The Untrainable Dragon Review

Toothless and the rest of the gang star in the best show at Epic Universe

I'm a simple guy. I see dragon in the title, I give it a high score.

The Untrainable Dragon could be considered Epic Universe’s top show and a must-see on your first visit. This live show actually debuted at Universal Beijing a few years ago and follows the adventures of Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, and Gobber as they try to solve the mystery of the Untrainable Dragon. What mystery is that? Well, you'll have to head to Epic Universe and figure it out for yourself.

This is a beautiful stage show that features a good mix of live actors, puppets, impressive sets, and costumes. It reminds me a bit of Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom, but I have to say that The Untrainable Dragon is better and feels more “mature” as well, if that makes sense. The show also only lasts 20 minutes, which is a perfect runtime for a theme park performance and a great way to relax and stretch your legs after lunch.

What we like about The Untrainable Dragon

I love that Universal really went all out with this show and didn’t cut any corners. The stage is huge, and several actors share it with dragon puppets, singers, and even props that resemble catapults and other things Vikings might use. Everyone stays in character, wearing beautiful costumes that really add to the atmosphere.

The puppets are the real stars of the show. They look incredible and come in all sizes, from small, happy-looking dragons to massive ones that nearly fill the entire stage and feel like they came straight out of Game of Thrones with how intimidating they are. They also move with a fluidity that’s rare to see. Wings go one way, heads turn another, legs have their own movement, and even their facial expressions change. How Universal pulled this off, I have no idea.

You might have seen the awesome Toothless puppet flying above the crowd in videos online. He looks incredibly charming, and he’s so big that a real Hiccup actually rides on his back. Toothless moves his tail, head, wings, and even blinks at the audience before landing in such a majestic and lifelike way on the stage that you know you’ll want to head straight to his meet and greet the moment the show ends.

Not only are the puppets great, but the transition from the screen in the background to physical props also looks pretty good. The screens are high definition and used in smart ways to follow the storyline. This includes a scene with fire burning up gates when the Untrainable Dragon is being… well… untrainable, beautiful vistas when Toothless is flying around and even a pretty cool lightning storm. The screen is also never overused, so it never is “too much” to the point that it’s getting in the way of the narrative. I love that the framerate is also top notch and looks incredibly smooth. Seriously, I need a screen like that one to play some of my PC games.

What we don’t like about The Untrainable Dragon

There’s really nothing to dislike about this show. It’s very well done, incredibly charming and cute, with amazing visuals. There’s a lot going on at once, though, and sometimes one or two shows a day can get cancelled if a prop isn’t working properly or if the system that carries Toothless around bugs out. My recommendation? Catch a midday show, so if it gets cancelled, you still have a chance to see a later performance.

Conclusion

The Untrainable Dragon is the best show at Epic Universe. It’s a big mix of songs, dancing, set pieces, puppetry, and screen effects that come together to tell a really cool story without dragging on. Make sure to check it out at least once, you won’t be disappointed.

The Untrainable Dragon FAQ

Where is The Untrainable Dragon located?

The Untrainable Dragon is located inside The Isle of Berk at Epic Universe. Want to know how to train your own dragon? Click that Request a Quote button and let’s talk!