I'm Scrooge McDuck. I made my name being tougher than the toughies and sharper than the sharpies.
„
~ Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck, also known as Uncle Scrooge, is a major character in the Mickey Mouse franchise, as well as the main protagonist of the TV series DuckTales and its reboot. He speaks Scottish with a Scottish accent.
He is a duck of Scottish origin, who is prominent as the richest duck in the world. He is also well known as the most thrifty person in the world, going to extreme lengths to save even the most insignificant amount of money. Arguably appeared for first time in The Spirit of '43 as a character that recommends tips to his nephew, Donald Duck, although Scrooge not was named in the film.
He was formerly voiced by the late Alan Young in all his animated appearances and is currently voiced by John Kassir in the Mickey Mouse TV series and The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse and David Tennant (who also played the Tenth Doctor and Angus) in the 2017 reboot of Ducktales. In the Robot Chicken series, he was voiced by Dan Milano. In the MAD TV series, he was voiced by Stephan Stanton. In Walt Disney Specials, he was voiced by the late Bill Thompson. In the A Magic Kingdom Yuletide Special, he was voiced by the late Jack Wagner. In the Sport Goofy in Soccermania, he was voiced by the late Will Ryan. As a child, he was voiced by Patrick Fraley. In the video games, he was voiced by Enn Reitel. And in the Legend of the Three Caballeros, he was voiced by Eric Bauza. In the Japanese dub, he was voiced by the late Kôichi Kitamura, Kei Yoshimizu and the late Kenji Utsumi in the series, and the late Atsushi Ii and Mitsuru Ogata in the video games.
Scrooge McDuck's prestigious title of the "richest duck in the world" was earned through years of hard work, well-utilized intelligence, honesty, and perseverance, and, extreme thriftiness. He is an adventurer and opportunist, having trotted some of the most exotic corners of the world in search of treasure and wealth. Scrooge's expertise and lucrative business methods have put him leagues beyond his competition, and he carries this reputation knowingly and with pride. He has a great love for money, gold, and other valuable treasure, and experiences great distress when his money is in danger, and goes to great lengths to spend as little money as possible and protect his beloved fortune from getting stolen or otherwise harmed. In doing so, Scrooge constantly has to protect his money from countless threats like the Beagle Boys, who keep trying to break into Scrooge's Money Bin and rob him of the hoards of cash stores inside, and the conniving sorceress Magica De Spell, who is determined to steal Scrooge's Number One Dime, in order to melt it into an amulet that will grant her the Midas Touch.
In putting so much time and dedication into increasing his wealth, Scrooge has become somewhat of a lone cheapskate over the years. Cold and nearly unforgiving, he is deathly protective of his fortune, and seldom spends any more of it than he has to. When asked to donate to the poor, Scrooge exclaimed, "They're not worth it!". Like his nephew Donald, Scrooge has also a temper, and rarely hesitates to use violence against those who provoke his ire (often his nephew Donald, but also bill and tax collectors as well as door-to-door salesmen). As such, he is extremely mistrustful of anyone trying to enter his office in his Money Bin; a common running gag is that he welcomes visitors with a cannon and a lit matchstick, ready to fire if whoever is at the door is not welcome. Similarly, Scrooge's office has a trap door (which is located opposite Scrooge's desk and often covered with a rug), which Scrooge activates whenever he wants his visitor to leave immediately. Upon activation, the door opens and the baffled intruder falls into it, passes through all the floors via an ejection chute, and usually lands in a trash can outside the building.
For a long period of time after gaining his extensive wealth, Scrooge practically lived alone and had little contact with his family. This would partially play into his bitterness, though things would slowly change as he opened himself up to his nephews Donald, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Scrooge would grow increasingly more compassionate as he spent more time with his nephews, going as far as to regularly invite them on his international treasure hunts as partners and loyal sidekicks. Like Donald, Scrooge is still greedy and hot-tempered at times. A majority of his employees and business associates still consider him an imposing figure even, but he is essentially good-hearted and well-meaning. He values honesty and fair play, firmly believing that great fortune should be squarely earned. Furthermore, while he can be undoubtedly selfish at times, Scrooge will never leave behind someone in urgent need and has even rescued some of his most formidable foes from certain death.
Beyond obtaining wealth, Scrooge's exploits also provided valuable lessons in both a practical and moral sense, which he would make certain to reflect on in his following years. With age, Scrooge became wise and knowledgeable, and regularly puts this wisdom to good use when raising his nephews, specifically Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and has shown pride in their eagerness to learn the value of a dollar.
Films and Television[]
DuckTales[]
In DuckTales, Donald, who is off to the navy, leaves his three nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie with Scrooge so he can babysit them. In the very first episode, the three cousins cause trouble, causing Scrooge to get mad at the trio. When they hear him talk about how annoying they are, they leave, missing that Scrooge revealed that he was quite a troublemaker himself as a child. After stopping The Beagle Boys, Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, and Louie warm up to each other and go on many treasure hunting adventures together. From this point on, Scrooge is very caring of his nephews and feels sorry whenever they are in danger.
Raw Toonage[]
Scrooge appeared as the host of the third episode of the series. Here he purchased an incredibly advanced security system to guard his vault. Although he is told that it is the best security system known to man, Scrooge first wants it to get the "Scrooge McDuck Seal of Approval". To do so, Scrooge tests the system by using increasingly extreme ways to break into his own vault.
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas[]
Scrooge, along with Daisy and Aunt Gertie, visit Donald and the nephews on Christmas Day. After dinner, he sings carols while playing his beloved piano. Like other adults, Scrooge is oblivious to the recurring Christmas Day. When the boys try to "revive" the piano is destroyed and everything is destroyed, leaving the family in despair. The next day, when it happens again, the boys make it the best Christmas ever, even singing carols with Scrooge.
Mickey Mouse Works[]
Scrooge was featured in three cartoons in the Mickey Mouse Works television series.
In "Around the World in Eighty Days", he takes on the role of the main antagonist of the story, Lord Abermarle, who challenges Mickey (played by Phileas Fogg), who has just won a fortune, to travel around the world in just 80 days. and if he fails, the fortune goes to Scrooge. By the time Mickey gets from India to America, Scrooge cheats to win by stealing coal from Mickey's ship back to England. Despite this, Mickey still manages to succeed and Scrooge is convinced by his colleagues to keep his end of the bargain and give Mickey his fortune.
In "A Midsummer Night's Dream", he plays the role of Donald's uncle and goes to the Duke, played by Ludwig Von Drake, after Donald is engaged, Minnie refuses to marry him. He ends up watching Donald marry Daisy while Minnie marries Mickey.
Scrooge also makes a brief appearance in "Mickey's Christmas Mayhem", where he and the nephews were carolers as part of Mickey's over-the-top decorations.
House of Mouse[]
His most notable appearance is in "House of Scrooge", where he buys the club from Pete. At first, Mickey was excited about Pete's departure, but he became distressed when Scrooge's new "innovations" started popping up. Scrooge changed the entire show and even replaced Huey, Dewey and Louie with a radio. Finally, when Scrooge sees that his budget cuts have driven the audience away, he claims he can no longer stand show business and takes his money back from Pete, making Pete the owner of the club again.
He also appears in "Snow Day" (where he is seen with a wheelbarrow full of "cold" money on snowy city streets) and "Goofy for a Day" (in a Penguin Waiters commercial). Additionally, an advertisement for Scrooge McDuck Savings & Loan is featured in the episode "Rent Day".
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas[]
In this CGI-animated Christmas movie, Scrooge plays host at his mansion and invites Donald, Daisy and the nephews for the season. On Christmas Day, the boys eat Scrooge's tasty cookies and are sent to their room by Donald, who is ready to give them some harsh discipline, but Scrooge volunteers to talk to them. In their room, he tells them a story about Santa Claus and how if you misbehave, you won't get presents. Scrooge also tells them about his own past, revealing that he never got what he always wanted: a place on Santa's list. He tells them that if they want a spot on Santa's list, they need to clean up their act.
The boys decide to travel to the North Pole to write their names on the list themselves after realizing how naughty they've been that year. However, when they finally get to the list, they put Scrooge's name on it instead of theirs, knowing that after all the trouble they've caused, they don't really deserve to be nice. The next morning, Scrooge finally gets what he always wanted - a pair of bagpipes. Santa also left the boys presents for thinking of Scrooge instead of themselves. The nephews immediately open one of the presents - earplugs for Scrooge's poor bagpipe playing. At the end of the story, Scrooge is seen wearing his native Scottish costume and playing the bagpipes while Donald and the nephews try to plug their ears.
Later, when Pluto goes missing, Scrooge buys a snowplow company to help find him. After Mickey and Pluto are reunited, Scrooge joins Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and the others as they sing carols at Mickey's house.
Mickey Mouse (2013)[]
Scrooge appeared in the episode "Goofy's First Love", where Mickey, Donald and Goofy visit him at his large mansion in hopes of making Goofy fabulously rich. However, in his miserly nature, he immediately denies them, so he has his butler kick the trio out. He later reappears several times throughout the episode, having been molested twice by the trio. Towards the end of the episode, she is seen attending Goofy's "wedding".
He also appears in the episode "No", where he asks Mickey if he can borrow five dollars. However, he later pays back the money he borrowed, plus interest, in appreciation of Mickey's kindness. At the end of the episode, Scrooge and the other characters ask to watch TV alongside Mickey, only to be politely turned away. This was the last episode to be voiced by his original voice actor, Alan Young, before he died the same year the episode was filmed.
In "Duck the Halls", Scrooge joins his family (Daisy, Ludwig Von Drake, Huey, Dewey and Louie) as they migrate south during the cold winter season. Donald, wanting to experience Christmas, decides to stay behind. Scrooge is upset by this news, but suggests that he and the others are enjoying their migration, thinking that Donald will hate winter and join them soon. Daisy finally calls Donald and it appears that he has become deathly ill due to the harsh weather conditions in the north. Daisy rallies Scrooge and the others for a rescue mission, but before they leave, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto arrive with Donald. It is then decided that everyone will spend Christmas down south so that the ducks can enjoy the festivities as well. Santa Claus presents Scrooge and Ludwig with binoculars and a bag of money, though they quickly correct the mix-up. Scrooge is last seen on the beach with the rest of the family playing checkers with Ludwig. From this on, Scrooge was now voiced by John Kassir in the series, following the death of his original voice actor Alan Young months before the special aired.
In addition, Scrooge appeared in the episodes "Three-Legged Race", teaming up with his nephew Donald to compete in the compete in the titular race, "Year of the Dog", where he is among the guests at Mickey's Chinese New Year celebration. "New Shoes" where he beats up Goofy in Donald’s body along with Chip and Dale, Spike the bee and his nephews, while demanding a dollar from Donald that he lent him.
In the episode "Mt. Fuji Whiz" is a collection of frontiersman Clinton Coot figurines of a young Scrooge McDuck at various times in his life as seen in the Uncle Scrooge comics.
Later, in the episode "Shangri-La-Di-Da", when Donald is stuck in a Himalayan spa with Daisy, Xandra, Panchito, José, April, May and June use Clinton Coot's antiques to construct a beam weapon to break through the mystical barrier that protects seat of Baron von Sheldgoose. When the beam finally breaks through the barrier, it proves to be too strong as it continues to shoot through the Sheldgoos' mansion and travels into Scrooge's money bin, destroying the front wall of the bin and causing Scrooge's money to flow out of the bin at a rapid rate. A distressed Scrooge then runs to the broken wall, shouting, "My money! My beautiful money!" and cries while trying to save some of his coins.
Other Media[]
Scrooge makes a brief appearance in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers as the patron of the bathhouse Chip and Dale investigate. He is seen floating in a tub of gold coins, much like his money compartment. David Tennant reprized his role as Scrooge for a cameo. During the end credits, Scrooge's face is seen printed on Toon currency. He is later seen on a fake billboard promoting the Disney Afternoon Fight Fest, along with other characters from the title block.
Scrooge also appears in the Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse special The Wonderful Summer of Mickey Mouse.
DuckTales: Remastered[]
In DuckTales: Remastered, which is a remake of the NES DuckTales, Scrooge rescues his nephews from the Beagle Boys and, much like the cartoon, goes off to hunt treasures Unlike the cartoon, however, his nephews and Webby stay as background characters while he does the exploring himself. At the end of the game, however, Magica De Spell has captured his nephews and he is willing to sacrifice his newly gained treasures and even his real Number One Dime to save them, showing how kind Scrooge can be.
Heroes
Heroes