The best movie dragons

Ash Walker • 16 Jun 2025 Features

Enter the dragon.

Who doesn’t love a good dragon? They’re big, toothy and covered in scales, and that whole fire-breathing thing is pretty hard to top.

As far as mythical creatures go dragons are inherently cinematic, which is probably why they pop up in movies so often. With the new How To Train Your Dragon now flapping into cinemas, we’ve put together a list of our absolutely favourite big-screen beasties.

Elliot (Pete’s Dragon, 1977 & 2016)

The original Pete’s Dragon is a fun, silly romp about an orphan boy who befriends a magical, sometimes-invisible beast. There’s some cool, Mary Poppins-style blending of live action and animation, but it’s otherwise a little forgettable.

The recent remake, though, skews more towards something like ET or The Iron Giant in its story of two outsiders finding friendship, and it’s all the better for it. Plus it has Robert Redford!

The dragon here is given a visually sumptuous CGI makeover, creating a memorably furry green beastie with sharp teeth and a heart of gold.

Falkor (The NeverEnding Story, 1984)

The lovable, doglike companion of adventurer Atreyu (and reader Bastian) in 1984 fantasy epic The NeverEnding Story.

Falkor is a Luck Dragon, which means he’s not the biggest or strongest creature around, but pretty handy to have on-side when buying a lottery ticket. Or, you know, facing off against a reality-devouring void.

Bonus points for his lovely eyelashes, and being a very good boy.

Smaug (The Hobbit films, 2012-2014)

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy, which charts a cowardly halfling’s quest to help a bunch of dwarves get rid of an unwelcome houseguest, may be a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s no denying that big bad Smaug is a memorable presence.

Growlingly voiced - and motion-captured - by Benedict Cumberbatch, Smaug is your classic dragon in every sense. He lives in a cave under a mountain, loves a big pile of gold and thoroughly enjoys roasting intruders alive.

He’s also absolutely massive, especially compared to a tiny little hobbit. 

Mushu (Mulan, 1998)

On the other end of the size chart, we have this wonderful comedy sidekick from Disney animated classic Mulan. Eddie Murphy dials up the sass as Mushu, a pint-sized dragon with a big inferiority complex.

After a disastrous attempt to find our heroine some spiritual guidance, Mushu steps in himself, with mixed results. But in the end, of course, he comes good, winning redemption and acceptance - and immortality in the Disney gift shop - in the process.

Just don’t call him a lizard. He doesn’t do that ‘tongue thing’.

Dragon (Shrek, 2001)

Another classic fairytale dragon, we first find this fearsome beast chained up in the fiery bowls of a castle, tasked with keeping would-be suitors away from a beautiful princess. So far, so standard.

Until, that is, we discover that Dragon - she’s never given a name - is actually pretty friendly, and looking for love. Over four movies, Dragon and Donkey fall in love, get together and, somehow, sire a brood of adorable hybrid abominations.

King Ghidorah (The Godzilla films, 1964-present)

A golden, winged, three-headed dragon from outer space (or another dimension, depending on your preference), King Ghidorah is, basically, the ultimate evil and archnemesis of the King of the Monsters himself, Godzilla.

In his first film appearance, 1964’s Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, it took the combined might of ‘Zilla, Rodan and Mothra to defeat him, and he’s been troubling the world ever since. A true dragon legend.

Toothless (The How To Train Your Dragon films, 2010-present)

Often coming across more like a huge, fire-breathing cat than a reptilian monster, Toothless is the heart and soul of the How To Train Your Dragon series.

Trying to prove himself by killing a Night Fury - a rare, deadly species of dragon - wannabe hunter Hiccup shoots Toothless out of the sky, injuring him in the process. Of course, Hiccup soon realises that there’s more to the scaly menaces than his Viking tribe assumes, and a beautiful friendship is born.

Not to mention a franchise, all built around possibly the coolest, cutest dragon ever put on screen.

The live action remake of How To Train Your Dragon is now in cinemas. Fancy checking it out? You can get two free cinema tickets every month with a Sky Cinema subscription!