How to Train Your Dragon Wiki
Register
Advertisement
How to Train Your Dragon Wiki


The Sentinels run this place with an iron fist. They eat nothing but that fruit. They've never encountered Night Furies before, and that would be about the only dragon they haven't seen. And, speaking of seeing, they don't. But they seem to track pretty well for something that's blind. [src]
  — Hiccup  

The Sentinel is a large Boulder Class dragon that first appeared in Dragons: Race to the Edge.

Official Description[]

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 wingblasts. 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.
  Dragonpedia  
Although sightless, the Sentinels still keep close watch over the dragon Graveyard on the Isle of Vanaheim.
These vast, stony Dragons show little room for weakness, but a clever mind can exploit their blindness. Be wary, however; they have a keen sense of smell.
  Dragons: Rise of Berk  
The Sentinels spend their lives perched on the sea stacks all through the outskirts of Vanaheim, where they watch over the dragons who have made this island their final resting place. They ensure that only those in need are able to pass through to Vanaheim. If the Sentinels find a dragon or Viking intruding, they will do all that they can to protect the island and its inhabitants.
The sonic screech is used by the Sentinel to disorient their opponents. The Sentinel also uses its strong and powerful wings to defend the island by creating downdraft wingblasts. This move is strong enough to take out threats straight from both the sky and the ocean. Compared to other dragons, the Sentinel’s firepower is considered to be elite.
In addition to its impressive collection of defensive moves, the Sentinel is also known for having enhanced senses as a result of its inability to see. While Sentinels may be blind, this dragon is still able to move around and maneuver itself with relative ease. This is a result of having overly developed senses, especially its sense of smell. This ability has allowed the Sentinel to be able to recognize friend or foe from their scent alone.
The Sentinel’s advanced senses and impressive skills combined with its speed and agility make it quite a powerful dragon.
  School of Dragons Website[1]  


Physical Appearance[]

Egg[]

Sentinel Egg

A Sentinel egg looks much as you would expect, respective of the dragon itself: small and round shaped; covered in what appears to be rocky plate. The pattern and color are reminiscent of an adult's back scales.

Hatchling to Adult[]

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. Their wings are triangular, ending with several spines.

Sentinel Titan - FB

Titan Wing[]

The group of Vikings were amazed to see the Titan Sentinel bigger than ever, with multiple horns through its back and tail. The green moss-covered titan stands out from its counterpart for its bright color and sharper teeth. The wing span has increased, helping this dragon soar higher and faster than before.
  School of Dragons  

Titan Wing Sentinels are almost identical to adults. However, instead of a stony gray, they are grey blue with black patterns. Their eyes are bright yellow.

Abilities[]

Sonic Screeches[]

These screeches are powerful enough to extinguish the fire jacket of a Monstrous Nightmare in seconds

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

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 a Broad Wing. The Elder Sentinels breathe a larger, conical 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, plated wings to create a downdraft wingblast. These blasts are strong enough to knock dragons out of the air and slow down falling dragons enough for them not to get seriously injured on impact with the ground.

Remaining Motionless[]

The Sentinels are capable of remaining motionless for days at a time, barely seeming to breathe, which allows them to surprise and ambush unsuspecting predators, adversaries, or intruders in Vanaheim.

Teamwork and Communication[]

These dragons are known to work proficiently 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 surround them in the air in small groups, working in a pack to hunt them down and corner them. They are able to communicate through sound and seem to take no leader role in the pack, everybody working in equality to base their actions in accordance with what the rest of the pack are doing. Their lack of a leader when hunting in packs is certainly to their advantage, as many pack-hunting dragon species are lost without their leader.

Heightened Senses[]

Sentinels are naturally blind, but they compensate for this by developing extremely heightened 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. However, their acute sense of smell can be used against them, as is demonstrated when the Riders coated themselves in fruit in order to disguise their scent to sneak past the Sentinels of Vanaheim.

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. This knowledge can be used to the Sentinels' advantage, as by knowing each dragon's weaknesses, they can disable their attacks and prevent them from leaving the island.

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. Another dragon can easily do this for them, as is demonstrated when Meatlug coated each Sentinel in a pool of lava or by Barf and Belch who used their flammable gas and then igniting it, in order to help them rejuvenate.

Strength and Combat[]

Sentinels are extremely strong against other dragons. Because of their knowledge of other dragons' strength and weakness, one Sentinel was able to take out a Deadly Nadder, a Gronckle, and a Monstrous Nightmare. However dragons who have never been to Vanaheim will be a struggle for them. But they can adapt as stated in “Searching for Oswald... and Chicken”.

Endurance and Stamina[]

Being a Boulder Class dragons, Sentinels have high defense and as a result of having 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.

Weaknesses[]

Sentinels have common dragon weakness like vulnerability to the Grimora parasites such as when Nikora releases Grimora at Vanaheim and they infect some of the Sentinel dragons stationed there.

Blindness[]

As aforementioned, Sentinels are born blind

As aforementioned, Sentinels are born blind. Despite having sharp hearing and smell, they can be outsmarted if one confuses their sense of smell or hearing, which they rely on crucially to track other dragons.

Unknown Dragons[]

Dragons that the Sentinels don’t know too well like the Night Fury and any other dragon that never rested on Vanaheim

Dragons that the Sentinels don’t know too well like the Night Fury and any other dragon that never rested on Vanaheim, or that they have never encountered, can avoid them with relative ease, as is 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.

Vanaheim Fruit[]

By covering yourself and your dragon with the smell of this fruit you can trick their senses

By covering yourself and your dragon with the smell of this fruit you can trick their senses since they solely depend on hearing and smell. This is also their natural scent given the fruit that grows only on this particular island.

Slow Hibernation Process[]

Grim Gnashers are scheming and cunning predators that tend to plot against their prey

The Sentinel's hibernating process is very slow. This makes them vulnerable to predators like the Grim Gnashers.

Behavior and Personality[]

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 and appear to be extremely territorial, 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. They remain so stationary that a millennia of snow can remain on the body of some individuals, such as Silent Knight, without falling off. However, upon the slightest sign of threat, they crackle awake. A Sentinel's instinct to guard and protect is so strong that even those who are removed from Vanaheim or born elsewhere tend to protect a selected area. Such is the case with Mossguard, who watches over Viking cemeteries, Cinder, who guards a Shellfire, and Halcyard, who watches over the Isle of Berk.

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.

Training[]

To those who showcase the right intentions, Sentinels appear to be less hostile. Although their instinct to guard and protect is strong, a Sentinel will use its intelligence to know who is a friend and who is not. By helping them guard the area and proving that you are of no threat, Sentinels will grant you the respect and lower their aggression, even allowing you in and out of the island. Their trust can only be earnt.

At the release of the "Wrath of Stormheart" expansion in School of Dragons, Sentinels can be trained from the egg or by bonding with an adult by helping it.

Comparative Statistics[]


Appearances[]

Dragons: Race to the Edge[]

Season 5[]

Sentinels made their debut in the episode, "A Matter of Perspective" when the Dragon Riders go to Vanaheim. They also appear in the episode, "Searching for Oswald... and Chicken".

Season 6[]

Sentinels reappear in the episode, "Guardians of Vanaheim", in which they are revealed to be hibernating when they are injured.

Books[]

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - The Movie Storybook[]

A Sentinel was briefly seen being ridden by a Berkian in this book, following the Alpha Dragon Toothless on a quest for the Hidden World.

Games[]

Dragons: Rise of Berk[]

Sentinel description

The Sentinel was introduced in this game along with its Titan Wing form and a premium individual, Silent Knight. Later, other individual Sentinels were released: Cinder, Mossguard, Halcyard, and Brute Timbertoast.


School of Dragons[]

Sentinels were introduced to the game in March 2018 at the release of the "Wrath of Stormheart" Expansion. Several NPC (non-playable characters) sentinels appear on Vanaheim and at one point are infected by Grimora. The Elder Sentinel also appears and accompanies the player around the Archipelago assisting in battles. Ultimately it is trained by the player. Non-elder Sentinels are also available to purchase as eggs at the Trading Post.

Regular Sentinel


Elder Sentinel


Trivia[]

  • Asterisk-TransparentThe official measurements given by DreamWorks Animation do not appear to be realistic when considering the relative sizes the viewer sees within the Franchise. Based on the Model Sheet for the Sentinel along side other known dragons in the series such as the Monstrous Nightmare, this dragon should be 60 feet (18,28 meters) long and have a Wingspan of 104 feet and 5 inches (31.82 meters).
  • The Sentinel shares statue-like similarities to the gothic-era gargoyles.
  • Even though the Sentinels are blind, they do have small pupils.
  • Sentinels are the only known species that stay blind their entire lives.
  • The word "sentinel" means "guardian", which is the role that the species play for Vanaheim.
  • The Sentinels’ protective behavior towards Vanaheim is possibly inspired by that of the Dragon Guardians of Tomorrow from the Book series.
  • According to Fishlegs, the Sentinels don't have a tomb for their final resting place.
  • Since Sentinels protect sick and dying dragons, while Grim Gnashers feast upon them, might suggest they're natural enemies.

References[]

Sentinel uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Rise of Berk Wiki page Sentinel. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). ROBWiki Logo
Sentinel uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Dreamworks School of Dragons Wiki page Sentinel. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). SODWikiLogo

Site Navigation[]

Wiki-wordmark

Sentinel is also available in other languages.
Do visit these pages if you prefer reading content from the respective languages:
DeutschEspañolРусскийPolskiItalianoPortuguês中文Français
Advertisement