Disney Rankings Finals: Best Side/Supporting Character(s)

Disney Rankings Finals: Best Side/Supporting Character(s)

Welcome to the fourth round of my Disney ranking finals! Last round, I covered who I thought were the best villains/antagonists of Disney. If you'd like to read that round, you can do so here. This round, I'm going to talk about who I think are some of the best side/supporting characters in Disney.

Some of these characters are comic relief, while some of them are more supportive and integral to the story. But, to me all of them are worthy of praise. So, let's get started!

12th Place: The Mad Hatter, March Hare, and the Dormouse (Alice in Wonderland)

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What can I say about these three? They're a riot. They're one of the few chaotic characters in Alice and Wonderland that actually work. I feel like a lot of the other bizarre/chaotic characters in this movie tried to justify their chaotic behavior, or try to make themselves make sense. These guys on the other hand, offer no explanation for their insanity. They just seem to revel in it. This might present a problem if they were main characters (like the recent live-action movie tried to turn the Mad Hatter into) but because their side characters, they're allowed to be absolutely insane and totally bonkers. Their insanity adds to the movie, rather than taking away from it. In fact, since they're what a lot of people think of when they think of this movie, you could say that they're insanity is iconic.

11th Place: Flora, Fauna, & Merryweather (Sleeping Beauty)

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These three play such a big role in the movie that it should really be named, "Maleficent and the Three Good Fairies". Seriously though, I really enjoyed these three a lot more than Aurora. They provide the comedy and the heart of the movie. Merryweather (blue one) is the comic relief, Fauna (green one) is the heart, and Flora (red one) is kind of a mix of the two.

If you think about it, they also kind of have their own growth arc. They go from being passive observers, to proactive protectors. At first, they start off fairly passive, and can't seem to do anything but watch as Maleficent curses Aurora. They start to grow as they willingly give up magic for 16 years in order to protect Aurora, and then, after Aurora's curse is fulfilled (due partially to their own blunder of accidentally exposing Aurora's location to Maleficent), they bravely go into Maleficent's lair and give Prince Phillip to slay her.

10th Place: Penny (The Rescuers)

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Penny is one of my favorite child characters. To be honest, she reminds me a lot of Pinocchio. She's innocent, and pure in heart. But she's also courageous. I mean she stands up to and scolds two full-grown alligators. How many little kids do you know that can do that? Also, she remains surprisingly upbeat and optimistic given her dismal circumstances. 

I also want to point out that she's a symbol of all the children who have ever had to endure kidnapping and slavery. Technically speaking, that's what she goes through during the movie, it's just kind of glossed over with the cute animation and talking mice. She's taken greedy adults who exploit her into performing life-threatening labor for them. This is stunningly analogous to children who are forced to do the same thing in real life (and coincidentally, quite a few of them are forced to harvest diamonds, just like Penny). 

The thing though, is that Penny's character offers hope to these children. Just like her, there are people looking for these children, and trying to rescue them. Just like Penny, it's possible for these children to escape their horrifying circumstances and find a family who loves them. And just like Penny, these children can find faith and hope despite their current circumstances.

9th Place: Koda (Brother Bear)

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The best thing about Koda is the conflict he represents. When he firsts meets Kenai, he tells him that he got separated from his mother, and seems to have a lot of experience with hunters. Right off the bat, we're tipped off to the fact that Koda is the cub of the bear Kenai killed at the beginning of the movie. Usually, if a character loses their mother, they're the protagonist of the movie, and the person who killed their mother is the villain. However, Koda is a supporting character, and the hero of the film is the one who murdered his mother. This throws in some emotional complexity to the film that I wasn't expecting from a side character.

All of this comes to a point when Kenai tells Koda that he's the one responsible for his mother's death. The horror and betrayal on Koda's face feels so real and is very poignant. It's hard not to feel terrible for him, and the scene where he's just by himself hiding from Kenai is just heart-breaking. It makes it all that more special when Koda comes back to help Kenai in the end, and calling him his brother. It's a beautiful character arc, a character arc which is unfortunately wasted by the movie. However, sometimes a character is great even if the rest of the movie fails to capitalize on it. Thus, despite being a character in one of the most boring Disney movies I've watched, Koda proves to be a very interesting, deep, and emotional character.

8th Place: Geppetto

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I really liked Geppetto in this movie. He's a very kind-hearted, down to earth person. He's not overbearing or cringe-worthy as some Disney parents are portrayed. I really like how much the movie focuses on his paternal love for Pinocchio. While the Blue Fairy may be credited with bringing Pinocchio to life, Geppetto was the one to actually create him, to love him. And after Pinocchio is brought to life, he wants nothing more than to just love him. He makes a lot of sacrifices to care for Pinocchio, he even gets swallowed by a demonic whale while trying to find Pinocchio.

In a lot of stories, a parent's love is seen as an obstacle keeping the hero from adventure, or achieving their potential. I'm so glad that Geppetto goes against this trope. He shows that a parent's love can be what leads a child to their potential. It's this sincere love and devotion that makes Geppetto one of the best Disney side characters :).

7th Place: Copper (The Fox & the Hound)

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Copper is a very well-written character in my opinion, and he has the perfect character arc to run parallel to Tod’s. Copper must learn to have faith in their friendship, just like Tod, however, Copper encounters different obstacles on his journey. To start off, Copper has more expectations placed upon him at a young age. He’s brought into Amos’ home intentionally, with a clearly defined purpose—to be a hunting dog. A major portion of the movie shows him being trained to be a killing machine, and it’s shown that this has a very real impact on how he sees himself.

Whereas Tod’s journey is one of learning acceptance, Copper’s journey is more about learning denial. Copper must learn how to deny his new identity as a hunting dog (the role which society has bred him for) and renew his old identity from the past as Tod’s friend. At first, Copper tries to deny his past and accept his new identity, an attitude he takes into full swing when he begins to genuinely seek Tod’s life. However, at the end of the movie, we see Copper’s inner conflict come to a resolution, as he bravely steps in between his friend and the gun of his owner. It’s this moment that I believe shows that Copper has grown as a character just as much as Tod has.

6th Place: Phoebus (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

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Phoebus is a pretty cool guy. First of all, I really like his armor’s design. It just looks so cool. Besides just looking cool, Phoebus is also unfathomably kind and generous for a 14th century French military officer (he was an absolute jerk in the actual book). It’s so interesting that Phoebus is just a side character in this movie, since he plays the role that the hero of the story usually plays.

It’s interesting to note that Phoebus is also a pivotal character for Quasimodo’s character arc. Esmeralda of course was the first person to really show any kindness and respect to Quasimodo, but Phoebus was the second. With Esmeralda and Phoebus both being the first man and woman to show Quasimodo kindness, they sort of become like “parents” to him in a way (which I guess is fitting in a way since they get married at the end of the movie). Phoebus and Esmeralda together bring Quasimodo into the light of day, as a mother or father would. 

5th Place: Michael "Goob" Yagoobian (Meet the Robinson's)

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Goob is such a fun character, and one who I think benefits the most from time travel aspect of the movie. Goob starts as the roommate to Lewis. One night, he's kept up all night because Lewis is working on his invention. Because of this, Goob falls asleep during his baseball game and fails to catch the final ball, making his team lose. He ends up being the only orphan in the orphanage to not be adopted (and even still lives there after it's condemned). He eventually blames Lewis for his problems, and is enlisted by Doris to get revenge.

All of this of course isn't known until Good reveals his backstory near the end of the film. For most of the movie, we simply know him as the "bowler hat guy" who tries to help Doris capture Lewis, but more often than not just gets in the way. His antics provide some great humor (like when he brainwashes a T-rex and unsuccessfully uses it try and capture Lewis). We find out later on that Doris was simply taking advantage of Good the whole time.

After learning of Doris's true intentions, Goob makes the decision to help Lewis. A rather powerful step for him, considering the fact that Lewis was the person he blamed for ruining his life. And, after all the pain he went through, we see him get adopted at the end of the movie (as time reverses itself and all that time-travel business).

4th Place: Fix-it-Felix Jr. (Wreck-it-Ralph)

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The one thing I love about Felix is how much he contributes to the movie as a whole. In the beginning, he serves as a powerful opposite to Ralph. We see Felix loved and celebrated by everyone around him, while Ralph is tossed into the mud. We see him live in relative comfort and ease--relying on the powers handed down to him by his dad. Meanwhile, Ralph is left alone in the dump, without any friends, or life purpose.

At first, it seems like Felix doesn't really have any need for growth or development. He's a pretty nice guy, and he's got everything going for him. But then he steps outside of his comfort zone and discovers that there's a whole world of growth out there waiting for him. He risks his life to save his game, something he's never had to really do up until that point, and he learns about his own limitations. When he's locked inside of King Candy's "fundgeon", there's nothing that his fix-it powers can do to help. It isn't until he's broken out by Ralph that he realizes that Ralph's role and talents are just as valuable as his own. 

Then, with what had to have taken quite a bit of humility, Felix chooses to help Ralph save Sugar Rush, and Vanellope. In the end, he helps make the arcade a better place for Ralph, and other game characters who were disadvantaged. He went against his own "programming" to see what truly needed to be fixed.

3rd Place: Baymax (Big Hero 6)

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Anyone who's seen Big Hero 6 knows exactly why Baymax is in this spot. Just like Olaf, Baymax is a powerful symbol throughout the movie. He is essentially the symbolic stand-in for Hiro's older brother, Tadashi, who dies at the beginning of the movie. He captures all of the best qualities of Tadashi. He's warm, friendly, and genuinely wants what is best for Hiro. He becomes the one who helps Hiro to cope with the loss of Tadashi, by helping him understand what the phrase, "they're not truly gone" actually means. Baymax is symbolic of the fact that our loved ones can live on through the legacies they leave us, and through the legacies we create in their memory. 

2nd Place: Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove)

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"What are the odds of that trapdoor leading me all the way out here?"

Kronk represents everything I love about this movie. He's just such a warm person, everything about him just exudes this likeableness. He's that friend that everyone should have, in one way or in another. The only bad thing I can about him is that he gives women unrealistic expectations about men's body shape (seriously, the guy's a walking triangle). I mean, come on, no guy's shoulders are ever that broad.

Anyway, Kronk helps make life happy. Honestly, who doesn't smile when they see a picture of this guy, or hear somebody quoting him? Nobody (except maybe Yzma). Kronk is the spirit animal of happiness.

Winner: Genie (Aladdin)

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"I'm history! No, I'm mythology! Nah, I don't care what I am. I'm free-hee!" Man, this whole movie is basically about freedom isn't it? Jasmine wants to be free to marry and love who she wants, Aladdin wants to be free from living on the streets, and Genie wants to be free from being a slave forced to satiate other people's greed. Genie is such a great character. Not only does he contribute meaningfully to the movie's theme, but he also is absolutely hilarious.

Unlike most comic-relief characters, Genie actually matters to the plot. He of course is the one who grants Aladdin's three wishes, and helps Aladdin get back to Agrabah and Jasmine. He also serves a very important mentor role for Aladdin. Right off the bat, he tells Aladdin to share the truth with Jasmine about who he truly is. He's the first one to tell Aladdin that he was worthy just the way he was--and that matters a lot. Because of Genie's faith in him, Aladdin finally comes to believe in himself, and is willing to live without fearing the truth. Genie is just so willing to see Aladdin's dreams come true (which is pretty cool considering that it would be easy for him to be bitter after being a slave for 10,000 years). Probably one of the most touching scenes to me is when Genie tells Aladdin to use his final wish to turn himself into a prince for good, so that he can be with Jasmine. Genie was willing to give up his freedom--something he desperately wanted--so that his friend could be with the woman he loves. If that's not a meaningful character development, then I don't know what is. 

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Well, that's it for now. Next time, I'll talk about what I think are the best Disney couples!