#elite-class

Honestly that is a very viable question, right?!

Cuz like, Libris, eh? As far as we know, that Horn is his horn and it specifically calls Libris. But if it's as old as we're lead to believe, doesn't that mean Libris is hundreds if not thousands of years old?!? That's one of those fuzzy details that gets a bit confusing, though, given Rivett's whole "Libris is my dragon" story.

But he lies a lot so that doesn't help, lol.

But it is a very reasonable headcanon, and one I ascribe to very liberally! lol After all, what if the Elite-Class forms are just speed-boosted evolutions of a long but natural process? And that is likely how big they can actually be? There are those giant Control-Class dragons, after all...they could just be old!

And the dragons we see in the ancient carvings during the pilot's opening.

I can never know what the creators of the show intended, but I can give you my personal thoughts.

In my mind, what would’ve happened is that it either never would’ve been a complete process, or there would have been a temporary change.

Basically, it’s assumed by the fandom that the transformation from standard class to Elite-Class is not a quick process. Some have theorized that as a dragon’s bond with its rider strengthens, and their draconium becomes more potent and powerful as well, that the dragon’s body gradually changes as well. If that turned out to be true, then we could see the Penn Crew’s dragons gradually change as they become stronger. Then, perhaps there’d be some sort of down-the-road epilogue, wherein we see everyone grown up/older, and their dragons as fully realized Elite-Class.

Or, and this is the easier and more likely scenario, there’ll be some ancient bonemark or other technology that the gang could utilize against Armeggedon to temporarily empower their dragons. If gosh damn Brutaris can grow ten times his size into the Chromatic Dragon (or the Usurper, as I like to call it) and shrink back with no consequences, than so can the crew’s dragons. Especially Beau, given his hardier biology what with being Gold, and having some extra draconium pumped into him for good measure.

To Be Elite

Bonus: “Your kid’s not half bad...for target practice!”

Oh definitely, like they should explain why they continue to train people into the Elite-Class. Artha and Moordryd need it for their Booster training, so they make sense. But all everyone else seems to want is to get out of the lousy part of town.

As for the Elite-Class and the Dragon-Human War...I think that’s the point. You have to remember, the world has been on track for another one for years already. The breeding of the dragons into different classes was only the beginning--that’s how it started the first time. The Elite-Class is basically a new name for ancient warrior training. If a new war started, there would be an already present reserve of highly trained fighters and their immensely powerful dragons at everyone’s beck and call. What Word is trying to do is speed up a process that had already begun--capturing dragons, building an army, causing dissent among the “Empires”, aka Crews.

Visitors in Death Valley National Park, California (© David Hellard/Rex Features) © (Bing United Kingdom)