Sentinel (How to Train Your Dragon)

The Sentinel appeared in season 5 of 2017 TV series called Dragons: Race to the Edge. The Sentinel is a large Boulder Class dragon that first appeared in Dragons: Race to the Edge.

Although sightless, the Sentinels still keep close watch over the dragon graveyard on the Isle of Vanaheim. Often mistaken for stone statues, the Sentinels remain absolutely still when they allow ailing dragons to enter Vanaheim. But at first hint of an intruder, these sentries defend the sacred burial ground with sonic screeches and downdraft wing blasts. Born blind, sentinels have evolved their senses of hearing and smell to hyper-keen levels, making them incredibly alert. Yet despite their fearsome appearance, Sentinels show a a softer side by caring for the old and ill dragons who have come to spend their final days on Vanaheim. If you're unsure how to handle an unfamiliar type of dragon, just follow a Sentinel's lead. These observant dragons have kept vigil over every class and every breed to pass into their cemetery, making them the dragon experts of the dragon world.

Sentinels are large dragons iconic for their tough rock-like epidermal layers that if pieced together with smaller stones, make them almost seemingly covered in moss. Their stature and bony wings resemble that of gargoyles. These scale clusters are more prominent on their faces and form rows of bony plates on their chest. They have a pair of short horns on their head, complemented by similar ones on along their neck and one on their nose. These dragons are blind and thus have a translucent blue cataract over their eyes.

Sentinels are born solely to guard the funeral grounds of Vanaheim and assist sick or dying dragons there. As such, they rule the area with an iron fist as they forbid any dragons from leaving the area. They are also extremely aggressive to the Grim Gnashers, which are perfectly healthy and prey on sick dragons.

They guard the area on various posts around and on the island, perpetually stiff and stationary like statues. However, upon the slightest sign of threat, they crackle awake.

However, they do exhibit kindness and fondness to the inhabitants of Vanaheim. They help to construct funeral grounds and provide them with food. The former action makes Fishlegs believe that these dragons are capable of abstract thinking and knowledge of life and death.

In the game, School of Dragons, the Sentinels are mentioned as being pack-type dragons with a lead dragon which directs the activities of the other Sentinels. The Elder Sentinel is distinguished from other Sentinels by additional bony horns or growths on its head and increased stamina.

Powers and Abilities

 * Sonic Screeches: The Sentinels defend Vanaheim with their sonic screeches that can disorientate several dragons at once. These screeches are powerful enough to extinguish the fire jacket of a Monstrous Nightmare in seconds and knock the dragon out of the sky.
 * Firepower: The Sentinels are able to breathe normal streams of fire, capable of igniting Zippleback gas from a considerable distance. In School of Dragons, Titan Wing Sentinels develop a blue fire, suggesting that it becomes hotter than that of an adult. The Elder Sentinels breathe a larger, cone-shaped jet of fire, which is supposedly more powerful than that of an average Sentinel.
 * Downdraft Wingblasts: In order to chase dragons back to Vanaheim or keep them away from the island, the Sentinels often use their powerful wings to create a downdraft wingblast. These blasts are strong enough to knock dragons out off the air and slow down falling dragons enough to not die or break bones when they hit the ground.
 * Remaining Motionless: The Sentinels are capable of remaining motionless for days at a time, which allows them to surprise and ambush unsuspecting adversaries or intruders in Vanaheim.
 * Teamwork: These dragons are known to work in teams. When stationary, they each have different posts and positions to take up around the island. Upon the threat of dragons leaving or intruders, they often corner them in the air in small groups.
 * Heightened Senses: Sentinels are naturally blind, but they compensate this by developing extremely sharp senses of hearing and smell to navigate and track other dragons. They also possess the ability to remember scents after a long period of time and adapt accordingly.
 * Dragon Knowledge: Sentinels are extremely knowledgeable about the different dragon classes and breeds because numerous dying dragons go to Vanaheim. As such, they are said to know the strengths and weaknesses of nearly all known dragon species, except for a few, like the Night Fury. They use these to help care for and cater to the needs of different dragons, along with helping construct their funeral grounds.
 * Hibernating: As shown in "Guardians of Vanaheim", the Sentinels hibernate when they are injured or sick, in order to heal. The hibernation is a slow process and the only way to speed the process quickly is if the Sentinels are exposed to great amounts of heat.
 * Strength & Combat: Having a tough skin, Sentinels are able to resist powerful attacks, such as Night Fury blasts, as seen in "A Matter of Perspective". They show no signs of injuries when they are hit by Grim Gnasher teeth or Deadly Nadder spikes, which are really sharp and launched at great speed.

Weaknesses

 * Blindness: As aforementioned, Sentinels are born blind. Despite having sharp hearing and smell, they can be outsmarted by several dragons that cover up their scent with Vanaheim fruit and move silently.
 * Unknown Dragons: Dragons that the Sentinels don’t know too well like the Night Fury and any other dragon that never rested on the island can easily avoid them, as proven by Toothless.
 * Pepper Gas: According to School of Dragons, chemical attacks such as Pepper gas can confound a Sentinel's acute sense of smell, as well as burn their mouths and eyes, effectively incapacitating them.