Let's talk Hiccup. You know, from How to Train Your Dragon? The skinny Viking who befriends a dragon? Yeah, him. Specifically, let's talk about how old he REALLY is.
Officially, the internet says he's 15 in the first movie. Then 20 in the second. And 21 in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Okay, sure.
But Wait, There's More! (Maybe)
But, and this is a big BUT, I'm not entirely convinced. My unpopular opinion? He seems... older. Hear me out.
Fifteen-year-olds are usually awkward. In the gangly, voice-cracking, can't-hold-a-conversation kind of way. Hiccup *is* awkward, granted. But he's also surprisingly insightful.
He's got this witty sarcasm. He's inventing things. And he's reasoning with Vikings who mostly communicate through yelling. That's some serious maturity for a supposed teenager.
Exhibit A: His Inventing Skills
Let's be real. A 15-year-old building complex prosthetic limbs? Unlikely! I mean, I was mostly concerned with video games at that age. And maybe avoiding chores.
He designs a saddle for Toothless. He builds all sorts of contraptions. It feels more like the hobby of a particularly driven, maybe *slightly* older, young adult. Someone with a few years of tinkering under his belt.
Exhibit B: His Relationship With His Dad
Stoick is a tough guy. A classic Viking dad. Yet, Hiccup manages to argue with him. He stands his ground. He even changes Stoick's mind!
Try arguing with *your* dad (or a comparable authority figure) when you were 15. It probably ended with you grounded. Hiccup's got negotiation skills. A sign of age (or at least, extreme cleverness).
The Verdict? My Hot Take
So, here's my slightly-out-there theory. I think Hiccup is mentally and emotionally closer to 17 or 18 in the first movie.
Maybe the Vikings age differently? Or maybe it's just movie magic. Whatever the reason, he definitely seems wiser than your average freshman.
And by the time he's chief? I'd buy that he's a seasoned, slightly weary 21. He's been through a LOT, after all. Leading Vikings and battling villains ages a person.
Look, I'm not saying the filmmakers are wrong. Maybe I'm just projecting my own (cough) *experience* onto a cartoon character.
But next time you watch How to Train Your Dragon, really *look* at Hiccup. Does he strike you as a standard 15-year-old? Or does he have the aura of someone who's seen a little more, thought a little harder?
Perhaps it's just his destiny to be a great leader, making him wise beyond his years. Or maybe, just maybe, he's a sneaky 17-year-old pretending to be 15. The world may never know for sure.
What do you think? Am I totally off base? Or is there something to this "Hiccup's older than he looks" theory? Let's debate!
