Best Movies like How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

The Iron Giant, like How to Train Your Dragon, centers on a friendship between a young outsider and a misunderstood creature that transforms both their lives, exploring themes of compassion, courage, and the challenge of going against societal expectations about fearsome beings.

In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices. The Iron Giant is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 8.0 by 6,280 people. The movie made an estimated total of $23,300,000 in the box office.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron features a young protagonist who forms a deep bond with a powerful non-human companion, focusing on their shared journey of freedom and understanding, echoing themes of companionship and personal growth found in How to Train Your Dragon.

A captured mustang remains determined to return to his herd no matter what. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.7 by 4,975 people. The movie made an estimated total of $122,563,539 in the box office.

Bumblebee explores the growing connection between a young person and an unlikely, misunderstood creature, mirroring How to Train Your Dragon’s dynamic of overcoming initial mistrust and forging a friendship that challenges the world around them.

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary yellow VW bug. Bumblebee is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.7 by 6,727 people. The movie made an estimated total of $467,989,645 in the box office.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial follows a story of a child befriending and protecting an extraordinary being, paralleling How to Train Your Dragon’s narrative about empathy, bridging differences, and forming transformative bonds beyond human boundaries.

An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 7.5 by 12,135 people. The movie made an estimated total of $797,307,407 in the box office.

In Pete's Dragon, the narrative centers on the hidden friendship between a boy and a dragon, with both stories involving secret bonds, themes of acceptance, and the struggle to protect those who are feared by society.

For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace, who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales... until she meets Pete, a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete's descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham's stories. With the help of Natalie, an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon. Pete's Dragon is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 43m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 6.4 by 2,348 people. The movie made an estimated total of $143,695,338 in the box office.

The Water Horse tells of a boy discovering and befriending a mythical creature, much like Hiccup’s relationship with Toothless, focusing on adventure, secrets, and the deep connection that develops between a human and an extraordinary beast.

A lonely boy discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Scottish legend. The Water Horse is a movie from New Zealand in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 6.5 by 1,164 people. The movie made an estimated total of $103,967,384 in the box office.

Ernest & Celestine explores an unlikely, heartwarming friendship between two characters from different worlds, emphasizing acceptance, breaking social boundaries, and challenging the prejudices of their respective communities, as seen in How to Train Your Dragon.

Celestine is a little mouse trying to avoid a dental career while Ernest is a big bear craving an artistic outlet. When Celestine meets Ernest, they overcome their natural enmity by forging a life of crime together. Ernest & Celestine is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 20m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.8 by 701 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,170,333 in the box office.

My Neighbor Totoro offers a gentle story about children discovering and bonding with magical creatures, delving into themes of family and wonder, much like the discovery, friendship, and personal growth in How to Train Your Dragon.

Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her. My Neighbor Totoro is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 1988 with an average rating of 8.1 by 8,950 people. The movie made an estimated total of $41,000,000 in the box office.

The Boy and the Beast brings to life an adventure in which a young protagonist forms a deep mentor-mentee bond with a mystical creature, paralleling How to Train Your Dragon’s narrative of self-discovery shaped by unconventional friendships.

Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures. The Boy and the Beast is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.9 by 1,627 people. The movie made an estimated total of $49,714,378 in the box office.

The Good Dinosaur shares with How to Train Your Dragon a coming-of-age arc where a young character forms an emotional bond with an unexpected companion, spotlighting trust, courage, and overcoming adversity in a richly animated world.

An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. The Good Dinosaur is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 6.7 by 6,091 people. The movie made an estimated total of $332,207,671 in the box office.

Abominable tells the story of a young hero befriending a misunderstood creature from myth, with the adventure focusing on connection, empathy, and the journey to help their new friend, echoing the core relationship in How to Train Your Dragon.

A group of misfits encounter a young Yeti named Everest, and they set off to reunite the magical creature with his family on the mountain of his namesake. Abominable is a movie from China in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 7.5 by 2,204 people. The movie made an estimated total of $190,304,772 in the box office.

Kubo and the Two Strings, set in a fantastical world, charts a young protagonist’s quest for identity guided by magical companions, reflecting How to Train Your Dragon's blend of animated adventure, family legacy, and creature friendship.

Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers. Kubo and the Two Strings is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.6 by 3,867 people. The movie made an estimated total of $76,249,438 in the box office.

The Secret of NIMH involves a protagonist stepping outside their comfort zone to face dangers and challenge expectations, mirroring the journey of courage and growth seen in How to Train Your Dragon, set within the animation and family genres.

A widowed field mouse must move her family -- including an ailing son -- to escape a farmer's plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of superintelligent, escaped lab rats, the brave mother struggles to transplant her home to firmer ground. The Secret of NIMH is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 7.4 by 962 people. The movie made an estimated total of $14,665,733 in the box office.

Brave features a young character navigating family expectations and discovering inner strength amid magical circumstances, sharing the family, fantasy, and adventure elements central to How to Train Your Dragon’s coming-of-age tale.

In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida's quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom's three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin, the surly Lord Macintosh, and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall. Brave is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.0 by 14,328 people. The movie made an estimated total of $538,983,207 in the box office.

Dragonslayer delves into the theme of confronting dragons in a fantasy setting, aligning with the exploration of the human-dragon relationship and the shifting perceptions of these legendary creatures seen in How to Train Your Dragon.

A sorcerer and his apprentice are on a mission to kill an evil dragon to save the King’s daughter from being sacrificed according to a pact that the King himself made with the dragon to protect his kingdom. Dragonslayer is a movie from in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 6.6 by 324 people. The movie made an estimated total of $14,110,013 in the box office.

Moana’s story of a young person venturing beyond their familiar world to break with tradition and embrace a heroic journey resembles the adventurous spirit and personal transformation at the heart of How to Train Your Dragon.

In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right. Moana is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 47m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.6 by 13,894 people. The movie made an estimated total of $690,860,472 in the box office.

The Black Stallion, like How to Train Your Dragon, centers on the profound bond between a youth and a powerful animal, focusing on mutual trust, survival, and the transformative power of interspecies friendship set against a backdrop of awe and adventure.

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a deserted island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once successful trainer. Together they begin training the horse to race against the fastest ones in the world. The Black Stallion is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 1979 with an average rating of 7.0 by 328 people. The movie made an estimated total of $37,799,643 in the box office.

Ponyo tells of a child’s enchanting friendship with a magical, non-human companion, and their adventures together, echoing How to Train Your Dragon’s themes of acceptance, wonder, and discovering a hidden world through a unique bond.

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea. Ponyo is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 7.8 by 4,894 people. The movie made an estimated total of $202,404,009 in the box office.

Wolfwalkers explores the connection and empathy between humans and mythical creatures in a fantasy landscape, reflecting similar themes of understanding, transformation, and interspecies relationships found in How to Train Your Dragon.

In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy. Wolfwalkers is a movie from Ireland in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 8.2 by 1,424 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,310,720 in the box office.

Brother Bear follows a journey of self-discovery sparked by a magical transformation and a new found friendship with a creature, blending family, adventure, and coming-of-age dynamics resonant with How to Train Your Dragon.

When an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically transformed into a bear, he must literally walk in another's footsteps until he learns some valuable life lessons. His courageous and often zany journey introduces him to a forest full of wildlife, including the lovable bear cub Koda, hilarious moose Rutt and Tuke, woolly mammoths and rambunctious rams. Brother Bear is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 25m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 7.3 by 5,819 people. The movie made an estimated total of $250,397,798 in the box office.

Okko's Inn shares a focus on a young protagonist navigating personal loss and growth through encounters with non-human companions, echoing How to Train Your Dragon’s journey of resilience, understanding, and moving beyond initial fears.

12-year-old Oriko Seki, who lost her parents in a car accident, ended up living in her grandmother's Onsen Ryokan "Haru no Ya." With the ghost "Uribou" cohabitating with her and all the other odds, she ended up training to be a young female innkeeper. At first, she didn't like the training, but gradually felt her admiration for her title and began to train seriously. Thus, the growth of the young warrior Oriko begins. Okko's Inn is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.2 by 125 people. The movie made an estimated total of $293,385 in the box office.

Song of the Sea immerses viewers in a magical adventure where siblings encounter mystical beings, weaving together fantasy, family, and personal growth—themes central to How to Train Your Dragon’s appeal.

The story of the last Seal Child’s journey home. After their mother’s disappearance, Ben and Saoirse are sent to live with Granny in the city. When they resolve to return to their home by the sea, their journey becomes a race against time as they are drawn into a world Ben knows only from his mother’s folktales. But this is no bedtime story; these fairy folk have been in our world far too long. It soon becomes clear to Ben that Saoirse is the key to their survival. Song of the Sea is a movie from Ireland in English, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 8.0 by 1,604 people. The movie made an estimated total of $857,522 in the box office.

Bigfoot Family features an outsider protagonist developing an alliance with a legendary creature, focusing on adventure, family ties, and the challenges of protecting someone misunderstood by the outside world, much like How to Train Your Dragon.

Bigfoot, Adam's father, wants to use his fame for a good cause. Protecting a large wildlife reserve in Alaska sounds like the perfect opportunity! When Bigfoot mysteriously disappears without a trace, Adam and his animal friends will brave anything to find him again and save the nature reserve. Bigfoot Family is a movie from Belgium in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 7.1 by 240 people. The movie made an estimated total of $10,855,626 in the box office.

Castle in the Sky presents a fantastical, animated adventure where young heroes discover powerful secrets, forge strong friendships, and embark on a journey that challenges authority, aligning with How to Train Your Dragon’s core storytelling elements.

A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle. Castle in the Sky is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 8.0 by 4,736 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,228,752 in the box office.

Paddington involves an unlikely friendship between a young protagonist and a gentle, misunderstood creature, spotlighting the comedy, warmth, and family acceptance themes that also enrich How to Train Your Dragon.

A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven. Paddington is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 35m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.1 by 4,298 people. The movie made an estimated total of $333,960,862 in the box office.

The Last Unicorn brings to life a tale of a magical creature seeking belonging while transforming the lives of those around her, paralleling the fantastical setting and themes of friendship found in How to Train Your Dragon.

A unicorn learns from a riddle-speaking butterfly that she is supposedly the last of her kind, all the others having been herded away by the monstrous Red Bull. The unicorn sets out to discover the truth behind the butterfly's words. She is eventually joined on her quest by Schmendrick, a second-rate magician, and Molly Grue, a middle-aged woman who dreamed all her life of seeing a unicorn. Their journey leads them far from home, all the way to the castle of King Haggard. The Last Unicorn is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 7.3 by 605 people. The movie made an estimated total of $6,455,530 in the box office.

Stardust offers a fantasy adventure centered on a quest for acceptance and love, set against an imaginative world with magical beings, echoing the blend of self-discovery and whimsical adventure present in How to Train Your Dragon.

In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm. His journey takes him into a world beyond his wildest dreams and reveals his true identity. Stardust is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.3 by 4,521 people. The movie made an estimated total of $137,500,000 in the box office.

Princess Mononoke tells of the collision and eventual understanding between humans and mystical creatures, exploring themes of coexistence with nature and challenging old prejudices, central to How to Train Your Dragon’s narrative.

Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict. Princess Mononoke is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 14m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 8.3 by 9,151 people. The movie made an estimated total of $176,506,186 in the box office.

The NeverEnding Story features a young hero swept into a magical world where friendship with fantastical creatures drives the adventure, mirroring the narrative of personal growth and forging extraordinary bonds in How to Train Your Dragon.

While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing. The NeverEnding Story is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 7.2 by 4,443 people. The movie made an estimated total of $20,158,808 in the box office.

The Flight of Dragons centers on the intersection of myth and reality, exploring human-dragon relationships and quests that reshape perceptions, much like the way How to Train Your Dragon challenges assumptions about legendary creatures.

The realm of magic is being threatened by the realm of logic, so the green wizard, Carolinus, decides to shield it for all time. Ommadon, the evil red wizard, stands in his way. Carolinus then calls for a quest that is to be led by a man named Peter Dickinson, who is the first man of both the realms of science and magic. It is Peter's job to defeat Ommadon. The Flight of Dragons is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 6.7 by 114 people.

The Secret World of Arrietty presents the story of discovery and friendship between a human and a mysterious, hidden being, exploring themes of trust, fear of the unknown, and forging bonds across divides seen in How to Train Your Dragon.

14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty. The Secret World of Arrietty is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 7.7 by 3,229 people. The movie made an estimated total of $149,660,003 in the box office.