Hopian

Hopian is the last remaining Opal dragon and was the last of the seven remaining dragons that Lief awakened on his quest to destroy the Four Sisters.

Secrets of Deltora
Hopian met with Doran the Dragonlover when he was travelling around Deltora to write his book, Secrets of Deltora. The Opal dragon told him that he was the last of his tribe. His father, the oldest Opal dragon, had died of natural causes three months earlier and all the others had been killed by the Ak-Baba's genocide. Hopian also informed Doran that he had seen a Ruby dragon killed two days prior to that point, and that his tribe had sensed evil in the city of Hira for some time.

Hopian had hoped that the people of Hira could handle the problem, but they were preoccupied dealing with a rat plague and were now preparing to abandon their city. He vowed to destroy the evil himself when they eventually leave, provided that he survives long enough to do so.

Later, after submitting his book to the king, Doran sought out Hopian again and convinced him to sleep until the king of Deltora roused him with the Belt of Deltora. He also made the Opal dragon promise not to take advantage of the other dragons by entering their territories should he wake up first.

The Sister of the South
Hopian was awakened when Lief, Barda, Jasmine, and Fidelis arrived at Hira after learning of the grey tide. The Opal dragon initially attacked the companions, enraged at the sight of another dragon in his territory. However, he calmed down when Lief used Doran's name, which caused him to turn his attention to destroying the grey tide as it spread out from the ruined city.

When the Ak-Baba were sent to protect the tide, Hopian was the first to meet them, but Lief, Barda, and Jasmine were able to convince Fidelis to join the fight. Lief also used the Belt of Deltora to summon the remaining five dragons by name to fight for their land.

Hopian was the first dragon to kill an Ak-Baba by tearing out its throat. He was immediately swarmed by the other six, but Jasmine managed to kill one of the Ak-Baba on his throat so Hopian could fight his way to freedom. Then the remaining five dragons arrived and killed two more Ak-Baba, forcing the remaining three to flee back to the Shadowlands. This allows the dragons to completely destroy the grey tide. Afterwards, Hopian bows to Lief alongside the other dragons.

He later attended the wedding of Lief and Jasmine alongside his fellow dragons.

Anatomy
Hopian, like all Opal dragons, has scales that glitter in a rainbow of colours and a pale underside that changes colour to blend in with the skies during flight. He was apparently the largest of the seven remaining dragons of Deltora.

Personality
Very little is known about Hopian, as he never speaks in The Sister of the South. He is infuriated to find another dragon in his territory, as is common for all dragons, but quickly relents his attack on the intruder when reminded of Doran. Hopian attacks the Ak-Baba and grey tide just as ferociously, and roars in triumph with his fellow dragons when he succeeds in killing one of the former.

During his brief conversation with Doran in Secrets of Deltora, Hopian displays a lack of concern for the dragons of other tribes, and did not attempt to help a Ruby dragon he saw being killed. He admitted that it was possible he would not survive long enough to destroy the evil in Hira, but commented that he was "hopeful that I will" and that he was "taking great care".

Abilities
Hopian can breathe rainbow fire that burns hot enough to destroy even the most powerful of the Shadow Lord's creations. He was also able to tear out an Ak-Baba's throat during the first Dragon Night, which is in itself an impressive feat since no other dragon up to this point had killed an Ak-Baba. Like other dragons, Hopian can and was able to enter an enchanted sleep, which allowed him to sleep for centuries. It is also assumed that Hopian possesses hypnotic eyes and some telepathic abilities.

Trivia

 * Hopian's name means "to hope" in Old English.
 * He is the only one of the seven dragons alive in Dragons of Deltora who had no dialogue.
 * It is unknown whether Hopian and his fellow Opal Dragons sensed the presence of Reeah or the Grey tide within Hira.