If there’s any movie among Disney’s archives that stands to benefit greatly from the reboot treatment with today’s visual effects, it’s Pete’s Dragon. The 1977 live-action and animation film followed an orphan boy named Pete whose best (and, frankly, only) friend was a dragon named Elliott, who was invisible to others but helped him survive and became a true staple of many childhood memories. Back then, Elliott was presented as a hokey, tubby mischief maker who just so happened to be a dragon. In the new Pete’s Dragon, he’s been given an all-new, modern-day look, which will make the pair’s journey that much more thrilling to watch when the film opens in theaters on August 12.
To celebrate this new and improved addition to the pop-culture dragon kingdom, we pay homage to all of our favorite fire-breathing friends in TV and film history. Let’s just say Elliott 2.0 is definitely in good company.
Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon
Before Hiccup accidentally made friends with this creature, his village of Vikings prided themselves on slaying the fire breathers. But Toothless proved to be harmless, trainable and resourceful, and helped inspire an unexpected harmony between these humans and winged things. Cute, harmless dragons might not be for everyone, but how could you not love this one?
Smaug from The Hobbit
Considered “the greatest of the dragons of this day,” J.R.R. Tolkien’s centuries-old beast was tough as nails and obsessed with wealth. Drawn to the treasure amassed by the dwarves of Lonely Mountain, he destroyed their villages and drove them away, taking up residence deep in the mountain atop the gold and gems. Crafty and cruel, Smaug enjoyed taunting Bilbo and put up a fight against the forces of good as they try to extinguish him and the potential threat he could pose as an instrument of Sauron.
Dragon in Shrek
She originally may have been fabled for her fierce guardianship of Fiona’s tower, but Dragon turned out to be a total softy who just wanted to have her own “happily ever after.” She ultimately found her Mr. Right in the form of Donkey, and they went on to make adorable babies that had their dad’s Mohawk and fur but spit little flames when they sneezed. Plus, she was a powerful ally for Shrek going forward.
Falkor in The NeverEnding Story
The jury’s still out on whether Atreyu’s luckdragon pal was part dog or not (he did so love being scratched behind his floppy ears, after all), but he’s unanimously regarded as awesome, no matter his genetic makeup. He could fly, was full of maxims about resilience, and was always there right in the nick of time when the going got tough. Admit it; you wish you had a Falkor in your corner.
Mushu in Mulan
He might have been a small consolation prize when the “Great Stone Dragon” failed to materialize at the ancestors’ order (and he was often confused for a lizard, to boot), but little Mushu had a lot of heart when it came to protecting Mulan and was highly instrumental in helping her take down the big bad once and for all.
Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal in Game of Thrones
GoT isn’t a movie, but as a pop-culture juggernaut we have to include its three awe-inspiring fire breathers. Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen, the unburnt Khaleesi (insert a dozen other descriptive titles here), has finally put her no-longer-baby dragons to work as she sails off to wage the War for Westeros, and despite the fact that two of her “children” were kept in captivity for far too long, they’re all in for their mother’s mission. Fortunately, Drogon kept a watchful eye out and literally swooped in with the save in her hour of need, and thanks to Tyrion Lannister’s sweet talking the others have followed suit. Together, they might just be able to help Dany take the Iron Throne at long last.
Shenron from Dragon Ball Z
Based on the Chinese mythological creature Shenlong, Shenron is a benevolent sort whose winglessness doesn’t take away from his skill and strength when summoned by Son Goku to help out in a pinch. He could even grant a wish when summoned. Clutch.
The Jabberwocky in Alice in Wonderland
The Jabberwocky lends some major irony to the Red Queen’s obsession with the phrase “off with his head,” doesn’t he? The character, which has appeared in many forms throughout its literary and adaptive history, is based upon Lewis Carroll’s poem about those “jaws that bite [and] claws that catch” and proved to be of great impact in Tim Burton’s visually dynamic film world… and in Alice’s survival.
Saphira in Eragon
Khaleesi isn’t the only major dragon parent out there. Eragon, too, hatched and raised this baby dragon who became his truest companion. Throughout the series, she proved to be of utmost help and loyalty to her rider, and, ultimately, their bond was so strong that they essentially became a full-on unit, able even to finish each other’s sentences.
Gringott’s Dragon in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
With so many galleons and prized possessions to protect (and after all those untold years spent underground), it’s no wonder this Ukranian Ironbelly was such an ornery fellow. The Harry Potter series introduced a lot of different dragon breeds -- not the least of which were the ones the kids had to best in the TriWizard Tournament -- but when Harry and Co. infiltrated Gringott’s to nab one of the horcruxes hidden within, they discovered the disturbing devices that were used to keep the half-blind creature captive and ultimately escaped with him on their side… or under their legs, rather.
Draco in Dragonheart
Being that he was the last of his kind, Draco was able to talk a dragon slayer named Bowen out of sending his career into terminal obsolescence and instead worked with him to stage slayings and try to reunite the races of man and dragon. Theirs was an emotional, complicated journey and presented proof that beauty really is only skin deep.
King Ghidorah in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
If you thought Godzilla was a menace to modern society, try taking down a three-headed dragon that spits lightning bolts! This classic movie monster, who first appeared in the 1964 kaiju film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster emerged as Godzilla’s arch nemesis and was inspired by the legendary Japanese mythological creature Yamata no Orochi, which, by comparison, was even more frightening with eight heads and tails.
Vermithrax Pejorative in Dragonslayer
This 400-year-old dragon terrorized the kingdom of Urland for centuries, assuaged only by the annual sacrifice of virgin girls. As the pic’s title says, our heroes decide to end the fiery oppression once and for all and, well, slay the dragon. Visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett and his team on the 1981 movie received an Oscar nomination for his work on bringing the beast to life, after spending eight months perfecting its “go motion” movement technique. The result was that Vermithrax, whose hissy fits could cause an actual earthquake, was one truly unforgettable creature of cinema.
