Classic Disney Shorts/Characters: Difference between revisions

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A list of major characters and tropes associated with [[Disney]]'s classic characters, which has spawned numerous spinoffs and side games. See also [[Disney Ducks Comic Universe/Characters|Disney Ducks Comic Universe]], [[Mickey Mouse Comic Universe/Characters|Mickey Mouse Comic Universe]], and [[Kingdom Hearts/Characters|Kingdom Hearts]] for character listings on those versions of the characters.

 

The first (aside from Pete, see "Other Main and Major Characters"), and arguably, the most recognizable of the cast, often depicted as a good-natured, optimistic fellow - but also a determined and often feisty fighter with elements of both [[Kid Hero]] and [[Badass]].

 

* [[Author Avatar]] (for Walt Disney)

* [[Badass]]: Especially in the early days. Creeping back into his characterization thanks to ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' and ''[[Epic Mickey]]''.

Mickey's love interest, who often took on the role of a [[Damsel in Distress]].

 

* [[The Cutie]]

* [[Depending on the Artist]]: She's been depicted over the years as either topless or fully clothed.

An anthropomorphic dog (though [[Furry Confusion|his species has been debated]]), and the world's biggest klutz. He was originally called "Dippy Dawg", but they wisely changed his name.

 

* [[Bumbling Dad]]

* [[Cartoon Creature]]

The [[Ensemble Darkhorse]], a hot-tempered waterfowl who often ended up being the [[Butt Monkey]]. Though Mickey remains the face of the company, Donald is arguably the true moneymaker as far as long-term commercial success (Walt even once called him "the [[Clark Gable|Gable]] of our stable"), spawning his own little corner of the Disney Universe that expands towards comics, cartoons, and video games.

 

* [[Badass]]: When he's determined or angry, he's performed great feats of skill, cunning, strength, and fighting prowess.

* [[Badly-Battered Babysitter]]: What happens to him when he has to babysit Shelby the Turtle, or his nephews.

** One short features Donald making trouble for himself in the kitchen as he gets distracted while listening to a radio cooking show and accidentally adding rubber cement to his waffle batter. The short ends with him running off to beat up the show's host despite the fact that ''everything that happened to him was directly his own fault.''

*** In the comics by Al Taliaferro, Donald was reccurently portrayed as nothing but a jerk (save for a several strips-long failed attempt at redeeming himself in 1937, where every attempt by Donald to do good just got him even deeper into trouble). As well as generally shown with interests in playing pranks, breaking windows, throwing stones at people and other such petty crimes as a source of fun, this also featured comics where Donald would do things like tie an anchor to Goofy's leg and throw him in the river. [[Disproportionate Retribution|For accidentally smacking Donald in the back of the head with a fish and then laughing about it.]]

* [[Kick the Dog]]: Sometimes has a very cruel sense of humor and likes to mess with smaller animals or his own nephews, which leads to his undoing by the end of the short.

* [[Limited Wardrobe]]

* [[Literal Ass-Kicking]]: This tends to happen to Donald...''a lot''.

Donald's love interest, with a similar - but more controlled - temper. Minnie is her best friend.

 

* [[Depending on the Writer]]: Daisy's personality and voice have changed with nearly every new title released after the original shorts.

* [[Distaff Counterpart]]: Though arguably, she has a few unique personality traits, and is more different from Donald than Minnie is from Mickey.

Mickey's loyal pet dog.

 

* [[Big Friendly Dog]]: Most of the time. He has a temper and an occasional selfish streak, but is loyal to Mickey and has more limits in his [[Jerkass]] tendancies than, say, Donald.

* [[Butt Monkey]]: On occasion, especially later on. Sometimes, like in ''Pluto's Judgement Day'', it went [[Nightmare Fuel|too far.]]

A large anthropomorphic cat who is constantly causing trouble for Mickey, Donald, and Goofy (all of whom, ironically, he predates).

 

* [[Abusive Parents|Abusive Father]]: To an extent, he is more often just obnoxious and self centered than directly abusive to his children however.

* [[Ambiguous Looking Cat]]

A pair of chipmunks who frequently pester Donald and sometimes Pluto (and Goofy and Mickey on at least one occasion each) during their pursuit of storing food. See also ''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (animation)/Characters|Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers]]'' for tropes that refer to them specifically in said cartoon.

 

* [[Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?]]?

* [[Breakout Character]]

A cow who occasionally hangs out with Mickey and company. Clarabelle is good friends with Minnie and Daisy, and is sometimes played as either Goofy or Horace's love interest.

 

* [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]]

** Averted as she has been [[House of Mouse|appearing]] [[Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers|more]] [[Kingdom Hearts II|in]] [[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse|recent]] [[Epic Mickey|years]].

One of Mickey's friend, Horace is a cheerful know-it-all horse. He used to tag along on Mickey's adventures in early comic strips before Goofy took his place. Often paired with Clarabelle Cow.

 

* [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]]

** Averted, though not as much as Clarabelle, he has shown [[House of Mouse|up]] [[Kingdom Hearts II|in]] [[Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep|recent]] [[Epic Mickey|years]].

Donald's super-rich, adventurous uncle. Better known for his acclaimed [[Disney Ducks Comic Universe|comic book series]] and the animated series ''[[DuckTales (1987)]]''.

 

* [[Badass Grandpa|Badass Uncle]]

* [[Berserk Button]]: You do not want to be around him when someone insults his dead mother.

Donald's mischievous nephews. Sometimes paired with Uncle Scrooge instead.

 

* [[Brats with Slingshots]]

* [[Bratty Half-Pint]]

Another of Donald's uncles. A scientist with countless expertise in numerous subjects.

 

* [[Absent-Minded Professor]]

* [[Insufferable Genius]]: To Mickey on an episode of ''[[House of Mouse]]''.

Goofy's son, who originally appeared with red hair in the 1950s, but was later redesigned to better resemble his dad in the 1990s. Starred in ''[[Goof Troop]]'' and its big-screen sequel, ''[[A Goofy Movie]]''.

 

* [[Adorkable]]

* [[Furry Ear Dissonance]]: Goofy Jr. doesn't have ''any'' ears. Averted with Max though.

A rabbit Walt Disney created in 1927 as his first animated star, but ended up losing to Universal after a contract dispute. He has since been reacquired by the Disney company and is now considered Mickey's older half-brother.

 

* [[Anti-Hero]]: Part of his alternate character interpretation in ''[[Epic Mickey]]''.

* [[The Casanova]]: Another one of his distinguishing traits from Mickey, is that he's much more *ahem* romantically inclined. Such as his dozens of children in ''Poor Papa'' or interrupting a duel with a knight to make out with his girlfreind in ''Oh What a Knight!'' He's also had more of a revolving door of love interests than Mickey and Minnie's rather steady relationship.

[[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]]'s original [[Love Interest]].

 

* [[Art Evolution]]: She started out as Oswald in a dress, then morphed into a boarderline [[Femme Fatale]] before vanishing.

* [[Barefoot Cartoon Animal]]

The orphaned kitten who pesters [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]].

 

* [[Bratty Half-Pint]]

* [[Cute Kitten]]: Subverted

[[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]]'s [[Love Interest]]

 

* [[Cute Kitten]]/[[The Cutie]]

* [[Damsel in Distress]]: In ''Oh, What a Knight!''

 

=== Dennis the Duck ===

* [[Captain Ersatz]]: Of [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]]

* [[Morally-Ambiguous Ducktorate]]: Averted.

=== Tiki the Maltese ===

{{quote|Debut:"Pluto's Penthouse Sweet," [[House of Mouse]]}}

* [[Blue Eyes]]

* [[Non-Standard Character Design]]: She looks more like a ''[[Lilo & Stitch: The Series]]'' character than like any ''[[House of Mouse]]'' or [[Classic Disney Shorts]] character.

[[Goofy]]'s pet kitten who first appeared in [[Mickey Mouse Works]].

 

* [[Depending on the Artist]]: He is yellow orange with a black nose (like Louie the mountain lion) in ''[[House of Mouse]]'', but he's orange with a pink nose and blue-green eyes in ''[[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]]''.

* [[Cute Kitten]]

An uncooperative child turtle who first appeared in [[Mickey Mouse Works]].

 

* [[Badly-Battered Babysitter]]: Happens to [[Donald Duck]] (and in one [[House of Mouse]] storyline, [[Mickey Mouse]]) when he has to babysit him.

* [[Bratty Half-Pint]]

Shelby the Turtle's mother who first appeared in [[Mickey Mouse Works]].

 

* [[Jerkass]]: To Donald.

* [[Turtle Power]]

 

=== Hairy Manilow ===

 

=== The Abominable Snowman ===

 

=== The Aliens ===

 

=== Three kittens ===

 

=== Pete's Gram-Gram ===

 

=== Goofy's Pop ===

 

=== Lumiere's relations ===

 

=== Mike Microphone ===

 

=== Soundboard ===

 

=== DVD Player ===

 

=== Thermostat ===

 

== Canon Immigrants From The Silly Symphonies and Movies ==

Mischevious pet kitten of Minnie Mouse. Originally a minor character in [[Disney Animated Canon]] feature film ''[[Pinocchio]]'', Disney took note of the cat's popularity and placed him in three shorts of his own. Often acted as a rival of Pluto.

 

* [[Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal]]: He wears a red bow in ''Bath Day''. In the [[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]] episode "Minnie's Bowtique," he wears a pink bowtie.

* [[Bratty Half-Pint]]: Non-anthro example, being a rambunctious kitten.

 

=== Jose Carioca ===

* [[Barefoot Cartoon Animal]]: In his comic book series, he loses the gloves and gains a pair of blue pants that are slightly torn at the bottom in a way that makes it look like they just painted his lower body blue. This appears to have been done not because they find the idea of a pantsless character offensive, but [[Wearing a Flag on Your Head|so that his design implements all the colours of the Brazilian flag, not just the Green and Yellow]].

* [[Fan Nickname]]: Back in his homeland of Brazil, José is [[Germans Love David Hasselhoff|endearingly]] known as "Zé Carioca".

 

=== Panchito ===

* [[Guns Akimbo]]: Panchito loves to fire off those guns of his.

* [[National Stereotypes]]: Panchito is Mexican, loud, wears a sombrero and can bullfight.

 

=== Aracuan Bird ===

* [[Informed Species]]

* [[Screwy Squirrel]]

=== Willie The Giant ===

{{quote|Debut: Mickey and the Beanstalk, second segment of [[Fun and Fancy Free]]}}

* [[Ambiguously Human]]

* [[Token Human]]

=== Jiminy Cricket ===

{{quote|Debut: [[Pinocchio (Disney film)|Pinocchio]], 1940}}

* [[Ascended Extra]]: Jiminy Cricket was a nameless cricket in the original [[Pinocchio]] book who gets squashed.

* [[Covert Pervert]]

=== Zeke Wolf (a.k.a. The Big Bad Wolf) ===

{{quote|Debut:[[Three Little Pigs]], 1933}}

* [[The Big Bad Wolf]]: The [[Trope Namer]]

* [[Big Badass Wolf]]

=== Practical Pig ===

{{quote|Debut:[[Three Little Pigs]], 1933}}

* [[All Work vs. All Play]]: All Work to Fiddler and Fifer's All Play.

* [[Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal]]

=== Fiddler and Fifer Pig ===

{{quote|Debut:[[Three Little Pigs]], 1933}}

* [[All Work vs. All Play]]: All Play to Practical's All Work.

* [[Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal|Half Dressed Cartoon Animals]]

 

=== Ol' Benttail the Coyote ===

* [[Chaste Toons]]: Averted

* [[Those Wily Coyotes]]

 

=== Benttail, Jr. ===

* [[Those Wily Coyotes]]

 

=== Ronnie the St. Bernard Puppy ===

{{quote|Debut: ''The Purloined Pup'', 1946}}

* [[Blue Eyes]]

* [[Precious Puppies]]

Minnie's dog and Pluto's girlfriend.

 

* [[Damsel in Distress]]: In the 1939 cartoon, ''Society Dog Show''.

 

Large bulldog and frequent antagonist of Pluto.

 

* [[Angry Guard Dog]]

* [[Bully Bulldog]]

Female sausage dog and love interest for Pluto (replacing Fifi).

 

* [[Depending on the Artist]]: Sometimes, she's drawn with black and tan fur, but she's more commonly drawn with brown fur.

* [[Depending on the Writer]]: Downtrodden single mother, [[Tsundere]] or [[Shallow Love Interest]]? [[Depending on the Artist|Her design also varies from short to short]].

=== Salty The Seal ===

{{quote|Debut: Mickey's Circus, 1936}}

 

=== Pluto Junior ===

Pluto's son.

 

* [[Precious Puppies]]

 

A red Siamese cat and [[Foil]] for [[Pluto the Pup]] who has a friend named Richard. He even shows up in [[Epic Mickey]].

 

* [[Cats Are Mean]]: Kind of.

* [[Deranged Animation]]: "Plutopia", which was infamous enough to get a [[Homage]] in ''[[Epic Mickey]]''.

=== K.B. ===

{{quote|Debut:Pluto's Kid Brother, 1946}}

* [[Precious Puppies]]

 

A lean, red alley cat who antagonized Pluto, KB, and [[Figaro]]. Not to be confused the mean, [[Fat Cat]] from [[Cinderella (Disney film)|Cinderella]] of the same name.

 

* [[Cats Are Mean]]

* [[Fat Cat]]: Averted, unlike that cat from ''[[Cinderella (Disney film)|Cinderella]]''.

 

=== Pluto's conscience ===

 

== Donald Duck Cartoon Characters ==

An early prototype of Daisy, Donna was Donald's girlfiend of Spanish descent (considering she literally lives in the middle of a desert) and, surprisingly, has the same speech impediment Donald has, unlike Daisy. Interestingly, one comic strip (including in ''Mickey and the Gang: Classic Stories in Verse'') had her return as a separate character from Daisy, but she had left Donald at this point for a human fiance.

 

* [[Distaff Counterpart]]: of [[Donald Duck]]

* [[Divergent Character Evolution]]: As noted above, Donna was the template for Daisy, but was later spun off into a separate character.

[[Donald Duck]]'s cousin who is a goose.

 

* [[Big Eater]]: Although [[Donald Duck]] is told that, "he don't eat much," he is this trope.

* [[Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal]]

{{quote|Debut: Daddy Duck}}

 

* [[Hates Baths]]

 

A fat, freeloading bear always on the lookout for an easy meal. Humphrey tended to run afoul of Donald Duck and fussy ranger J. Audubon Woodlore.

 

* [[Beary Funny]]

* [[Big Eater]]: When he can get food, that is.

The park ranger of Brownstone National Park, a play on Yellowstone National Park.

 

* [[Token Human]]

 

A bee(!) who tends to run afoul of Donald and (on on occasions Pluto).

 

* [[Animal Gender Bender]]: He is a male bee who can sting. In [[Real Life]], only female bees can sting.

* [[Everything's Worse with Bees]]

One of [[Donald Duck]]'s antagonists.

 

* [[Maniac Monkeys|Maniac Ape]]

 

{{quote|Debut: Don Donald (1937)}}

 

* [[Stubborn Mule]]: She's a donkey, but she still behaves this way toward [[Donald Duck]] in '"The Village Smithy"

 

{{quote|Debut: Trick or Treat (1953)}}

 

* [[Blondes Are Witches]]

* [[Green Eyes]]

=== The Nazis ===

{{quote|Debut: [[Der Fuehrer's Face]] (1943)}}

 

== Other Characters ==

A cartoon cat, similar in appearance to [[Felix the Cat]], who was the sidekick to Alice of the ''[[Alice Comedies]]''.

 

* [[Depending on the Artist]]: In some cartoons, he was drawn as black-furred with white paws and a white belly and muzzle. In others, he was all-black with only a white muzzle.

* [[Expy]]: Julius is literally just Felix moonlighting in a Disney cartoon—Pat Sullivan apparently made Disney do this.

{{quote|Debut: ''Bellboy Donald'', December 18, 1942 as Junior. ''[[Goof Troop]]'' in 1992 as PJ. }}

 

 

* [[Bratty Half-Pint]]

* [[Elevator Gag]]: In "Bellboy Donald"

* [[White Gloves]]

 

* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]

* [[Fat Cat]]: Though P.J. is portrayed more as a [[Dogfaces|dogface]] in all his appearances, he counts as one.

* [[White Gloves]]: Though he's been shown not to wear them sometimes in ''[[Goof Troop]]''.

 

* [[Ambiguous Looking Cat]]: Both Junior and PJ, but PJ more so.

* [[Art Evolution]]: Pete's son first appeared in ''Bellboy Donald'' in 1942. In that cartoon, his name is Junior, he is dressed like [[Little Lord Fauntleroy]] with blue [[Mickey Mouse]]-like shorts. He even looked a lot like [[Mickey Mouse]], but with (decently proportionate) cat ears. In ''[[Goof Troop]]'', ''[[A Goofy Movie]]'', and ''An Extremely Goofy Movie'', his name is P.J., he looks less like Mickey, is really overweight, and has small-ears like his dad, Pete.

 

=== Clarice ===

* [[Barefoot Cartoon Animal]]

* [[Humanoid Female Animal]]: She's a [[Borderline Petting Zoo Person]], while [[Chip and Dale]] are [[Civilized Animal]]s.

A full-bosomed chicken who fancies herself a professional actress, opera singer, and cellist. [[No Celebrities Were Harmed|Parody]] of famed English contralto Dame Clara [[Unfortunate Names|Butt]].

 

* [[Brawn Hilda]]

* [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]]

Mickey's nephews. They look almost exactly like their uncle save for their smaller size and trademark paper crowns.

 

* [[Canon Foreigner]]: The two have made very few appearances in animation (''Mickey's Steamroller'', ''Boat Builders'', and ''Mickey's Christmas Carol'').

* [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]]: Happened to Ferdie in the early 1940s. Floyd Gottfredson [[What Could Have Been|planned to reintroduce him later as a way of differentiating the two]], but he forgot.

A tall, smooth-talking mouse who is Mickey's antagonistic rival, usually for Minnie's affections.

 

* [[I Have Many Names]]: He also went by the name Montmorency Rodent (pronounced "Rodawn") in 1941.

* [[Jerkass]]

A mysterious master criminal who desires to conquer the world. Floyd Gottfredson

 

* [[Bond Villain Stupidity]]: Actually [[Justified]] at the end of his first appearance. When [[Mickey Mouse]] asks [[Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?|why he didn't just shoot him instead of using]] elaborate Death Traps, Blot sadly explains he can't bear to see anything die because of his ''cursed soft heart''.

* [[Card-Carrying Villain]]: At the end of his first appearance, Blot sadly laments now the chemical formula can only be used for good.

[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]], this guy is a mad scientist who wanted to see what happens if you put a dogs head on a chicken's body, fortunately, {{spoiler|he was just a dream Mickey had.}}

 

* {{spoiler|[[All Just a Dream]]}}

** Although somehow he makes a reappearance in [[Epic Mickey]].

Occasional antagonist of Donald and [[Goofy]] (more so Goofy).

 

* [[Butt Monkey]]: In "Father's Lion", the spends most of the short being manhandled by Goofy (with Goofy blissfully unaware he's even doing it.) Louie gets it even worse in "Hook, Lion and Sinker" where he winds up being a fall guy to perpetual fall guy Donald.

* [[Cats Are Mean]]: Kind of.

[[Goofy]]'s pet grasshopper. According to the special ''On Vacation with Mickey Mouse and Friends'', he is Jiminy Cricket's nephew.

 

* [[Four-Legged Insect]]

 

{{quote|Debut: Figaro and Frankie (1947)}}

 

* [[Cute but Cacophonic]]

* [[Small Annoying Creature]]

 

=== Dolores the Elephant ===

 

=== The tiger ===

{{quote|Debut: Tiger Trouble (1945)}}

 

=== The rhinoceros ===

{{quote|Debut: My African Diary (1945)}}

 

=== [[Dogfaces]] ===

 

[[Category:Characters (animation)]]