EXCLUSIVE: Hiccup Takes on the Sentinels in ‘Dragons: Race to the Edge’ Clip

Lawrence Yee
TV Animation
TV Animation

Three flying dragons engaged in an epic battle?

No, we’re not talking about THAT show. We’re talking about Netflix’s Dragons: Race to the Edge.

The series — based off the hit DreamWorks film How to Train Your Dragon — returns with its Season 5 premiere this Friday. FANDOM has an exclusive preview of a battle between the Dragon Riders and Sentinels. We also spoke to actor Zack Pearlman — who voices fan favorite Snotlout — about what to expect.

In the scene, which you can watch above, the Riders’ escape from the Dragon Graveyard is cut short when the stony Sentinels come to life and attack. The riders are buffeted by the powerful gusts generated by the Sentinel’s wings and thrown to the ground.

“Those scenes are the most fun to record,” Pearlman explained. “You only have a brief understanding of what’s going on. And you get to go with it.” Because the voice actors work off of scripts, the animation sometimes changes based on their improvisation. “We have a lot of fun with screams and moans,” Pearlman joked about the fight sequences.

Snotlout’s Change of Character

Dragons: Race to the Edge
Snotlout embarks on some high-flying adventures in Season 5.

Pearlman also talked about his character Snotlout maturing as the season goes by. “It’s been really amazing having writers explore where Snotlout is coming from — his dad issues –because he’s a very empathetic person,” he explained. “All of his anger and apathy comes from a place of pain.”

This season, viewers will Snoutlout have empathy for some characters he didn’t have previously and apathy for others. That’s all part of his character growth, Pearlman explained, before reminding us “he’s still a bully.” However, Pearlman hopes by the show’s end that Snoutlout will “find a place of self-love.”

Snotlout isn’t the only character evolving in Season 5, as new allies and foes come forward.

From the official synopsis:

After defeating Viggo and destroying the Dragon Eye, the calm doesn’t last long as Hiccup learns the Hunters remain a threat led by a new villain who can control Dragons! Now, Hiccup, Toothless and the Riders must battle the Hunters like never before with help from new and old allies. But after a series of shocking revelations, Hiccup learns that the true leader of the Dragon Hunters is somebody he never expected who threatens the course of the dragon-kind forever! The race is on for the Riders to defeat the Hunters once and for all before it’s too late, only on Netflix August 25!

There will also be a few surprise guests (former stars included Mark Hamill and Alfred Molina). Pearlman’s favorite? Mae Whitman aka Heather.

Check out the trailer below and the new season starting Friday:

Lawrence Yee
Lawrence is Editor in Chief of FANDOM. He grew up loving X-Men, Transformers, and Japanese-style role playing games like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. First-person shooters make him incredibly nauseous.