Pepe (Pinocchio)

"Allow me to introduce myself - My name is Pugnacio Eleguzio P Elegante! Give me a P, and an E, and a P, and another E, put them all together and you can call me - PEPE!"

- Pepe introduces himself

"And I'm here to see THAT WE GET OUR FRIENDSHIP BACK ON TRACK RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND!"

- Pepe has a Heroic Breakdown upon being trodden on previously by Pinocchio

A magical talking cricket and a teller of truths, Pugnacio Eleguzio P Elegante, or, "Pepe," as he prefers to be known, is a divine spirit in the form of a cricket, and is a wise, omnipotent, teacher of truths that accompanies Pinocchio in his adventures in the 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio and its sequel The New Adventures of Pinnochio.

He is a central protagonist in both films.

He is portrayed in the first film by David Doyle, and in the second film his human form was portrayed by famed actor Warwick Davis.

He is based on Jiminy Cricket, but in keeping with the film's more Italian story, his name was rendered in Italian, Pugnacio Eleguzio P Elegante, or his nickname, "Pepe."

Origin
Pugnacio Eleguzio P Elegante, or "Pepe" as he prefers to be known, was originally from the Heavens and was an immortal spirit, possibly an angel, as he knew everything about Gepetto - including aspects Gepetto didn't even himself know. Gepetto was also unaware of Pepe's existence, but he knew the forest to be magical.

Pepe eventually chose to come to Earth (or he may have been ordered) to protect Pinocchio from evil. Its hinted the spirit who possessed Pinocchio was also of the same kind as Pepe, thus both beings may be angelic or something divine. Pinocchio first met Pepe in a dark alley after trashing the bakery one afternoon and causing chaos in town, promptly causing Gepetto to be arrested. Pinocchio was scared and angry, but he saw families saying goodnight and decided he would rather be with Gepetto, his creator. But then he heard a noisy cricket chirruping and he then got spooked in the dark, and squashed the cricket, apparently killing it.

As Pinocchio's teacher
Pepe eventually met Pinocchio when he broke into Gepetto's dark abandoned house that evening. When Pinocchio sulked and said his goal of becoming human was now in tatters, Pepe laughed and said "The human dilemma. Or should that be the puppet dilemma? I see you've got cake on your face. Say, you always squash someone before being properly introduced?" He then went on to lecture Pinocchio about their purpose in life - learn about right and wrong; or, more accurately - have Pepe teach Pinocchio about right and wrong. More simply, Pepe was there to save Pinocchio from evil and teach him to do good. It appears the Powers were not impressed with Pinocchio causing chaos in town and sent a spirit (Pepe) to teach Pinocchio how to behave properly.

Against Lorenzini
Pinocchio didn't listen to Pepe and almost made fun of his name. However, Pinocchio learned too late that Pepe was truthful as Pinocchio got arrested and sentenced to imprisonment with Gepetto, but Lorenzini, the wealthy, yet sinister, puppet owner, stepped in and vowed to free Gepetto and pay off his debt. But Lorenzini asked to keep Pinocchio; to which the court (and a reluctant Gepetto) agreed.

Pinocchio quickly boosted Lorenzini's puppet show; making Lorenzini a rising businessman. Pinocchio was glad to be loved but Pepe appeared, and told him that Lorenzini in fact loathed Pinocchio and was only using him for financial gain. Worse, Pepe hinted there were darker plans in Lorenzini's mind which he wanted Pinocchio for. When Pinocchio asked why everything had to be so hard, Pepe said "No pain, no gain!" and almost got drowned by Lorenzini in a champagne glass, but was freed when a choirboy sang loudly, bursting the glass.

Pepe proved to be right about Lorenzini when the man decided to burn the luxurious puppets. Pepe urged Pinocchio to do the right thing and free them. Pinocchio saw the danger (a giant wooden sea monster puppet breathing fire) and got scared. Then he freed the puppets, but set the theater alight. Pepe congratulated Pinocchio, saying he had to get out of there. As everyone fled the burning theater, Lorenzini sent Volpe and Felinet to kill Pinocchio (no puppet business this time). Pinocchio fled into the woods and Pepe congratulated him upon returning to the very tree Pinocchio got made from. However, Pinocchio politely told Pepe to leave him be. Pepe urgently said great business was afoot and he was needed, then flew off, telling Pinocchio to keep up.

Saving Pinocchio from thieves
Volpe and Felinet had tracked down Pinocchio, and told him preposterous lies of how planting a gold coin in a dirt yard would turn it into a miracle. Pinocchio utterly fell for the lie; and Pepe returned, to scold Pinocchio for being an idiot and said that if he kept up acting like a jackass, he might become one.

Pinocchio sulked, mulling over how idiotic he had been.

Pleasure Island
As Pinocchio sulked despondently, a sinister black stagecoach with a sinister coachman clad in black and driving miserable donkeys, came up, crowded with boys. Lampwick, Pinocchio's friend, came out and invited him to come to "the most wonderful place ever!" Pinocchio eagerly accepted and joyfully rode the coach to Terra Magica, or Pleasure Island. There, the boys could do whatever they wanted - smoke, drink, gamble, and all watched by the evil Lorenzini.

Saving Pinocchio
Pepe appeared in a swarm of crickets cruelly being shot into the sky. Commenting on how insane and cruel this act was, Pepe said that Pinocchio oughta be with his father, Gepetto, then longing for other fatherly affection, i.e. from Lorenzini. Pepe then exclaimed loudly as he got ejaculated into space by the rocket.

Pepe later reappeared just after Pinocchio, Lampwick and the others had been transformed by the cursed water into donkeys - Pinocchio, being a possessed puppet, only got donkey ears. Pinocchio then rescued the donkeys, and Pepe encouraged him, saying "Don't let fear tie you up!" Pinocchio begged for Pepe's help, but the cricket got flicked aside by the evil clown henchman of Lorenzini, who, upon seeing Pinocchio was still human, bellowed, "ONE OF THEM, DIDN'T DRINK THE WATER, SIGNORE!" Lorenzini roared, and then Pinocchio let loose the donkeys. However, Pinocchio got grappled by Lorenzini, and escaped, with Lorenzini tearing off his donkey ears.

Pinocchio rallied the children against Lorenzini. As Lorenzini returned, to tempt more boys into the rides, Pinocchio urged Lampwick (now a donkey) to kick Lorenzini with his hoof - thus Lorenzini got knocked into the cursed water, turning him into a gigantic, monstrous whale - the cursed Lorenzini bellowed in fury and got swept out to the ocean in the water.

Defeating Lorenzini
Pinocchio freed all the boys from the cursed island and all donkeys also escaped. Pepe returned when Pinocchio had been swallowed by the transformed Lorenzini. Now inside the whale's stomach, Pinocchio heard Pepe talking to him. Pepe said Gepetto was round the corner. Upon finding his father, Pinocchio laughed joyfully. Then Lorenzini shook and Gepetto said they needed to escape. Pinocchio would not leave Gepetto behind so Pinocchio lied and his nose grew, jamming in Lorenzini's throat, breaking in half, and making the whale spew Pinocchio and Gepetto out into the water.

As Lorenzini drowned, Pepe reappeared, just in time to see the now human Pinocchio. He congratulated the kid and said he did not want to know what had happened; he was off to get some rest!

It transpires Pepe now has a family and offspring too.

Role in The New Adventures of Pinocchio
Pepe returns in the sequel, The New Adventures of Pinocchio as he is in human form, and has taken on the form of a circus dwarf. He works for the evil Madame Flambeau yet he hates her. Pinocchio and Lampwick skip school and meet the dwarf, (but Pinocchio doesn't know it to be Pepe, yet) and the dwarf leads them to Flambeau, she gives them an elixir. Pinocchio believes it to make them happy yet it turns Pinocchio and Gepetto into puppets.

Madame Flambeau captures them, threatening to arrest them if they refuse. Pinocchio and Gepetto find Lampwick, now a sea donkey due to the potion.

Saving Pinocchio Again
Pinocchio goes back to where he came from (the forest) with the dwarf, finding his way home due to some riddles he got from the Blue Fairy (a beautiful spirit, whom Gepetto said was Nature's Daughter, and whom only Pinocchio can see) and the dwarf helpfully instructs Pinocchio that one must return to their roots to find the ending. He then transforms into Pepe, and Pinocchio is utterly surprised. However, Flambeau captures them - and, to everyone's shock, reveals herself to be Lorenzini in female form, having gained dark magic from being transformed into the whale. Lorenzini, now restored, brags about his hatred of puppets and how he wants to kill Gepetto and Pinocchio and roast them as his firewood. Pepe urgently warns Pinocchio of their encroaching danger, saving them at the last second.

Pinocchio restored
As Pinocchio, Gepetto, Lampwick, Volpe, Felinet, Lorenzini's henchmen and Lorenzini himself find the Heart of the Mountain (a well in which one's true nature is revealed) Lorenzini believes it'll gain him ultimate power but is suddenly turned into his sea monster form upon submersing himself in the water; his henchmen laugh joyfully at him upon seeing this. Volpe and Felinet jump in but retain their half-human half-animal nature. Pinocchio and Gepetto, along with Lampwick, return to human. Pepe sees all is right and departs.

Personality
Pepe was not just your standard garden variety cricket - he was a teller of truths. He was very pleasant, putting on a good nature even for his worst enemies. He told Pinocchio to get the door and smile now, even when knowing the Law wanted Pinocchio. Pepe was invisible to most humans, however, Lorenzini and Pinocchio could see him, as well as the clown in Pleasure Island. Pepe was like a wise old Japanese master, full of wisdom and encyclopediac knowledge of the cosmos. Pepe was more akin to a cosmic entity as he knew full well about human nature and was very sympathetic to those in plight; but not sympathetic to those, like Lorenzini, who benefited from others' problems.