. The Big Name in terms of Viking lords that Macbeth would be the most intimately familiar with? King Cnut. And to give just one example out of the many, many, many things that he did... In the 1020s, he's ruling from London, but he also controls Denmark, who are getting uncomfortable with an absentee king. So when Harthacnut is six years old, he appoints Harthacnut as his regent-king over Denmark. But a six-year-old is not really capable of being a king, right? So he turns to Ulf, his brother-in-law, the husband of his sister (Sweyn's father, btw), and says, "You can be his regent." So Ulf goes with his nephew to rule over Denmark and he fucks up. Olaf (Magnus and Wulf's father) and Anund Jacob (Olaf's brother-in-law) decide to raid Denmark while Cnut isn't looking, and Ulf uses the crisis to have the freemen of Denmark elect Harthacnut as King – without acknowledging Cnut's overlordship. So by appealing to the people anxious about Cnut being absent, he made a powerplay, because, as Regent, that would give him more power and authority. Cnut quickly found out, came to Denmark, demanded his son and brother-in-law's submission and got it. On Christmas Eve, he was playing King's Fist with Ulf, and then they started arguing with each other, and at Christmas morning mass, in the Church, Cnut had Ulf assassinated. And that is the pattern of behavior Macbeth knows of and expects from Norse kings.
Gruoch ingen Boite
Queen of Scots- Lady Macbeth: She is a fictional portrayal of the historical figure that inspired the original character and lives up to the role as she consistently pushes Mac Bethad to take the most ruthless and cutthroat actions. When Hiccup leaves their hospitality alive after his return from Iceland she is clearly disappointed her husband didn't take her advice to capture or kill him.
Lulach
Prince of Scots, son of Gruoch, stepson of Mac Bethad- "L" Is for "Dyslexia": He has great difficulty reading despite having access to an impressive education for the time period, heavily implying he is dyslexic.
- Puppet King: Willingly becomes this. By the time his stepfather has been killed and Alba conquered by Berk, any actual power Lulach inherits is greatly diminished and in-name only. And even then, the complex decisions he doesn't understand and the external pressure being placed on him by his mother to rule the way she thinks he should literally reduce the young man to tears. By the end he's happy to sign any and all documents put in front of him if it means he can live peacefully and not have to think about it too hard.
- Upper-Class Twit: He is a prince but completely ill-equipped to lead, being reluctant to learn things he finds difficult and not paying any attention to the incredibly important and potentially life-threatening politics happening all around him.
Taskill Thaddeusson
Mac Bethad’s spymaster- A Lighter Shade of Black: Views himself as this to Alvin the Treacherous. They were trained by the same man but Taskill justifies his crimes by believing he breaks the law for loyalty and integrity to his king, people, and kingdom, whilst Alvin and Delilah do it for purely selfish reasons.
- Connected All Along: At first seems to be just a loyal underling of Mac Bethad. However, after his king's death and his capture his private thoughts reveal he was once trained by Cnut's spymaster alongside Alvin and Delilah. He recalls how his fellow students had him seduced, betrayed, and disfigured, getting him expelled from his mentor's tutelage as a failure, and he entertains revenge now he no longer has a king to follow.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He is one of the most ruthless, cunning, and efficient spymasters in the setting but is constantly blindsided by the fact that his opponents aren't just as cutthroat as he is. He searches every altruistic action for an ulterior motive. And when he winds up a captive of Berk and should in all right be executed as a threat, he is left completely baffled as to why he's been kept alive and treated humanely, driving himself mad trying to find what the scheme is.
- Go Seduce My Archnemesis: Apparently a favored tactic of his to gain a spy close to powerful figures is setting up a Honey Trap. It takes a lot of convincing from his scouts to persuade him that trying that with Stoick or Hiccup is never going to work. He himself is half-surprised that when he ends up a captive of Berk that none of Heather or her fellow spies have tried seducing him yet given the sort of training they received from Alvin.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Being imprisoned on Berk causes him to realise Mildew manipulated and poisoned his opinion of Berk, causing him to take the extreme measures he did against them. He is genuinely distraught that his advice and actions led to the death of his friend Mac Bethad when if he'd been more cautious about Mildew confirming his bias against Vikings, then they might've instead made a powerful alliance. It really hits him when his stealing and spreading of Hiccup's old anti-dragon weapon plans results in Francia attacking Stoick, realising he may have doomed even more to war and death when it could've been easily avoided.
- Poisonous Captive: Heather assumes he must be this, and limits her contact with him, and especially keeps him away from her other spies, fearing he might turn them against each other.
- The Spymaster: Serves as this for Mac Bethad. An establishing moment for him is setting up Earl Siward for a crime he didn't commit by using his steward, then killing the steward so he won't have to pay him and there is nobody alive who can prove Siward's innocence when the Hooligans come seeking revenge. When compared to other spymasters in this story, it shows Taskill is far more sophisticated than Alvin or Delilah, and much more ruthless than Heather.
Dagur mac Oswald
Head of Clan Murchadh and an Alban Warlord. Also Heather's brother.- Armor-Piercing Question: Asks Toiréasa one in chapter 109 regarding her beliefs about Heather."You told me what Alvin did to you, and did to her. You told me how you were trained and tortured and used." He set his shoulders stubbornly. "And you know what I went through with Savage. If you think that I can be a decent man in a place like this, why is it so hard to believe that she could do the same with treatment like you went through? She was always better than I was."
- Death Seeker: He's not actively seeking to die, but does not mind knowing his sister wants to kill him, saying he deserves it and thinks death at the hands of his sister's agents would be quicker, cleaner, more dignified and more justified than what Savage would do to him given the chance. Although, played pretty straight during his duel with Hiccup. Since it's from Dagur's perspective we can see he acknowledges he's destroyed what little honor he had left, and during the fight is actively trying to overcome his training to grant Hiccup an opening to strike him down. His reasoning being that dying in battle here is likely the only way he can avoid damnation and maybe argue for a place in Valhalla.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Dagur outright says this when Hiccup tries to express sympathy for him over the abuse Dagur faced from Savage. His self-loathing is so strong he doesn't feel like he deserves pity.
- The Magnificent: Known as Dagur the Deranged.
- Patricide: Dagur the Deranged has admitted to killing his and Heather's father, Oswald the Agreeable. Doesn't remember doing it but he knows he must have because of the aftermath.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Dagur the Deranged shows boyish glee during his stay at Berk and becoming enraged once he finds out the games aren't bloodsports and are actually relatively bloodless, never mind his very short temper and laughing inappropriately at jokes that only he finds funny. Oh, and let's not forget he killed his father and gloated about it.
- Reluctant Psycho: It's eventually revealed that Dagur is very, very aware that there is something wrong with his brainnote and that he's a danger to everyone around him, and he absolutely hates it.
- Tiger by the Tail: Dagur is fully aware of what his fellow Berserkers are, but if he starts acting like Oswald the Agreeable instead of Oswald the Antagonistic, they'd all turn on him. After hearing that, Toireasa compares the Berserkers to stampeding cattle with Dagur running ahead of them. He's "leading" them, but if he stops or tries changing direction, he'd get run over and stomped on.
- Token Evil Teammate: Dagur and his clan are vassals of King Mac Bethad of Alba, and are specifically noted to work as the King's shock troops even though not even Mac Bethad likes them. Dagur continues this theme when he shows up; he is prone to violence and disrespect, and no doubt would have violated Sacred Hospitality multiple times within minutes of his ship making port if not for the tight leash Elinor kept him under. On top of that, it is public knowledge that he murdered his own father in cold-blood to take over as chief. The only reasons why nobody has retaliated for that crime being that he is loyal to Mac Bethad, and his tribe is loyal to him for his ruthlessness and violence.
Savage
Dagur's second in command, and if anything, even more violent.- Karmic Death: He meets his end at the hands of Jacob, whose village he slaughtered.
- The Killer Becomes the Killed: He gleefully murders people, and the more pain he inflicts, the better. Savage meets his end at the hands of Jacob, whose village he massacred.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: He absolutely lives up (or down) to his name.
- Sadist: Savage loves inflicting pain, like giving a father and son, both thralls, the Sadistic Choice of which one of them would be freed — whichever one killed the other. And then he kicks the "freed" one out into the woods in the middle of winter, and declares that as he's no longer Savage's property, he'll be hunted down for trespassing.
Rodhlaug nic Savage
Savage's daughter, set to be betrothed to Dagur.- Morton's Fork: How she blackmails the men she coerces into sex. If they refuse, she'll claim they raped her, in which case Savage kills them. If they say yes, at least there's the chance to live another day.
- Really Gets Around: She has at least half a dozen sexual partners, not all of whom know about each other.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Berk conquers Alba, Rodhlaug sees the writing on the wall and gets on the first ship headed south.
- Sex for Services: She pays her way for passage on a ship by "servicing" the crew.
- Teens Are Monsters: Rodhlaug takes a lot after her father Savage. She's a power-hungry serial rapist before she turned sixteen winters and a murderer soon after.
Jacob Rodericksson
A boy from Glenfinnan.- Foster Kid: After the Berserkers slaughter his village, Mac Bethad himself takes him as a ward.
- You Killed My Father: Jacob yearns for revenge against Dagur for killing not only his father, but most of his village.
Eire
Dubh Linn
Ímar mac Arailt
King of Dubh Linn.- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He seems to think that Hiccup wasn't really interested in peace if the below quote is anything to go by.Ímar: Since the Hero has already come sniffing around, looking for more vassals...
Mön
Echmarcach mac Ragnaill
King of Mön (Isle of Mann).- Death by Adaptation: He dies in 1042, either twenty two or twenty three years before his historical death date.note
Vedrarfjord
Adalwin ua Imair/Alvin
Former King of Vedrarfjord, aka Alvin the Treacherous.- Canon Character All Along: It’s revealed in chapter 27 that he's Alvin the Treacherous.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He's an unrepentant con-man who has caused indescribable amounts of pain but he truly cares about his equally evil partner-in-crime Delilah.
- Even Evil Has Standards: It is observed later on that while his training is brutal, he was always brutal to make a point, rather than indulging in torture for the sake of inflicting pain on others.
- I Have Your Wife: One of his favorite tactics to ensure his slave-spies remain loyal to him is to hold their family members hostage and torture them when the spy fails their missions. Even when the spies are miles away from him in a foreign court, the knowledge he has their loved ones and could do horrific things to them at any time is enough to keep them in line.
- Ironic Name: Both Adalwin and Alvin are names that mean "noble friend". Alvin is neither.
- Riches to Rags: Alvin and Delilah went from being petty royalty and ruling their own city with an extensive spy-network far beyond it, to being on the run and reduced to getting by on the goodwill of others, goodwill that lasts only as long as they're more useful alive than dead.
- Torture Technician: He is extremely proficient at physical, psychological, and emotional torture, and uses this talent in training his spies into being loyal to him out of paranoia and fear.
Ragnell ua Imair
Ship captain of Vedrarfjord, kinsman of the Ua Imair.- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He is killed by Adalwin/Alvin at some point after Chapter 13, and his corpse is discovered at the bottom of a well in Chapter 27.
Fintan mac Ionatan
Freeman from Eire; DOB 1016- Ascended Fanboy: Is a huge fan of Hiccup's and goes from marvelling at him from afar to joining him in liberating the Eirish thralls.
- Number Two: Eventually becomes this to Hákon Mortensson and Gunvor in running Vedrafjord, functionally becoming their personal assistant and having authority that is second to them.
- Rags to Riches: Fintan went from being a thrall who only had the clothes on his back to being Hakon's and Gunvor's aide and rich enough from his wages and investments that he could buy out an Eirish petty kingdom.
- Recruited from the Gutter: Fintan is the POV character for many of the Eirish freedmen, and his internal narration makes it clear that he's deeply loyal to the Haddock clan for providing him refuge from slavery, giving him a job, and generally improving everyone's quality of life.
- Undying Loyalty: To Hiccup, declaring as such when he hears the Hero of Berk speak in Vedrarfjord.
Pádraig mac Bran
A young Christian priest who offers his services to Hákon, and has big ideas on how to run the welfare system more effectively.- Good Shepherd: He's a priest who scrupulously follows Jesus's teachings about loving the poor and less fortunate. He even gave away the money Hákon paid him, just to see if Food Rights and Bed Rights alone were enough to live off of.
- Insufferable Genius: Pádraig is very competent at his job, but he's also blunt and abrasive, making him somewhat of The Friend Nobody Likes. Hákon and Gunvor keep him around because he's just that good.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Pádraig is abrasive and blunt, but truly cares about making sure everyone gets what they need.
- Subverted Trope: The author has described Pádraig as a "double counter-stereotype" — priests in fiction are usually either a humble Good Shepherd or a corrupt, arrogant Sinister Minister. Pádraig is truly a Good Shepherd who serves the poor, but he's anything but humble. His first appearance is literally telling Hákon "here's everything you're doing wrong and why you should listen to me tell you how to fix it".
Toiréasa
A young woman who was one of Alvin's spies trained alongside Heather.- In Love with the Mark: Toireasa is sent by Heather to infiltrate the Berserkers to find a way to kill Dagur. As the mission eventually spans into months and her target exposes his insecurities to her, she finds herself falling in love with him before she knew it.
- Morality Pet: To Dagur. She kickstarts the process of him becoming a better person and atoning for his crimes.
Ulaid
Eochaid mac Niall
Son of the king of Ulaid.- Stupid Evil: Eochaid sends a poisoner to Berk's Thawfest Festival after he and his men were kicked out for violating Sacred Hospitality. There was literally nothing he had to gain for it and yet he did it anyway out of spite. After Berk discovers he was the culprit, his own vassals turned on him for doing something so obviously stupid as to provoke Berk when the military power disparity was huge.
England
Harthacnut Cnutsson
King of England and Denmark, son of King Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy.- 0% Approval Rating: Most of Harthacnut's people hate him for his tyranny, and in the future is mostly remembered as a tyrant who deserved his death by the general populace.
- Backstab Backfire: Harthacnut is spared by Stoick after his defeat, and yet after the latter turns his back, the former tries one last attempt to kill him. All that results is in Alfric giving him a disgraceful death and the solidifying of his reputation of an honourless tyrant in history for his dishonourable conduct in his final moments.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In Real Life Harthacnut died from a stroke, here he dies from an arrow to the eye.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Sees no problem with ordering a city to be razed in retaliation for killing two of his tax collectors (which was done in real life to the city of Worcester in 1041), plotting an attack on Berk with the intent of killing the entire Hooligan tribe, and ordering a farm to be razed for daring to not give up a guest to him when he ordered it.
- Duel to the Death: Has one with Stoick when he invades London. Though Stoick isn't the one to kill him.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He assumes Hiccup has some ulterior motive for his altruistic actions. Best summed up by the author from the ao3 comment section:Aspasia: Relax, Harthacnut, he just wants to help.athingofvikings: Which is why Harthacnut can't comprehend it; he's so steeped in power and authoritarianism that he literally cannot grasp the idea of altruism for the sake of altruism. From his POV, it must have some diabolical purpose, because otherwise, why do it?
- ManChild: He shows signs of being this a few times. Best summed up by the author from the ao3 comment section:Harthacnut, for all of his brutality, was a 25 year old man who had never really had a chance to grow up or have emotional maturity, and had been taught brutality since the age of six when his father had his uncle killed on Christmas Day for attempting to usurp him (said uncle was Sweyn's father, btw). That's the sort of "family background that produced him" that the epigraph was talking about.
- The Oath-Breaker: It is well known that he is one of these.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Downplayed, he dies on 11 June, 1042, a mere 3 days after his historical death date.
- Undignified Death: He gets shot through the eye attempting to stab Stoick in the back.
- Villains Never Lie: Averted, he doesn't even try to tell Stoick that he had nothing to do with the ambush on Hiccup because he knows that he won't be believed.What could he tell Stoick? That the ambush was the fault of his earl and not him, because his own ambush hadn't been ready yet? He snorted. Yes, as if that would have a prayer of working.
Godwin
Earl of Wessex- And Now for Someone Completely Different: Becomes a POV character for the Battle of the Sound of Berk to show off the Anglo's perspective and illustrate from the losing side just how hopelessly outmatched they are.
- Oh, Crap!: His response during the entirety of the Battle of the Sound of Berk, during which he can do little but watch in horror as the fleet he's in is absolutely decimated by Hiccup's battle strategy.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With King Harthacnut. In the lead up to the Battle of the Sound of Berk, Godwin acknowledges that the only reason he's in Harthacnut's army is because if his rival were to obtain victory in the battle alone then he'd become too powerful.
- Villain Respect: He's present in the Great Hall as a captive when Hiccup proposes to Astrid. When he hears that Hiccup is giving over the entirety of Harthacnut's ransom as a bride price to Astrid's family (literally giving up a king's ransom to prove his love), Godwin actually joins in the applauding.
Francia
In General
- Balkanize Me: King Henry's act of attacking King Stoick proves to be the last straw for his kingdom after decades of instability, which resulted in Normandy and Brittany breaking away to join Berk while Aquitania and Tolosa declared independence from Henry's kingdom.
Paris
Henry of the Capets
King of Francia.- The Alleged Boss: One of King Henry's major grievances is that though he is officially King of Francia, his actual ability to exert influence over his nominal vassals is almost non-existent. As a result, he reacts poorly to how little consideration Hiccup and Stoick give him, which Henry interprets as an implicit snub highlighting his lack of power. This insecurity is one of the key factors that drives King Henry into committing the catastrophic mistake of ambushing King Stoick on the assumption Stoick would run roughshod over him when in fact he was going to offer generous terms that would have alleviated some of his issues. Instead, as a result of his ambush, several duchies and one county officially break away from him, so he no longer even has the pretence of being in charge, irreversibly destroying his kingdom.
- Dramatic Irony: Henry assumes that Berk is a nation of viking warmongers using any pretence they could to justify their conquest of others, and while he does have historical precedent to justify his beliefs, readers know he is completely off-base.
- His Own Worst Enemy: His worst problems during the story are self-inflicted. Due to a combination of excessive paranoia, greed, ambition, stupidity, and especially insecurity regarding how weak he actually is compared to other aristocrats including his own vassals, he launches an ambush on Stoick in ignorance of the fact he came in genuine peace and was planning to give a generous peace offering that, if not solving his problems, at least would have helped him a lot. Instead, as a direct result of the ambush, his kingdom irreversibly splinters with several of his vassals breaking from him while his own reputation is forever tarnished by the ambush he perpetrated.
- Laser-Guided Karma: King Henry's act of attacking King Stoick when the latter came in peace results in an huge backlash against the former. Normandy and Brittany secede and join Berk while Aquitania and Tolosa declare independence. His remaining territory isn't much better as his remaining subjects, if not praying for mercy from Berk, are either rioting or leaving him in droves.
- Oblivious to His Own Description: When King Henry plans his ambush on King Stoick of Berk using materials and designs from Berk, Henry describes it as evil sowing the seeds of their own destruction. However, that description better fits King Henry since his own actions led to his own destruction.
- Oh, Crap!: He is horrified when he sees the generous treaty Berk was initially planning to offer him after he ordered the attack on them, because he realises that proves that he attacked people coming in peace and Berk has previously shown that is a catastrophic mistake.
Normandy
William of Normandy
Duke of Normandy, DOB 1028.- Adopted into Royalty: Stoick adopts Willaim as a son, making him Hiccup's younger brother and technically making him a prince.
- Embarrassing Nickname: William the Bastard is not a dignified name. This William hates the insulting nickname just as much as his historical inspiration did in real life.
- Going Native: By chapter 118, he identifies himself as a Hooligan after spending months in Berk.
- Happily Adopted: William is ecstatic on becoming an actual son of Chief Stoick, who he looks up to as a king and adores as a father figure along with Hiccup becoming more brotherly to him.
- Like a Fish Takes to Water: William was sent to Berk for his own protection to protect him from his countrymen's in-fighting but quickly grows to like being treated like the child he actually is and receiving the support and guidance from the Haddocks.
- Mundane Luxury: William deeply relishes that in Berk he's treated like the young kid he actually is and doesn't have to constantly watch his back. That he's allowed to get help and guidance instead of having to question their motives.
- Trauma Button: William reacts poorly to Orvi having pre-marital sex due to the possibility of bastard-born children, which he himself is one of and grew up with all the associated insults.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Played with. While mostly everyone who knows the basics of English history knows the real-world William grew up to be an oppressive and ruthless conqueror, this story puts forth the question of what someone like that might've been if they'd been transplanted into a loving home with a supportive family instead of staying in the environment the real William was brought up in.
Viggo Grimborn
A former dragon hunter originating from Rouen hired by the Catholic Church to scout out the pagan dragon-riders.- Adaptational Sexuality: In canon there's no indication what Viggo’s sexual orientation was, here he is demisexual.
- Inconvenient Attraction: Viggo only feels attraction to those he considers to be his intellectual peers or superiors and therefore hasn't had many relationships. Those he has had have all ended badly and it's implied lethally. This causes issues when he gets friendly with Fishwings, who proves to possess a quick wit and proves to be his match at playing shatranj. While initially he merely intended to make her his unknowing contact amongst the Hooligan tribe, he surprises himself by realizing on their trip to Rome that he actually wants to alter his plans to make a place for her to fit into them.He wanted her too. As a friend... and as a lover. Well. That made life complicated.
- Opportunistic Bastard: Viggo doesn't have a set plan on who he wants to side with or how he intends to proceed. Instead he meets as many key players as he can to map out the full board in his head and tries to figure out how to play everyone against each other so he'll come out on top.
- Playing Both Sides: While he starts off in the employ of the Church, he clearly has no loyalty to them and takes to investigating the dragon-riders of Berk more out of personal interest than because they're paying him to, eager to see how he can turn this entire situation to his advantage.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Viggo always does what will be most beneficial to himself, but usually thinks in the long term rather than short term. He is initially hired by the Church to spy on Berk, and ends up rescuing Hiccup and his companions, getting in the Hooligans' good graces (when Ryker would have just captured the Hooligans then and there and taken them back to Rome). He enters into a partnership to help set up Hiccup's planned dragon mail stations around Rome and the Vatican, which make him very, very rich. Seeing how much the people of Vedrarfjord support Berk, he decides the best way to be a conqueror is to be a Villain with Good Publicity and convince his newly conquered subjects that he is a better ruler for them than their previous ruler, and follow through on his promise of being a better ruler so that any sceptics can see he's putting his money where his mouth is.
- Villainous Rescue: Played with. Viggo and his crew coincidentally happen to be sailing by Cornwall at the exact moment Hiccup and his friends - who Viggo has been sent to investigate - are also there fleeing from assassins and in dire need of rescue. The Hooligans are completely unaware of Viggo's motivations for being there so accept his help, giving him a golden opportunity to get to know them personally, learn their weaknesses, and put himself in just a good enough position with them for it to be a problem later.
- Wild Card: Viggo is just as likely to aid and help Hiccup and his friends as he is to plot against them. After all, they're far too interesting and useful pieces to keep on the board for him to allow someone else's lazy scheme to take them out by chance.
- Wicked Cultured: Has travelled most of the known world and learnt tricks and knowledge from every culture he's had the ability to study.
Brittany
Sir Henry "the Sinister" of Brittany
Eldest son of the Duke of Brittany.- An Arm and a Leg: When he lays an ambush for dragon-riders in an attempt to steal their dragons, Astrid cuts off his hand.
- The Bet: He foolishly made one with his younger brother over whether he could purchase a dragon from Stoick. If his brother won then he'd get Henry's inheritance, if Henry won then he'd "get" his brother's betrothed. Stoick is so appalled he rescinds hospitality rights and has him thrown off the island.
- Character Death: Henry the Sinister is killed in chapter 144 under Astrid's orders.
- Engineered Heroics: He gained support for himself and his father by forcing Dogsbreath and Redsnout to attack people, only for Henry and his men to arrive and "scare off the dragon-rider" and therefore place the victims in his debt.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He interprets all acts of mercy and smart tactics done by the Hooligans as proof of cowardice, stupidity and/or dishonour.
- Evil Cripple: He's a villain who's missing a hand.
- Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: His attitude towards pagans and especially towards Jews. He raises an army by playing on Francian Christians' bigotry and slaughtering the Jews.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: His first appearance sees him as one of a horde of low-level nobles flocking to Berk to try to secure a dragon. His impatience, arrogance, and poor behaviour gets him tossed out of Stoick's hut in disgrace by Spitelout and sent packing. A few years later he is now Sir Henry the Sinister, leading a religious crusade across France, massacring the Jewish population, and posing a serious threat to Duke William's control of Normandy.
- Hero Killer: Yes, the whiny spoilt nobleman eventually winds up leading the army that kills Spitelout at the Battle of the Seine River.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: He takes William's kin (and the heirs to Brittany) - Hawiz and Conan - captive and plays this straight with Hawiz. It even shows his villainy beyond just depravity as he intends to force himself on Hawiz, sire a bastard on her, and legitimize it. Then his child would be the only blood heir of the old Duke once William, Hawiz, and Conan have been disposed of.
- I Have Your Wife: Keeps Inga hostage to force Dogsbreath and Redsnout to attack his political rivals.
- Know When to Fold Them: Averted hard. Henry just does not know when to quit. Couldn't get a dragon? Gets pushy with the chief. Get thrown off the island? Come back and try to kidnap a dragon. Lose your hand and get sent home in disgrace? Wait until a dragon-rider comes to your homeland and capture them in an ambush while they're asleep.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: He seems like an entitled nobleman who is subsequently humiliated and brought down a peg every time he interacts with the Haddocks. However, then he ambushes and captures Dogsbreath, Inga, and Redsnout when they arrive in Brittany and his subsequent use and abuse of the captured dragon-rider shows that he's still very dangerous. The reputation he garners eventually turns him into a major threat in France, slaughtering the Jewish population to gain religious support to fuel his war to gain William's Dukedom.
- The Magnificent: His lost limb and rise in power in Normandy earn him the moniker of "Sir Henry the Sinister."
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: By chapter 129 he has a reputation as The Dragonslayer despite having never actually killed a dragon, something William's courtiers lampshade.
- Red Right Hand: Astrid chops off his hand. The disfigurement helps lend to his eventual reputation as "the Sinister"
- Sibling Murder: Strongly implied. Henry's wife explains to Astrid that her original fiance - Henry's brother - suffered an unfortunate "accident" while out horse riding.
- A Sinister Clue: It's right there in the name. Though he was evil before he lost his right hand.
Joan of Brittany
Sir Henry's wife.- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: When she's captured by the Hooligans, she admits who she is, but pretends she was as much Henry's prisoner as his other victims, when in reality she was the one to suggest raping Hawiz in the first place.
- Karma Houdini: In the aftermath of the Second Battle of the Seine, she manages to slip away before the Hooligans discover she's not as innocent as she claims. Then she manages to escape Paris in case the Hooligans attack it next.
- Malicious Slander: After Sir Henry's defeat, Joan goes to Paris and tells King Henry a very biased account of what happened. He's all too willing to believe the worst about Berk.
- Unholy Matrimony: Henry the Sinister and his wife Joan are both evil, with her even being the one to suggest Henry rape Hawiz to get a bastard heir to Brittany. She pretends to be a victim of his to escape from the Hooligans after Henry is defeated.
Ghana
Isioma
A former slave, she was given to Hiccup as a diplomatic gift and promptly freed.- Omniglot: She can speak twenty-four languages.
Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
Henry the Black
Holy Roman Emperor.- Odd Friendship: Henry is deeply religious and pious to the Catholic Church, however, he welcomes the pagan dragon-riders, respecting Hiccup's reputation as a peacemaker and commenting that he behaves more like how Christians are supposed to than many practioners actually do. Beyond asking Hiccup if he'd consider converting a few times, they actually get along very well.
- Reluctant Warrior: Henry extolls the virtue of peace but accepts the sad necessity of war as a ruler with a kingdom's interests to protect.
Iceland
Eret Eretsson
Samit freedman who is re-enslaved by Mildew and forced to capture dragons for him.- Forced into Evil: Eret finds himself forced to kill humans and dragons just to survive under Mildew's tyrannical rule.
- Made a Slave: Eret was already enslaved once, when he and his brothers were taken as thralls to Iceland. Then they gained their freedom, only to be re-enslaved by Mildew.
- Suddenly Ethnicity: While Eret's ethnicity was never mentioned in the films, his chin tattoos evoke those of Inuit. However, Inuit did not settle in Greenland until the 1200s. In this case, he is Samit (Saami).
Fearless
A Night Fury living in Iceland and Toothless's sister.- Heroic Sacrifice: Fearless sacrifices herself to set off a volcanic eruption that kills the Screaming Death that was once her nest-lord, the subsequent eruption also killing Mildew and his Whispering Death.
- Due to the Dead: After Fearless gives her life to stop the Screaming Death that was once her nest-lord, Hiccup makes sure to tell the rest of Berk about her sacrifice. Even the Christian priest sets up a monument for her, musing that, regardless of whether or not dragons have souls, he wants God to know that they appreciate her sacrifice. Later, Óengus, a silversmith, asks for some scales from Toothless to complete various pendants he's making in the style of a Night Fury to further honour Fearless's sacrifice. By Chapter 139, Hiccup has completed a runestone commemorating Fearless's memory, with Toothless the first person to see the completed stone.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: Fearless sacrifices herself to set off a volcanic eruption that kills the Screaming Death and takes out Mildew and Mold as mere collateral damage.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Fearless only spends enough time with her brother to receive a name and be given the offer of leading her nest back to Berk before she gives her life to save the others from the Screaming Death.
Screaming Death/Screaming White
The nest-lord of the Grimsvotn nest in Iceland.- Kill All Humans: The Screaming Death wishes to kill all humans when dragons from his nest are getting captured, but is talked down from following through. When Fearless comes back to their nest with humans, he decides enough is enough and immediately goes on a rampage to kill all humans and the dragons who side with them.
- Large and in Charge: As in most dragon nests, the nest-lord is the largest and strongest dragon.
Jews
Dror ben Ezra
- Famous Ancestor: One of the most respected ancestors of the present story Hooligan Tribe is Dror ben Ezra, a Jewish man who had been kidnapped into slavery for his literacy a century before and ended up rescued by Berk. He's held in high esteem by modern Hooligans, especially the clan he married into, with his daughter now being the clanhead, as he was responsible for teaching them how to read and write which allowed the Hooligans to save their culture and way of life. It's telling that the Hooligans remember Jewish dietary practices despite having never spoken to another Jewish person besides him.
- Posthumous Character: Dror has been dead for over 50 years by the time the story starts. The only scenes we've seen him in are flashbacks from Gothi's POV.
Esther bat Rivkah
A Jewish widow from Rouen who moves to Berk and becomes Duke William's tutor and Stoick's aide. Daughter of Dovid and Rivkah.- Adult Adoptee: After her father tries to push her into a marriage she doesn't want, she renounces her family and Stoick formally adopts her into clan Haddock.
- Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: Esther looks like a young Ofra Haza.
- Confirmed Bachelor: She had one brief marriage, and it was enough to convince her that it wasn't something she ever wanted to do again. Her father's inability to understand her aromantic asexuality isn't helped by the time period not really having the words to explain it.
- Meaningful Name: Her namesake from the Book of Esther also gained the ear of her people's ruler, though in that case it was by marriage, and by the time she becomes his tutor she's no longer William's subject. Word of God is that this was intentional.
Maor ben Dovid
Son of Dovid and Rivkah.- Father, I Don't Want to Fight: Inverted. Maor is intrigued when Sephardic Jews from Al-Andalus visit Berk, since Jews are allowed to freely carry weapons there, unlike in Christian Europe. When Berk fights against Henry the Sinister, Maor and some other young Jewish men ask Astrid to let them become warriors.
- Teen Rebellion: Maor comes from a Proud Scholar Race, and rebels against his father by buying a sword and learning to be a warrior. Though his "rebellion" doesn't stop once he grows up, as one epigraph shows he becomes Commander of the First Shieldbearers in 1065.
Meatheads
Thuggory Mogadonsson
The young chief of the Meatheads, he's only a couple years older than Hiccup. DOB 1023.- A Child Shall Lead Them: His father's death caused him to become chief at only 17 years old. He feels constrained by his responsibilities and not ready to be a leader.
- Manly Gay: He's bisexual with a preference for men, and also a strong, manly man.
- Marry Them All: He joins the existing relationship of Jyette and Heike, and for legal reasons, takes them both as his concubines.
- Related in the Adaptation: He's related to the Hooligans through the Ingerman clan; Dror ben Ezra was his great-grandfather.
Norway
Ruffnut Thicknutsdóttir Fairhair
- Adaptational Intelligence: In the films and animated series, Ruffnut is just half of the twins, both of them a certain level of Chaotic Stupid with a few Hidden Depths that imply that their madness and irresponsible personalities are all a part of some ambiguous disorder. Here, she is much less obnoxious, shown to possess skills as a skald and impressive skill in manipulating the politics of Norway as Queen, being able to undermine the politically biased system she marries into.
- Converting for Love: Defied, she and Magnus maintain their respective faiths after marrying, despite a priest's attempts to baptise her against her will.
- Hidden Depths: She is an aspiring skald and, after relocating to Norway with her husband King Magnus, establishes St. Olaf's Hospital.
- Mama Bear: As the epigraph at the start of Chapter 22 notes, Ruffnut is historically remembered for having an impressive bodycount, the most significant portion of which apparently came from the Siege of Roskilde, where Ruffnut guarded the stairway leading to her children's nursery from attackers, building a battlement out of their bodies to keep her children safe.
- Medical Monarch: After Ruffnut marries Magnus and becomes a queen, they establish a hospital where Ruffnut is one of the medical staff. She already has some training from the Hooligan healers, and knowledge of dragon-derived medicines.
Tuffnut Thicknutsson
- Adaptational Intelligence:Tuffnut gets a similar treatment to Ruffnut's (described above), becoming an Omniglot herald and diplomat who travels the world.
- Agonizing Stomach Wound: Gets stabbed in the gut trying to protect his nephew and niece from the thanes loyal to Father Henriksson's conspiracy. His sister's children are still kidnapped and Tuffnut's survival is left uncertain for many chapters.
- Hidden Depths: He proves to be surprisingly adept at learning languages, rescues Marte from an abusive husband, and refuses to take advantage of her when she offers herself to him in gratitude.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Has a variation of this after it's pointed out that he doesn't really have his own ambitions or goals beyond such simple dreams as a good weapon and a pet.
- Spanner in the Works: When discussing ambition with Einar and how Tuffnut doesn't seem to have any, he eventually decides to settle on his goal being to become this trope personified in Chapter 71. He knows it's unrealistic and difficult to obtain but strives to work towards it regardless.Tuffnut: "But what I want is to be that guy who, from the perspective of the bad guys, is the one who shows up in the wrong place at the wrong time… just enough to screw with them."
Einar Eindridesson
Regent of Norway, father of Eindride. A.K.A. Einar Thambarskelfir. DOB 980.- The Chessmaster: He can effortlessly outmatch most other characters in the setting when it comes to political manipulation and consolidating power. However, Einar is an old man whose very set in his ways about playing the "game" by very old well-established rules. The Culture Clash caused by the Hooligan tribe combined with their general unwillingness and stubborness against playing by those rules prove to be something of a Spanner in the Works to some of his schemes.
- Death by Adaptation: Whilst it hasn't happened in-story yet, the historical epigraphs reveal that he will die in 1047, three years before his historical death date.
- Enemy Mine: He and Ruffnut find themselves in political opposition to one another and attempt to undermine each others power throughout the entirety of Book II. However, they find themselves having to work together quite earnestly when Einar walks in on Father Michael Henriksson trying to smother Ruffnut to death because the priest responds by trying to kill both Ruffnutt and Einar so he can frame it as a Mutual Kill since all who knew of their rivalry would likely accept it. The mad priest's plots only escalate from there forcing more cooperation between the two to combat his plot to kidnap Ruffnutt and Magnus' children "for God."
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Einar is pragmatic and very experienced in the political games of the world. This gives him a hard time trusting and adjusting to the far more honest and generous politics brought in by Hiccup and Berk. The fact he mistakes Snotlout's decision to leave and join the Varangian Guard as a trick Hiccup has played to send a political rival into self-imposed exile shows how very little he understands about Hiccup's true mindset.
- Evil Chancellor: Played with. While evil might be a stretch, he is still clearly the puppetmaster behind Magnus and has no problem abusing his control over the boy-king or his sister to further his own agenda. He is a schemer trying to secure the most advantageous position for himself and his nation within the disrupted political landscape that Berk creates, and while still pragmatic and ruthless when he needs to be he's proven far more cautious and far less bloodthirsty than a lot of the other major players thus far.
- Evil Regent: Einar Thambarskelfir seized power over Norway by having himself appointed regent and tries to keep Magnus dependent on him (although he does save Ruffnut's life when a deranged priest tried to baptize and then kill her).
- Heel–Face Turn: After Father Henriksson's conspiracy is revealed, Einar becomes much more loyal to Magnus, partially because he was the one who hired the guy in the first place. Plus, he recognizes that even though he doesn't have as much control anymore, what's good for Berk, Norway, and Magnus is good for himself.
- Regent for Life: Einar Thambarskelfir's plan is to be Magnus' regent forever, to the point of finding Magnus as a exile in Kyiv and installing him on the Norwegian throne... and getting rid of his rivals.
- The Svengali: He played a key role in putting Magnus on his throne and removed several of his major political rivals in one fell swoop. Whilst publicly he is their mentor and guardian, in reality he keeps careful and suffocating control over the royal family and makes it clear to Hiccup that while Magnus might rule in name, Einar holds all the real power in Norway.
- Villain Respect: He actually claps when he hears Ruffnut's plan to send for thanes from Berk to serve as bodyguards to the royal family after a Christian conspiracy is uncovered which aims to undermine or kill the pagans "corrupting" Magnus which resulted in many of Magnus' sworn thanes breaking their oaths and leaving the loyalty of those remaining in question. Einar realises that Ruffnut's proposal will greatly strengthen her own position in the Norwegian royal court, therefore weakening his own, but that it's also undeniably the only good plan they have to ensure the thanes are untouched by the Church's influence.
Eindride Einarsson
Court marshal, son of Einar.- Not So Above It All: He's usually just as scheming and brutal as his father. However, Wulfhild notes that around the topic of dragons he becomes childishly enthusiastic and can't keep up his usual dismissive nature, unable to hold back on ranting about how interesting they are.
Ketil Órirsson
Thane, formerly of the Varangian Guard; owns several instruments, including a Roman Lyra.- Warrior Poet: He's an oath-sworn thane to Magnus and used to be in the Varangian Guard, but has since grown old and is more kept around by Magnus for his skill with the musical instruments he brought back from Constantinople than his skill with a blade.
Magnus Olafsson Fairhair
King of Norway, aka Magnus the Good, half-brother to Wulfhild, husband of Ruffnut. DOB 1024.- Altar Diplomacy:
- Marries Ruffnut to represent the alliance between Berk and Norway, but it is made clear that he took some time to get to know her first and genuinely likes her as more than just his tie to Berk.
- Has made plans with Stoick that Hiccup's first child with Astrid will marry Magnus's relevant twin, although both agree that they will only encourage such a relationship without forcing either into it.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Magnus proposed to Ruffnut after barely a week.
- The Good King: Magnus proves to live up to his name, following Stoick's example and ruling Norway with a fair and just hand, with the wellbeing of his people as his first priority. When he becomes king of England and Denmark too, he cancels that year's taxes, since Harthacnut's warfare bled the realm dry. This, and his policy of religious tolerance, make him very popular among the people.
- Puppet King: Magnus was initially this under the influence of his regent, Einar Thambarskelfir, but Stoick's example and Ruffnut's encouragement prompt Magnus to stand up for himself more as events unfold.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Accepted Hiccup's original relationship with Astrid and only gave into the 'pressure' to arrange a marriage between Hiccup and Wulfhild due to the insistence of his advisors. On a personal level, despite being a Christian himself he accepts his wife's decision not to convert and agrees with her that they will not have their children baptized until the children can choose their faiths themselves.
Michael Henriksson
Court priest.- The Fundamentalist: His disdain for pagans is evident by his attempts to convert everyone not already under the Christian faith. However, the full extent of it isn't revealed until Chapters 65 and 66 in which he attempts to baptize Ruffnutt while she is asleep and then murder her afterwards to send her soul to Heaven (and so she won't be around to oppose her baptizing her children). After he's stopped he confesses to being the mastermind behind the assassination on Hiccup and Astrid's lives when they first arrived in Norway since he viewed them as devil-riding heathens who are corrupting his king. Once the full extent of his crimes are revealed, everyone in the Norwegian court - from altruistic Ygnvarr to corrupt Einar - agree that Henriksson is a delusional madman who very nearly started a war and would've gotten them all killed in his "service to God."
- Hiding Behind the Language Barrier: Uses this to devastating effect. His fluency in latin and Hiccup's very limited understanding allows Father Henriksson to trick him into declaring vows of marriage to Wulfhild.
- Manipulative Bastard: Manages to cajole Wulfhild and trick Magnus into being complict in changing the ceremony between Hiccup and Wulfhild to make her his wife rather than his concubine. While he claims he did this to save Wulfhild's soul and prevent her from living in sin, the political implications of this move and how it could impact Hiccup's already established marriage to Astrid given Christianity forbids polygamy makes it clear he did it to fulfil his own agenda.
- Sinister Minister: A priest and a cunning one working to fulfil the Catholic Church's agenda among the pagan dragon-riders.
Sigvatr Tordarson
Icelandic court skald, Magnus’s godfather. DOB 995.- Death by Adaptation: He will die in 1044, one year before his historical death date.
- Parental Substitute: To Magnus. Sigvatr was his only consistent father figure throughout his life, and his love for poetry and the arts have clearly rubbed off on the boy-king.
Wulfhild Olafsdóttir clan Haddock
Princess of Norway, half-sister of Magnus, concubine of Hiccup, High Almoner of Berk. DOB 1020.- See Hooligan Tribe
Yngvarr Arlaksson
Court herald, aka Yngvarr the Merry, chief of Rygjafylki.- Berserk Button: Seems to have a particularly strong disdain for those who threaten, harm, or endanger the lives of children.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Ygnvarr is a genuinely friendly and kind-hearted man. However, those who are needlessly cruel or abusive to innocent people learn quickly that he can be downright terrifying. Watch out when he stops being merry.
- Friend to All Living Things: He isn’t called the Merry for nothing. In fact he is so friendly he was able to bond with six dragons (a Timberjack named Hatchet, two Terrible Terrors named Huginn & Muninn, an unamed Hobblegrunt, a Scauldron named Wavecrest, and a Deadly Nadder named Windleaf).
- The Magnificent: Yngvarr the Merry.
- Nice Guy: His friendliness is immediately disarming and completely genuine.
- Older Sidekick: Serves as one to Magnus, proving himself as his king and Ruffnut's staunchest supporter in Norway's court.
- Omniglot: In a tumblr post the author reveals that Yngvarr can speak “with varying fluency” Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Old East Slavic, Latin, Old French, Old High German, Greek, and Arabic.
- Real Men Love Jesus: Yngvarr is a devout Christian, and actually lives up to Christian ideals much more than many clergy we see, most notably Father Henriksson.
- Tranquil Fury: Ygnvarr's response when encountering someone whose done something truly vile enough to earn his wrath.Chapter 66: Yngvarr grinned wolfishly, without humor, his rage seeming to cool and sharpen at the sight of them, tranquil... like a pond covered in too-thin ice.
The Papal States
- Authority in Name Only: In theory the papacy has authority over the entirety of Christianity, in practice not so much due to a poor communication infrastructure. Averting the trope is how Viggo gets the papacy to warm up to the idea of the Dragon Mail.Theoretically, the Holy See was the center of Christendom, with the Pope, as Saint Peter's heir, being the primate of the whole of the faith, but Viggo knew well that it was a polite fiction. In practice, the Church outside of a short distance from Rome was effectively autonomous from the Vatican, a situation that was even more exacerbated to the east, where the Greek Patriarchs had effectively broken entirely—both politically and theologically—from the practices in and of Rome.
- Corrupt Church: The Catholic Church, in spades, it is firmly under the control of a series of noble Italian families at this stage in history, with the current Pope, Benedict IX, being the singular most corrupt pope in all of history.
Benedict IX
Roman Catholic Pope. Birth name Theophylactus of Tusculum. DOB 1012. Youngest pope in history, made pontiff in 1032.- Hypocrite: He has a whole stable of women even though technically, clerics are supposed to remain celibate, but it doesn't stop him from censuring other clergy over it.
- Stay in the Kitchen: He has this mindset if this quote is any indication."We've been receiving confused reports out of the Empire; apparently the Emperor is gone, and there is now an Empress over the Romans—if you can believe such a thing!" the Pope said, and scoffed.
Pecheneg Khaganate
Drago Bludvist
A one-armed wanderer who hunted dragons for years before hearing about a Norseman who had tamed a dragon to ride. He decided to offer his tamed dragons to the Pechenegs, making them into an unstoppable empire.- Appearance Angst: Drago suffers from body image issues. In addition to his losing an arm, his body is heavily scarred. He shares with Khursa a story where even a prostitute, who's paid to fake pleasure, recoiled in revulsion, which was a major contributing factor to his negative body-image.
- The Dragonslayer: Drago killed hundreds of dragons before he independently of Berk found a way to tame dragons by making them submit to his strength. Even after realising the benefits of having dragons fight for him, he still mentions his kill count to impress other people.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For all his cruelty towards humans and dragons, Drago is gentle and affectionate with his wife Kelebek. He also genuinely considers the Kagan a close friend, and mourns him when he dies.
- Evil Cripple: He's a villain missing one arm. He later gets craftsmen to build him an Artificial Arm before his wedding.
- Foreign Ruling Class: Drago is an East Asian foreigner ruling over the Turkic Pechenegs, which some of them don't accept.
- Good Taming, Evil Taming: Unlike Hiccup's method of taming dragons by befriending them, Drago only understands the language of violence. He refuses to entertain the fact that Kurya's skill at dragon riding might be because he treats his dragon well.
- Impoverished Patrician: Drago was born into the nobility of the Liao kingdom near China. He was maimed and exiled, where he worked as a caravan guard before becoming a dragon hunter.
- Smart People Play Chess: Not chess, but Drago is skilled at Go, and teaches it to the Kagan to make him more acceptable to the Chinese.
- Suddenly Ethnicity: In the movie, Drago is Ambiguously Brown, here he's Khitan, from the Liao kingdom.
Kagan Berk Olcayto-oğlu
The Kagan of the Pechenegs.- Cultured Warrior: Invoked by Drago, who teaches the Kagan about Han Chinese culture, in the hopes it will make him a more acceptable ruler.
- Ironic Name: A meta-example. His full name is Berk Olcayto-oğlu. Berk, as in, the island where the Hooligans live. However, he's unaware of their existence, and dies before ever learning of them.
Kurya
The son of the Pecheneg Kagan.- Abandonment-Induced Animosity: Drago and the rest of the Pechenegs thought he died in the attack on Bianjing, but he survived, and once he found out Drago took his father's place, he agrees to help the Chinese fight against him.
- Career-Ending Injury: Downplayed. Even though he can no longer walk, he can still ride Kudret, not that his Chinese captors would let him.
- Never Found the Body: He was thought dead in the failed attack on Bianjing, but he survived thanks to his dragon Kudret protecting him.
- Warrior Prince: Naturally, being the prince of a Proud Warrior Race.
Kudret
Kurya's dragon.- Because You Were Nice to Me: He rewards Kurya's kindness to him by saving him during the failure of the Pechenegs' first attack on the Song Dynasty.
- Nominal Importance: He's the only Pecheneg dragon to be given a name (that the audience knows of, anyway).
Roman (Byzantine) Empire
The Byzantine Empire is a pale shadow of the original Roman Empire. After a disastrous string of poor rulers, the Empire is flailing around and has been splitting off into warring factions... Until the arrival of Sigurd Trondsson.
Protagonist; son of Spitelout and Serena, DOB May 1025.
- Badass Army: The Varangians.
- Cadre of Foreign Bodyguards: The Varangians, again. Being Norsemen, they come from an honor-based culture and have no pre-existing loyalties in the Empire, making them loyal to the Emperor only.
- Decadent Court: The imperial court is filled to the brim with corruption and back stabbing.
- Heteronormative Crusader: The Byzantines are really homophobic, to the point that men having sex with other men is a crime punishable by castration or death by burning at the stake.
- The Remnant: They are all that remains of the Roman Empire that once ruled over most of Europe.
Constantinople
Snotlout Jorgenson/Sigurd Trondsson
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Snotlout leaves Berk in search of his own glory, and ends up joining the Varangian Guard as their first dragon-rider and forced to play various complex political games in the name of ensuring that the dragons are treated well and his former people won't be attacked by the Empire.
- Broken Pedestal: By chapter 86 Sigurd has come to realize that service in the imperial army isn't quite what he expected.Before coming south, he'd thought that being a Varangian warrior would have entailed great epic battles and incredible honor. Now that he'd been a soldier for nearly a year, though, it was becoming apparent to him that such tales were rank exaggerations, told to make outsiders jealous of the supposed wonders of Imperial service. In truth, most of his time seemed to involve meetings, boredom, and boring meetings … and the remainder was pants-shitting terror.
- Became Their Own Antithesis: He begins the story with his typical characterization as Hiccup's Foil. But after moving to Constantinople he slowly grows into a young man that while hopelessly out of his political depth and at odds with a lot of the culture he finds himself in, strives to do everything he can to train dragons as humanely as possible and protect his loved ones. He becomes uncomfortable with the responsibilities and respect put upon him, enters into an unconventional polyamorous relationship, and is plagued by a mindset of Heroic Self-Deprecation and always thinking I Should Have Been Better. Snotlout grows closer to being more alike to his cousin every day despite there being a continent's distance between them.
- Character Development: Snotlout begins the story as entitled and bull-headed as ever, feeling resentful that Hiccup has "taken away" Astrid and the position as future chief of Berk from him. This leads to Snotlout going into exile to join the Varangian Guard under the new name of Sigurd Trondsson. His time spent in Constantinople humbles him greatly and forces him to reassess himself.
- Ensign Newbie: As of Chapter 69. Showed up in Constantinople a year ago? Check. Just turned 17? Check. Still learning Greek? Check. Placed in charge of building a new tagma (regiment) of dragon cavalry from the ground up? Check.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Snotlout was nothing more than a Berkian youth in the beginning of the story. But when he moves south and joins the Varangian Guard, he suddenly becomes a much bigger player on the world stage and becomes the founder of the Roman Empire's Dragon Rider Corps. Needless to say (especially given the corruption of the Byzantine Empire), this has a huge impact.
- Glory Seeker: Breaks away from his cousin and Berk to seek fame and fortune in foreign lands by joining the Varangian Guard as their first dragon-rider. However, the complicated political landscape he dives blindly into forces him to focus on protecting the things actually important to him rather than solely hunting personal glory.
- Has a Type: Snotlout is bisexual and attracted to martial prowess, becoming much more attracted to Sophia after she smashes a chair over the head of an attempted assassin. Also applies to his attraction to Gunnar and Heidrun, though that was only after they revealed their attraction to him.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Being praised as the Empress' champion and being confronted by his old friends from Berk after a year in Constantinople causes Snotlout to crash down hard into full-blown imposter syndrome over his time living as "Sigurd Trondsson". And the more Gudmund and Gunnar insist that he's a good man and point out all his impressive feats, the stronger he denies that he could ever be a reliable or responsible person and feels more and more like a gigantic fraud.
- Hypocrisy Nod: In chapter 85 Sigurd realizes he's a hypocrite because he was mad at Hiccup for wanting to give some dragons to Norway, when he did the same thing with the Romans.And, he reminded that inner Snotlout, back in Nidaros, he'd been so pissed about Hiccup giving away dragons.And then he'd given them to the Romans. Because Harald was handsome.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex. Played straight and then eventually subverted. Snotlout starts with his classic boastings of his own greatness and struggling to prove he's better than Hiccup. When he runs off to Constantinople however it slowly develops into an actual full-blown inferiority complex as his time there humbles him. By the start of Book III his time spent away from Hiccup has only made things worse as he grows obsessive over how Hiccup's strengths and talents would've let his cousin succeed where he's failed, all the while Snotlout completely disregarding his own accomplishments as hollow.
- Ignored Enamoured Underling: Retroactively realises the reason he found a loophole in his oaths and gave dragons to the Romans was that he when he first joined the Varangians he had a huge crush on Harald and wanted to impress him.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Last year, Snotlout was in a position to inherit the chiefdom of Berk. While his sense of entitlement and bitterness that Hiccup has "taken" his future away from him is Snotlout's usual pig-headedness, his assertation that he'd be able to make more of his life and fit in better among the Varangian Guard than he would if he remained in Berk proves to not be completely incorrect.
- Jerkass Realization: Sigurd realises how much of an asshole he was when he was Snotlout and his abandonment of his old name in favour of his new one is partially because he wants to be a far better person than Snotlout was.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Among his own True Companions, he - due partly to his own obliviousness and being distracted trying to navigate the political minefield that is Constantinople - is the last one (aside from maybe Ketilbjorn) to find out that Gudmund is actually a woman.
- Loophole Abuse: Sigurd/Snotlout tries using this with regards to Hiccup's accusations of oathbreaking; as he puts it, the oath was that he couldn't use dragons to raid. As far as he's concerned, he's merely been defending the Roman Empire from rebellion. Hiccup was not amused, neither was Stoick when he heard about it.
- Meaningful Rename: Snotlout attempts to use his new name of Sigurd Trondsson to move beyond his past mistakes, but feels as though he has failed in this when he learns of Hiccup's progress in Chapter 78.
- My God, What Have I Done?: This is his response to being presented with forty scared, captive dragons who the Byzantines want him to train for them. He realizes in that moment precisely how out of his depth he is and how much damage he could do. Worse, he knows that fleeing now wouldn't just means the dishonor of breaking his oaths to the Byzantine Emperor, it would also mean abandoning these innocent captive dragons to almost certain death.
- Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: A unique inversion. Among his peers, Snotlout is not the best fighter (Astrid), the best dragon racer (Hiccup), or the wisest (the guy giving the wisdom test is Ruff and Tuff's uncle who taught them everything they know), as seen during the Holmgang held when he challenges Hiccup. At his best, he's Dumb Muscle, and at worst he's a Boisterous Weakling who can only get by because of his dragon. Even Hookfang fits this trope, as he is only one of the many thousands of dragons on Berk. Once Snotlout leaves and takes the name Sigurd Trondsson, however, he soon proves to be a fierce warrior, and as the Byzantine Empire's first Dragon Rider, he subsequently becomes the founder of his own dragon corps in Constantinople. He can read and write, he can sew, he can tame dragons, and being in a place where he is forced to confront the consequences of his actions forces him to try and think things through.
- Oblivious to Love: Spends the better part of a year too busy to consider romance and then being too wrapped up in bitterness over how everyone - even people back home he'd never thought would get to be with a woman like Fishlegs and Dogsbreath - are in loving relationships while he's all alone. Meanwhile, two of his subordinates Gunnar and Heidrun have been crushing on him the entire time.
Harald Sigurdsson
Spatharokandidatos of the Roman court, Prince of Norway, uncle to Magnus and Wulfhild, senior officer of the Varangian Guard.- Broken Pedestal: Harald breaks months of Snotlout's undying respect for him in a single minute by expressing his belief that homosexuals should be castrated, have their manhood impaled on sharp reeds, and then be whipped naked through the streets to the pyre. Snotlout - who grew up in a small tribe that had several same-sex couples and is himself bisexual with a crush on Harald - ends the conversation realizing that while he might've finally earned Harald's respect, he no longer wants it.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: When he finally meets Hiccup he views him as a weak and foolish leader, interpreting his kindness as squandering advantages, giving away resources for free to earn goodwill when they could've been used to leverage something valuable out of people instead.
- Evil Uncle: Played with. Much like his real-life counterpart, he has designs on taking his nephew Magnus' crowns for himself but currently can't leave Constantinople until his oath of service is up to the Byzantine Empress. As for his relationship with Wulfhild, when they finally meet up it is fraught with tension, political nicety forcing them to spend time together but Harald underestimates her importance to the Hooligan tribe and mainly views her as a bedtoy of the Haddocks' which he thinks they will discard once they get a child out of her.
- Frame-Up: Emperor Michael V sees Harald as a political threat due to his previous service to his uncle - Michael IV - and therefore frames him for the murder of one of the imperial treasurers in an attempt to remove him.
- Heteronormative Crusader: He is homophobic to the point he thinks that the Byzantines above mentioned punishments for homosexuality are fitting, even merciful.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He is far more savvy about the political landscape Snotlout has wandered blindly into and uses that knowledge to protect those under his command as best his oaths (and own ambitions) allow him to.
- Young and in Charge: Much like his real-life counterpart, Harald has many accomplishments, is highly respected, and is leader of the Varangian Guard at only twenty-six years old.
Gunnar Braesisson
A Norseman who joins the Varangian Guard alongside Snotlout.- Big Eater: If food is present it's good odds that Gunnar is eating it and relishing in the Constantinople cuisine. Given how he's described as not having an ounce of fat on him, Snotlout questions where all that food goes.
- Closet Gay: Gunnar keeps his interest in men as secretive as possible in the incredibly homophobic Roman Empire.
- Has a Type: He jokes that he has a thing for people shorter than himself. Given how tall Gunnar is, that would include a lot of people.
- Never Gets Fat: Gunnar is mentioned several times as being a Big Eater, but he never gains any weight, leading his friends to joke that he must have a hollow leg to store it all. Justified, since being a viking mercenary means he's active almost all the time.
- Secret-Keeper: In Chapter 85 it's revealed that he figured out very early on that Gudmund is actually a woman but helped them keep it secret.
Gunnar (left) and Gudmund (right)
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: When Gunnar gets drunk or angry he has a tendency to get exceedingly verbose.
- True Companions: Becomes one with Snotlout, Gudmund, Thorred, and the rest of their unit of dragon-riding Varangians.
Gudmund Hallvarsson/Heidrun Hallvarsdóttir
A black Swede who joins Snotlout in the Varangian Guard.- Black Vikings: His father used to be in the Varangian Guard under Emperor Basil and his mother was an Ethiopian slave that his father freed and took back home with him as a concubine.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: His father has a Swedish wife and three concubines - a Greek, an Arab, and an Ethiopian. Among them they have fourteen children total of which Gudmund is the third eldest.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: He is actually a she who took up her father's sword and joined the Varangians when her brother decided to run away to Berk and become a blacksmith instead of a warrior.
- True Companions: Becomes one with the likes of Snotlout, Gunnar, Hrafn, Ketilbjorn, and Thorred when they join the Varangian Guard, repeatedly supporting him and protecting him and Hookfang from the dangerous politics of the Byzantine Empire.
Kormak Brandrsson
A Swede who accompanies Snotlout on the journey to join the Varangian Guard. Twin brother of Ondott Brandrsson.- Angsty Surviving Twin: During Sigurd's trip south to the Roman Empire, the trade caravan he's part of gets attacked by raiders. Thanks to him and Hookfang, his people mostly get through unscathed, but Ondott gets killed because he didn't see the horse-archers coming, due to Hookfang blocking the line of sight. Kormak, blames Sigurd for his loss, not seeming to care or even be able to acknowledge that things would have been worse if not for Sigurd.
- Blackmail: He starts off just trying to kill Snotlout but when his planned ambush doesn't work and Snotlout's growing prestige makes that too difficult, he changes tactics. When he catches Snotlout hungover in a brothel he decides instead to get revenge by forcing him to give him a dragon and command of his own unit or else he'll inform the Empress what he caught her pure, perfect, chaste, holy warrior doing. And he makes it clear his demands won't end there, admitting one day he will tell the Empress and get Snotlout killed, but he's going to have fun tormenting him first.
- Enemy Mine: He and Snotlout despise each other but they are forced to work together against the Pecheneg dragon-riders. Helped by the fact the Pechenegs were the people who actually killed Kormak's brother and therefore he hates them about as much as he hates "Sigurd".
- Misplaced Retribution: He blames Snotlout and Hookfang for the death of his brother because he died to Pecheneg arrows which they dodged.
- Polar Opposite Twins: Kormak is grumpy and gloomy, whilst his twin brother Ondott is cheerful and friendly.
Thorred Folkmarsson
A Norseman who joins the Varangian Guard alongside Snotlout.- Dreadful Musician: His attempts to show off his skills as a skald leave most people wanting to strangle him.Gunnar: "Not only did you get the wrong sip of the Poet's Mead, your meter is terrible, your rhymes forced, and while you can carry a tune in a bucket, it had best have a lid on the top to keep the poor song from escaping its torment."
- Warrior Poet: He fancies himself quite the skald... everyone else, Snotlout in particular, disagrees.
- My Friends... and Zoidberg: When Snotlout is looking over his True Companions in the Varangian Guard, he disregards Thorred due to how irritating he finds him.
Michael V Kalaphates
Byzantine Emperor, nephew of Michael IV and adoptive son of Empress Zoe, born in the purple, 1015.- Asshole Victim: He's a psychotic tyrant so when he is rightfully deposed by his adoptive mother and aunt, then mutilated by Harald it's hard to feel bad for him. However, Snotlout's narration doesn't shy away from how horrific the blinding and castration is to witness, let alone how awful it must be to experience.
- The Caligula: The first thing the newly appointed Emperor Michael does is demand that Snotlout/Sigurd gives him Hookfang, thinking he is lying when Snotlout/Sigurd gives the reason for his refusal.
- Knight of Cerebus: Serves as this for Snotlout's storyline in Constantinople. Immediately after being made Emperor, Michael orders Sigurd to give him Hookfang. Harald manages to intervene but makes it abudantly clear to Snotlout that the luxury and glory Snotlout had been previously been enjoying is now coming to a cold stop and he needs to learn how to play politics fast before Michael or somebody else has him tortured to death and steals his dragon.
- The Purge: As soon as he becomes Emperor he begins one of these, bringing back people who'd been banished by the previous emperor and removing everyone who was loyal to him. He even does this among his own family, castrating the men so that they can't replace him.
- Royal Brat: The young, greedy, jealous new Emperor of the Byzantium Empire who really wants his own dragon.
- Stupid Evil: Just like in Real Life, Emperor Michael V was so stupidly incompetent as a ruler that it's a wonder the Byzantines didn't collapse during his rule when he constantly and actively made decisions that were so obviously detrimental to both his own and the Byzantine's long-term prospects.
- The most narratively prevalent were his actions regarding Sigurd and the empire's Dragon Training:
- He demands that Sigurd give Hookfang to him and when that was resisted because the precedent would undermine the Varangian Guard's reliability, tries to have Sigurd killed and kidnap Hookfang anyway, never mind that this would result in the Byzantines losing their only dragon-training expert.
- After the Dragon-Hunting expedition returns with the captive dragons, he takes responsibility for their training away from Sigurd, completely ignoring the fact that Sigurd is still the only one the Byzantines have available who can actually tame the dragons.
- After the training is complete, Michael sends Sigurd on Uriah Gambit after Uriah Gambit, hoping he would die for his earlier defiance of him, even though again, this would cause him and the Byzantines to lose their best dragon expert.
- He also banished his stepmother Zoe to prevent her from being a threat to his rule due to her popularity, never mind that his association with her is the only reason he's an Emperor in the first place, and since she was, you know, more popular than he was, that provoked her supporters to riot. Harald could only call Michael "half-brained" and "quarter-wit" after hearing about it.
Theodora Porphyrogenita
Imperial Princess of the Roman Empire, daughter of Emperor Constantine VIII, born in the purple, 980.- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: She and her sister couldn't be more different in personality and rulership style. When she is recalled from exile she and Zoe immediately start arguing despite the fact a civil war is happening right outside.
- Heteronormative Crusader: Theodora has rigid intolerance for anything other than heterosexual monogamy, treating her punishments for homosexuality or infidelity on the same level as crimes such as treason, murder, and corruption.
- The High Queen: The epigraphs reveal that history remembers her as a ruler who tried to repair the damages caused by the mismangement of her predecessors, disciplining the feuding nobility and blocking numerous abuses.
- Parental Substitute: Played with. She really wants to be this for Sigurd since she always wanted a son but is now too old. After learning of his own complicated relationship with his family and comparing it with hers, she takes it upon herself to teach him in the ways of Christianity and try to position herself as a parental figure in his life. Unfortunately, this also involves hiding Spitelout's letters from Sigurd, which resulted in Sigurd believing his father has disowned him. For his part, Sigurd seems to view Theodora as a figure to be respected and feared but not a mother.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Compared to Emperor Michael, she's strict but fair, though she also has a conservative Christian morality.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: In contrast to her sister, when Theodora is made Empress she begins to actively root out corrupt Dynatoi... however, she also uses it as an excuse to get rid of anyone she takes moral objection to, such as homosexuals.
- Spared by the Adaptation: She dies in 1068, twelve years after her historical death date.
Zoe Porphyrogenita
Empress of the Roman Empire, daughter of Emperor Constantine VIII, wife of Emperors Romanos III & Michael IV. Born in the purple, 978.- Abhorrent Admirer: She's apparently spent the last five years trying to get Harald Sigurdsson, the twenty-six year old Captain of the Varangian Guard, to come alone to guard her bedchamber. Age difference aside, he is well aware of how politically lethal that move would end up being.
- Black Widow: Has garnered a reputation for marrying men in the attempts to birth her own son to inherit and then having them killed when they fail her.
- Death by Adaptation: She dies in 1042, eight years before her historical death date.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: She and her sister couldn't be more different in personality and rulership style. When Theodora is recalled from exile she and Zoe immediately start arguing despite the fact a civil war is happening right outside.
- Idle Rich: She may be the Empress but she takes a backseat to politics, allowing her lovers and adopted son to rule while she enjoys the luxuries of life.
- Older Than They Look: Snotlout notes that if nobody had told him beforehand that she was actually in her mid-sixties when he first met her, then he would've assumed she was a decade or two younger than her actual age.
Sophia Makris
Daughter of Senior Assistant Secretary Alexios Makris of the Office of Barbarians.- Covert Pervert: Sophia seems the very model of a pure Byzantine maiden, but at home she keeps dirty poetry about both men and women hidden from her family beneath a loose floorboard.
- Friendless Background: It becomes very apparent that she has no friends among the other Dynatoi in the Byzantium Court, most of her peers bullying her for being a social climber desperate enough to throw herself at a barbarian like Snotlout.
- Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: Sophia is graceful and beautiful, but - while she hides it well - she also has fairly impressive musculature formed by archery practice, something the other women at court view as a man's skill.
- Queer Establishing Moment: After she finds out Heidrun is a woman, Sophia gives her a poem by Sappho.
Rus'
Vladimir Yaroslavich
Eldest son of Ingegerd and Yaroslav. Born 1020.Not So Stoic: Vladimir usually presents himself as quite unflappable, but when Stoick asks him to speak freely he launches into a lengthy raw tirade about how much he resents Berk for finding power on accident, envies their ability to trust their sworn enemies and make peace with them when he can't, and finds Stoick's Heroic Self-Deprecation condescending. He is immediately ashamed of letting it all boil out like that and then even more confused that it actually convinces Stoick to listen to him.
Song Dynasty China
Fa Mulan
- Action Girl: Mulan leaps into action to shoot fireworks at the Pecheneg dragons and rout them.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: In this story, Mulan is the daughter of a merchant, and does not join the army as a Sweet Polly Oliver since there isn't a draft.
- Not the Intended Use: Mulan has a particular tendency to use things for purposes they were never designed for to great effect, usually as Improvised Weapons:Shang: The Councilor was a genius, and a tricky, clever one at that. Where Shang would just see a leather thong, or a corf filled with seafood, or a staff… she saw a weapon. Or a tool. Or any number of things.
- Fireworks are meant for entertainment, but Mulan is able to improvise them as weapons against the Pecheneg Dragon Riders, handing them their first actual defeat since they got dragons.
- Whatever purpose craftsmen made a staff and a knife for, they most certainly did not have Mulan combining the two into an improvised spear to destroy bag-straps in mind.
- A bowl of eels is meant for eating, but Mulan takes a bowl and throws it at the Pecheneg Dragons, taking advantage of their instinctive fear of the animal to get them to abandon their riders.
- She once used a book as a shield.
- Propaganda Hero: According to the other councillors, Mulan was made a councillor to keep the people calm, to remind them the attackers were driven off.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Mulan disguises herself as a man named Ping for safety when she travels with Shang and the trio to the west.
Li Shang
A general's son, who accompanies Mulan on her expedition.- Insecure Love Interest: Shang to Mulan. In his private thoughts, Shang admits he's in love with Mulan, but thinks he's not good enough for her since she's brilliant while he's just "another general's son" and only got his position thanks to his family.
Wales
Bog-Burglars
- Amazon Brigade: They're mostly women, so naturally most of their vikings and warriors are women.
- Lady Land: Their tribe is primarily female, and they hold all leadership positions.
- Matriarchy: Women hold all leadership positions.
Cami Berthasdóttir
Heir of the Bog-Burglar Tribe and daughter of Big-Boobied Bertha. Astrid's cousin.- Adaptation Name Change: "Camicazi" is now referred to by the more believable name of "Camilla", or "Cami" for short.
- Canon Immigrant: Sort of. The fanfic is based on the movies, but she's from the books.
Big-Boobied Bertha
Chieftess of the Bog-Burglar Tribe. Married to Naoise, formerly of clan Hofferson. Mother of Cami, Dyana, and several others.- Action Mom: Naturally, being both a mother and the chieftess of a tribe of warrior women.
Other/Unaffiliated
Trader Johann
A Norse seafaring trader who visits Berk from time to time, offering goods for barter.- Adaptational Nice Guy: Since this version of Johann is a POV-character, we can see that his outward personality is more or less genuine, unlike his television show counterpart who ended up being Evil All Along.
- Intrepid Merchant: A talented merchant with contacts all across the world who begins utilizing them to aid the Hooligans' agenda by making it obvious how much more profit there is in befriending and taming the dragons than there is in killing them.
Green Death
The largest dragon known, former nest lord of the dragons that constantly raided Berk.- Kaiju: As per canon, described as having been 60 cubitsnote tall, 200 cubitsnote long, and with a 300 cubitnote long wingspan (namely, half as tall and twice as long as the Hagia Sophia).
- Posthumous Character: By the start of the first chapter it has been dead for months.
Valka Gawkeyesdóttir, formerly of clan Haddock
Hiccup's mother, taken by dragons when he was a baby and believed dead.- The Quisling: Valka collaborates with the nest-lords because even more people would die if she didn't.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: After living with the dragons for over 15 years, Valka speaks and understands their language easily, sometimes more easily than Norse.
- Trapped in Villainy: Valka is horrified by the Free Nests deciding to enslave humans, but recognizes that if she tried to escape, they'd just kill her, while if she stays as "head slave", she can communicate between humans and dragons, hopefully preventing deaths due to misunderstandings.
Mushu
A small dragon Mulan and co. meet in western China.- Androcles' Lion: Mulan helping him earns her his loyalty.
- Edible Theme Naming: He's named after mushu pork, which Mulan gave him when they first met.
- It Can Think: Mushu is intelligent enough to talk other dragons into agreeing to accompany his walkers even after being mistreated, and has also observed when Mulan is referred to by her original name and when she is called "Ping".
