Conflict pays a pivotal role in the development and execution of “The Smallest Dragonboy.” The conflicts Keevan faces serve as catalysts for his growth and development as a character, allowing him to find success and let go of the pressure to prove himself worthy in the eyes of others. These issues can be categorized into three types: external, internal, and societal.

The story’s external conflict is the physical obstacle that Keevan faces due to his small size. The other boys, who are all larger and stronger than he is, do not take him seriously as a candidate for dragonrider. They belittle and taunt Keevan, stirring feelings of inadequacy and inferiority in him. Beterli, the senior bully among the group of candidates, tells him that “there are enough of us without a babe” (10). These conflicts emphasize his isolation from the other candidates. Primarily driven physically and verbally by Beterli, these interpersonal struggles add to the hopelessness and alienation Keevan already feels regarding his dreams of Impressing a dragon and becoming a dragonrider. This conflict also establishes Beterli as the story’s antagonist and as a foil character to Keevan by demonstrating that they are both physical and moral opposites.