Dancing Toothless

2023Exploitable video / green screen edit / reaction GIFsemi-active

Also known as: Toothless Dancing · Toothless Dance Meme

Dancing Toothless is a 2023 viral meme featuring a 2D animated Toothless from *How to Train Your Dragon* dancing to "Driftveil City," originating from YouTuber Cas van de Pol's recap cartoon and spreading as a green screen exploitable across TikTok.

Dancing Toothless is a viral video meme featuring a 2D animated version of Toothless from *How to Train Your Dragon* dancing to "Driftveil City" from *Pokémon: Black & White*. The clip originated from YouTuber Cas van de Pol's recap cartoon posted in December 2023 and quickly spread across TikTok and YouTube as a green screen exploitable, with users placing the dancing dragon in every setting imaginable1.

dancing character memeshow to train your dragon memeslooping memescreator credit memesdreamworks memes

TL;DR

The meme centers on an eight-second animation loop of Toothless bouncing energetically to "Driftveil City," a jazz-funk track from the *Pokémon: Black & White* soundtrack.

Overview

The meme centers on an eight-second animation loop of Toothless bouncing energetically to "Driftveil City," a jazz-funk track from the *Pokémon: Black & White* soundtrack1. The animation style is deliberately crude and exaggerated, with choppy movements that give the dragon an almost rubber-like quality. Toothless dances with his whole body, bobbing up and down in a rhythmic bounce that syncs perfectly with the music's upbeat tempo3.

What makes the meme work as an exploitable is its simplicity. Creators isolated Toothless against transparent backgrounds, making it trivial to drop him into any scene1. The character dances in Target aisles, office cubicles, living rooms, battlefields, and anywhere else someone felt like putting a happy dragon. The format requires zero context to understand: it's a dragon dancing, and it's funny2.

The Dancing Toothless meme traces its lineage back to 2018's Dancing Lizard meme, where a 3D animated gecko grooved to various songs on YouTube and X (then Twitter)3. On April 22, 2019, YouTuber it's me jb posted a version of the dancing lizard set to "Driftveil City" from *Pokémon: Black & White*, which picked up over 1.4 million views across four years1.

On December 9, 2023, YouTuber Cas van de Pol uploaded "The Ultimate 'How To Train Your Dragon' Recap Cartoon"3. Around the 1:30 mark, Hiccup snaps his fingers and Toothless launches into the same dance, set to the same "Driftveil City" track, directly mimicking the lizard's moves2. The callback was intentional. By grafting the established dancing lizard format onto one of animation's most beloved characters, Cas van de Pol created something that hit multiple fanbases at once1.

That same day, YouTuber A.Z. Clubs clipped the dance scene into its own standalone video titled "Toothless dance meme," which pulled in 30,000 views within two weeks3. Two days later on December 11, The Meek Guy posted a one-hour loop version that racked up 300,000 views in the same timeframe1.

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube (source animation), TikTok (viral spread)
Key People
Cas van de Pol, A.Z. Clubs, @uwaa.w
Date
2023
Year
2023

The Dancing Toothless meme traces its lineage back to 2018's Dancing Lizard meme, where a 3D animated gecko grooved to various songs on YouTube and X (then Twitter). On April 22, 2019, YouTuber it's me jb posted a version of the dancing lizard set to "Driftveil City" from *Pokémon: Black & White*, which picked up over 1.4 million views across four years.

On December 9, 2023, YouTuber Cas van de Pol uploaded "The Ultimate 'How To Train Your Dragon' Recap Cartoon". Around the 1:30 mark, Hiccup snaps his fingers and Toothless launches into the same dance, set to the same "Driftveil City" track, directly mimicking the lizard's moves. The callback was intentional. By grafting the established dancing lizard format onto one of animation's most beloved characters, Cas van de Pol created something that hit multiple fanbases at once.

That same day, YouTuber A.Z. Clubs clipped the dance scene into its own standalone video titled "Toothless dance meme," which pulled in 30,000 views within two weeks. Two days later on December 11, The Meek Guy posted a one-hour loop version that racked up 300,000 views in the same timeframe.

How It Spread

The full recap video hit 4 million views within its first two weeks on YouTube.

TikTok picked up the meme on December 13, 2023, when TikToker @uwaa.w posted an edit placing Toothless's dance side-by-side with the original dancing lizard, pulling 2.6 million views in two weeks. On December 22, TikToker @igreenscreenthings posted a green screen version of the dance that blew up with over 6 million views in just five days. This green screen edit became the format's real engine. That same day, TikTokers @i0hades0i and @scream_soda67 each posted green screen edits placing Toothless in different scenarios, each clearing 1.3 million views within five days.

The meme crossed into brand territory on January 11, 2024, when the League of Legends UK X account posted their own version with the dance animation traced over a new dragon character, writing "he's just a happy lil' guy," and earning over 21,000 likes in a single day. Cas van de Pol noticed and quote-posted it, asking "who do i invoice for this? @riotgames," which itself pulled 140,000 likes. The exchange sparked a wave of comments pressuring Riot Games to credit or pay the original animator.

By February 2026, the original recap cartoon had surpassed 20 million views on YouTube.

How to Use This Meme

The standard Dancing Toothless format works like any green screen exploitable:

1

Grab the isolated Toothless animation (transparent background versions are widely available as GIFs and video files)

2

Place Toothless into a new setting, whether a photo, video, or another meme

3

Keep the "Driftveil City" audio playing underneath, though some creators swap in different tracks

Cultural Impact

Dancing Toothless hit at a unique intersection of nostalgia and remix culture. *How to Train Your Dragon* premiered in 2010, meaning millennials and Gen Z had grown up with the franchise. Toothless already had built-in affection as a character, and seeing him in a crude, internet-humor animation style created an appealing contrast with his polished DreamWorks origins.

The League of Legends tracing incident became a minor flashpoint in the ongoing debate about proper attribution in meme culture. When the LoL UK account posted their traced version without credit, the community rallied behind Cas van de Pol, and the interaction highlighted how brands routinely absorb meme formats without acknowledging their creators.

The meme also generated a physical merchandise ecosystem. Fan artists created 3D-printed dancing Toothless figures, sewn plushies, and illustrations based on the animation. Sticker packs appeared across messaging platforms. The SigStick platform reported 14,010 downloads for their "Dancing Toothless" sticker pack by October 2024.

The music itself saw renewed interest. "Driftveil City," composed by Go Ichinose for *Pokémon: Black & White* (2010-2011), experienced a streaming bump as people sought out the full track. Its roughly 130 BPM tempo and saxophone-driven melody worked perfectly for animation loops, with natural four-beat synchronization points that made even amateur edits look well-timed.

Fun Facts

The "Driftveil City" track that powers the meme was composed for *Pokémon: Black & White* in 2010, meaning the song is over a decade older than the meme it spawned.

Cas van de Pol's original recap video wasn't designed to create a meme. The Toothless dance was just one gag in a full-length animated recap, but it was the moment the internet latched onto.

The meme is essentially a meme-of-a-meme: a 2023 dragon dancing to a 2019 lizard dancing to a 2010 song, with each layer adding new audiences.

Dancing Toothless GIF sticker packs saw over 14,000 downloads on the SigStick platform alone by October 2024.

Derivatives & Variations

Green screen edits

— The dominant format. TikTokers placed Toothless dancing in countless locations and scenarios using the green screen version posted by @igreenscreenthings[3].

Animal dance edits

— Creators applied the same animation style and music to cats, dogs, and other creatures. TikTok user ho_salt.Studio made "toothless dance but cat," which showed the template's adaptability beyond the original character[1].

Real-life recreations

— TikTokers like yuyu020206 filmed themselves attempting to replicate the exaggerated bouncing dance in person[1].

Side-by-side comparisons

— Edits placing Toothless next to the original dancing lizard, most notably @uwaa.w's viral 2.6-million-view version[2].

Extended loops

— YouTube became home to hour-long and even ten-hour loop compilations used as background entertainment or study videos[1].

Brand adaptations

— The League of Legends UK account traced over the animation with their own dragon character, sparking an attribution controversy[3].

Frequently Asked Questions

Dancing Toothless

2023Exploitable video / green screen edit / reaction GIFsemi-active

Also known as: Toothless Dancing · Toothless Dance Meme

Dancing Toothless is a 2023 viral meme featuring a 2D animated Toothless from *How to Train Your Dragon* dancing to "Driftveil City," originating from YouTuber Cas van de Pol's recap cartoon and spreading as a green screen exploitable across TikTok.

Dancing Toothless is a viral video meme featuring a 2D animated version of Toothless from *How to Train Your Dragon* dancing to "Driftveil City" from *Pokémon: Black & White*. The clip originated from YouTuber Cas van de Pol's recap cartoon posted in December 2023 and quickly spread across TikTok and YouTube as a green screen exploitable, with users placing the dancing dragon in every setting imaginable.

dancing character memes how to train your dragon memes looping memes creator credit memes dreamworks memes

TL;DR

The meme centers on an eight-second animation loop of Toothless bouncing energetically to "Driftveil City," a jazz-funk track from the *Pokémon: Black & White* soundtrack.

Overview

The meme centers on an eight-second animation loop of Toothless bouncing energetically to "Driftveil City," a jazz-funk track from the *Pokémon: Black & White* soundtrack. The animation style is deliberately crude and exaggerated, with choppy movements that give the dragon an almost rubber-like quality. Toothless dances with his whole body, bobbing up and down in a rhythmic bounce that syncs perfectly with the music's upbeat tempo.

What makes the meme work as an exploitable is its simplicity. Creators isolated Toothless against transparent backgrounds, making it trivial to drop him into any scene. The character dances in Target aisles, office cubicles, living rooms, battlefields, and anywhere else someone felt like putting a happy dragon. The format requires zero context to understand: it's a dragon dancing, and it's funny.

The Dancing Toothless meme traces its lineage back to 2018's Dancing Lizard meme, where a 3D animated gecko grooved to various songs on YouTube and X (then Twitter). On April 22, 2019, YouTuber it's me jb posted a version of the dancing lizard set to "Driftveil City" from *Pokémon: Black & White*, which picked up over 1.4 million views across four years.

On December 9, 2023, YouTuber Cas van de Pol uploaded "The Ultimate 'How To Train Your Dragon' Recap Cartoon". Around the 1:30 mark, Hiccup snaps his fingers and Toothless launches into the same dance, set to the same "Driftveil City" track, directly mimicking the lizard's moves. The callback was intentional. By grafting the established dancing lizard format onto one of animation's most beloved characters, Cas van de Pol created something that hit multiple fanbases at once.

That same day, YouTuber A.Z. Clubs clipped the dance scene into its own standalone video titled "Toothless dance meme," which pulled in 30,000 views within two weeks. Two days later on December 11, The Meek Guy posted a one-hour loop version that racked up 300,000 views in the same timeframe.

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube (source animation), TikTok (viral spread)
Key People
Cas van de Pol, A.Z. Clubs, @uwaa.w
Date
2023
Year
2023

The Dancing Toothless meme traces its lineage back to 2018's Dancing Lizard meme, where a 3D animated gecko grooved to various songs on YouTube and X (then Twitter). On April 22, 2019, YouTuber it's me jb posted a version of the dancing lizard set to "Driftveil City" from *Pokémon: Black & White*, which picked up over 1.4 million views across four years.

On December 9, 2023, YouTuber Cas van de Pol uploaded "The Ultimate 'How To Train Your Dragon' Recap Cartoon". Around the 1:30 mark, Hiccup snaps his fingers and Toothless launches into the same dance, set to the same "Driftveil City" track, directly mimicking the lizard's moves. The callback was intentional. By grafting the established dancing lizard format onto one of animation's most beloved characters, Cas van de Pol created something that hit multiple fanbases at once.

That same day, YouTuber A.Z. Clubs clipped the dance scene into its own standalone video titled "Toothless dance meme," which pulled in 30,000 views within two weeks. Two days later on December 11, The Meek Guy posted a one-hour loop version that racked up 300,000 views in the same timeframe.

How It Spread

The full recap video hit 4 million views within its first two weeks on YouTube.

TikTok picked up the meme on December 13, 2023, when TikToker @uwaa.w posted an edit placing Toothless's dance side-by-side with the original dancing lizard, pulling 2.6 million views in two weeks. On December 22, TikToker @igreenscreenthings posted a green screen version of the dance that blew up with over 6 million views in just five days. This green screen edit became the format's real engine. That same day, TikTokers @i0hades0i and @scream_soda67 each posted green screen edits placing Toothless in different scenarios, each clearing 1.3 million views within five days.

The meme crossed into brand territory on January 11, 2024, when the League of Legends UK X account posted their own version with the dance animation traced over a new dragon character, writing "he's just a happy lil' guy," and earning over 21,000 likes in a single day. Cas van de Pol noticed and quote-posted it, asking "who do i invoice for this? @riotgames," which itself pulled 140,000 likes. The exchange sparked a wave of comments pressuring Riot Games to credit or pay the original animator.

By February 2026, the original recap cartoon had surpassed 20 million views on YouTube.

How to Use This Meme

The standard Dancing Toothless format works like any green screen exploitable:

1

Grab the isolated Toothless animation (transparent background versions are widely available as GIFs and video files)

2

Place Toothless into a new setting, whether a photo, video, or another meme

3

Keep the "Driftveil City" audio playing underneath, though some creators swap in different tracks

Cultural Impact

Dancing Toothless hit at a unique intersection of nostalgia and remix culture. *How to Train Your Dragon* premiered in 2010, meaning millennials and Gen Z had grown up with the franchise. Toothless already had built-in affection as a character, and seeing him in a crude, internet-humor animation style created an appealing contrast with his polished DreamWorks origins.

The League of Legends tracing incident became a minor flashpoint in the ongoing debate about proper attribution in meme culture. When the LoL UK account posted their traced version without credit, the community rallied behind Cas van de Pol, and the interaction highlighted how brands routinely absorb meme formats without acknowledging their creators.

The meme also generated a physical merchandise ecosystem. Fan artists created 3D-printed dancing Toothless figures, sewn plushies, and illustrations based on the animation. Sticker packs appeared across messaging platforms. The SigStick platform reported 14,010 downloads for their "Dancing Toothless" sticker pack by October 2024.

The music itself saw renewed interest. "Driftveil City," composed by Go Ichinose for *Pokémon: Black & White* (2010-2011), experienced a streaming bump as people sought out the full track. Its roughly 130 BPM tempo and saxophone-driven melody worked perfectly for animation loops, with natural four-beat synchronization points that made even amateur edits look well-timed.

Fun Facts

The "Driftveil City" track that powers the meme was composed for *Pokémon: Black & White* in 2010, meaning the song is over a decade older than the meme it spawned.

Cas van de Pol's original recap video wasn't designed to create a meme. The Toothless dance was just one gag in a full-length animated recap, but it was the moment the internet latched onto.

The meme is essentially a meme-of-a-meme: a 2023 dragon dancing to a 2019 lizard dancing to a 2010 song, with each layer adding new audiences.

Dancing Toothless GIF sticker packs saw over 14,000 downloads on the SigStick platform alone by October 2024.

Derivatives & Variations

Green screen edits

— The dominant format. TikTokers placed Toothless dancing in countless locations and scenarios using the green screen version posted by @igreenscreenthings[3].

Animal dance edits

— Creators applied the same animation style and music to cats, dogs, and other creatures. TikTok user ho_salt.Studio made "toothless dance but cat," which showed the template's adaptability beyond the original character[1].

Real-life recreations

— TikTokers like yuyu020206 filmed themselves attempting to replicate the exaggerated bouncing dance in person[1].

Side-by-side comparisons

— Edits placing Toothless next to the original dancing lizard, most notably @uwaa.w's viral 2.6-million-view version[2].

Extended loops

— YouTube became home to hour-long and even ten-hour loop compilations used as background entertainment or study videos[1].

Brand adaptations

— The League of Legends UK account traced over the animation with their own dragon character, sparking an attribution controversy[3].

Frequently Asked Questions