| “ | Hiccup will come to know that his carelessness will cause every dragon on Earth to be slaughtered and sold. Including his Night Fury. [src] | ” |
| — Viggo Grimborn |
Viggo Grimborn is the main antagonist in Dragons: Race to the Edge and an archenemy of Hiccup. He is the leader of the Dragon Hunters who wants to use the Dragon Eye in order to wipe out all dragons for profit. He is voiced by Alfred Molina.
Quick Answers
What was Viggo Grimborn's role in the Dragon Hunters?
How did Viggo Grimborn's view on dragons change over time?
What is the significance of the Dragon Eye to Viggo Grimborn?
What does Viggo Grimborn's attire signify about his character?
Who were the primary antagonists in Dragons: Race to the Edge?
Biography
DreamWorks Dragons: The Series
Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 2
Night of the Hunters, Part 2
Viggo was first mentioned by Heather when they debated as to the fate of Astrid Hofferson and her fellow dragon riders, knowing he would want them alive.
Snow Way Out
Astrid told Hiccup and the other riders that Viggo was the true leader of the the Dragon Hunters not Ryker. According to Heather, he works in the shadows and everyone is afraid of him, including his older brother.
Edge of Disaster, Part 2
He was mentioned again when Ryker, Dagur, and their forces failed in attacking Dragon's Edge.
Maces and Talons, Part 1
Viggo made his first appearance when he met Dagur and Heather for the first time. He was talking about Maces and Talons when they walked in.During the meeting, one of the hunters was discovered to have been stealing from his inventory. While it appeared Viggo forgave him, the hunter was taken away to be punished. Viggo spoke to Heather alone about his knowledge of a traitor among the Dragon Hunters. Seeming to believe it was Dagur, or even Ryker, he turned to Heather for help in capturing a Flightmare.
However, Viggo knew Heather was the real traitor all along, and used her to lure the Dragon Riders out. The Hunters were soon able to capture the Flightmare, as well as Heather and Windshear. Viggo left the game of Maces and Talons on his abandoned ship as a challenge for Hiccup.
Maces and Talons, Part 2
While waiting for the Dragon Riders to strike, Viggo had Heather locked up, made preparations for the Flightmare, and even played a live version of Maces and Talons with Dagur, which he won.
Viggo hid among the trapped dragons where he encounters Hiccup, who was searching for Heather. His men manage to paralyze Hiccup and Toothless with the Flightmare's mist, while Viggo takes the Dragon Eye. After using the Flightmare's mist to unlock the Dragon Eye, the hunters release the dragon, giving Viggo and the Dragon Hunters a chance to escape.
With the Dragon Eye back in the hands of the hunters, Viggo now sets his sites on selling and killing every dragon, including Toothless.
Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 3
Buffalord Soldier
Months later, Viggo had one of his ships infected with the Scourge of Odin in order to create an outbreak and a demand for the cure. Viggo (most likely using the Dragon Eye) was able to follow Hiccup and his riders, who were searching for the Buffalord to cure Astrid who was infected with the Scourge, to Odin's Respite to capture the last Buffalord. Hiccup then had Toothless threaten Viggo but Viggo threatened to have Ryker kill the Buffalord. He then agreed to let Hiccup have the cure for Astrid in exchange for the dragon. However, the Buffalord, unwilling to leave its island, inflated and escaped, causing havoc on Viggo's ship. Realizing that Hiccup knew of this, Viggo ordered Ryker to set the dragon free.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Viggo later began a mining operation, using Catastrophic Quakens, to build a dragon-proof fortress on his island. However, before it was completed, the Riders managed to free the Quakens and use them to destroy the structure. Later, Viggo and Ryker arrived at the ruined stronghold. Viggo vowed that the Riders would pay for destroying it and began to realize the threat that they were to his plans.
Family on the Edge
Hiccup and the others soon found one of Viggo's fleets hidden in a remote location, and planned to take it out. However, Dagur, who had changed his way of life, told them it was a trap Viggo set up to lure them in, but no one believed him since they thought he was still working for Viggo. The Berserker went after the fleet and proved it was a trap. He managed to take it down, but was supposedly killed in the battle. Before his supposed demise, Dagur left a note for Heather telling her about Viggo's dragon auctions.
Last Auction Heroes
Viggo soon planned an auction, where he was expecting a "special guest." To make sure it went perfect, he had Ryker set up extra defenses around the island. The brothers were greeted by a young man named Sir Ulgerthope, who which Viggo thought he had met before, but still let him and his valet enter the auction. Trader Johann soon showed up offering dragons as payment for safe travel in his trade. Viggo noticed the creaking floorboards on his ship and even smashed through one to check it, but found nothing. He accepted Johann's gift and let him pass.
When the auction was about to start, Viggo noticed the man he was expecting in the front. Just as it began, he found the twins under one of the sheets covering a cage, and realized Sir Ulgerthrope was a Dragon Rider as well. The Riders were soon all captured and Viggo took possession of Berk's gold. He made his way off, adding Toothless to the bidding list. Once the Night Fury was brought up, bids started immediately. Viggo told one of his men to get Hiccup, so he could watch his dragon be sold. The cloaked man put up the largest amount and was about to buy Toothless, until the Riders released the dragons, causing a panic and made Viggo lose his customer. He made his was to his ship with the gold he already had. When Hiccup tried to stop him, he threw the chest into the ocean. Hiccup managed to retrieve it, but realized Viggo switched the chests. Hiccup was devastated for losing all of Berk's gold to the Dragon Hunters, but he still saved all the dragons.
Defenders of the Wing, Part 1
After several confrontations, Viggo invited Hiccup to meet on a remote island. It was covered in blue oleander flowers, thus preventing Toothless to get close. Once he arrived, Viggo offered Hiccup truce, depicting a map of where each would leave alone. Viggo even signed it to make it official, but Hiccup said he would think about it. Knowing Viggo didn't really want a truce, the Riders went to the nearest island on his side, believing he didn't want them to find it. There, they met the Defenders of the Wing, a tribe of dragon worshipers. However, they soon found out Viggo used the Riders as a distraction so his men could capture their great protector, the Eruptodon.
Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 4
Defenders of the Wing, Part 2
Viggo and Ryker then kept the Eruptodon aboard their ship. Viggo planned to have the Eruptodon go into it's feeding frenzy and have it awaken Dragon's Edge's volcano. At first, his plan went off without a hitch until Mala, Hiccup, and his riders arrived and used the Edge's Gronckles to bring it back to Caldera Cay.
Midnight Scrum
Following this event, Viggo then placed a bounty on Hiccup.
Dire Straits
After Hiccup and his riders crippled several of his operations in the east, Viggo became annoyed by this and decided to deprive Berk of its trade routes. Viggo thus had a Submaripper chained up to keep Trader Johann and others away. When Hiccup and the dragon riders try to free the Submaripper he placed in the straits, Ryker, Viggo, and his men came to intercept them. After Hiccup and the Dragon Raiders successfully freed the captured Submaripper, Viggo and the Dragon Hunters were overpowered and forced to flee.
The Longest Day
Following Viggo's defeat at the Straits, his hunters were patrolling an island when they found an unknown dragon pretending to be ill. The Hunters tried to trick the dragon into thinking that they are his friends in order to bring it to Viggo. But the dragon, a Shadow Wing, managed to kill them easily with help from its pack.
Gold Rush
Viggo was then able to capture Hiccup and several of his riders when they attempted to find his and Berk's gold supply. He then spoke with Hiccup. Following that Fishlegs, Heather, and Dagur plan to rescue Hiccup and the captured riders but, their plan fails when Viggo tricked them with dragon-proof ships encased in wood. However Dagur had a plan to best Viggo's dragon-proof ships with the new move he taught his dragon, Shattermaster, the shatter scatter. When Fishlegs and Heather played with Dagur's plan they wrecked Viggo's armada of dragon-proof ships, and rescued Hiccup and the captured riders. After that they find the gold and bring it back to Berk. Dagur gets a share of the gold and he and his sister, Heather, leave to find their father, Oswald and re build their tribe of the Berserkers.
Twintuition
When Ruff and Tuff go to fix Tuffnut's broken mace, Macey, at the Northern Markets they accidentally discover a secret operation the Dragon Hunters are building known as Project Shellfire. Viggo made an announcement to his hunters saying that when they complete Project Shellfire, the Dragon Riders would be destroyed along with their allies. Later Viggo warned Ryker that their camp has been infiltrated when getting news from a Hunter. The Hunters eventually capture Ruff and tie her up. So later when Hiccup came to attack their operation, Viggo had the gates open to drown Ruff. After that, Tuff was confronted by Ryker. When he got on his dragon he managed to free the dragon riders from Viggo's trap. Unknown to Viggo or Ryker, Tuff stole the plans to Project Shellfire prior to the arrival of the Riders and later showed them to the Dragon Riders. However unbeknownst to them, Viggo's plan was already operational.
At some point Ryker and the Dragon Hunters betrayed Viggo and chose Ryker as their new leader.
Shell Shocked, Part 1
When Hiccup and the Dragon Riders along with Stoick, Gobber, the auxiliary riders, Dagur and Heather attacked, Viggo told them that Ryker and the Dragon Hunters betrayed him. They were hesitant to trust him, but Viggo told them that he will explain to them what Shellfire is, and where the Dragon Eye is but only if they help him stop Ryker and the Hunters. So the Hiccup and his riders brought Viggo to Caldera Cay, where the defenders of the wing imprisoned him, just as Ryker sent the Shellfire to attack the Wing. With the shells of that imprisoned dragon attacking on the Wing, Viggo managed to escape with the cover of the explosions. Later, he appeared at the Edge and made a deal with Hiccup that if Viggo returns the Dragon Eye, Hiccup and the Riders will help him stop Ryker.
Shell Shocked, Part 2
Although Viggo keeps his end of the bargain, the riders, Dagur, and Heather are wary to trust him. For that reason, Hiccup has him locked up in the dragon stables. When Ryker and the Hunters attack, Viggo's cell and the stables get caught on fire, so Hiccup rescues him and agrees to accept his help in defeating Ryker. So when they arrive on Toothless in the middle of the sea Viggo drops his dagger into the water to attract the attention of a Submaripper. Viggo then admits to Hiccup that he learned from the Dragon Eye that the Submaripper is the natural and hated enemy of the Shellfire. Since the shellfire began battling the Submaripper the shellfire was broken free of it's imprisonment and Ryker sank to his death. Later, Viggo held Astrid hostage and threatened to kill her if Hiccup didn't give him the Dragon Eye, but Hiccup defied him and cast the Dragon Eye into the volcano. Viggo quickly chased after it and failed to prevent it from being destroyed. Now furious, Viggo planned to kill them for ruining his plans, but the ledge of the volcano upon which he was standing became unstable and he fell screaming to his fiery demise yelling "No! Hiccup!" After that, the volcano erupted, eliminating whatever trace of Viggo might have been left.
Physical Appearance
Viggo wears a black tunic with red scales on his shoulders and around his waist. He also has spiked shoulder pads and a silver belt buckle with Dragon Hunters' tribal crest on it, and black wrist guards.
Viggo is rather handsome with short black hair, large brown eyes with what appears to be eye-shadow, thick full lips, and a French cut beard. He has three scars on the left side of his neck supposedly from a dragon.
Description
Viggo possesses an extensive expertise on dragons that rivals, if not outshines Hiccup's. He often clashes with Hiccup and the riders over the Dragon Eye, which has belonged to his tribe for centuries. Unlike his brother, Ryker, he's very intelligent and incredibly devious. He often gets frustrated by Ryker's lack of vision and lack of finesse. Viggo is a master tactician, using his intellect to outwit his enemies and having dangerously uncanny foresight.
Viggo is willing to make sacrifices to get what he wants. He let his own men die from the Scourge of Odin just so he could capture the Buffalord. (Buffalord Soldier)
While Hiccup is an adversary, the two of them share a mutual respect and Viggo thinks of him as a worthy foe.[1] However, unlike Hiccup, Viggo has no sense of honor.
Abilities, Skills and Talents
Unlike his brother, Viggo does not like using strength to defeat his opponents but relies on his intelligence to find a path to victory, as he shown successfully.
Intelligence: Viggo is an extremely clever individual and noted by Hiccup as a master of deception who battles with his intellect. He is an expert at playing Maces & Talons, even managing to outwit Hiccup - though he admitted that Hiccup had exceeded his expectations and was a brilliant opponent. As an item belonging to his tribe, Viggo has intimate knowledge of the Dragon Eye and - by extension - dragons themselves, on par with Hiccup's.[2]
Dragon Hunting: Though he rarely puts himself in danger, Viggo is considered an elite Dragon Hunter, rivaled - and possibly surpassed - only by his older brother, Ryker.
Leadership: Despite being the younger brother, Viggo is the undisputed leader of the Dragon Hunters because of his cunning intellect and effective strategies. He always plans his moves before he makes them, often seeing his battles as a game of Maces and Talons. He leads Dragon Hunters with respect and fear.
Strength and Fighting Skills: Viggo is a skilled fighter as he managed to overpower Heather - a warrior on par with Astrid - effortlessly and with his bare hands. He carries a large sword on his back, which bears a slight resemblance to Hiccup's sword, Inferno. He shown his strength to be able to hold Heather easily but he was stated by his older brother, he is not strong as Ryker.
Dragon Information Controlled: He used the dragon eye to get a lot of information on dragons to control such as he was able to control the Shellfire by wrapping the dragons by ropes with a large boat, using large heavy hammers to control the vibrations of two Catastrophic Quaken's, and summoning a Submaripper by using the vibration of a dagger by dropping to the sea where it was located.
Relationships
Ryker Grimborn
| “ | Ryker has always been a bit jealous of the power structure among the Dragon Hunters and his role in that hierarchy. [src] | ” |
| — Viggo talking to Heather about his suspicion of Ryker being a traitor among them. |
Ryker is Viggo's older brother. Despite being younger, Viggo leads the Dragon Hunters. The reason why because when their father retired, they played a Maces and Talons game to see who become in charge, Viggo won so he became leader. He does appear to care for Ryker, despite giving him orders and shunning his ideas.[2] The two were allies until Ryker convinced the Dragon Hunters to betray Viggo and put him as a new chief of the Dragon Hunters.
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
| “ | Hiccup Haddock III I have enjoyed our time together. I do truly hope we are able to compete again. [src] | ” |
| — Viggo after taking the Dragon Eye |
As Hiccup's newest adversary, Viggo challenges him in ways he never has been before. He is impressed by the young Viking's intellect and sees him as a worthy opponent[2], unlike other villains Hiccup has faced.
Viggo tests Hiccup's intelligence, and even manipulates him to his advantage, leaving the young Viking extremely frustrated.
Heather
Viggo could tell right away that Heather was a spy, possibly because of Windshear. He used her not only to find the Flightmare, but to lure out the Dragon Riders. He did seem a bit disappointed that Heather was not a more worthy opponent. When she was captured, it is possible Viggo made arrangements to have Heather executed.[2]
Dagur the Deranged
Viggo treated Dagur the same as the Dragon Hunters. He was seen playing Maces and Talons with Dagur in the episode Maces and Talons, Part 2. While he did seem slightly impressed by Dagur's strategy, he still managed to win. It is unknown if Viggo is aware that Dagur freed Heather, but it is most likely, since he sent hunters to pursue Dagur.[3]
Quotes
| “ | They say there are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true, the other is to refuse to believe what is. [src] | ” |
| “ | Pieces, as with people, are expendable. No one is irreplaceable. [src] | ” |
| “ | Brilliant. Simply brilliant. That boy does know his dragons, I'll give him that. [src] | ” |
| “ | Stop thinking. All thinking has been done. You simply need to do what you're told; follow orders. Can you do that? [src] | ” |
| “ | Accepting defeat is the most difficult, but necessary part of competition, Hiccup! [src] | ” |
| “ | Fishlegs, I'm shocked. I'd have thought you were above name calling. 'Monster,' no. 'Savvy business man,' indeed. [src] | ” |
| “ | I tend not to dwell on the 'what ifs,' my boy. Leaves you barren. | ” |
| “ | I have no desire to rule the world like . . . some people. [src] | ” |
| “ | Time is of the essence, Hiccup. Peace can be such a fragile thing. [src] | ” |
Appearances
| Race to the Edge, Season 2 | |||||||||
| 1. "Team Astrid": | Absent | 8. "Edge of Disaster, Part 1": | Absent | ||||||
| 2. "Night of the Hunters, Part 1": | Absent | 9. "Edge of Disaster, Part 2": | Absent | ||||||
| 3. "Night of the Hunters, Part 2": | Absent | 10. "Shock and Awe": | Absent | ||||||
| 4. "Bad Moon Rising": | Absent | 11. "A Time to Skrill": | Absent | ||||||
| 5. "Snotlout Gets the Axe": | Absent | 12. "Maces and Talons, Part 1": | Appears | ||||||
| 6. "The Zippleback Experience": | Absent | 13. "Maces and Talons, Part 2": | Appears | ||||||
| 7. "Snow Way Out": | Absent | ||||||||
| Race to the Edge, Season 3 | |||||||||
| 1. "Enemy of My Enemy": | Absent | 8. "Stryke Out": | Absent | ||||||
| 2. "Crash Course": | Absent | 9. "Tone Death": | Absent | ||||||
| 3. "Follow the Leader": | Absent | 10. "Between a Rock and a Hard Place": | Appears | ||||||
| 4. "Turn and Burn": | Absent | 11. "Family on the Edge": | Absent | ||||||
| 5. "Buffalord Soldier": | Appears | 12. "Last Auction Heroes": | Appears | ||||||
| 6. "A Grim Retreat": | Absent | 13. "Defenders of the Wing, Part 1": | Appears | ||||||
| 7. "To Heather or Not to Heather": | Absent | ||||||||
| Race to the Edge, Season 4 | |||||||||
| 1. "Defenders of the Wing, Part 2": | Appears | 8. "Gold Rush": | Appears | ||||||
| 2. "Gruff Around the Edges": | Absent | 9. "Out of the Frying Pan": | Absent | ||||||
| 3. "Midnight Scrum": | Appears | 10. "Twintuition": | Appears | ||||||
| 4. "Not Lout": | Absent | 11. "Blindsided": | Absent | ||||||
| 5. "Saving Shattermaster": | Absent | 12. "Shell Shocked, Part 1": | Appears | ||||||
| 6. "Dire Straits": | Appears | 13. "Shell Shocked, Part 2": | Appears | ||||||
| 7. "The Longest Day": | Absent | ||||||||
Trivia
- The name "Viggo" means "war" or "battle."
- Unlike all the other villains in the franchise, Viggo is more relaxed when the situation is not under control.
- Viggo bears a strong resemblance to Maxim Horvath, a villain who was also played by Molina in The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
- Coincidentally, Jay Baruchel also starred in this movie, and it premiered the same year as How to Train Your Dragon.
- In both films he also plays the enemy of Jay Baruchel's character and at one point holds his girlfriend hostage in exchange for an important item.
- Viggo has some similarities with Excellinor.
- Both of them have a relative that Hiccup has encountered before them. They are also the true masterminds.
- They both have outsmarted Hiccup several times, as well as obtaining objects in his possession.
- They both have an interest in certain games.
- Both of them have seemingly fell to their deaths while their relatives were killed by dragons.
- Since Viggo is the leader of the Dragon Hunters, and he describes the Dragon Eye as "something that has belonged to my tribe for generations", he may be a chief. Further supporting this theory is the fact that he and his grandfather often played Maces and Talons together, which was designed for future chiefs.[2]
- In almost every situation, his face bears a rather neutral expression, with the occasional smile or glare, reflecting his cool and collected nature. The only true exception seen so far is when he promises to sell or kill every dragon alive, as he snarls his words and bears a vicious expression. Even when ordering Dagur to do as he is told, his voice remains neutral, only louder.
- Viggo is revealed to be left-handed, as he uses his left hand to sign on the map.[4] This makes him the second left-handed character in the franchise, the first being Hiccup.
- Alfred Molina uses the same voice for Viggo as the Multi-Bear from Gravity Falls, albeit with a calmer and more "cultured" accent.
- Viggo and Ryker's last name, Grimborn, might be an allusion to Grimbeard the Ghastly from the books. For Viggo's part, Grimbeard was deceivingly cunning, almost manipulative in his clues he left behind.
- Viggo is the only main villain whose goal was never to capture or kill Hiccup until Season 4
- Viggo's face has somewhat feminine features, including his full lips and large shadowy eyes.
- Viggo is arguably the second most evil villain in the franchise, behind Drago Bludvist, due to his goal of wiping out all dragons for profit. However, Drago Bludvist can be considered the more vile villain due to his larger goal of ruling the world and Viggo's more honorable nature detracts from his malevolence. Despite this, Viggo is probably the smartest and most dangerous foe that Hiccup and the Riders have faced, having manipulated and outsmarted Hiccup many more times than all his other foes in the franchise.
- Viggo Grimborn may have met or had dealings with Drago Bludvist at some point in his life, as evidenced by his quote "I'm not interested in taking over the world, unlike some people." If this is true, then it may be that several of Drago Bludvist's dragons might have been sold to him by Viggo. As one of Drago's men shows up at Viggo's auction, this is quite plausible.
- Following Dagur's reformation, Viggo appears to have taken over as Hiccup's archenemy.
References
External Link
Viggo Grimborn. (Copyright - 2019). Viking Guide.
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