‘Naruto’ joins ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ in new collaboration artwork by Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto and How to Train Your Dragon have come together in a new collaboration visual that features Naruto Uzumaki alongside Gamakichi joining forces with Hiccup and Toothless.

The artwork, drawn by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, depicts Naruto fist-bumping Hiccup in mid-air as the dragon sweeps through the skies. The special illustration was unveiled to celebrate the upcoming release of DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures’ live-action How to Train Your Dragon in Japan.

“The animated How to Train Your Dragon is so entertaining that even cartoonists think of it as a masterpiece of the highest calibre. Even as a live-action, it will be just as entertaining! I bet flying on the back of a live-action dragon feels just as exhilarating. Let’s fly!” said Kishimoto in a statement shared on the official Japanese site.

The live-action film arrives in Japanese cinemas on September 5, following its US debut earlier this year. It has already earned US $628 million worldwide, ranking as the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025 and the most successful entry in the How to Train Your Dragon series to date.

A sequel, based on the second animated instalment, is set for release in 2027, with director Dean DeBlois noting it may diverge from the original storyline.

How to Train Your Dragon, adapted from Cressida Cowell’s novel, tells the story of Hiccup, a young Viking who befriends an injured dragon named Toothless, challenging the traditions of his village. The live-action stars Mason Thames as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid.

Meanwhile, Naruto remains one of the most influential manga and anime franchises since its debut in 1999, spanning 72 volumes, multiple adaptations, and the ongoing sequel Boruto, which follows Naruto’s son forging his own path.