The Bear is a giant furious grizzly bear, who attacks Amos Slade and Copper, and is the true main antagonist in The Fox and the Hound. He is a giant black furred bear with red eyes. He does not tolerate intruders and trespassers entering his territory and will kill them if they do so. He is Tod, Copper, Amos Slade, and Vixey's new enemy.
History[]
The bear first appears after being accidentally awakened by Amos Slade and his hound dog Copper, who are hunting for foxes Tod and Vixey in the game preserve, only to stumble into the bear's territory where the wrathful beast awakens and looms over them as a warning that Amos and Copper are in his territory and that they should leave immediately. Amos panics and shoots the bear by his shoulder, provoking the creature. The enormous bear, now furious, lunges forward and swipes at Amos and Copper, causing the alarmed hunter to back away, drop only a few ammo, and reload his gun. As the bear knocks the gun out of Amos' hands, he swipes at the alarmed hunter, causing him to tumble down the slope of a hillside, losing his hat in the process, and drop his gun on a small tree sapling as the bear continues to pursue him.
While trying to escape from the bear, Amos fearfully starts walking backward and has his foot caught in one of his own steel traps while his gun has landed on the tree, slightly out of his reach. Furious that the intruders are still not leaving his territory, the bear continues to encroach on the injured and terrified hunter. Copper staggers forward, and attacks the bear in a brave attempt to protect his master, but despite being smaller and more agile, is soon easily overpowered and beaten up in a very vicious and brutal fight with the giant bear, and is no match for him as he swats the dog. Not too far away, Tod hears Copper's yelping echo, turns around, and is horrified to see his childhood friend nearly getting killed.
Against his better judgment, Tod quickly runs back to save his friend. As the bear prepares for a final blow on the wounded Copper, Tod leaps onto the bear and bites his ear, and turns the beast around to get his attention on him. Biting and scratching wildly, Tod manages to lead the bear away from Amos and Copper. Enraged by the fox's constant biting and scratchings, the bear swats Tod with his paw, sending him onto a log protruding over a tall waterfall. While Tod hangs on for dear life, the bear climbs onto the log, which sags under his immense weight. Upon reaching Tod, the bear then raises his paw in an attempt to deliver the final blow, but misses when the log then breaks, sending both animals plummeting down the waterfall several meters below. Tod survives while the bear most likely drowns and is washed away by the rapids because he is too heavy for the old log.
Trivia[]
- The Bear's design may have been the original inspiration for that of Mor'du main antagonist of Disney Pixar's film Brave.
- This bear who attacked Pooh and his friends bears a striking resemblance to Mor'du main antagonist of Disney Pixar's film Brave.
- Both Donald Duck and The Bear were voiced by the late Clarence Nash.
- The Bear is the only villain in The Fox in The Hound to (presumably) die in the end.
- The bear's roars, snarls, and growls are the same as Brutus and Nero from The Rescuers and Shere Khan from The Jungle Book.
- The bear is the only forest animal character in the movie who doesn't speak a word of English.
- The Bear and Mr. Digger were the only villains in The Fox in The Hound to not redeem themselves in the end.
- The Bear encounters Tod, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny, Amos, Cooper, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear in Winnie the Pooh Meets The Fox and the Hound in the original and will encounter them again and maybe Brer Rabbit, Roo, Kanga, Tennessee Tuxedo, Chumley, Shag, Blitz, Exile, Hunter, Muzzle, Colleen, Plucky Duck, Hamton J. Pig, Shirley the Loon, and Fifi Le Fume in the remake.
- The Bear encounters Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, Tantor, Terk, Louis, Maurice, King Julien, Mort, Amos, and Cooper in Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa's Adventures of The Fox and the Hound.
- The Bear will encounter Littlefoot, Ash Ketchum, SpongeBob SquarePants and their friends in Littlefoot Meets The Fox and the Hound.
- The Bear appears in Pooh's Adventures of Runaway Brain before Pooh's Adventures of Who Framed Roger Rabbit where he and Julius swap brains with Pooh and Mickey.