The Bewilderbeast appeared in 2014 movie called How to Train Your Dragons 2. The Bewilderbeast is a gigantic Tidal Class dragon that first appeared in How to Train Your Dragon 2.
As with all members of the animal kingdom, dragons, too, must follow a hierarchy of power and leadership. At the apex of that chain of command rules an exceedingly rare alpha dragon to which all others bow — the Bewilderbeast. However, Bewilderbeasts are not born to that alpha status; it is earned through combat, vigilance, and most importantly, a desire to protect the dragons and all other creatures in its nest. Fortunately for Bewilderbeasts, there are few other dragons in the world that can match their intimidating stature and ever hope to compete for the designation of "king of all dragons". Bewilderbeasts are also quite impressive architects, fashioning near-impenetrable nests out of their self-generated ice and using natural hot springs to provide warmth and sustenance to the flock under its care. From its oasis within this icy cocoon, the Bewilderbeast rules all dragons without bias, without malice, and without question.
The Bewilderbeast is a very large, spiky dragon with a pair of massive, tusk-like horns protruding from the sides of its head and huge multiple wings. The front side of its body is covered with burr-like spikes, along with two lines of spikes along the eyelids, giving an impression of eyebrows. 'King's frills' can be seen on the occipital region. Protrusions from the back of their head form a mane-like frill. Unlike Red Deaths, Bewilderbeasts are unable to fly for not having big enough wings for flight, mostly due to their colossal body sizes, and it is likely they use their wings to assist them in swimming, similar to a penguin. This makes one of the few weaknesses that makes this species vulnerable.
Proportions of upper and lower jaws are unlike those of usual reptiles, having a fish-like mouth with small teeth. Their lips are similar to those of mammals like humans to enable them 'blow' actions. Interestingly, no nostrils are visible on their faces. Its hard, "coral-like amphibian skin" covers the whole body and the scales provide surprisingly robust defenses to the dragon. In total, this species has many unique characteristics, making it a very mammal-like dragon. Its many colors include ice white, muddy gray, and dark purple.
Being a Class 10 Leviathan, the Bewilderbeast is the biggest and highest ranked Tidal Class dragon. It is unknown how a Class 1 Leviathan differs to a Class 10.
As Valka said in How to Train Your Dragon 2, each nest has their queens but the Bewilderbeast is the king of all dragons. They are the most powerful dragon species and are also the largest of all dragons known so far. Most individuals construct nests within mountains out of their ice that host and protect not only themselves, but many other dragons that either live in the surrounding area or serve the mighty dragon. It was revealed in Dragons: Rise of Berk that the dragons living in the ice nests are called Primals.
They are kind and docile in nature, and protect and care for their fellow dragons and underlings, tending to their young and even herding large schools of fish to feed them. On the other hand, however, Bewilderbeasts can be cruel and menacing, forcing or enslaving the other dragons even against their will to do the Bewilderbeast's bidding using their Alpha Control ability. This behavior is quite similar to that the Red Death, but with a much stronger influence. They are leaders of dragons, and are essentially living 'nature' themselves to preordain entire ecosystems; being gentle, 'father nature' or malevolent, 'natural disaster or storm'.
Mostly due to their large sizes, Bewilderbeasts are rare, seldom seen dragons, and prefer to live in the cooler, arctic regions of the Barbaric Archipelago, where they either live submerged in the water or construct their huge ice nests. Oddly enough, Bewilderbeasts prefer to live near hot springs, bathing and living in the warmer waters, despite their otherwise cold environment.
Bewilderbeasts mark their territories with their massive ice fortresses and readily combat other individuals who challenge their territory or dominance in an honorable duel-like fashion, utilizing specific moves such as locking horns or head-butting, with the loser either accepting defeat and scurrying away or getting killed and disposed of.
Bewilderbeasts are an Alpha Species and one of the strongest dragons around, and as such are often the Alpha Dragon, ruler of all dragons. This title and status are only earned by defeating the previous title holder, be it through honorable dueling or straight-out killing it.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Ice Spikes: A Bewilderbeast's most notable and feared ability is to burst streams of ice-turning water on contact. It does this by sucking up and ingesting masses of water from the sea and storing it in the goiters down its neck. The Bewilderbeast’s breath is so intensely cold and it regurgitates the water with so great a force that when it hits its target, it breaks and tears it apart and freezes mid-splash. Ice expelled by the Bewilderbeast has a very different texture, quality, and color than other ice. Its ice has a greenish tint and freezes in very iconic, arresting ice spikes. This ice-blast is extremely powerful, and can create immense 'glacial explosions' on contact that can destroy and penetrate any artificial structures with ease. Bewilderbeasts can either contain freezing air in their bodies or can create cold mists themselves, and adapt this ability to shoot destructive projectiles. This ability to shoot ice is similar to the Groncicle, Shivertooth and Woolly Howl. However, unlike the other dragons, the Bewilderbeast shoots large amounts of freezing water that eventually turn into ice on impact. Seemingly, they can create glaciers and ice masses that are far larger than their own bodies yet produce small, gentle puffs of mist. The fact that Bewilderbeasts prefer the hot springs near the volcanoes indicates that they do not take cold water into their bodies to utilize ice blasts. The Bewilderbeast's breath appears to be freezing cold, which may be how they eject the sea water and are then able to reduce its temperature to below freezing right as it crashes into its target due to the water undergoing rapid decompression, thus loosing vast quantities of heat. In the final season of Dragons: Race to the Edge, the Berserker Bewilderbeast is shown charging up its attack and with a teal light present in its mouth.
- Strength & Combat: Being the largest dragons known to Vikings, Bewilderbeasts possess unmatched strength and raw power. They can crush massive war contraptions without even noticing it and plow through mountainsides as if they were paper walls. Bewilderbeasts are docile in nature, and usually avoid encounters and battles, despite their massive sizes. When moved to fight, be it to defend their nests or brawl for dominance, Bewilerbeasts use several tactics for battle. When battling smaller dragons or humans, Bewilderbeasts prefer to attack from the depths of the seas, emerging with a loud roar and decimating their foes with their Ice Breath, stomping on whatever remains. When brawling against a large Alpha Species dragon such as a Red Death or Foreverwing, they prefer to use their massive bodies to throw themselves against opponents, while using their heads, horns and tail for ramming, bashing and swiping, finishing off their opponents with their mighty ice breath. When they encounter another member of their species, however, they tend to honorably duel utilizing only their heads and horns to lock and push, until either duelist either backs off and leaves or is defeated and consequently killed, leaving the winner victorious and ruler of the territory and nest.
- Speed & Agility: On land, Bewilderbeasts are slow walkers and possess virtually no agility, crashing virtually every obstacle in the way, mostly due their titanic sizes and extreme weight. In the sea however, it is a different story entirely. They are fast and agile swimmers, easily capable to out-swimming and outmaneuvering the fastest of ships and most sea dragons, swimming hundreds of miles in mere hours.
- Endurance & Stamina: Being dragons of unheard of sizes, a Bewilderbeast's scales are of the toughest around. They can take hundreds of dragons blasts of all kinds and temperatures, even the mighty Night Fury's plasma blast, and remain unscathed. They do however exhibit weaker underbelly scales, if any, and can suffer damage from other alpha species dragons. They can fight and battle for long periods of time while showing no sign of strain of fatigue, and can swim for miles and miles at a time without rest.
- Underwater Adaptations: Being aquatic, these dragons can submerge and stay underwater for a long time despite being a species of pulmonary respiration. Also, despite their enormous sizes and rather terrestrial form, they are true to their class; capable of swimming in surprisingly fast speed which is faster than the most fine ships. The swimming speed of fully matured Bewilderbeasts are beyond belief; they are capable of ignoring drastic hydraulic drags and water pressures due to their titanic body masses, being agile enough to effortlessly chase oceanic fish to feed other dragons, and are fast enough to demonstrate surprise attacks despite being so large. Also, the swimming itself produces devastating side effects at top speeds. It is likely they use their wings to aid in swimming.
- Senses: Bewilderbeasts have very refined senses, particularly their hearing, as Drago's Bewilderbeast was capable of hearing Drago call for him while being completely submerged underwater.
- Dragon Controlling: According to Dragons: Rise of Berk, Bewilderbeasts use their eyes and ultrasonic sounds to control dragons' minds. This was shown in the second movie, the Bewilderbeast's bony spines on its head were rapidly vibrating while the pupils on its eyes narrowed into slits, making it seem more likely, plausible, and believable that they are what broadcast the ultrasound. It was once unclear whether this ability is a separated ability or is merely one of its behaviors, but it was later revealed that besides possessing hypnosis like abilities (based in sound waves), each Bewilderbeast devotes sufficient efforts to gain trust and respect from nest mates, and successes must be accompanied by moralities and the kings' own wills to bring happiness and fortunes to other dragons. Once controlling is actuated, all other smaller dragons in the vicinity are under the alpha's command, unable to resist without countermeasures. The natural history of how the Bewilderbeast species gained this ability is currently unknown.
Weaknesses[]
- Large Size: Being massive dragons, Bewilderbeasts obviously lack speed and agility while on land, mostly unable to avoid large obstacles in their way. Although uncertain at Tiny Tooth and Short Wing stages, Bewilderbeasts are unable to fly, and their wings are used mainly for swimming and vestigial purposes.
- Weak Spot: Bewilderbeasts appear to have thinner, if any, scales in their underbellies, and a blow powerful enough such as the horns of another individual, in this weak spot is enough to kill a Bewilderbeast.
- Alpha Control Limits: The one weakness of its Alpha Control is being that it only applies to mature dragons. Baby dragons, who "listen to no one" due to their underdeveloped senses, are shown to be fully immune. This force is also said to be weakened when a dragon is distracted by other noises like a human speaking to it. Also, if a dragon can exercise enough will over the Bewilderbeast's control, it can break free from its control. Only Toothless has been able to do this with Hiccup's help. A simple blindfold appears to be enough to eliminate a Bewilderbeast's naturally hypnotic glare.