Monday, January 7, 2013

My Favorite Disney Characters

I was originally planning to construct a list of my personal top 10 favorite Disney characters of all time, but then I decided to do something a little different. Right now, Disney has a total of 46 traditional animated theatrical movies, and for this list, I’ll be selecting my single favorite character from each and every one of them. There’s lots of characters to get through, so let’s stop beating around the bush and jump right in.


Grumpy is my favorite character from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) 


Good old Grumpy, he’s the tough guy of the group that has a tough attitude but a heart of gold underneath, what’s not to love. 








Geppetto is my favorite character from “Pinocchio” (1940)


Geppetto may not be the most famous character to come from this early Disney classic, but his gentle voice, big heart and relatable nature make him my personal favorite from the film. 

  





Mickey Mouse is my favorite character from “Fantasia” (1940) 



Yeah, kind of obvious, I mean it’s Mickey Mouse after all, he’s simply one of the greatest cartoon characters of all time.   










Dumbo is my favorite character from “Dumbo” (1941) 



Disney characters don’t get any more lovable or enduring then this little elephant named Dumbo, in fact, he might just be the cutest silent character of all time. 






Bambi’s father is my favorite character from “Bambi” (1942) 



Bambi’s father is a character of few words, yet conveys a lot with his presence and surprisingly intimidating design.






Jose Carioca is my favorite character from “Saludos Amigos” (1943) 



He’s a fast talking, cigar chomping, Spanish speaking parrot with lots of personality, a colorful design, and he’s the perfect character to offset the hummer of Donald Duck. 





 

Donald Duck is my favorite character from “The Three Caballeros” (1944) 



Of all the classic Disney cartoon characters, Donald Duck was always my absolute favorite, and this is the movie in which he really shines. We see his funny side, his angry side, his party side and his ... um ... romantic side.





The Singing Whale is my favorite character from “Make Mine Music” (1946) 







To be honest, I really don’t care for any of the characters featured in this film, but the singing whale is memorable and charming in his own right. 




The Disney Trio are my favorite characters from “Fun and Fancy Free” (1947) 



Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy are finally together in one film, sure they’d have a lot of specials and cartoons together, but this was the first and only theatrical movie in which they shared the silver screen as one.






Johnny Appleseed is my favorite character from “Melody Time” (1948) 



With a big heart, and a humble life style, Johnny Appleseed is easily one of the most genuinely likable characters to come from Disney.






Mr. Toad is my favorite character from “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” (1949) 



He may be selfish and a victim of his own crazy obsessions, but he’s just so sly, charming and energized that he’s hard not to like. 







Jaqu & Gus are my favorite characters from “Cinderella” (1950) 



I would have been perfectly satisfied if the whole movie was about these two cute little mice and all the crazy adventures they go on, because in my opinion these two were the most entertaining part of the film.  





Cheshire Cat is my favorite character from “Alice in Wonderland” (1951) 



He’s crazy, he’s unpredictable, he has a zany attitude, and is somehow a tone of fun to watch.






Wendy is my favorite character from “Peter Pan” (1953) 



In a world where children can’t grow up, one little girl who doesn’t even want to grow up has to be the voice or reason, while still embracing all the magic and innocents of childhood. Honestly, I think Wendy completely upstages any of the popular Disney princess that came out of Disney at the time.



Tramp is my favorite character from “Lady and the Tramp” (1955) 



He’s a dog who walks on the wild side, and always enjoys life when there’s a little more risk, or as he discovers near the end, life is more complete with someone to love.




Maleficent is my favorite character from “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) 



Now here’s a rare case in which the villain completely steals the show, I mean holly cow, with that menacing voice and awesome design, she easily ranks among Disney’s greatest baddies of all time.





Sergeant Tibbs is my favorite character from “101 Dalmatians” (1961) 



With a huge cast of cute puppy dogs, it’s kind of ironic that my favorite character would be a cat, but that’s how it is, something about the determination and resourcefulness of this cat make him one of my favorite small supporting characters to be featured in Disney movie.  


Merlin is my favorite character from “The Sword in the Stone” (1963) 



Hands down one of my top 10 favorite Disney characters of all time, he’s wise and influential but he’s also cranky, acting on the side effects of his age, but with a lot of charisma and some really funny antics.  







Baloo is my favorite character from “The Jungle Book” (1967) 



When I think of a louse with a heart of gold, Baloo always stands tall as one of the most lovable and enduring animated characters that Disney has to offer, plus he’s voiced by Phil Harris who’s one of the most charismatic and talented voice actors of the age.  




Tomas O’Malley is my favorite character from “The Aristocats” (1970) 



Phil Harris is back supplying the voice of a sly and wise cracking cat, talk about ideal casting.






Little John is my favorite character from “Robin Hood” (1973) 



Have I mentioned that I really love Phil Harris and his voice acting talents yet, oh I have, well then it shouldn’t be surprising that once again he’s the life of the party and his portrayal of Little John is as charming as they get.







Tigger is my favorite character from “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (1977) 



His tops are made of rubber, his bottom made of springs, he’s bouncy, prouncy and offers no shortage of FUN, FUN, FUN, the most wonderful thing about Tigger is ... well, let’s just say there’s no other character like him.   





Ms. Bianca is my favorite character from “The Rescuers” (1977) 



This little mouse is full of spirit and will never back away from helping someone in need, that’s all good but it’s Eva Gabor’s splendid voice work and high spirited personality that make Miss Bianca stand out. 








Tod and Copper are my favorite characters from “The Fox and the Hound” (1981) 



Oh, I couldn’t pick one over the other, they are best friends after all, they simply work best when together.






Princess Eilonwy is my favorite character from “The Black Cauldron” (1985) 



I just noticed that this is the first Disney Princess to appear on my countdown, how’s that possible? Well, this is just a case in which the sweetness and gentleness of our leading lady out shines everyone around her, and while past princess have been great, they did have a lot of competition from the supporting cast.  


Rattigan is my favorite character from “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986) 



A menacing villain with a funny, ego centric personality and voiced by the great Vincent Price ... yeah, he basically steals the show with ease.




Tito is my favorite character from “Oliver and Company” (1988)



Before Cheech Marin voiced a Hyena in “The Lion King”, he was the voice of this lively, energized and all around fun chiwawa.






Sebastian is my favorite character from “The Little Mermaid” (1989)



Why doesn’t this character get the same amount of attention that Jiminy Cricket gets? I mean this guy’s an icon among Disney characters and even has his own touching story arch to match. 





Wilbur is my favorite character from “The Rescuers Down Under” (1990) 



John Candy was a very talented actor taken from us way to soon, but one thing was certain, he was a passionate actor and always gave a solid performance, even when voicing comedic animated characters like this lovable fruitcake. 



Belle is my favorite character from “Beauty and the Beast” (1992) 



Now here’s a Disney princess who’s earned her crown, she’s a solid role model and she takes the concept of a clichéd Disney Princess to inspiring heights.




The Genie of the Lamp is my favorite character from “Aladdin” (1992) 



Let’s be honest, even though this movie features an all star cast of scene stealing characters, I think most people would agree that no-one owns this film like the Genie voiced by the always outstanding Robin Williams.



Mufasa is my favorite character from “The Lion King” (1994) 



James Earl Jones is awesome, I mean the character of Mufasa is already great, and an awesome father, but it’s the captivating voice of James Earl Jones that makes this the most memorable character of the film.  








Pocahontas is my favorite character from “Pocahontas” (1995) 



Much like Belle, this another Disney princess who goes a step further than the usual stereotypes of the past, as she’s stronger, high spirited and has a touching outlook on life that we as a culture can use to make the world a better place.   



Frollo is my favorite character from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996) 



Oh Frollo, he’s as awesome as villains get, he’s menacing, he’s complex, he’s frightening, he’s just an awesome villain that just owns the film.    




Hades is my favorite character from “Hercules” (1997) 



Yet another villain who steals the show from our hero’s with ease, mostly because he’s a perfect blend of threatening, charismatic and funny all in one package.




Mulan is my favorite character from “Mulan” (1998) 



Now here’s a title character who lives up to her title and comes off as one of the most respectable female leads from Disney.










Jane is my favorite character from “Tarzan” (1999) 



This is probably one of my top 5 leading ladies to come from Disney, she has an awesome English accent, she’s bursting with personality and is just full of spirit, what’s not to like.  









The Goddess of Nature is my favorite character from “Fantasia 2000” (2000) 



With a fantastic design and no dialog at all, this character conveys so much through her simple mannerism, expressions and clear devotion to the beauty of life, this sprite stands as a memorable character in her own right and one that’s rather unappreciated in my opinion.   


Kronk is my favorite character from “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) 



I think most fans of this movie would agree that it’s the absent minded Kronk who completely steals the show with his funny antics and consistently upbeat attitude. 





Dr. Joshua Sweet is my favorite character from “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001)



As his title would suggest, he’s a sweet guy with a cheery personality and mostly owns every seen he’s in.



Nani is my favorite character from “Lilo & Stitch” (2002) 



This older sister has a lot of problems on her plate, as she’s trying to raise a little sister after her parents sadly passed away, and is constantly looking for work, but she puts her all into both, which just makes her feel more relatable and more human than most other Disney characters.






John Silver is my favorite character from “Treasure Planet” (2002) 



What’s better then a villain who steals the show, a character with a deep redemption story, and that’s what John Silver is, an awesome villain who goes from greedy pirate to selfless hero, and I just love it. 





Tug is my favorite character from “Brother Bear” (2003)

The Late Michael Clarke Duncan plays a wise old grizzly bear named Tug. Even though the part is short, Michael Clarke Duncan was just one of the most lovable actors on the planet, and that heart of his is still felt in this minor character. 



Grace is my favorite character from “Home On the Range” (2004) 



The character is charming and funny enough on her own, but when voiced by Jennifer Tilly, it’s really hard not to like her on some level.










Ray is my favorite character from “The Princess and the Frog” (2009) 



Voice actor Jim Cummings has grown quiet the resume over the years, and when it comes to his Disney characters, one of his best by far is this lovable redneck firefly with a spirited attitude, great sense of hummer and big heart to match.  





Winnie the Pooh is my favorite character from “Winnie the Pooh” (2011) 



Well, I mentioned Tigger once before already, so I might as well give credit to Winnie the Pooh himself, after all he really is one of the most lovable and charming characters of all time. 






The End


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