Astrid Hofferson

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

- Astrid Hofferson

Astrid Hofferson is the most promising female Viking warriror of her generation, and was the most promising dragon fighter before the peace between dragons and humans. Now she is the second best dragon trainer from Berk behind Hiccup, his second in command, and his (sort of) girlfriend.

Appearance
Astrid is a young shieldmaiden with slim features that conseals her true strength. Her most notable features are her steele blue eyes, expressive features, and her fair blonde hair. Her hair itself is always pulled out of her face and into a tight braid, with her long bangs falling into her eyes. She is seen wearing tight grey leather with a spiked leather skirt, dark blue leather pants, and brown boots. She also has cloth wraps on her arms that go to her fingers. As she grows in the films, her outfit and hairstyle also evolve from her simple foundation, including the addition of a fur hood and gloves that possibly protect her while she is in flight.

Personality
Astrid is first shown to be a dedicated shieldmaiden that is focused and determined to prove herself to others. She tends to ignore the other teenagers in order to go off on her own to either study or practice with her weapons, showing a drive to better herself. This seems to pay off as she easily takes a 'leadership' position in Viking training, not hesistating to step forward and face the challenges that Gobber throws at the teens. She is skillful and deadly in her abilities, and believes that she is the best and will be the one to kill the dragon at the end of the camp.

As she later becomes aware of Hiccup and his connection with the dragons, she shows a different side to her personality. She clearly has a short fuse when challenged, using her temper as a tool to understand exactly why she was failing compared to the 'failure' that she saw Hiccup as. However, she also showed an awareness for him and her surroundings, always being the one to take notice when he would leave the group. This suspicion paid off as she later discovered his interactions with Toothless.

Her discovery of Toothless caused her to have a conflict of character. On one hand, she was raised to believe that dragons were the enemy, and as a result felt her loyalty to the tribe required that she reveal Hiccup's secret. She was stubborn enough that both Toothless and Hiccup were forced to kidnap her in order to help her see the truth behind the dragon and rider. This results in her showing a different side, an empathetic side toward the Dragons and an understanding to why they are raiding Berk. She becomes a strong support figure for Hiccup, and is quickly able to inspire him into action and support him with his decision to begin dragon training. Although she still tends to keep up her tomboy act, because whenever she shows affection, she quickly covers it up with a swift act of agression in the form of a shoulder punch.

Powers/Abilities
Astrid is considered the best warrior of her dragon-fighting class, and she is quick to prove it. She is strong, fast, intelligent, and incredibly athletic for her size, able to outshine the other more Viking-like teens. She is an expert in hand to hand combat and weaponry, particularly excelling with her giant battle ax. She is also a talented dragon trainer, specializing in Deadly Nadders, and is a competent enough leader and strategist to be second in command of the Berk Dragon Academy, leading it in Hiccup's absence. She shows a strong sense of empathy both for others and for her dragon, and it is clear she has earned her many titles and respect.

Weapons
Astrid excels with her giant battle ax, able to easily lift it up and effecently use it in combat. She can swing it over her shoulder and throw it long distances without batting an eyelash. Additionally, she has a strong empathy for her pet dragon, Stormfly, whom could also be considered a weapon based on it's ability to beathe fire and shoot spikes from it's scales. Astrid's connection with Stormfly brings forth a deadly combination that features true teamwork, although Astrid does not use her dragon for harm.

Role in the Crossover
Astrid is a popular character that is placed in the Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons universe, although not often as part of a relationship with Hiccup. This may be because she has a large personality and a major part in the land of Berk, being a leading force in the befriending and training of Dragons. Although she may take on a more supporting role in the crossover, it still does not mean she is not an active member and friend to the Big Four, be it as a romantic catalyst or friendship developer.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
In the How to Train Your Dragon film, Astrid is featured as Hiccup's friend, second-in-command in the Dragon Academy, and somewhat-girlfriend. This pairing is known as Hiccstrid. At first she held in the same low opinion that everyone else did, however her mind was changed when Hiccup took her flying on Toothless, and his fierce determination to protect the dragon had impressed her. She was devastated when she thought that Hiccup had died fighting the Red Death, only to be overjoyed when he was found alive.

In the Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury ​they are shown to be closer than friends, with Astrid having no trouble expressing her affections  However, in the television series DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk, their relationship is shown to be more awkward. Her common form of showing affection toward Hiccup is punching him in the arm before roughly grabbing him and kissing him.

Outside of their fim relationship, Astrid still holds a close friendship towards Hiccup. She is often shown as still being his second-in-command, possibly from the fact that they do still develop a friendship over Toothless and both hail from Berk. However, most do not tend to place the two dragon trainers in a romatic relationship, instead favoring relationships like Mericcup and Hiccunzel. This does not mean that the two are not close or confidants, it just means that their relationship does not develop past close friends when part of the RotBTD universe.

Jack Frost
Jack and Astrid do not often interact in the crossover. However, some may feel that his irresponsible nature would put him in the same category as Snotlout or other immature characters where Astrid is conserned. Additionally, based on Jack's love to tease and prod at others, he could be seen as a constant pest to the serious and dedicated girl, challenging her and distracting her because he sees fit for her to have some more fun. This can be seen as a severe hinderance to their relationship early on, as he would be the exact type of person Astrid would hope to avoid. Despite this, Astrid may become moved by Jack's determination to protect and save the children, resulting in her respect for him growing and developing a potential friendship.

Merida DunBroch
Astrid and Merida both have similar personalities, appearing as strong and independent women who work hard to achieve what they want and stand out against the status quo. Often, their relationship is usually portrayed as either great friends or fierce enemies. This could possibly be because of their personality, or because both may be fighting for Hiccup's attention as a romantic partner. However, in the long run they tend to relate positively based on their common interests.

Rapunzel Corona
Astrid's relationship with Rapunzel is either as close friends or tentative acquaintances. When Rapunzel and Astrid meet independently from the other members of the Big Four, they often are able to relate because they are the only two together. Astrid may respect Rapunzel's strength and drive to support others, as it is similar to Astrid's devotion to her Village and friends.

However, some authors believe that their opposite personalities may cause them to clash. They feel that Rapunzel's sweet, somewhat naive nature could get on the tougher Astrid's nerves, much like how Astrid first interacted with Hiccup. Astrid could potentially see Rapunzel as a weak link and a very un-Viking female. Likewise, Rapunzel might Astrid's aggressive personality unecessary and mildly unnerving.