← Back to show
Dragons: The Nine Realms - How to Train Jörmungandr (S8E1)
Tom attempts to defeat the World Serpent by emulating Hiccup.
| Runtime (min) | 23 |
|---|---|
| TMDB Rating | 10.0 (1 votes) |
| Air Date | 2023-12-14 |
| Genres | Animation, Action & Adventure |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7-FV |
| Network(s) | Hulu, Peacock |
Storyline
In this season premiere, Tom Kullersen faces his most daunting challenge yet: the World Serpent, a massive dragon known in Norse mythology as Jörmungandr. Drawing inspiration from the legendary dragon rider Hiccup Haddock, Tom decides to approach the seemingly untrainable beast not with force, but with understanding and patience. The episode centers on Tom's attempts to connect with the colossal serpent, applying the lessons he's learned throughout his journey in the Hidden World while grappling with the scale and danger of this particular dragon.
As Tom works to earn the World Serpent's trust, he must balance his determination to succeed with the very real risks involved in approaching such a powerful creature. His friends watch anxiously as he puts Hiccup's philosophy to the ultimate test, questioning whether the methods that worked for smaller dragons can truly apply to a beast of mythological proportions. The episode explores themes of legacy, courage, and the belief that even the most fearsome creatures can be reached through empathy and respect.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children about the power of approaching difficult challenges with patience and empathy rather than aggression. Tom's decision to emulate Hiccup demonstrates the value of learning from mentors and applying their wisdom to new situations. Young viewers see that even when facing something enormous and frightening, taking time to understand rather than immediately reacting with fear can lead to better outcomes.
The storyline also reinforces lessons about courage and calculated risk-taking. Tom doesn't recklessly charge at the World Serpent, but instead carefully considers his approach while acknowledging the danger. Children learn that bravery isn't the absence of fear, but rather the willingness to face challenges thoughtfully despite being afraid. The episode shows that respecting the power and nature of something dangerous is compatible with attempting to connect with it.
Additionally, the episode explores the concept of legacy and how the actions of those who came before us can inspire and guide our own choices. Tom's admiration for Hiccup motivates him to be his best self, teaching children that heroes can serve as positive role models whose values we can adapt to our own circumstances.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the World Serpent too scary for younger children? | The World Serpent is portrayed as an imposing, massive dragon that represents a significant threat, which may be intense for very young or sensitive viewers. However, the episode focuses more on Tom's thoughtful approach to the challenge rather than graphic confrontation. The tension comes from the scale of the creature and the stakes involved rather than explicit violence. Parents know their children best and can gauge whether the mythological-sized dragon will be exciting or overwhelming based on how their child has handled previous episodes. |
| What is the connection to Hiccup that Tom is following? | Hiccup Haddock is the legendary dragon rider from the original How to Train Your Dragon story, set 1,300 years before The Nine Realms. Tom looks up to Hiccup as a hero who proved that dragons could be befriended rather than fought. In this episode, Tom specifically tries to apply Hiccup's philosophy of patience, understanding, and empathy when approaching the World Serpent. This callback reinforces the franchise's core message about choosing compassion over conflict. |
| Does Tom succeed in training the World Serpent? | The episode focuses on Tom's attempt to connect with Jörmungandr using Hiccup's methods of patience and understanding. While the overview indicates Tom is working to defeat or manage the threat the serpent poses, the specific outcome of his efforts and whether he fully trains the creature would require watching the episode. The emphasis is on his approach and determination rather than guaranteed success, which itself teaches children about perseverance. |
| Is there educational content about Norse mythology in this episode? | The episode incorporates Jörmungandr, the World Serpent from Norse mythology, which can spark children's interest in ancient stories and cultures. While the show takes creative liberties by presenting the serpent as a dragon, the reference provides an opportunity for parents to discuss Norse myths with their children. Parents might use this as a jumping-off point to explore the original legends, explaining how storytellers across time have reimagined mythological creatures in new ways. |
| What message does this send about handling dangerous situations? | The episode balances showing courage with demonstrating thoughtful caution. Tom doesn't ignore the danger of the World Serpent but approaches it with a strategy based on understanding rather than recklessness. This models for children that facing fears doesn't mean being careless, and that empathy can be a strength even in challenging situations. Parents can reinforce that while Tom's dragon-training context is fantastical, the principle of thinking before acting applies to real-world challenges children face. |
Writing
—
Directing
—
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Moving to an exotic new home, an adventurous teenager meets a new group of kids and discovers a dragon in the fissure. |
| 1 | 2 | Tom forges a friendship with the dragon and discovers an entire world of dragons within the fissure. |
| 1 | 3 | Tom and Jun encounter unexpected dangers and are separated while exploring the Hidden Realm of dragons. Tom introduces Jun to the dragon world, and Jun bonds with a dragon of her own – Wu and Wei. |
| 1 | 4 | Tom and Jun take a risk in revealing the secret of the Hidden Realm to D’Angelo to aid an injured dragon, and D’Angelo bonds with Plowhorn. |
| 1 | 5 | Tom and the others debate how to keep the dragons a secret, even as a rambunctious young “cloaking” dragon gets loose in town and pursues a friendship with a Alex. |
| 1 | 6 | Tom and the Riders try to save ICARIS when it's revealed to be in danger from a monstrous dragon. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Jun breaks the rules by sneaking a small, adorable dragon out of the Crystal Realm and bringing it home, but finds that her older brother, Eugene, has arrived and watches her every move. |
| 2 | 2 | Tom has to keep his mom, Olivia, distracted while Jun, Alex, and D’Angelo use a new dragon to close off a cave leading to the Crystal Realm, and prevent her from discovering the dragons. |
| 2 | 3 | When Feather is taken by a group of what appear to be zombie dragons, Alex finds her inner hero and rescues her friend. |
| 2 | 4 | Tom and Thunder train a new species of aggressive tidal dragons to help the other riders put out a forest fire threatening ICARIS. |
| 2 | 5 | Tom and D’Angelo must come together to help Alex and Jun escape the clutches of the Spiderwings. |
| 2 | 6 | Tom and the riders go in search of Thunder and must face a gauntlet of dangerous dragons to find their lost friend. Along the way, Tom reveals his big secret to D’Angelo and Alex. |
| 2 | 7 | Tom and the riders help Thunder, who is seeking revenge against the dragons that chased off his family. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | Tom hatches an unorthodox plan to use a Monstrous Nightmare to test Alex's new fire suit, endangering the secret of dragons. |
| 3 | 2 | After a fight with her mom, Jun joins Tom on an adventure into the Fire Realm, where her knowledge of myths saves the day. |
| 3 | 3 | When a tiny Fireworm dragon ends up at ICARIS, Alex must decide between her mom's excitement and keeping the dragon secret. |
| 3 | 4 | During an attempt to get displaced Fire Gronckles back to their native realm, D'Angelo accidentally feeds them Catastrophic Quaken eggs. |
| 3 | 5 | Eugene discovers the Lair and demands a dragon of his own. |
| 3 | 6 | The dragon riders must sneak a very sick Magma Breather into the ICARIS infirmary. |
| 3 | 7 | The Sky Torcher and Flame Throwers invade the Crystal Realm; Tom must conquer his demons and bond with the Fault Ripper to defeat the Sky Torcher. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | Tom and the riders discover the Ice Realm and find Buzzsaw inside. |
| 4 | 2 | Alex and Eugene find themselves at odds with Tom and their fellow dragon riders when Feathers and Webmaster go missing during a blizzard in the Ice Realm. |
| 4 | 3 | Jun struggles to convince Tom to trust her faith in myths over the Book of Dragons when they venture to a place that his book seems to say is extremely dangerous. |
| 4 | 4 | Tom’s leadership abilities come into question by Eugene when his decisions lead to failure while attempting to confront Buzzsaw. |
| 4 | 5 | Tom and Thunder discover a baby Nightlight and must bring him back to Thunder’s home realm. |
| 4 | 6 | When Thunder’s clan of fellow Nightlights is attacked by the Snow Wraith, Tom vows to rescue them. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | While punished, Tom must sneak out to rescue the Riders from Buzzsaw. |
| 5 | 2 | Tom orchestrates a “safe” tour of the realms to convince Olivia that the Hidden World is safe for them to explore. |
| 5 | 3 | A mischievous new breed of dragons called Vine Tails steal the Book of Dragons. |
| 5 | 4 | Tom and the riders must work together to rescue Eugene from a dragon’s nest. |
| 5 | 5 | Tom must rescue Olivia from the Hidden World when she winds up getting herself frozen by a pack of hungry Speed Stingers. |
| 5 | 6 | When a deep freeze puts the lives of everyone in Rakke Town in jeopardy, the riders must attempt to use the dragons to get the humans through the night without being seen. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | Tom struggles under the pressure of being the new ‘Dragon Whisperer’ for Rakke Town; Thunder rises to the occasion to help him. |
| 6 | 2 | When the parents leave for the night and tell the riders not to bring the dragons to the surface while they’re gone, D’Angelo and Eugene get locked in the hangar (with the dragons!) after Eugene triggers a security lockdown. |
| 6 | 3 | Jun forms an unlikely connection with Sledkin. |
| 6 | 4 | Eugene’s bond with Webmaster is put to the test when Webmaster leaves the group for a pack of Deathgrippers. |
| 6 | 5 | Tom sets out to prove Sledkin caused an explosion that injured a dragon in the Hidden World. |
| 6 | 6 | When the dragons fall victim to Buzzsaw’s poison darts, D struggles to keep a cool head and find a cure while others panic. |
| 6 | 7 | Tom and the riders “borrow” the bathysphere to rescue a dragon from the depths of the Giant Realm Sea. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | When Phil threatens to shut down D’Angelo’s new dragon hospital and ban dragons from ICARIS, D’Angelo and a little Hobgobbler have to change his mind. |
| 7 | 2 | While Tom struggles with admitting his feelings for Jun, the pair find themselves trapped inside a giant tree with an anxious colony of Woodchipper dragons. |
| 7 | 3 | Thunder must wrangle and lead the Hero Dragons in a desperate attempt to save Tom and the riders from a dangerous new dragon, The Glass Caster. |
| 7 | 4 | When Jun does a Tarot reading for the team, she interprets its meaning to be that the riders will disband! In an effort to defy this fate, Jun forces the group to stick together as they search for a dragon that has breached the Rakke Town eel barrier. |
| 7 | 5 | With the dragon riders disbanded, Eugene attempts to start his own Dragon Club. |
| 7 | 6 | When Thunder accidentally fries Alex’s tablet, Alex goes off on her own and is captured by Buzzsaw. |
| 7 | 7 | Tom and the riders must finally overcome their differences and come together as a team to survive the Dark Realm. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | Tom attempts to defeat the World Serpent by emulating Hiccup. |
| 8 | 2 | Tom and the dragon riders foster displaced Hidden Realm dragons in Rakke Town but things get complicated when Mr. Rakke makes a surprise visit. |
| 8 | 3 | The Dragon riders enlist the aid of Carla and Hazel and their scientific knowledge to help them prepare for a mission to neutralize Jörmungandr so they can return him to his chamber and seal him back inside. |
| 8 | 4 | Tom and the riders must rescue Plowhorn from Sledkin when the villain abducts the dragon to help her find the Gods Realm and the Dragonsite jewel. |
| 8 | 5 | Tom’s overconfidence turns to frustration then despair as he struggles to procure the ingredients for Gronckle Iron in hopes of building a trap to stop the World Serpent. |
| 8 | 6 | After a major miscalculation by Tom in 225 leaves the fate of the Realms in jeopardy, Jun and the riders rally behind Tom and Thunder to face off against the World Serpent. |
This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.