Robin Hood (Disney)

"Marian my love, will you marry me?"

- Robin Hood asking Maid Marian to marry him

Robin Hood is an anthropomorphic fox who is the main protagonist of Disney's 1973 feature film of the same name.

Although Robin Hood is often shown as an outlaw who chooses to rob from the rich to help the poor people in this animated version he is shown mainly attacking Prince John and his agents who have impoverished Nottingham with high taxes.

Robin Hood and Little John steal the tax caravans and give it back to the peasants while trying to avoid capture by both Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. He is voiced by Brian Bedford.

Personality
Robin Hood is based on the character from the Robin Hood legends. Like the character of legend, Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.

He is known for his mastery of archery as well as his talent for disguising himself. Despite being declared an outlaw, Robin Hood is a good and generous person at heart, and is beloved by the townspeople for his deeds.

Little background is given as to Robin Hood's early life. It is mentioned that he already have meet Maid Marian in the past and they were in love.

At some point after this, Robin Hood became an outlaw, and was already being sought by the Sheriff of Nottingham at the opening of the film.

Physical Appearance
Robin Hood is a slender red fox with brown eyes who wears a yellow hat with a red feather on it, but later changed to green, and wears green clothing and shoes.

Robin Hood
His first appearance in the film is running with Little John from the Sheriff of Nottingham and his posse. After escaping, he and Little John disguise themselves as gypsy fortune tellers.

Together, they successfully rob the royal caravan of the tyrannical, ruthless Prince John, earning him the prince's ire.

Robin Hood becomes Prince John's most wanted figure in Nottingham. While disguised as a blind beggar, Robin is seen giving the money to Nottingham residents who suffer from the oppressive taxes of Prince John.

Later on, he finds out from Friar Tuck that Prince John has organized an archery tournament with a kiss from Maid Marian as a winner's prize.

Though it is clearly a trap meant to capture him, Robin Hood attends, disguised as a stork in order to see Maid Marian whom Robin loves.

However, his masterful archery skills reveal his identity, and he is captured and sentenced to death.

Little John interrupts the execution by threatening Prince John and after a battle, Robin Hood escapes into Sherwood Forest with Little John, Maid Marian and others.

After discovering that Friar Tuck has been imprisoned by Prince John for treason, Robin Hood attempts a rescue to both save the friar from death and to rescue the residents of Nottingham who have been imprisoned for failure to pay taxes.

The jail break goes successfully until it is revealed that Tagalong was left behind. Though Robin Hood is able to rescue the child, he is trapped in the castle.

He is stalked in the tower by the Sheriff of Nottingham who engulfs the tower in flames while trying to hit Robin Hood with a flaming torch.

Robin Hood manages to run and eventually jumps from a tower into the moat while being shot at by the sheriff's posse. Though originally believed to be dead, Robin Hood survives, much to the anger of Prince John.

At the end, King Richard returns, pardons Robin Hood for his heroic deeds, and allows him to marry Maid Marian.

Trivia

 * The costume that Robin Hood wears is similar to that of Peter Pan.


 * Robin Hood is similar to Princess Merida from Brave.


 * In the Season 3 Phineas and Ferb episode "Canderemy", Stacy Hirano wore an outfit very similar to Robin Hood's.


 * Robin Hood was the second hero to have first known his love interest (Maid Marian) in childhood, but later separated and fallen in love with her, the first being Bambi from the film of the same name and third being Simba from The Lion King. Interestingly, all three of them are animal. Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty may or may not count, as his love interest (also his betrothed), Princess Aurora was only an infant at the time.


 * Robin Hood is the first Disney character to be skilled in archery with Gaston being the second, Li Shang being the third and Princess Merida being the fourth.


 * The fact that Robin Hood is portrayed as a fox may be a reference to Reynard the Fox, a fox trickster of Western folklore.


 * Unlike a real red fox, Robin Hood, and to a much lesser extent, Maid Marian, for some reason has red ears instead of black ones, and does not sport the brown "gloves" on his arms and legs and the white tip on his tail. This was eventually corrected with Tod in The Fox and the Hound.


 * Robin Hood is an inspiration of the real Robin Hood from the legend.


 * Robin Hood had the same Hat like Prince Phillip but in other color: Robin Hood has it in green and Prince Phillip he's got in red matching with his cape.


 * Robin Hood calls little John, Johnny, the same way Maid Marian calls Lady Kluck, Klucky.


 * Robin Hood is considered the best archer in the Disney universe.


 * Robin Hood is similar to Phoebus from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Even though they are a serious character they still have time to tell a joke.


 * It is possible that Disney chose a fox for Robin Hood because foxes are considered:
 * Tricksters; dresses as a fortune teller and a blind beggar,
 * Thieves; robs the rich (but gives to the poor),
 * Cunning; able to get away often from the Sheriff of Nottingham.


 * Robin Hood is the second main protagonist whose movie is a musical, but does not have a song in the feature, the first was Arthur Pendragon, and the third is Oliver.


 * During the song The Phony King of England, there is a grey cat that is similar to Scat Cat (The Aristocats) that dances like him.