Huntsman (Disney's Snow White)

Humbert the Huntsman or simply just The Huntsman is a supporting character in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. He is sent by the Evil Queen to assassinate Snow White but can't go through with it. He warns her about her stepmother's jealousy and tells her to run away into the forest.

Role
After being told by the Magic Mirror that Snow White is the fairest of all, the vain Queen summons Humbert to her castle and orders him to take the princess to a secluded area deep in the forest, and kill her. The huntsman objects, but says he will obey when the Queen silences Humbert and reminds him of the penalty for failure. He is given a box in which to put Snow White's heart, as proof to the Queen that her stepdaughter is dead.

Humbert takes the princess to a secluded glade in the forest, where she picks wild flowers. As she notices a baby bird and helps it to find its parents, the huntsman, after checking that the two are alone, begins to advance on her, wielding his dagger. Just as the baby bird has flown away, Snow White sees a shadow on the rock in front of her and, turning around to see the advancing, dagger-wielding huntsman, lets out a cry. Humbert hesitates, and finally drops the dagger from his trembling hand, realizing he cannot murder someone as pure as Snow White. Kneeling before the princess (and awkwardly wiping his tears of shame on the yellow skirt of Snow White's dress), he warns her of the Queen's jealousy, and tells her to run away, to which she flees into a deeper part of the forest, eventually coming to the residence of the seven dwarfs.

The Queen is later seen with the heart box returned. She once again consults the Magic Mirror, who informs her that Snow White still lives, and that the heart in the box in the Queen's hands is that of a pig. Realizing that she has been tricked, the Queen descends into her laboratory and resolves to do away with her stepdaughter herself. It can be assumed that the penalty for Humbert's evident failure to complete his task would have been death; however, the Queen was so fixated on destroying Snow White that she never ordered (or carried out) his execution. It can also be assumed that the Huntsman fled before the execution could be carried out.