General Drake‘s top lieutenant and student, Dixon was given her life back by dragons, and intends to aid Drake in his goals to see dragons become the saviors of mankind.
Appearance
Dixon is a four foot, six inch tall human with fire-colored red hair, usually tied up in a ponytail and tucked into a yellow ball cap, and piercing blue eyes usually covered by a pair of aviator goggles.
She wears an orange bomber jacket with a patch of an otter on it alongside the usual patches listing her as a Rider of Drake. She also wears very baggy jeans to hide the fact that her legs are broken and require braces for her to get around without her dragons. Hence, she’ll usually be seen on the back of dragons rather than going around on her own.
Backstory
Ever since she was a child, Dixon wanted to fly. Cursed with genetics that left her constantly short and being looked down on, she wanted the chance to look down on everyone else. She’d watch birds and kites soar high above the air, and long to be able to fly higher than them.
She eventually got her chance when she joined the Air Force, and managed to become an excellent pilot, with many seeing great things in her future.
Unfortunately, that future seemed doomed to never pass, as during one practice run, a slip-up resulted in Dixon crashing and permanently losing the ability to walk.
Things seemed bleak for the young aspiring pilot, until she was approached by General Drake with an offer: he had an experimental process underway: the creation of dragons made to defend humanity. And he needed the best to keep them in line.
Dixon ended up switching out aircrafts for dragons, forming a bond with the dragon Bang Fifigara, and utilizing him to become one of Drake’s first Dragon Riders.
With her dreams restored, Dixon eagerly works as Drake’s top lieutenant and right-hand woman, ecstatic to be able to fly again and ready to embrace her future as one of the best flyers in the world.
Abilities
- Peak physical training – Drake taught Dixon everything he knew, and aside from her inability to walk, she is at the height of her physical fitness, being more durable than the average human.
- Nerve point strikes – Drake also taught her the nervous systems of many animals, allowing her to not only paralyze them with a touch, but additionally use these nerve points to take control of a dragon’s body and pilot them in and out of danger.
- Close bond with dragons – Dragons gave her back her life, and so she knows how to handle them, being able to calm them down or otherwise prevent them from fighting.
- Mechanic – her past as a pilot made her knowlegable about mechaical problems, and she can usually be counted on to handle tech or machines going awry.
- Small advantages – being a naturally tiny woman, Dixon actually has a ferret-like ability to squeeze her way through tight spaces that others couldn’t fit in.
Personality
At first glance, one would assume Dixon is a brash, loud-mouthed braggart who spends a lot of time talking herself up. However, this is mainly due to an inferiority complex brought about by her small size and her crippling mistake that initially took away her dream of being a pilot.
She is determined to never let a crash like that happen again – doubly so due to her genuine bond with her dragon, who is far more alive than any aircraft ever could be. As a result, while she can come across as brash, she is also capable of being very cautious, to the point that she can be mistaken for a coward merely due to not wanting to get her dragon shot down. And since she talks to herself as a coping mechanism, it leads to a lot of her self-pep-talks coming across as boasting.
Despite her seemingly arrogant front, she’s still genuinely loyal to both Drake and Bang, and wants to prove to them and herself that they were right to give her a second chance. She’ll say that she’s the best pilot around, but she’s also very eager to put her money where her mouth is and prove it.
Stories Involving Her
- Of Scales and Fur – Shiva (Her dragon got a bit more attention, but she appears in the final chapters)
- Of Scales and Fur – Rocket (She made a short cameo here)
- Of Scales and Fur – Wing (Will have a bit of a bigger role here)
- Of Scales and Fur – Phoenix (Cameoed briefly)
- Of Scales and Fur – Jackknife (Cameos near the ending battle)
Trivia
- Dixon was initially based on Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy, and would have had adventures alongside Star Wing, who was based on Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon. Ultimately, plans changed, and the two have very little experience with each other in OSAF.
- Dixon was also inspired by Daxter from Jak and Dexter; something that is referenced by her otter patch, given as she has a fondness for otters.
- Dixon also got some inspiration from Jeff ‘Joker’ Moreau from Mass Effect, with both being handicapped pilots who don’t let their disabilities stop them from being the best at what they do, with both also having snarky senses of humor.
- Dixon’s ability to alter nerve points so she can ride dragons is inspired by Crash Bandicoot: Crash of the Titans, where a major gameplay mechanic revolved around taking control of larger creatures to advance the story.
- Dixon’s recommended voice actress would be Melissa McCarthy, specifically her role as Shannon Mullins from ‘The Heat’.