Berk's Dragon Training Academy



Berk's Dragon Training Academy (usually referred to as the Berk Dragon Academy, or simply Dragon Academy) is an academy that teaches the Dragon Riders about general dragon knowledge and how to become better dragon trainers. The sessions are run by Hiccup and held in the old arena, where they once used to fight dragons. The entrance to the academy has a symbol featuring a stylized picture of Toothless. This is the same symbol used to represent the Strike Class of dragons.

Academy Members
The main dragon trainers are:
 * Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III - Strike Class specialist and leader
 * Astrid Hofferson - Sharp Class specialist and Second in Command
 * Ruffnut Thorston - Fear Class specialist
 * Tuffnut Thorston - Fear Class specialist
 * Snotlout Jorgenson - Stoker Class specialist
 * Fishlegs Ingerman - Boulder Class specialist and Log Master
 * Gustav Larson (Honorary)
 * Ryouma - Berk's Dragon Training Academy Dragonland Station
 * Yona - Deliver Berk's Dragon Training Academy

Design
The arena is carved into the rocky ground, with a wooden platform on the outside. There is also a net covering the arena to keep dragons from flying away. Several dragon pens are built underneath the wooden watching platform outlining the arena.

Training Arena
Until the events of the first film, this academy was used in order to train young vikings to fight dragons. As seen in the film, they are given specific weapons (such as shields during Gronckle lesson), the dragons are freed and the vikings must figure out a way to defeat them. An adult viking (such as Gobber in the first film) will stay outside the arena and give them advice or information of the dragon. The best vikings during the lessons will be given a final test, and the winner will have the honor to kill a dragon, specifically the Monstrous Nightmare.

However, after viking learnt to live in peace with dragons, this training program no longer functioned. Instead, it was used as an academy for battle training.

Academic Space
When not used for training, the academy is also used as a school. So far, only the dragon riders held classes here. While Hiccup usually acts as a teacher, Gobber also held a lesson once about dragon traps.

Meeting Place
While the Great Hall usually is the meeting place of the village, the academy is also used for this purpose, such as at its inauguration.

Event Venue
The Thawfest Games are annually held in the academy. For this, the metal roof is removed for a bigger space. The first Dragon Race started and finished at the academy.

How to Train Your Dragon
It was used as a dragon killing academy for Viking teens

Dragons: Riders of Berk
In "How to Start a Dragon Academy", when the dragons are causing havoc and are a nuisance to the villagers. Hiccup comes up with a plan that includes training dragons. He takes up the arena where they once used to fight dragons (without the permission of his father) and starts the training. He tells the gang that the dragons are out of control and they have to do something about it. Hiccup demonstrates with Toothless, showing how to make a dragon drop food that he is not supposed to have; by scratching their chin and gently taking the food item away.

Later, the dragons are ordered to be locked up in the arena. Just after the dragons are almost locked up, Hiccup arrives on Toothless, saying that they are not locking them up (this too, without his father's permission). Instead he comes up with an idea that involves using dragon's nature in their every day life.

This idea works out very well but Hiccup's father, Stoick discovers them. Foreseeing their troubles, the gang (with their dragons in cages)  stand in the arena, surrounded by the villagers. Stoick and Gobber approach them, seemingly furious. Stoick tells them that things are going to change since they took the arena without asking him, but Gobber interrupts him, saying that they are getting a Dragon Training Academy. Stoick, despite being mad at Gobber for not letting him break the news, tells them that they have all made him very proud. He opens the cage where the dragons were kept, saying that the Dragon Training Academy was now for them officially opening the Berk Dragon Training Academy.

In "Viking for Hire", Hiccup is then seen running a session in the academy. He is conducting a quiz, asking questions related to the dragons abilities. Gobber, who is out of job now, is brought to the academy, as Hiccup thinks that he may be of some use, especially since Gobber knows a lot about dragons. But Gobber doesn't seem to work out, as he comes out as awkward and silly. He comes in to the academy with all his dragon killing weapons, and when questioned why he brought them, replies that he thought maybe they could train the dragons by threatening to kill them. The dragons, on seeing the weapons, become extremely frightened and take off immediately. Later, Gobber comes in with some new saddles that he has made for the gang to ride on their dragons. But these saddles are very extraordinary, as Gobber has fitted trumpets, catapults, flamethrower etc. on the saddles. Later Stoick comes and remarks that this place looked better when they were fighting dragons. Gobber becomes a dragon dentist later in the episode.

In "The Terrible Twos", Hiccup and the other trainers studied a new dragon, a Typhoomerang named Torch.

In "In Dragons We Trust", Barf and Belch are found sleeping in the Arena under a pile of the village's boots the morning after Boot Night. They are subsequently blamed for stealing all the boots in the village. Later, after it appears that Hookfang vandalized the Great Hall, Stoick orders the dragons to be locked in the Arena each night rather than roaming the village.

In "How to Pick Your Dragon", Hiccup and the other trainers showed Stoick the various types of dragons found on Berk, describing their special features and behavior. Hiccup then oversaw the training of a rogue Thunderdrum that Stoick took as his own dragon.

in "Heather Report, Part 1", following the theft of the Book of Dragons by Heather, Hiccup and the trainers then worked on their dragons defensive/offensive attacks.

In "Thawfest", the Academy served as the main area for the Thawfest Games.

Dragons: Defenders of Berk
In "Zippleback Down", Gobber teaches the riders about dragon traps and how to disable them in the academy.

In "A View to a Skrill, Part 1", after finding an iced Skrill, the dragon riders brought the dragon to the academy, where they studied it. However, Snotlout and the twins freed it and it flew out of the academy.

In "The Flight Stuff", Snotlout trained Gustav in the academy in order for Gustav to become a dragon rider. Meanwhile, the other riders studied Dagur's attacks in the academy, too.

In "Frozen", Hiccup and the other trainers were grounded when a big freeze came to Berk.

In "Worst in Show", the riders have a competition of the Best Dragon Trainer in the academy. They train some Terrible Terrors and show off their tricks there.

Later, in "Cast Out, Part 1", Dagur the Deranged and his Berserkers attempt to use Dragon Root, and put it in the Academy by make the dragons attack each other, but it fails and Stoick is taken by Dagur and Savage.

Dawn of the Dragon Racers
The Academy served as the starting point for the Dragon Races. Following that, Snotlout then perfected his Sheep Launcher for the races.

Dragons: Race to the Edge
In "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 1", three years after the end of the First Berserker War, Hiccup closed down the academy. Later in the episode, the gang along with Johann discuss the problem about Dagur.

In "Crushing It, it was used for storage and Stoick used it to practice his axe-throwing.

In "Team Astrid, Astrid used the Academy to train a Dragon Riders' Auxiliary of back-up riders.

It was used by the Dragon Riders during "The Wings of War, Part 1" in order to train before going to battle against the Dragon Flyers.

When Hiccup returns to Berk in "The Wings of War, Part 2", he finds Gustav at the academy.

School of Dragons
The acdemy can be found at the location called "Training Grounds", near the school. There, players can practice their shooting in "Fireball Frenzy", a game in which you have to shoot the enemies, but not the allies.

Dragons: Rise of Berk
The academy is a game mechanic to where the player sends the dragons to be trained. The academy must constantly be upgraded in order to train dragons to a higher level. There is also a premium upgrade which costs runes that allows the player to train multiple dragons at once.