The Brightest of them All: Draco from Dragonheart

Analysing his Motives

In the West dragons have almost always assumed a villainous role, they are spawn of the devil and wicked beasts that ought to be suspected and often steal away princesses or some treasure and guard them against the hero. The greatest of dragons in literature up until the 80s were those written by Tolkien in his Hobbit novel and Glaurung from the Children of Hurin, first popularised in the Silmarillion.

There were other dragons to be sure, most notably those from Dragonlance, for those who like novels and comics, whereas for the movie lovers there was Dragonslayer among others.

By the 90s dragons seem to have fallen into disfavour for the most part. A pity, as they have much to offer the genre of fantasy.

It was for this reason that Dragonheart first seemed to have lightning in a bottle as for the first time on film, a dragon was depicted not as cute, not as monstrous but as wise and honourable. Frankly, it is evident that Dragonheart took more cues from eastern literature and film and mythology than it did any western ones.

Draco is neither cruel, nor adorable, but rather a dangerous hero who has more in common with Aslan than say Satan. He is a kindly mentor, one who seeks to bestow on the hero Bowen the values of honour and redemption than anything else. Voiced by the excellent Sean Connery (in possibly his best and most poignant role), Draco is a character who first struts onto the scene speaking of the Old Code, and the Once Ways of the age of King Arthur.

Speaking in heavy tones, and in sombre regret, it almost seems as though he had borne witness to the age of Arthur himself. A not impossible possibility, yet the wisdom and sorrow with which he speaks makes one think he belongs more in a Miyazaki film than any Cohen one.

Approached with the request to save a dying Einon, Draco later reveals he could see into the heart of the boy and was able to see that he was twisted with evil and wickedness. Horrified by what he saw in his soul, Draco was however to still out of affection for the Celtic Aislinn and respect for the chivalry Bowen so deeply loves make the great sacrifice of splitting his heart with Einon.

The boy was to receive half the heart of the dragon saving him, but rather than being moved by so altruistic a deed he was to become full of hatred for the peasants and convinced of his own greatness. It is interesting that he considers himself all the more special after being given half the Dragon’s heart, so that Einon goes on to behave rather like a classic Dragon.

That is to say that he holds himself as superior to others, hoards gold and imprisons Kara the main heroine of the story. A horrifying set of misdeeds if ever there were any, so that he is quite rightfully condemned by all the heroes of the story for his wickedness.

Thus, as you can all see Draco sinned on an incomprehensively huge level; he knew Einon was evil, knew what wickedness he’d do if he was allowed to live a little longer and still he rescued him and bound their fates together. Why did he do this? Because he wished to redeem the boy.

Interestingly enough, Draco seems to be a Christian. He believes in God, speaks of redemption, of chivalry and of the hope that if he works hard enough he might someday go to heaven. So all his actions are motivated by a desire to cleanse himself of his sins, as he believes that he needs saving and that it is only by sacrificing and giving to others that he might accomplish this.

It is also for this reason that he joins forces with Bowen, why he mentors him and seeks to feed him, help him earn a trade if temporarily so and presses him in a multitude of philosophical discussions. This in spite of the fact that Bowen is hardly the most charming or amiable of travelling companions, rather the reverse; he is bitter, self-recriminating, easily angered and seems more than a little misanthropic.

It is for this reason that Draco seeks to restore his faith, his hope and his love of honour. Bowen you see is the most honourable man around at his core, in a lot of ways he represents an ideal, and it is one that in recent days with wicked kings everywhere and people despairing of rescue and the ideals of Christianity ignored (and her priests and monks ill-used by the monarchy), that has been cast aside and has fallen into the mire.

The question of what is to be done is a good one. On Draco’s end, he sticks to Bowen, slowly forging a bond with him and otherwise teaching him the value of forgiveness and steadily cajoling him into rediscovering the good man that he once was. A tall order, as finding your youthful spirit and innate goodness can be a difficult thing to accomplish.

Draco though doesn’t ever stop in his unrelenting drive to rescue Bowen from a life of semi-brigandry and of that of a sell-sword. So that the strange bond between Dragonslayer and Dragon lies at the heart of the film and novel, with Draco really the mentor and the ‘damsel’ so to speak by the end of the film rather than the beast who must be slain to rescue the princess.

Imprisoned, and weary with Einon getting up more times than the T-1000, Draco pleads with Bowen to end his life.

Now throughout the film, Draco truly did not believe he merited his place in heaven, and the reason for this was because he had extended the life of Einon. He was so hungry to prove himself before God that he had rescued a monster, rather than letting the boy perish for his wickedness. And yet in this hour, in this final moment he ceases to self-recriminate himself, and sacrifices himself that Einon may die and that Draco’s sins perish with the two of them.

The reason he did this is that the chains with which he was bound, are more than physical. By binding their hearts and souls together, Draco had metaphysically imprisoned and enchained himself so that he was from then on Einon’s prisoner. This is the reason it is so important that he liberate himself, even if it meant dying.

It is at this moment that Bowen cries out, ‘Without you Draco, where will we go, where do we turn?’

To which Draco only has a simple piece of advice; ‘To the Stars Bowen, to the stars…’

Stars in this context being God, being to look to the heavens and also to look within oneself and to that which the ancestors prayed to.

This is the reason that Draco’s star, once lit shines brightest of all. Because he sinned, yet purified himself of it and sought to cleanse those around him of their sins. He did not hold himself as their superior, but preferred to elevate the lives of all around him, to nurture and guide, and to sacrifice.

Certainly there were ideas borrowed from Eastern Dragons with Draco, namely the fact that he is a mentor character and something of a magician archetype. But one interesting touch was to Christianise the character, so that to see a Dragon seek redemption, seek faith and seek to guide those around him and inspire in them forgiveness and chivalry was an interesting touch.

It is only a shame that, this rare sort of story about a redemptive mentor-Dragon has been used so rarely outside of Dragonlance, and that it is considered somehow ‘unfashionable’ when it is quite a bit more touching and moving than any other Dragon in fiction.