Over the years, Disney has created some of the most memorable characters in the history of film, with the likes of Belle, Aladdin, and, of course, Mickey Mouse himself becoming household staples due to their fun personalities, catchy songs, and brilliant movies.
Of course, tons of different characters have been created throughout the years, from humans to gods and even dinosaurs, and something Disney has done a lot of is animals. Whether they’re a loveable sidekick or the main character, Disney loves to add animals to their films.
There have been some incredible animal characters over the years with the likes of Simba, Sebastian, and the White Rabbit all being highly praised. But, what about those animal characters people don’t talk about as often? Well, in this list, we are going to rank the 10 most underrated animal characters in Disney’s illustrious history.
Pua (Moana)
Let’s kick start the list with a very recent animal that slipped by under the radar of most, which is Pua the little pig from Moana. While he might not get tons of screen time, when he does he is a lot of fun, being both cute and funny, which is what all good sidekick characters should be.
Obviously, HeiHei ends up grabbing all the attention as the idiot rooster, with Disney playing up the character for laughs throughout the movie, but Moana’s island pet is just as fun when he’s around.
Pua is incredibly loyal, sticking by Moana’s side throughout and still being there waiting for her when she returns home. He certainly deserves more attention than he gets given, but perhaps his lack of scenes meant he was always set to be underrated.
Scuttle (Little Mermaid)
The star of Little Mermaid is obviously Ariel, but she is surrounded by a cast of different animals both in the sea and on land and they all really contribute to the movie, helping it become one of the most loved princess movies of all time.
While the likes of Sebastian and Flounder are given tons of attention, and rightfully so, Scuttle tends to go under the radar with nobody talking about how hilarious he is each time he is on-screen.
Even though his knowledge of different human items are sketchy at best, there is no denying that he’s a great character, bringing tons of laughs and some wise words to Ariel during moments of doubt.
Mushu (Mulan)
We kept Mushu fairly low on this list, mainly because he is technically a dragon and it is debatable if you want to classify them as animals, but either way, he is an incredible character that is far too underrated.
When it comes to Disney sidekicks, Mushu really is one of the best, and he is sadly not in that conversation as often simply because Mulan, in general, is quite an underrated movie. However, anyone who has seen Mulan knows that Mushu steals the entire movie.
While everyone might instantly think of Donkey from Shrek when it comes to Eddie Murphy, he had shown his incredible voiceover work long before then with Mushu, providing incredible charisma to one of Disney’s funniest characters.
Zazu (Lion King)
Lion King is obviously full of animals due to the nature of the movie, and the film has created some of the greatest characters of all time from Simba to Timon and Pumba, and even Scar is one of the most popular villains in Disney history.
However, one character that isn’t talked about quite as often is Zazu, who is Mufasa’s trusted advisor and a bird that keeps watch over Simba as a child until he ends up going into the jungle with Timon and Pumba.
While Zazu doesn’t get a big musical number, he is part of several songs and Rowan Atkinson’s iconic voice brings the character to life perfectly, popping up with some amazing one-liners.
Tantor
Tantor is from another movie that is dominated by animals, with Tarzan featuring gorillas, cheetas, and of course, the loveable elephant himself, who unfortunately doesn’t get the love that he deserves.
Tantor is a hilarious character, voiced by Seinfeld’s Wayne Knight, he is incredibly loyal and trustworthy, but it the hypochondriac behavior that really tips him over the edge as a great character, despite the fact he lives within the jungle.
Tantor constantly lives in worry and fear about different things and it creates a lot of funny moments during the movie.
Archimedes (Sword In The Stone)
Sword In The Stone as a movie, in general, is incredibly underrated, with very few people talking about it as much as other classic animations, despite the fact that it is a very fun movie that tells a classic story.
While Merlin and Arthur get all the focus, Archimedes really is a fantastic character as well. As Merlin’s associate, his snobby comments are always hilarious, bringing in one-liners throughout the movie as he questions every decision that is made.
Archimedes is nice deep down, but he is very similar to Owl from Winnie The Pooh, who also questions the logic of things in that world as well.
Lady Kluck (Robin Hood)
Lady Kluck is another hilarious animal character from Disney’s Robin Hood, providing some of the films funniest moments while also not being afraid to get involved when she needs to, giving Prince John’s goons someone to fight with.
Kluck is Maid Marian’s lady-in-waiting, and while she might just seem like a nice old lady on the outside, she is full of life as she shows throughout the movie. Being incredibly caring and kind, Kluck is a brilliant character that should be talked about a little more.
Maximus (Tangled)
How does Maximus not get more love than he does? The noble horse is easily the funniest character in Tangled and he is a complete scene-stealer whenever he is featured with his strained relationship with Flynn Rider being one of the best parts of the movie.
Maximus starts off as a royal guard horse that is hunting down Flynn, but as the film develops he ends up being forced to help him for the sake of Rapunzel, which is what leads to hilarious interactions.
Maximus is incredibly reliable and effective, really playing a key part in helping the duo throughout the movie, unlike a lot of other side characters that are just around for the laughs.
Pegasus (Hercules)
From one horse to another, Pegasus is one of the most underrated animal characters in Disney history, as Hercules’ noble steed, he is just as reliable as Maximus but plays a much bigger role in the movie, all while providing tons of funny moments.
Pegasus’ facial expressions are up there amongst the very best in any Disney movie, with his expressions providing some of the funniest moments in the movie without having to say a word.
Always coming to the aid of Hercules when needed, Pegasus is a brilliant character that deserves a little more love than he gets.
Ray (Princess And The Frog)
For a side-character, Ray has one of the most detailed and emotional storylines in any Disney movie, with tons of focus being placed on the firefly during Princess And The Frog, who provides tons of energy when he enters the movie.
Ray does get overlooked by the other powerful characters in this movie, but he is massively underappreciated, with the lovestruck firefly not only providing one of the best songs in the film, but also one of the most emotional moments.
There are few dry eyes in the house when he is sadly killed in the movie, proving just how important he is, and he is someone who does deserve to be given more appreciation.
