Friar Tuck (Disney Animated Canon)

“	Oh, for heaven's sake, son! You're no outlaw. Why, someday, you'll be called a great hero!	„
	~ Friar Tuck to Robin Hood

“	GET OUT OF MY CHURCH! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!	„
	~ Friar Tuck's furious breakdown as the Sheriff steals the poor money - his most famous quote. noicon

Friar Tuck is the tritagonist in Disney's 21st full length animated feature film Robin Hood. He is the leader of Nottingham's church. He was voiced by the late Andy Devine.

Personality[]

Friar Tuck is a kind-hearted priest and a good friend of Robin Hood and Little John. He is very kind and gives money (from Robin Hood) to the people of Nottingham and wishes nothing but the best for the people. He is also very brave and will fight for what he thinks is right. Though a man of peace, he has a limit to how much he can stand, such as when he attacked the sheriff for taking the money meant for the poor from his church's collection, resulting in his arrest. He also may be a father figure to Robin Hood and calls him son.

Robin Hood[]

Friar Tuck is one of Robin Hood's merry men. He is delivering gold to Otto, an injured blacksmith, courtesy of Robin Hood. He appears to have a bit of a temper, as Friar Tuck later attempts to lecture the Sheriff of Nottingham for taking the gold as tax money.

Friar Tuck travels to Robin Hood's hideout to inform Robin Hood of Prince John's archery tournament. Although Robin Hood tells Little John that they aren't invited, Friar Tuck tells the former that there's someone who'll be disappointed if he doesn't come: not "Ol' Bushel Britches", as Little John guesses, but rather, Maid Marian, whom Friar Tuck says is going to give a kiss to the winner. Friar Tuck attends the tournament, teaming up with Alan-A-Dale to trap Prince John's snake henchman Sir Hiss in a barrel of ale, to prevent the snake from causing trouble. When the townspeople gather after the tournament and mock Prince John, Friar Tuck participates by creating a puppet of Prince John, and makes fun of the Prince in a play.

Friar Tuck is at his church after Prince John imprisons the majority of the townspeople for non-payment of taxes in retaliation for the town making fun of him. Even though no one is coming, he believes ringing the church bell will help keep the hopes of the townspeople alive. Two church mice, who assist the Friar agree, and give their last farthing to the poor box. However, the Sheriff of Nottingham soon comes and confiscates it in the name of Prince John. Friar Tuck is exasperated both at the crown interfering in church affairs, and protests that the money was earmarked for the poor box. When the Sheriff smugly responds he is taking the money for "poor Prince John", the Friar is furious and starts denouncing Prince John. The Sheriff warns Friar Tuck to stop unless he wants to have his neck in a hangman's noose. These words are the final straw for Friar Tuck. He has had enough and forces the Sheriff out of the church where he begins attacking him with a quarterstaff. Trigger, one of the sheriff's vulture henchmen, blinds Friar Tuck by pulling the hood of his friar's robe over his head before being swatted away by the now flailing blindly friar, and the Friar is arrested for "high treason to the Crown". Sir Hiss reports this to Prince John, who initially snaps in fury and bellows that he wanted to hear Robin Hood had been arrested, but then realizes that Robin Hood will come and try to rescue him, and so sentences Friar Tuck to hanging, as a trap to lure Robin Hood. Even Sir Hiss is shocked that Prince John will have 'a man of the church' hanged, and it also shocks Robin Hood so much that when he is gathering intelligence in his disguise as the blind beggar, he momentarily breaks character by saying "Hang Friar Tuck??". The Sheriff fails to see this slip in acting, while Nutsy arrogantly remarks to the beggar that "there might even be a double hanging", hinting the true purpose is to lure Robin Hood out into the open, before being silenced by Trigger.

Little John and Robin Hood come to break Friar Tuck out of jail. Alongside Little John, Friar Tuck helps release the townspeople and distributes the taxes that Robin Hood reclaims from the Prince. Friar Tuck helps the townspeople into a cart that will take everyone into Sherwood Forest, pushing it from behind while Little John pulls from the front.

Friar Tuck's is at the wedding of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, which he presumably officiated. He laughs at King Richard's joke that Robin Hood, a former outlaw, is now his in-law.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

The characterization of Friar Tuck and Robin in the film and many other adaptations is considerably unfaithful to the original Robin Hood ballads and folk-tales. In these stories, Robin Hood held contempt for the clergy and the church due to their taxing and exploitation of the poor and religiously-motivated tortures and executions. When Robin Hood tales became more widespread, the church actively revised and altered the stories for propaganda purposes, introducing more heavily Christian themes and the character of Friar Tuck.
Friar Tuck was originally envisioned as a pig, but he was instead changed to a badger.

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Heroes

Legends
Robin Hood | Maid Marian | Merrie Men

Television
Robin of Locksley | Robert of Huntingdon | Robin Hood | Robin Hood | Djaq