How To Train Your Dragon's Live-Action Movie Can Set Up The Sequel's Big Twist Better Than The Animated Version

How to Train Your Dragon’s live-action remake will be similar to its source material in many significant ways, but it has the opportunity to improve the original films by changing how it approaches one twist. Directed by Dean DeBlois, the first installment of theHow to Train Your Dragonlive-action moviesis all set to release on June 08, 2025. While it may be too soon to foresee how the film will perform, its positive early reviews suggest it is already on the right track to repeat the animated movies' success.

From its trailers and other promotional material, it is hard not to tell thatHow to Train Your Dragonis trying to honor its parent movie series instead of trying to give it a new identity. The live-actionHow to Train Your Dragonis bound to have several shifts in narration and tone. However, its essence is expected to be similar to the original animated films. Although it is appreciable that the live-action adaptation is trying to capture the elements that made the animated films great, it might actually benefit from changing one major twist from the original movies.

Valka in front of fire in How To Train Your Dragon 2

Valka’s Survival Twist Was A Crucial Story Beat In The Second Film

The lore surrounding Valka in the firstHow to Train Your Dragonreveals that,soon after Hiccup was born, she was taken by a dragon. Since her body was never found after the incident, and she never returned, the entire village of Berk believed she had passed away. However, Hiccup encounters a mysterious dragon rider inHow to Train Your Dragon 2as he makes his way to stop Drago Bludvist. To his surprise, he learns that the rider is his presumed dead mother, Valka.

Also known as the Dragon Thief and the Rogue Dragon Rider, Valka primarily rides Cloudjumper, the Stormcutter dragon who had taken her away from her village before she was presumed dead.

Valka justifies her absence by revealing that, like him, she learned the truth about the dragons. As a result, she dedicated her life to rescuing them from Drago by bringing them to a massive island nest. With what follows, Valka becomes a crucial character in the second animated movie’s story and eventually also returns home to reunite with her husband Stoick. Also known as the Dragon Thief and the Rogue Dragon Rider, Valka primarily rides Cloudjumper, the Stormcutter dragon who had taken her away from her village before she was presumed dead.

The Live-Action How To Train Your Dragon Hopefully Teases Valka’s Survival

Her Survival Does Not Have To Be A Mystery Till The Second Film

Many viewers will already be familiar with the events of the original animated movies before they watch the live-actionHow to Train Your Dragon. Owing to this, Valka’s survival twist will not be as surprising as it was in the parent films. In the live-action movies, it might come off as an unnecessary adaptation of the original movies' lore. This makes it hard not to believe that the live-action film would be better off reimagining Valka’s story. Instead of establishing that she died after a dragon abducted her, the movie can simply hint that her fate has remained unknown.

Or, alternatively, the film series could also introduce Valka much earlier in the narrative and show how, after being carried away by the Stormcutter, she ended up befriending him.This would create an intriguing parallel between Valka and Hiccup’s story, highlighting how Hiccup may not be as mighty as his father and other members of the Hooligan tribe, but he has still inherited his mother’s heart and the ability to empathize with the misunderstood creatures.

Valka Is A Vital Character In The How To Train Your Dragon Series

Valka Returns In How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Valka not only helps Hiccup better understand his love for dragons but also supports him and encourages him to stay strong when he loses his father, Stoick, in the secondHow to Train Your Dragonmovie. If it wasn’t for her, Hiccup would have struggled to regain the strength to confront Drago. After Stoick’s death, Valka also returns to being the parent Hiccup needs by deciding to stay behind in Beck after living in isolation for almost two decades. In the third film,she also becomes a guiding force for Hiccup after he officially becomes the chieftain of Berk.

Since Valka will likely not make an appearance before the second live-actionHow to Train Your Dragonmovie, no revelations about who will play her have been made. However, Cate Blanchett, who voiced her in the animated movies, would undoubtedly be the perfect choice to play her in the live-action flicks as well. Considering Vlaka’s importance inHiccup’sHow to Train Your Dragonstory, the live-action movie series will likely cast someone talented like Cate Blanchett to play her and hopefully also introduce some necessary changes to her original narrative.