Disney is known for lots of memorable content, such as songs, characters, and much more. Their designs also matter for various reasons, like their nationalities, stages in life, and personalities.

Of course, character designs or appearances should have some importance or significance. That is what makes people remember them.

Anyway, below are my top picks on Disney character designs and why they stand out to me.

1: Dopey (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) – the only dwarf with no beard

He is easily distinguishable from the other dwarves. Aside from being non-verbal, he also has no beard.

According to my research, he lacks a beard because he is much younger than the other dwarves. And so much that he isn’t really old enough to grow one.

There is also a popular theory that Dopey may have Angelman Syndrome. However, that is more of a neurological disorder and doesn’t impact facial hair growth.

Anyway, I kind of admire Dopey looking different from the other dwarves. The rest of them look similar and it’s a bit harder to tell them apart (except for Grumpy).

2: Scar (The Lion King) – has unique colors for a lion

We all know that Scar has dark orange fur and black mane. This might have been done to make him look scary. After all, he is the main villain.

However, Jeremy Irons, who did his voice, disliked the way Scar looks. But he loathed his baggy eyes and scrawny figure, contrasting with Mufasa’s muscular appearance. I don’t know if he disagreed with the color choices for Scar’s mane or fur.

Although Scar’s design stands out to me, I don’t mind the color palette chosen for his fur or mane.

3: Jasmine (Aladdin) – has a silly hairdo

We all know that she’s got super long hair that has two hair ties secured near the middle of her locks. But there isn’t a lot of reason behind this, other than how her designer, Mark Henn, wanted her to look different from previous Disney princesses.

Her silly hairdo is actually called a bubble ponytail. Part of the reason it stands out to me is because I would sometimes wear my hair like that when I was little. But not because Jasmine did. I just thought it was fun.

4: Mowgli (The Jungle Book) – has long neat hair and is almost naked

He was left in the jungle as an infant and raised by wolves. He was also able to walk upright and fit in with human civilization later on.

Aside from those forms of cartoon logic, he also has neat hair almost to his shoulders, despite never brushing it or getting it cut. And he somehow got a pair of red briefs that he walks around in – and that’s it – even after he’s with the other people in the village.

That’s why Mowgli’s design stands out to me.

5: Christopher Robin (Winnie-the-Pooh) – is taller than all his friends

At first, I found that peculiar and even thought it looked bizarre. However, the animals are his toys. So, it makes sense that he’d be bigger than them.

He also wears shorts a lot, even in the snow during “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers.” But according to my research, in Britain, shorts mean higher class on boys.

6: Flounder (The Little Mermaid) – is big for his species

Growing up, I didn’t know what kind of fish Flounder was. After all, Disney leaves out a lot of details and information about their characters from the film, such as their ages (although I’m glad that Ariel stated hers in the movie).

However, Flounder is not a flounder. He is a reef fish called a sergeant major, according to what I’ve read online. But he is quite thick for his kind. That might have been due to his character development, personality, and animation budget.

In the live-action remake from 2023, though, he is thin and appears more realistic for his species. Yet many disliked his design in the later adaptation.

7: Lucifer (Cinderella) – looks scary for a house cat

Lucifer is black and white with thin yellow eyes and sharp teeth. Even though he’s supposed to be evil, I think his design is a bit too scary. Not just for a family-friendly flick, but also a house cat.

However, according to Fandom, he was designed for comic relief. His design was also inspired by an animator’s own cat.

8: Jenny Foxworth (Oliver & Company) – has a big head on a small body

At some point in the film, this little girl adopts Oliver the kitten.

I know she’s a cartoon character, and not the first to have a large head on a small body. But she kind of looks odd, like her head is going to crush her figure.

However, I notice that Disney does that a lot with its young child characters. Still – her design stands out to me.

Conclusion 

I bet you now see why these character designs stand out. And I did a lot of research when writing this post.

Of course, you don’t have to agree with me. But I hope you enjoyed learning about the reasons behind the characters’ appearances.

What do you think of my picks? Let me know in the comments if you’d like.