Character Breakdown: Dagur the Deranged from Race to the Edge

Dagur the Deranged is my favorite villain/antihero in the Riders/Defenders of Berk and Race to the Edge. He's funny, unpredictable, and he has the most amazing character arc. I haven't done a sort of villain to antihero to hero before, so that's why I picked him. (Plus, he's freaking awesome.)

Spoilers ahead for Riders/Defenders of Berk and Race to the Edge.

Personality

• Crazy. He's called the Deranged for a reason. Dagur has been a little bit off ever since he showed up as practically a kid. Even after he switched sides, he's still pretty crazy. You can never quite tell what he's going to do.

• Irrational. As part of the craziness, Dagur is often irrational in his thought and behavior. He may take a course of action that seems less likely or do something completely out of the box. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

• Humorous. Dagur also enjoys joking a lot. Sometimes it's cruel and sometimes it's just what he says or how he says it that's funny. I really like that slight lightheartedness to his character.

Virtues

• Protective. As Dagur begins to switch sides, he quickly becomes quite protective of the people and dragons he cares for. He'll do anything to protect his sister, Heather, and his dragon. He even does his best to help protect Hiccup and the gang when he can.

• Smart. Over the seasons Dagur has shown himself to be a clever person, often coming up with excellent plans. He's even gotten close to defeating the Dragon Riders a few times. Although sometimes the crazy interferes with his intelligence.

• Willing to learn. Once Dagur decides to stop being evil, he shows himself to be open to learning how to be good, how to ride dragons, and other things. It's fun to watch because he's clearly out of his element and wants to revert back, but continues trying anyway.

Flaws

• Egotistical. The only thing bigger than Dagur's helmet horns is his ego. He always thinks of himself highly and overestimates his own abilities. The ego fades as he changes, but it still makes itself known sometimes.

• Sadistic. He enjoyed hurting people when he was evil. He liked to make them squirm and threaten the things closest to them. He was a big bully with an army to back him up.

• Disdainful. He's shown himself look down on those he thinks are less than him. He looks down on Hiccup at first for being small and weak. He doesn't like people who think peace is important. He doesn't listen to his elders. Thankfully, that all changed too.

Skills

• Fighter. Dagur is a skilled fighter, very quick, and able to got into a berserker rage when needed. He's often shown himself a good warrior, even when pitted against bigger or more numerous opponents.

• Dragon rider. Once he changes sides, Dagur asks Hiccup to help him train and ride dragons as well. It turns out that when he has a dragon, he's a big softy. His first dragon dies (I think, it's not clear) and he gets a second one, but he's very good at riding and fighting with them.

• Leader. Even though he was crazy and cruel, he still managed to lead his army, and later, after he changed, the Berserker people. He may not be the best king they'll ever have, but he does love his people.

What Makes Him Interesting

• His character arc. How much better does it get? Starts as a villain, then sort of starts working for himself, then ends up on the good guy's side. It's fascinating to watch through the seasons and now he's even found love in Mala. I'd love to see more characters like this.

• His guilt. Dagur suffers a lot of guilt from what he's done in the past. From not searching for his father to the way he treated people, he has a lot to deal with. Getting people to trust him was hard. But he works every day to be better.

• His relationship with Heather. I was so surprised when it was revealed that Dagur was Heather's brother. But they are awesome. She's more level-headed than he is, but they both have that pent up berserker anger inside the. I love how he protects her and the way they fight together.

Who is your favorite villain/antihero/hero character? What is your favorite type of arc? Tell me in the comments.

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