Deathgripper is a Strike Class dragon.
Appearance[]
Deathgrippers are a monstrous species with their protruding tusks, foreclaw pincers, and poisonous clubbed tails. Traveling in packs like wild dogs, Deathgrippers enjoy hunting for prey and should be avoided at all costs. Deathgrippers are medium-sized dragons with long, sharp tusks protruding out from their lower jaws and a row of armored plates lining on their backs. They have yellow eyes and their coloration is mainly red with black spots and stripes. The tails of Deathgrippers are telescopic, just like a Razorwhip's, and are tipped with a venomous scorpion-like stinger. Titan Wing Deathgrippers is much bigger than the adults. They have two more tusks, one on the each side of their mouths. Their spikes and claws increase in size and are much sharper. Their stingers become longer and their tails become thicker, especially towards their ends.
Behavior[]
They are highly attentive of their surroundings and prepared for the unexpected, allowing them to indomitable become leaders in the sky. Dean DeBlois describes Deathgrippers as "grotesque creatures" and "vicious dragon killers". They also tend to live and travel in packs, as well as play with their prey before killing it. Deathgrippers can be trained. If a person saves a Deathgripper's life, the dragon will be grateful towards its savior, and even allow itself to be ridden.
Powers & Weapons[]
Deathgrippers are considerably strong dragons, as four of them are able to carry Grimmel's airship over long distances with no signs of struggle. A single Deathgripper was able to knock Cloudjumper in mid-flight. Three of the hunter's Deathgrippers burst through the roof of a rock tower and tried to chase the Dragon Riders down without signs of exhaustion. They are also able to survive with almost no wounds after being buried under the wreckage of a rock tower. Deathgrippers possess forward facing tusks that can retract back into its lower jaw to be hidden and extend to impale prey. Deathgrippers are fast in the air and on land. They can fly fast enough to catch up to a Night Fury and move quickly to land deadly strikes on their victims. Deathgrippers have a well-developed sense of smell and hearing. They knew that Hiccup and the Dragon Riders were inside Grimmel's tower as soon as they entered. Being Strike Class dragons, Deathgrippers have a high level of intelligence. This was demonstrated by Grimmel's Deathgrippers, who were able to understand commands through the hunter's whistles.
These dragons are no joke, Deathgrippers can launch green acidic blasts that are able to melt through nearly anything imaginable. Deathgrippers are capable of launching long streams of acid at their intended targets. The acid is green and highly flammable, often catching fire when exposed to oxygen, allowing it to destroy wood, stone, and metal very easily. Deathgrippers have a fascinating control over their own venom. One strike from a Deathgripper's tail paralyzes the prey. A second strike puts it out of its misery. A third strike makes the body of the prey poisonous to the touch! Deathgrippers possess a scorpion-like stinger at the tip of their telescopic tails, which they use to inject their venom that has sedative effects on humans and other dragons. The sting is surrounded by four big scales, hiding it when not used. The venom also boasts a potent hypnotic effect that expert hunters make use of to control their intended quarry. Through an injection apparatus strapped to the head, the Deathgripper's venom can warp the minds of the infected into helpless obedience.
Weaknesses[]
Deathgrippers are not immune to their own venom, and it can even be used against them, such as when Grimmel used it to drug six of them into complete obedience.
Gallery[]
