Flower and Thumper (Bambi).

When Bambi's mother is shot while he is just a young deer, Bambi is forced to grow up on his own. Bambi makes many fellow animal friends while living in the forest, who help him learn the skills he needs in order to survive. Thumper, a young bunny, and Flower, the friendly skunk, show Bambi that even without the help of his mother, he can survive alone with his own wits and talents. Bambi then understands that he is in fact strong enough, like is father, to lead the other deers to safety when the hunters arrive one day. While these characters show Bambi how to be independent, they also show him that he is never alone. These characters teach Bambi both lessons of being independent and a leader, and lessons of friendship. These characters, although not recognized or deemed as important as main character Bambi, prove to be important characters by being influences in Bambi's new-found personality. Much like many of the other "side" characters, these animated beings are also a huge aspect to the hero's successes, and are also wonderful friends and companions. With qualities such as this, it is impossible to consider any of the Disney side characters as being entirely "flat," when these characters essentially have within them the abilities to control all aspects of the classic Disney movies.

Meeko and Percy (Pocahontas).

"You think you own whatever land you land on, the earth is just a dead thing you can claim. But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name." When Pocahontas, a young native American girl, sings these words in her song "Colors of the Wind," we see how much the earth and all its belongings mean to her and to her culture. However, when the English arrive in an attempt to industrialize the land she lives on, Pocahontas is forced to convince Englishman John Smith that the earth is not for finding gold or building cities, but for cherishing its natural beauty and its creatures. Because of the presence of Pocahontas's friends Meeko the raccoon, and Percy the hummingbird, we are taught the values of loving nature and befriending our earth. These characters simply add to the message of the movie about respecting the earth and all that comes along with it. These characters which are both very physically cute also provide little kids with another source of enjoyment within the movie, since the plot (the English coming to America to search for gold and beginning idustrialization) may be a little too confusing for very young children.

Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast).

When Belle, a small town beauty, ends up at the castle of the Beast, she not only gets to know him, but gets to know his kitchen utensils as well. In a very welcoming and warming song, "Be Our Guest," Belle is kindly welcomed into the home of the beast by various plates, glasses, forks and knives. Among these inanimate objects are Lumiere, a fancy French candlestick, Mrs. Potts, a loving mother of a little teacup, and Cogsworth, a proper and elegant clock. These characters, without the presence of their master, the Beast, sing songs and dance. Being around the Beast, however, the characters lose the dominant presence they have through song and dance and they tend to sit back and stay silent. These characters prove that they are not "flat" characters by the simple fact that they feel fear of their master, and they present that fear to the audience. Through their fear, these inhuman characters appear to be human, and develop human-like qualities. These characters, who speak eloquently and act elegantly and properly also provide the story with a culturally pleasing effect. The French accents and European elegance fit in perfectly to the story about young and beautiful Belle arriving at the castle of the French Prince. Through the accurate accents and detailed drawings of the characters making them appear to be fancy, the audience gains a cultural and historical aspect to the movie that would otherwise be lacking. Seeing these objects allows eyes to imagine what life may have been like for a young, wealthy French Prince.

The Seven Dwarfs (Snow White).

The Seven adorable dwarfs of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are able to control emotional aspects of the movie just by speaking. Dopey, Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, and Doc can convey the emotions that their characters represent. For instance, when Sleepy talks, it is possible to become overwhelmed with fatigue. Hearing Grumpy talk, you begin to feel agitated, and when Happy talks, you will often find yourself smiling. The Seven Dwarfs, although not entirely needed in order for the story to have a strong plot, have the ability to control a viewers emotion at any given point during the movie. These characters, who each look and speak in a manner that is very fitting to their names, all have the aspects needed (such as the facial expression and tone of voice) to force certain emotions out of an audience. Essentially, these characters are used to control the emotions of the audience during times of the movie when the plot alone may not be able to do so.

Tinkerbell (Peter Pan).

Tinkerbell, the most feisty and spunky character of Peter Pan, is also the most popular among young children (girls in particularly). Every halloween, many girls dress up in fairy wings and green dresses to represent Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell, more popular than Wendy (the main female character of Peter Pan), is a classic representation of a fantastic disney "side" character that has the ability to draw in more viewers than many of the main characters. Tinkerbell, a beautiful and tiny fairy, has a strong love for the main character, Peter Pan. However, when Peter meets Wendy and her two brothers and brings them along on an epic journey to Never Land, Peter falls for Wendy and her affectionate nature. Tinkerbell will not allow this, and creates many hilarious scenes in the movie where she intentionally interfers in the relationship of Peter and Wendy. From flirting shamelessly with Peter to taking drastic measures such as tying up Wendy, Tinkerbell's mischevious and jealous attitude draws in attention and creates conflict in the movie that may otherwise not be there. Although seemingly troublesome and obnoxious, however, Tinkerbell ends up pulling her weight when the saves Peter, Wendy, and Wendy's brothers from pirates they encounter on their sojourn toward Never Land. Tinkerbell, although small and trouble-making, not only provides an audience with comical cat-fights and childish behavior, but also supports the hero in times of need, pulling some of the responsible weight.

Timon and Pumbaa (The Lion King).

The Lion King, a heart-wrenching and tragic tale of a young lion cub adapting to adulthood, features two crazy characters named Timon and Pumbaa. After seeing how a young lion cub, Simba, loses his father due to his evil uncle, Scar, Simba is driven away from the kingdom. While in exile in the jungle, Simba befriends the goofy and fun-loving pair, Timon and Pumbaa. Through the song "Hakuna Matata," and their fun and catchy lyrics such as "It means no worries for the rest of your days, it's a problem free philosophy," Timon and Pumbaa provide serious comic relief in a movie that revolves around death and familial betrayal. Without Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion King wouldn't be a classically funny and charming animated musical, but an overly intense and upsetting movie that might turn young children off. Through these two complex and interesting characters, the whole attitude of the movie has the ability to change from painfully sad to a joyous sing-along with the right proportions of seriousness.

MooShoo (Mulan).

Mulan, a newer Disney movie, tells the tale of a young girl that chops her hair off to join the Chinese military in place of her ill father during a war against the Huns. Mulan, known for her flaky, clumsy and irresponsible personality, is granted help from her loving and watchful ancestors on her journey to war. When the head-honcho of the ancestors awakens, he summons MooShoo, a tiny red dragon, whose purpose is to ring the gong and awaken another dragon in order to accompany Mulan to war. However, when MooShoo breaks the statue of the other dragon and cannot wake him, he himself joins Mulan, along with Mulan's lucky cricket, off in pursuit of defeat over the Huns. Mooshoo, clumsy and not so intelligent, often gets Mulan into trouble with her commanding officer, Ling, by doing things such as spilling bags of rice, or cheating on simple tasks sucks as catching fish from the river. Mooshoo also gets Mulan into a great deal of trouble when he accidentally shoots off a rocket and gives away the location of their army. When Mulan becomes injured in the battle that follows from MooShoo's mistake, her identity as a woman is discovered. Mulan is luckily spared her life but is left on her own, and MooShoo, a faithful companion, is by her side. Although causing a great deal of trouble (which is always comical and well-hearted), MooShoo always proves to be a good friend to Mulan. Although not a hero, MooShoo is always by Mulan's side, allowing her to reach her goals. Another aspect of MooShoo that makes him such an appealing character is the way in which he speaks. His use of language and tone of voice are fun and entertaining. His language is much like the way that kids today speak (he states stuff like "dang girl"), which makes him relatable. Also, his tone of voice which is very loud and excited, draws in viewers and makes him one of the most appealing characters of the movie.