How to Train Your Dragon in 2020: What Hiccup Means To Me

Today is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III’s birthday. He is not real, technically; several actors, including Jay Baruchel and Alex Rybak, helped with that part. But he is real enough to me, and dozens of others. I drew this watercolor after watching Rybak’s 2018 Eurovision performance and I still maintain that he should have won for it.

I met Hiccup Haddock when watching his film. Then I learned there were books, and in that, he was a child trying to do his best in a world of death-seeking Vikings. Neverthless, he and movie Hiccup are two sides of the same coin. Their lessons and examples are still great to follow.

It’s Okay To Be Awkward

Movie Hiccup is a dork, and he never grows out of it. From the freckles to the bucktoothed smile, most of his energy is spent making a lot of hand gestures while he talks. He also covers his insecurities by snarking.

Book Hiccup isn’t much better in the beginning. He is articulate and more reasonable. At the same time, he’s failing all his classes, with Gobber even saying he’s terrible at shouting insults for Advanced Rudery. Stoick thinks that he is “nerdy” for loving dragons.

Yet, both these characters grow and don’t shed these flaws. Movie Hiccup still moves his hands around and has some…