And then there's the How to Train Your Dragon movies if you want a "boy and his dragon pal" story that's actually good. I particularly liked the theme in the last movie
SPOILER
where the dragon riders realise they're relying too much on their dragons and not enough on themselves, and that it's time to stop using the dragons as the solution to everything and let them go their separate ways. I mean can you even imagine Eragon ever doing that? Never mind growing as a person to the point where he's ready to accomplish things on his own merit/courage - he never so much as acknowledges that he's nothing without Saphira. And he sure as hell isn't going to voluntarily give up any of his special powerups/accessories, of which Saphira is the largest (the idea that they're somehow best pals can fuck all the way off).
no subject
SPOILER
where the dragon riders realise they're relying too much on their dragons and not enough on themselves, and that it's time to stop using the dragons as the solution to everything and let them go their separate ways. I mean can you even imagine Eragon ever doing that? Never mind growing as a person to the point where he's ready to accomplish things on his own merit/courage - he never so much as acknowledges that he's nothing without Saphira. And he sure as hell isn't going to voluntarily give up any of his special powerups/accessories, of which Saphira is the largest (the idea that they're somehow best pals can fuck all the way off).