Toothless and Hiccup have found a new pair of allies in the skies. Instead of the Isle of Berk, they hail from a different village altogether: the Hidden Leaf Village, home to Naruto Uzumaki, who’s featured in a special collaboration visual alongside Gamakichi, the character’s personal summon.
In the special tie-up between Naruto and How to Train Your Dragon, the yellow-haired protagonist is seen fist-bumping Hiccup as the latter sweeps into an overhead turn. The artwork is illustrated by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, and serves to celebrate the upcoming release of DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation in Japan.
“The animated How to Train Your Dragon is so entertaining that even cartoonists think of it as a masterpiece of the highest calibre. Even as a live-action, it will be just as entertaining! I bet flying on the back of a live-action dragon feels just as exhilarating. Let’s fly!” said Kishimoto in a comment published on the official Japanese website.
The movie opens in Japan on 5 September, three months after its debut in the U.S. It has since grossed US$628 million worldwide and become the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025, as well as the highest-grossing entry in the How To Train Your Dragon franchise. A sequel based on the second instalment in the animated trilogy is scheduled for a 2027 release, though director Dean DeBlois has previously hinted at possible deviation from the source material.
Based on the novel by author Cressida Cowell, the series follows the adventures of a scrawny misfit teen named Hiccup in the mythical viking village of Berk, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless — defying a long-standing tradition where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for centuries. Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us, Dumbo) star in the live-action adaptation as Hiccup and Astrid, respectively.
As for Naruto, the original manga began in 1999 and ran until 2017 for a total of 72 volumes. It follows the story of the titular character, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The IP now includes two massively popular anime series (Naruto and Naruto Shippuden), several feature-length films, novels, video games, and more, with an ongoing sequel series titled Boruto focusing on Naruto’s son as he creates his own ninja path instead of following his father’s.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
