16 Best Movie Dragons You Can Meet During Lunar New Year
The Year of the Dragon is coming. Although China and Taiwan have officially used the more common Gregorian calendar for over a century, the traditional lunisolar calendar remains culturally and astrologically important. Typically referred to as the Lunar or Chinese New Year (although it is celebrated in several Asian countries, including Korea and Vietnam), this year it begins on Saturday, February 10th, with Chinese celebrations culminating with the Lantern Festival on the 24th. Each year is represented by a transition from one animal to another, 12 in total, and an overlapping series of five elements. Thus, 2024 is not only the year of the Dragon, but also the year of the tree; one is associated with power and ambition, the other with harmony and balance.
In honor of this auspicious and hopefully not terrible new lunar year, we’re taking a look at dragons in the movies. Although dragons are often associated with China and East Asia, they come in a wide variety of international varieties and alignments, making formidable allies and/or formidable enemies. Just like the new year itself, approach it with caution.
Falkor in The NeverEnding Story (1984)
A classic of ’80s fantasy and childhood trauma (RIP Artax), The Neverending Story brings to life the Glücksdrache (Dragon of Fortune) Falkor, introduced in German writer Michael Ende’s 1979 novel. From page to screen, terrified 10-year-old Bastian Books is thrust into a major novel that takes him into the world of Fantasia and places him in the role of warrior Atreyu, tasked with finding a cure for the debilitating disease The Children’s Empress and saving the earth from “The Nothing.” In a sometimes surprising, sometimes terrifying world, the dragon Falkor remains a constant source of hope. Lacking the typical draconic timidity (he looks like an elongated Great Pyrenees and gets nothing more than a scratch behind the ears), Falkor has great luck, but also a cheerful sense of humor and a positive attitude. He’s played by the great Alan Oppenheimer (perhaps best known for voicing Skeletor, among many others), and you could do a lot worse than having him as an ally and companion.
Where to stream: Hoopla
Great Protector in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
A prominent Marvel character of the last couple of years, Shang-Chi discovers that “Shaun” is working as a parking attendant, carefully evading his past as the heir to the criminal empire known as the Ten Rings. Naturally, his past catches up with him as he leads him into the mystical realm of Tang Lo, where he faces attack from his evil father Shang-Chi and the soul-eating demon, the Dweller in the Dark. At the climax, the Great Protectress rises from the water to help them, giving him part of her power.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Sisu in Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
The same year she played her neighborhood dragon sidekick in Shang-Chi , Awkwafina voiced Sisu, the titular Last Dragon, in this stunning animated film from Disney. The action takes place in the country of Kumandra. Raya tells of a world where dragons and humans once lived as allies before dark forces forced the dragons to sacrifice themselves and the last survivor, Sisu, concentrated her power into a gem that could protect humans. Over time, this gem became the subject of a power struggle that divided humanity into warring tribes – at least until the warrior princess Raya sets out to find the sweet, mostly gentle Sisu again.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Derogatory vermithrax in Dragonslayer (1981)
About a quarter of Dragonslayer’s budget went into creating the 400-year-old antagonist Vermithrax Pejorative, an impressive creation with an even cooler name. In a somewhat forgettable but thoroughly enjoyable adventure, a wizard’s apprentice Galen (Peter MacNicol!) is forced to help fight a dragon in early medieval Britain. Vermithrax the Pejorative is undoubtedly the antagonist here, but he is not Galen’s only enemy: his authority is in question, and corrupt rulers are complicating the fight to save the land and its people – a carefully rigged virgin lottery keeps the dragon at bay, but only the peasants seem to be drawing the short straw. The lizard-like enemy is a perfect example of the medieval dragons that Western audiences tend to think of.
Where to stream: Kanopy, Pluto
King Ghidorah in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1965)
While Godzilla and his fellow kaiju tend to change their looks from film to film (Godzilla himself deftly switches from pure evil to predominantly good and to force of nature neutral with ease), King Ghidorah is almost always the meanest, nastiest monster of all. everyone. So nasty that it took over the title of the fifth Godzilla film. Here, a prophet from Venus warns that the three-headed space dragon that destroyed her entire civilization is heading to Earth to wreak similar havoc. Good Mothra tries to recruit Godzilla and Rodan to protect the planet, but she only manages to convince them to join when they see her nobly and futilely fighting Ghidorah alone. However, it could have been worse: director Ishiro Honda based Ghidorah on the mythological Japanese dragon Yamata no Orochi , which had eight heads.
Where to stream: Max
Haku in Spirited Away (2001)
In Hayao Miyazaki’s stunning film (aren’t they all?), 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino moves into a new home with her parents, who are immediately seduced by the allure of an abandoned amusement park and turned into pigs by a witch. Yubaba. Chichiro receives sound advice on how to get the hell out of there from a boy named Haku, advice she promptly ignores, instead taking a job at a bathhouse and gradually losing her identity. Their connection deepens as the film progresses, until it is revealed that Haku has also lost important knowledge about himself and his dragon nature.
Where to stream: Max
Elliot in Pete’s Dragon (2016)
The 1977 film (also streaming on Disney) is a bona fide classic, but writer-director David Lowery’s 2016 remake is also damn delightful and may even outshine its predecessor in the emotional stakes. Here gamekeeper Bryce Dallas Howard meets a feral boy who has lived alone in the forest for (I think) six years. It just so happens that he could use some help from a compassionate, albeit clearly brutal, furry dragon friend.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Disney did n’t mess around with the climax of Sleeping Beauty; it remains as gripping (and harrowing) now as it was more than six decades ago. Prince Philip sets out to save Aurora from her sleeping curse, but of course he won’t achieve his goal without the opposition of the self-proclaimed “Mistress of all evil” Maleficent (Eleanor Audley). During the final, ultimately bloody battle, she transforms into a giant black and purple dragon that spits acid instead of fire and wields “all the powers of hell.” Angelina Jolie could never do it.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Mushu in Mulan (1998)
Still on Disney property but having gone from scary to friendly, Mushu is one of the inevitable, often sassy animal friends. Thus, this particularly diminutive dragon is the former guardian of the Fa family, demoted in the past for his failure to prevent death. Now, despite his impulsiveness, he is determined to protect Mulan and regain his once high status. Loosely inspired by Chinese religion and mythology, Mushu is voiced by decidedly non-Chinese Eddie Murphy, but who’s to say what a guardian dragon spirit might even sound like? He is cute.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Draco in “Dragonheart ” (1996)
Do you recognize this voice? Why, it’s Sean Connery, as good a choice to play a medieval European-style dragon as anyone this side of Benedict Cumberbatch (to whom we’ll return). This fantasy adventure, set in 10th century (or so) England, is almost entirely made for children, and that’s all for the better. Draco is the last surviving dragon, having given up part of his soul in hopes of changing the heart of the cruel future King Einon (David Thewlis). It failed. Knight Sir Bowen (Dennis Quaid) is determined to kill the dragon before realizing that the real enemy is not his new scaly ally.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
The Viking village of Berk is attacked by dragons who are stealing livestock for food, and a training program begins for those who want to hunt and kill the invaders. Bumbling Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is considered too weak to ever fight a dragon, but invents a machine that knocks down one of the creatures: Toothless, whom he cannot bring himself to kill. Hiccup soon realizes that Toothless and his fellow dragons are fighting for survival themselves, and that perhaps they don’t have to be enemies. There’s an entire franchise here, including three mostly standalone and successful streaming shows; The How to Train Your Dragon film series represents something even rarer than dragons: a trilogy that maintains consistently high quality and ends up landing with its final chapter in 2019. A live-action reboot is expected in 2025, but the saga, at least in its current form, seems to be a very satisfying whole.
Where to watch: Freevee
Tembershaw in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
In this rather shockingly entertaining D&D movie, we meet a very different type of dragon. Thanks to a consistently lively sense of humor and, just as importantly, great heart, the film manages to pay homage to the role-playing game without feeling like a commercial. Our main dragon here, Tembershod, is straight out of the D&D reference books – the red dragon is, of course, a formidable and deadly foe – but also stocky as hell (all dragon bodies are valid, of course). He rolls more gracefully than he walks, and flying is almost out of the question. Still, you shouldn’t bother too much.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Prime Video.
Peter in “Flight of Dragons ” (1982)
In the margins of this classic book by Rankine and Bass there are some intriguingly ambitious philosophical debates, largely concerned with the conflict between the worlds of creative magic and logic, and the dangers of total dependence on one or the other. In a medieval fantasy world, good wizards notice that magic has begun to disappear from the world in favor of science, while the forces of evil hope to take advantage of these changes, realizing that science, tied to greed, can lead people to self-destruction. The team of heroes requires scientific knowledge to defeat the enemy, using magic to summon a leader: Peter Dickinson (John Ritter), a former scientist and current board game developer from 1000 years in the future (~1982). He’ll need all his skills when he finds himself trapped in the dragon’s body.
Yes, there’s a lot going on here, but it’s a lot of fun.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy is an uneasy mix of elements that actually work and elements that don’t. But Smaug in the trilogy is a triumph, and Benedict Cumberbatch does an excellent job voicing the dragon: he is equal parts bestial and loud, conveying strength, fury and wit with a silky, smooth and charming delivery. The design doesn’t let the character down, he looks straight out of the pages of Tolkien.
Where to watch: Max, Prime Video
The Dragon in The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Reptiles were the clear inspiration for the unnamed dragon that plays a prominent role in this classic stop-motion animation and has an edge over almost every other cinematic dragon: Ray Harryhausen, animator and special effects master. In his first color film, Sinbad and his crew land on the Isle of Colossus, where they meet the wizard Sokura, who tricks them all into returning to the monster-infested island even after escaping. Sokura’s dragon friend fights all comers, memorably defeating a giant cyclops before going after Sinbad himself.
Where to watch: Tubi
Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (1973)
Okay, there’s no real dragon here, but Bruce Lee fits that description quite well. Born in San Francisco to Chinese parents, Li’s birth was particularly auspicious according to the traditional Chinese calendar: 1940, like 2024, was the year of the dragon according to the lunar calendar; he was also born at the hour of the dragon (from about 7 to 9 am). In China, his nickname was often 李小龍 (Li Siu-lung, meaning something like “Little Dragon Li”). The point is that it matters. Enter the Dragon , starring John Saxon and Jim Kelly, is a US/Hong Kong co-production, so it may not be the purest entry point into the world of Chinese martial arts films, but it is nonetheless a great film, complete brilliant fight choreography and a spy thriller plot that almost makes sense. Check out Jackie Chan as his henchman in one of his first screen appearances.
Where to watch: digital rental.