How Old is Hiccup Now and How Long Might Berk‘s Fearless Leader Live?

Hey fellow dragon riders! Have you ever wondered just how old Hiccup is after the events of The Hidden World film? Or questioned how many more years Berk‘s courageous chief may have left to lead his people alongside Toothless? Read on for a deep dive into the aging and potential lifespan of our favorite fictional Viking and dragon duo!

The Current Age of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

As of the last scenes shown in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Hiccup‘s current age is 21 years old. This marks the completion of his coming of age story arc across the two sequels, now stepping fully into his role as the chief of New Berk.

This matches up with key milestones in Hiccup‘s aging progression seen across the wider franchise:

So if you ever find yourself wondering "how old is Hiccup now?" – as of the most current events in The Hidden World, 21 is the magic number!

How Does Toothless‘ Lifespan Factor In?

Now you may be asking, if Hiccup is 21 years old, what does that make Toothless? Well according to director Dean DeBlois, our favorite Night Fury shares the exact same age as his human companion!

In the art book "The Art of How to Train Your Dragon", DeBlois revealed that:

"Toothless is meant to be the same age as Hiccup"

This draws an even tighter parallel between the two protagonists. Both now stepping into their leadership roles, traversing early adulthood, and taking on new responsibilities.

And based on insights into Night Fury aging cycles, Toothless likely has a robust lifespan ahead…which leads us to our next section!

Estimating Hiccup‘s Future Lifespan

Let‘s move from "how old Hiccup is now" to "how much longer might he live?"

Fans have long speculated what the future may hold for our Viking hero. Could marriage and children be in his future as chief? Will he lead New Berk to prosperity through technological revolution? Or might he die early befalling his tribe to tragedy once more?

While the franchise creators remain rightly mum on the subject, we can ground our speculation in the available evidence:

The Long Lives of Night Furies

Though the film‘s present Night Furies as incredibly rare, initial drafts of the script contained additional insight into their advanced aging cycle.

Early descriptions revealed Night Furies to live between 300-400 years!

Matching dragon to rider, this hints at Hiccup himself enjoying a comparatively lengthy lifespan next to his fellow Vikings. Perhaps even reaching 100 years of age himself!

Medieval Life Expectancy as a Baseline

Historical evidence also supports Berk‘s chieftians enjoying moderately long lives.

In medieval Scandinavian tribes that inspired the film‘s Viking aesthetics, average life expectancy ranged between 40 to 70 years.

However, that average includes far more dangerous infant mortality rates. For those reaching adolescence, 60-80 years was common. And that‘s without a fire-breathing companion guarding your back!

So while far from immortal, precedent suggests Hiccup may avoid an early demise.

Leadership Legacy Cut Short or Cut Long?

There is one final factor that could influence fans‘ expectations for Hiccup‘s unwritten future – the legacy of his own father.

Long-time chief Stoick the Vast suffered an untimely death defending Berk at what must have been no later than his early 50‘s. Some speculation puts him closer to just 40 years old.

Might Hiccup then meet a similarly abrupt and early end himself? Or perhaps learn from Stoick‘s sacrificial choices to extend his leadership and legacy late into life instead?

The debate rages on…

So while much rests in the hands of Hiccup‘s creators, our star born Viking could still have many decades of dutiful leadership ahead! Not to mention more dragons to discover and adventures to cross.

Closing Fan Theories on Hiccup‘s Age at Death

Before signing off fellow riders, no discussion of Hiccup‘s lifespan would be complete without polling prevailing fan theories on his final fate!

Across decades of future events only imagined in fanfiction, what do followers speculate awaits our auburn-haired hero in his elder years?

Here the extremes vary wildly…

Tragic Demise in Battle

Grim takes envision Hiccup dying young in selfless duty, facing threats like Grimmel to protect Toothless and his tribe to the bitter end.

This dramatic arc certainly fits the precedents of his father Stoick, but denies viewers the satisfaction of a peaceful leadership passing the reins.

Immortal Night Fury Union

More optimistic and supernatural theories propose Hiccup discovers deeper connections to dragons that extend his life.

Whether by bonding his soul to Toothless or acquiring Dragonscale armor, fans suggest he could cross centuries guarding the Hidden World.

Heartwarming Retirement Flash-forward

Other supporters find inspiration from the beautiful epilogue and reunion shown in Hidden World‘s closing scenes.

Why not reveal a happily aged Hiccup decades later, having guided New Berk to prosperity before passing the role of chief to the next worthy generation?

The full spectrum presents rich (if unconfirmed) possibilities!

What do you think awaits our protagonist? What ending to Hiccup‘s aging arc would you envision? Let‘s discuss where the franchise may take his continued adventures!

Until next time dragon riders…