Character Breakdown: Judy Hopps from Zootopia

First, I didn't realize how many Disney themed posts I had planned for this month. I would apologize, but I'm a major Disney fan, so I'm not really sorry. Second, this is a new post I'm going to try. It's called Character Breakdown, because in it I'm going to pick a character and take them apart (not literally) to see what makes them such a good character.

Today our character is Judy Hopps, the protagonist from Zooptopia. She is amazing, which is why I picked her, and she and Nick make such a great team. There are mild spoilers for the movie, so don't read this if you haven't watched it. In the breakdown, we'll look at five things- personality, virtues, flaws, skills, and what makes her interesting. Let's get started!

Personality

• Cheerful. Judy is a character who always sees the glass as half full. She looks on the bright side and always tries to find something good about the situation, even if there are times she can't.

• Outgoing. I would definitely say Judy is an extrovert. She loves to meet new people, try new things, and have fun.

• Dreamer. Judy was the kid who wanted to be the first bunny police officer. Better than that, she goes and does it. Even though everyone said she couldn't, she made it happen anyway. Judy is always willing to dream hard and work harder.

Virtues

• Big-hearted. One of the reasons Judy became an officer is because she wanted to make the world a better place. She's kind and, because she's a prey creature, she's always looking out for the little animals.

• Tough. While she is sweet, Judy can also be the toughest bunny you've ever seen. She even manages to outfox Nick Wilde. (See what I did there?) That's helpful because she is a police officer.

• Determined. When Judy decides to pursue something, she sees it through and does her best to accomplish it. Whether that's becoming a police officer or finding the missing mammals, she is determined to succeed.

Flaws

• Prejudiced. When Judy discovers about the night howlers, her initial conclusion is that it must be predators reverting to their savage ways. She announces this without thinking about the repercussions or her own friend, a fox. In part, this is because she was raised to think predators are dangerous. But she could have also avoided this if she wan't so quick to point blame.

• Naive. Judy is also naive at the beginning of the film. She has too many stars in her eyes to see the truth. Nick dupes her at first because of her country bunny naivety. She overcomes this flaw by the end while still maintaining her happy personality, which is great.

Skills

• Cop training. Judy went through police academy and passed with high grades. The skills she learned there are useful for the rest of the film as she battles the bad guys and faces various dangers.

• Daughter of a farmer. While she doesn't have a lot of farmer in her, Judy's family business does come in handy twice during the films climax. Once, as her father reveals the true mean of "nigh howler" and again with the produce in the truck she borrows.

What Makes Her Interesting

• Background. She's been raised in the country with hundreds of siblings and overcautious parents. They've raised her to be wary around predators, but especially foxes. That's what starts the whole conflict of the film. The way she's raised makes her suspect Nick even when he's not doing anything, just because he's a fox.

• Willingness to admit wrong. This is one of my favorite things about the dark night of the soul part of the film. Judy learns her conclusion is completely wrong and she has blamed hundreds of innocent animals for something they had no control over. She goes back to Nick and says she was wrong and she's sorry. She doesn't make any excuses and she doesn't expect to be forgiven. That is beautiful, and something we should see more characters do.

• Normal friendship with a male character. Despite the multitude of fan art trying to say otherwise, Judy and Nick aren't romantically involved. For one thing, they're two different species. Think about it, people. I liked Judy and Nick's relationship because they are just friends and they're happy that way. I shall stop ranting about them now. Probably.

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Zootopia is one of my favorite Disney films from the past year, mostly because of all the relevant issues it looks at. Cop violence, racial injustice, and more. This is sure to be a classic for it's amazing message.

Let's talk! What do you like about Judy? Did I miss anything? Do you love Zootopia as much as I do? Tell me in the comments.