Drago Bludvist. If you’ve seen How to Train Your Dragon 2, that name probably brings a specific, booming growl to mind. He isn’t your typical animated bad guy. He’s massive, scarred, and frankly, pretty terrifying for a PG movie. But the real magic—or menace—comes from the vocal chords behind the character.
So, who voices Drago Bludvist?
It is the two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou.
You probably know him from Gladiator, Blood Diamond, or maybe as Korath in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But his work as the self-proclaimed "Dragon God" is a masterclass in voice acting that almost didn't happen the way we see it on screen.
The Man Behind the Menace
Hounsou wasn't just reading lines in a booth. He was basically performing a ritual.
Most people don't realize that Drago's signature, spine-chilling dragon-commanding scream was actually Hounsou’s way of warming up. Seriously. Before he even started recording his actual dialogue, he would let out these guttural, primal roars to get into character.
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Director Dean DeBlois heard it and basically said, "Keep the mic on."
That raw, unscripted intensity became the bedrock of the character. It gave Drago a presence that felt less like a cartoon and more like a force of nature. Honestly, it’s one of the reasons the sequel feels so much heavier than the first film.
Why Hounsou Almost Said No
Hounsou is a soft-spoken guy in real life. If you’ve ever seen him in an interview, he’s thoughtful, calm, and has this gentle rhythm to his speech. Playing a genocidal warlord who enslaves sentient creatures was a bit of a pivot.
He took the role largely because of his son.
At the time, his son was five and obsessed with superheroes. Hounsou wanted to be part of something his kid could actually watch, even if he had to explain, "Hey, Daddy is the bad guy this time." He’s mentioned in past interviews that he had to find a "driver's seat" for the character that felt authentic. He didn't want to just be "evil." He wanted Drago to believe he was the only one sane enough to control the "monsters."
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What Makes Drago Bludvist Different?
In the first movie, the "villain" was the Red Death—a giant, hungry dragon. It was a beast. But Drago is a man.
He’s a mirror to Hiccup.
Think about it: Both Hiccup and Drago lost something to dragons (Hiccup lost his leg; Drago lost his family and his arm). Both found ways to control dragons. But while Hiccup used empathy and fish, Drago used fear and a bullhook.
The Physicality of the Voice
Voice acting is usually just... voice. But with Hounsou, it’s physical.
- The Growl: Drago rarely speaks at a normal volume. It’s either a whisper or a roar.
- The Rhythm: There’s a specific, labored way Drago breathes, which Hounsou channeled to show the character's internal rage.
- The Intimidation: He had to compete with Gerard Butler’s Stoick. You can’t just "talk" against Stoick the Vast; you have to command the space.
Hounsou has said that he felt he had to "outdo" Butler’s power. That rivalry between Stoick and Drago wasn't just in the script—it was a vocal arms race between two powerhouse actors.
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Surprising Facts About the Casting
- The Look: Some fans have pointed out that Drago's design—dreadlocks and darker skin—seemed to lean into certain tropes. However, the creators stated he was intended to be "Slavic" or from outside the Viking territories, a true outsider. Hounsou brought a non-Western cadence to the role that reinforced that "foreigner" vibe.
- The Hidden World: Drago was originally supposed to return. Early drafts of the third movie had him surviving the ocean and coming back, but DeBlois eventually decided Grimmel the Grisly was a better fit for the final chapter's themes.
- The Scream: That "yell" we talked about? It’s actually a nod to the original books by Cressida Cowell. In the books, Vikings don't "bond" with dragons; they literally yell at them until they obey. Hounsou’s performance brought that original book energy into the movie universe.
Why the Voice Still Matters Today
Even years after the trilogy ended, Drago remains the most "hated" villain in the franchise. Not because he’s poorly written, but because he felt real.
When he forces Toothless to do the unthinkable (we all know the scene), the grief we feel is tied to the authority in Hounsou’s voice. You believe, for a second, that his will is stronger than the bond of friendship.
It takes a special kind of actor to make a CGI warlord feel that dangerous.
What to Watch Next
If you’re a fan of Djimon Hounsou’s range, check out his work in:
- Gladiator (as Juba)
- A Quiet Place Part II - Blood Diamond (He earned an Oscar nod for this)
- Shazam! (He plays the ancient Wizard)
If you really want to see how he approaches "the dark side," his role as Korath in Guardians of the Galaxy came out the same year as How to Train Your Dragon 2. It’s a great way to see how he uses his physical presence differently in live-action versus animation.
To truly appreciate the performance, try watching the scene where Drago first meets Hiccup and Stoick. Pay attention to the silence. Notice how Hounsou uses small, clicking sounds and heavy breaths before he even starts his big monologue. That's the mark of a pro.
Go back and re-watch the "Battle of the Alpha" sequence with good headphones. You’ll hear nuances in Hounsou’s performance—the cracks in the voice, the strain—that you might have missed when you were just watching the dragons. It makes the character ten times more tragic and terrifying.