An Alternative Ending for HTTYD: Astrid as Chief AU
This article mainly discusses the possibility of Astrid becoming the chief, with a few mentions about the fate of the dragons. The ideas presented are highly subjective and contain strong criticism of the third movie including the light fury.
I have always believed that Astrid should be the chief instead of Hiccup. It's unnecessary to mention her wisdom and personality; anyone who has watched the series knows that Astrid is incredibly smart and empathetic. In terms of leadership abilities, Astrid is not inferior to Hiccup. Throughout the series, she often steps in as the leader when Hiccup is absent, provides calm and objective advice when Hiccup is impulsive, and assists in leadership tasks. Furthermore, Astrid has a stronger sense of belonging and a greater desire for power and honor compared to Hiccup. She follows the chief's guidance closely; for instance, in the first movie, she is particularly enthusiastic about fighting and training. After flying with Hiccup, her immediate thought is to report the dragon nest discovery to Stoick because her education leads her to understand that this aligns with the generations-long goals of Berk and benefits the entire tribe. She embodies the qualities of a powerful Viking, driven by her care and responsibility for Berk and its people. Additionally, besides her traditional Viking courage and strength, she is not overly stubborn. She was the first, apart from Hiccup, to accept dragons, and when Hiccup stood firm in his beliefs (assuming they were reasonable), Astrid didn't stubbornly report the news to the chief, showing her clear independent thinking and judgment.
Astrid is the type who knew what she wanted from a young age. In contrast, Hiccup was always marginalized, uncertain about his future goals, and unsure of what kind of person he wanted to become. Such a person, who takes a long time to find himself, is not suited to be a chief. Conversely, Astrid has clear goals and a strong desire for glory and to contribute to her tribe. This is why, at the beginning of the second movie, she joins the guard, and in the series, she always finds tasks for herself (like the A-Team). I have reason to believe that if given the chance, she would aspire to the position of chief (her excitement upon knowing that Stoick wanted Hiccup to succeed him and her expression of joy at the thought of becoming chief herself are evidence of this).
As for Hiccup, as mentioned earlier, he was marginalized from a young age and therefore does not strongly identify with the traditional Viking values that emphasize solving problems through force. Many fan theories suggest that if Astrid hadn't followed him that day and discovered his secret friendship with a dragon, Hiccup might have recklessly left. This indicates his greater desire for freedom, and becoming chief somewhat suppresses his nature. Even in the second movie, he still shows a bit of impulsiveness. Although Hiccup demonstrates strong leadership in the TV series and even learns how to be a leader from his father, I believe this leadership is more about his extraordinary wisdom and strong mediation skills. Hiccup's talents clearly lie in invention, research, and exploration. He independently recreated the Dragon Eye, for instance! Isn't it a waste of talent to have such a genius manage village affairs daily instead of focusing on developing Viking technology? Hiccup has leadership qualities, but they are not about commanding people or managing large-scale affairs. Another often overlooked strength of Hiccup is his teaching ability. In the first movie, he quickly teaches the main group to ride dragons (narrative needs aside, his personal ability plays a role). At 15, he starts a dragon academy in the TV series and teaches everyone effectively. He might not even realize this strength. I believe Hiccup's struggle to find his self-goal is largely due to his father's pressure, pushing him towards becoming a chief, which he is not suited for.
Hiccup
After handing over the chief duties, Hiccup becomes a teacher, educating children about various subjects, including ironwork, mechanics, plants, and dragons. (Indeed, Hiccup has vast knowledge and rich experience from being an apprentice in the forge from a young age.) He would take students on field trips to different dragon and creature habitats, aligning with his love for exploration. During the day, he teaches students, and in his spare time, he collaborates with Fishlegs, now a civil official, to compile information, invent, and assist his wife in managing the village.
Astrid
After the events of the second movie, Hiccup temporarily serves as chief. However, after serious discussions and preparations, Astrid becomes the official chief. She would be a diligent, open-minded leader. (Regarding children, since Hiccup already works at the school and deals with many kids, adding a couple of their own wouldn't be much different. At home, they would raise their children together.)
The role of the guard would be taken over by Snotlout.
Dragons
Is it really a good idea to hide the dragons in the Hidden World? Depriving them of their freedom and the joy of soaring in the sky? Weren't there dragons in the Hidden World before Toothless became their king? What about the many dragon islands shown in the TV series? And the other protectors? Are they all gone? How can Hiccup be sure that all dragons went to the Hidden World? (The third movie is full of plot holes I don't even want to discuss. As for Light Fury, pairing her with Toothless is less convincing than pairing him with Cloudjumper.) Hence, the so-called "protection" is actually meaningless.
I hope the people of Berk indeed released the dragons because Astrid and Hiccup realized they were overly dependent on them, and Berk was running low on resources. Living in harmony with dragons doesn't mean keeping them. Toothless helps them return dragons to their original habitats (definitely not the Hidden World, which I don't acknowledge exists), but contact between humans and dragons is not forbidden. Essentially, the dragons are released back into the wild. After all, dragons are not pets.
Hiccup would still fly with Toothless privately, but to set an example of equality between humans and dragons for their children, he would use traditional means of transportation in daily life (we all know that kids seeing cool animals would immediately want to own one).
Simply put, I don't wish for or believe that the people of Berk would so easily abandon the land their ancestors have lived on for generations. I trust they would stand their ground, even if it means fighting until the village is burned to the ground, only to rebuild it after the war is won. (After watching so many movies and episodes, I've grown attached to Berk.)
Anyway these are my own point of view I absolutely happy to know if you got any ideas! And also I am so FREAKING DESPERATELY to read any novels or view any doodles of CHIEF ASTRID plz can anybody give me some charity, I'm just a poor little person.
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