UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME
I’m not exactly sure when the Hogwarts sorting of the Big Four was ‘canonized’, but I’ve never really agreed with it. So here, I’m going to give you my case for the Big Four and their respective Hogwarts Houses.
First, we have Jack. I think he’s the one I see as the most mis-sorted, because everyone puts him in Slytherin. Now, I can see why: he’s a trickster, he’s mischeivious, he lives by his own rules, tends to act above others, etc. But everyone seems to forget: these are also the traits of a Gryffindor. The deciding factor, I think, comes out in (to borrow the phrase from his own movie) what Jack’s center is, and more importantly, how he found his center. Jack is the Guardian of Fun, and while fun itself isn’t an exclusively Gryffindor trait, it is how he uses it that really sets him apart as a Gryffindor. Jack, for all his shenanigans that land him a permanent spot on the naughty list, is actually very selfless. Although he’s a rather unwilling tag-along, he does help the Guardians even before they give him a reason to. He protects and comforts Jamie even when he knows there is basically no chance of them winning. Most notably, he sacrificed his life for his sister, and made her smile despite how terrifying it must have been. I think it’s easy to overlook how brave Jack really is because he’s always smiling. Still, underneath that reckless demeanor, I think that Jack is a selfless, brave Gryffindor.
Next, we have Merida. She’s another tricky one. I mean, come on, her movie is titled Brave. How obvious do you get, right? Gryffindor all the way. …But why? She’s feisty, that’s for sure, and fearless, a wee bit reckless, and lives by her own rules. But as with Jack, I have to point out that these are also the traits of a Slytherin. Merida walks a thin line between being Gryffindor and Slytherin, but there are some things that I think push her over into the Slytherin house definitively. Merida is a schemer. Let’s face it, for good or bad, she always seems to have a trick up her sleeve. She bribes her brothers constantly, uses them as a tool (even as bears) to get what she wants, (the key from Maudie) she basically declares war by sneaking a bow into a competition and going it her own way, and need I remind you, she made a deal with a witch and changed her own mother into a bear in order to get her way. Now, she didn’t know her mother would turn into a bear, but the point remains. We also need to mention, however, that her scheming and strong will also turns out for the better: protecting her mother so relentlessly against her father, repairing the tapestry, talking diplomatic sense into the lords’ heads. Still, all together, I think that Merida, sneaking, scheming, stubborn will and all, is a Slytherin through and through.
Now, Hiccup. I actually thought it would be obvious that this kid is a Ravenclaw. Aparently, not so. Everyone seems to pin him as a Hufflepuff. Okay, those honest green eyes and dependable personality definitely give you a reason to back the badger, I’ll give you that, but I don’t think Hufflepuffs have a monopoly on kindness and hardworkers, just as Gryffindor doesn’t have a monopoly on bravery. There are a lot of things about Hiccup in addition to his honesty that shape him up as a pretty solid Ravenclaw. Firstly, he’s very curious, but more importantly, he is observant and scholarly about the things he is curious about. He is constantly sketching and recording what he learns about dragons. He designs and builds things - machinery, equipment, etc., even before dragons come along. He’s obviously the intellectual strategist of the group, and the icing on the cake: he is probably the wittiest of the Big Four. Our favorite dragon trainer is a real fan of deadpan sarcasm, and is pretty good at using it, too. All in all, I think it’s easy to say that Hiccup is defitely a Ravenclaw.
Finally, Rapunzel. Honestly, I don’t even see why people peg her as a Ravenclaw, and that is not an insult. Rapunzel is curious, yes, talented, obviously, and interested in learning perhaps more than anyone else in the movie. But curiosity, intelligence, and learning do not a Ravenclaw make, and I think there’s a deeper heart to Rapunzel’s character that lands her in Hufflepuff. She is hardworking - I mean, come on, who wakes up so early and works all day at so many cool things, every day? She is unbelievably patient and dedicated to what she loves. She waited eighteen years in a small tower to figure out what the floating lights were. And in all those eighteen years, she never gave up, and never grew weary. She is unfailingly honest (“When I promise something, I never break that promise.”) to those that she loves, such as Flynn. She also demonstrates a Hufflepuff trait that I think is too often overlooked: a relentless opposition to evil. She swears (again with the promise-keeping) that she will fight Mother Gothel to her dying day, no matter what happens. And we believe her, because we know her, and we know she would always keep her word. So yes, while Rapunzel definitely demonstrates a good deal of Ravenclaw traits, I think she is, at her heart, a true Hufflepuff.
The lesson here: all of the Big Four demonstrate traits attributed from all four houses, but I think there are some key traits, from key moments in their development, that set them apart into their respective houses. Only, maybe not the ones that everyone expects.
You know what? I actually totally agree with your house choices for them. I think it really captures the true nature of their personalities. :D