Do we like them?

Do we like Hiccup?

A character from How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's clever, kind and brave in a way that doesn't need a sword. He picks understanding over fighting, and he's usually proved right.

Hiccup is the undersized son of Stoick the Vast, chief of the Viking village of Berk. His people have fought dragons for generations. Hiccup is no warrior. He's a tinkerer who builds gadgets, and he badly wants to earn his father's approval and a place in the village.

Everything changes when he meets a wounded dragon he can't bring himself to kill. He befriends it, learns how dragons really behave, and begins to question everything his people believe. His kindness, curiosity and stubborn cleverness drive the whole story, and they make him easy to root for.

He isn't perfect. He hides things, rushes into plans and makes some big mistakes. But he cares about his friends, listens, learns and keeps trying to do right. That's why he scores so high.

By the end of the first film he has paid a real physical price for his courage. Over the sequels he grows into a leader, taking on the role of chief and facing the weight of that responsibility and some heavy personal losses.