I took the liberty to move this thread to the character discussion section.
Hyp, Nod, and Mutt are definitely on the list of characters who could do well in further land before time stories. While their "sublimation" at the end of LBT 3 reached a somewhat mawkish degree I'm quite sure that there wouldn't be a total change of personality for any of them. Even though they may remember the most basic lessons of LBT 3 I expect they would still remain kind of "unruly" teenagers which would be a a refreshing change with all the younger or fully grownup characters.
The three are of course no homogeneous group. Hyp is definitely on top of the pecking order in spite of being the smallest and probably physically weakest of the group (Cera: "your kind never gets very big.") but with all his shortcomings he seems to be the brightest and the most self assertive of the group which makes him being accepted as the leader.
Nod would be number two in the pecking order. Not much of a thinker and basically willing to submit to Hyp's will (having him ride on his back) he still won't accept everything Hyp says if what he is saying calls his own courage or whatever into question. By doing just that (questioning his courage) Hyp manages to manipulate him into following.
Mutt finally is really just the follower parroting the other's words and actions without really thinking about the why. He would probably be the most affable and least autonomous of the three if left to himself.
One question about Hyp, Nod, and Mutt that was raised in another thread was just how far they would have gone with their evil actions. Some people think that, when hunting Littlefoot and the others after finding the water hole, Hyp planned to actually kill them. I do not agree with that idea.
Hyp is a loudmouth, a bully, a rowdy, and probably ready to use violence to achieve his aims; but I do not think that he is a killer. Perhaps nothing would have brought Hyp into a more embarassing situation than if he and his friends had managed to corner Littlefoot and the others after the finding of the waterhole. On the one hand he would have had to be "tough" in order not to loose face for Nod and Mutt. On the other hand he could not possibly commit such a crime as suggested above. He would have been on the horns of a dilemma trying to intimidate Littlefoot and the others enough to stop them from telling others about the waterhole (I don't see how he could have managed to do this).
I know of three published "official" land before time stories (non-fanfictions) which include Hyp, Nod, and Mutt. One of them appeared in a booklet titled "All together". The story comes down to a contest between Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike on the one and Hyp, Nod, and Mutt on the other side. The message of course is that by working together (something especially Cera has to learn first) they can overcome the bullies advantage in superior strength during the contest.
The second story is from one board book and was elaborated in an audio play (which was published in Germany). The title is very similar to that of the booklet: "We did it together". In that story Hyp, Nod, and Mutt capture Spike and Littlefoot and the others have to work together to make the bullies think that a huge unknown dinosaur is approaching to chase them away and free Spike.
Finally there was a story involving Hyp, Nod, and Mutt published in a land before time magazine which was issued in Germany in late 2000 early 2001 (sadly only four issues appeared before it was stopped). I have to read it again to remember the details, but once again it was about Littlefoot and the others outwitting Hyp, Nod, and Mutt who were remarkably identified as Sharpteeth in that story! :blink:
Doesn't sound like the author ever watched LBT 3, does it?
I included Hyp, Nod, and Mutt in one LBT story I'm writing. It is really fun to let them encounter another gang of unruly teenagers. B)
