Luckdragon
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| Luckdragon | |
|---|---|
 Atreyu rides Falkor the Luckdragon over Fantastica ("Fantasia" in the film) in the first film adaptation |
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| First appearance | The Neverending Story |
| Information | |
| Species | Luckdragons |
| Portrayed by | Alan Oppenheimer (voice of Falkor) |
| Created by | Michael Ende |
Luckdragons (Glücksdrachen) are a fictional dragon species featured in Michael Ende's novel The Neverending Story ("Die unendliche Geschichte"). Only one luckdragon by the name of Fuchur (Falkor in English translations) appears in the book (although five others are mentioned in passing); nevertheless, it is described with precision and detail.
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[edit] Appearance
A luckdragon has an elongated pearl-colored body with no wings and only rudimentary paws. The form of its head is described less precisely, but in the 1984 film adaptation of the novel, it had distinctive canine features, and additionally, in the movie Falkor asks Atreyu to scratch him behind his ear, accenting his dog-like appearance, which led to confusion among those who haven't read the book. The assumption that luckdragons are somehow related to dogs is thus incorrect.
Luckdragons bear a close resemblance to Chinese dragons or Lóng, especially the classical depiction of such which describes them as possessing the face of a camel and its wingless enlongated body.
[edit] Abilities
Unlike most of their dragon kin, luckdragons possess neither an immense physical strength, nor great magic talents. Their only distinctive ability that sets them apart is their incredible luck in everything they do. For example, at one point in the novel, Fuchur / Falkor manages to locate and rescue his lost companion despite violent storm and having absolutely no idea where to look for him. A luckdragon's typical answer to how it is going to accomplish a nearly impossible feat is always "With luck!" Despite such carelessness, it seems their luck truly never fails.
Another special trait of luckdragons is the ability to fly despite the fact that they have no wings. Thus, it is more like a levitation than actual flying, and it is speculated in the novel whether this is similar to the way sea snakes move through the water. Apparently, both the luckdragon and anyone sitting on its back (riding a luckdragon is an extremely rare occurrence reserved only for the greatest heroes) experience very little air resistance when flying, which in turn allows for an incredible velocity of flight.
[edit] Other appearances
- Falkor makes a brief appearance in an episode of Family Guy. He is being ridden by Peter Griffin in the role of Atreyu. He appears to weigh substantally more than Atreyu in either the book or film versions of The Neverending Story which causes Falkor to crash into the ground.
- Falkor also appears in a short scene in an episode of Robot Chicken.
- He also appears during the end credits of the PC game Jets'n'Guns.
- Falkor is also featured in Emogame 2.
- Falkor is seen in Dean Venture's dreamland in an episode of The Venture Bros.
[edit] Trivia
- In the first movie, Falkor is voiced by Alan Oppenheimer, who also voiced Mighty Mouse and Skeletor.
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The Neverending Story by Michael Ende and its adaptations
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| Book: | The Neverending Story |
| Films: | The NeverEnding Story | The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter | The NeverEnding Story III |
| Television: | Animated series | Tales from the Neverending Story |
| Characters: | Atreyu | Bastian Balthazar Bux | Carl Conrad Coreander | Childlike Empress | Gmork | Luckdragon | Southern Oracle | Ygramul |
| Other: | Auryn | Fantastica |
