Thumper (Bambi)



Thumper is a rabbit character from Disney’s animated movie Bambi. He appeared again in Bambi II. He is known and named for his habit of thumping his right hind foot.

Unlike real rabbits, Thumper is drawn with pawpads, a feature that rabbits lack.

Bambi
Thumper was one of those present when Bambi was first presented to the creatures of the forest. Evidently he was the least shy of the group, as he was the most vocal individual there.

A few days later a still-wobbly Bambi was out with his mother when they re-encountered Thumper, who took it upon himself to teach the fawn various tricks, notably that of speech. He succeeded in teaching him a few words, notably “flower,” which became the accidental nickname for a certain skunk.

Thumper later made a brief appearance in the scene which took place in the meadow, although his role there is quite minor and quickly moved aside to make way for the appearance of Faline. The rabbit’s next role of any length in the movie was his infamous attempt to teach Bambi how to ice skate.

Thumper appeared again in the spring, this time as an adult, and was one of the three who sat through Friend Owl’s lecture on the perils of “twitterpation,” or falling in love. Like Flower and Bambi, Thumper vowed never to let such a thing happen to him. But as the threesome walked along, Thumper easily succumbed to the lures of a doe rabbit.

Thumper was not seen again until the end of the movie, when he appeared with his progeny, all of whom evidently had inherited his habit of foot-thumping. (In a related note, there is still no definite explanation as to the absence of his mate in this final scene. It is a possibility that she might have died in the wildfire.)

Bambi II
Thumper’s first appearance in Bambi II finds him trying to hide from his sisters. They manage to find him, and he is left with no choice but to take them to see the groundhog come out on Groundhog Day (the only time in either movie with an obvious date.) Thumper is glad when Bambi’s father, the Great Prince of the Forest, agreed to let Bambi come along. Despite being very much the underdog, he firmly backs the Young Prince when Ronno shows up to start trouble.

Thumper’s next appearance again finds him seeking an escape from his sisters, this time enlisting the aid of Flower the skunk. His own worries, however, are quickly eclipsed when he learns of Bambi’s shaky relationship with his father. Thumper makes a determined effort to teach Bambi how to be brave in the hopes of impressing his dad, with the unfortunate result that Bambi receives several porcupine quills in his rear. Again, Ronno shows up, and again, Thumper supports Bambi without reservation. His efforts go awry, however, when he retaliates to an insult from Ronno by pushing Bambi at him. Bambi, in turn, knocks Ronno into the mud and, not at all surprisingly, arouses his anger. Even though Ronno would probably have only attacked Bambi, Thumper flees along with the Young Prince. He is thus fortunate enough to be present when Bambi at long last succeeds in winning his father’s approval (albeit unintentionally) by making a jump that the Great Prince himself had not made until he had antlers.

In the next scene Thumper is shown aiding Bambi in a serious session of jumping practice, motivated by the Prince’s approval of the one achieved the day before. At Thumper’s behest, Bambi works up the courage to ask his dad about his work. Thumper watches from a distance as father and son discuss the fine art of observing, and then walk off together to patrol the forest. But then, hearing his sisters yelling for him in the distance, Thumper makes a speedy getaway.

Later, when it is learned that Bambi’s father is sending him to live with a doe named Mena, Thumper is one of those gathered to say goodbye. Also in the group are Thumper’s sisters (the only time in the film they are not pestering him), as well as Flower and Faline. Thumper does his best to cheer up his friend, with limited success.

Later, when Bambi is on the run from a pack of hunting dogs, Thumper observes the chase from the side-lines and manages to pep-talk Flower through the process of helping - namely by spraying one of the dogs in the face.

In his final scene in the film, Thumper (with frequent interruptions from his sisters) tries to tell a much-exaggerated version of the story of Bambi’s encounter with the dogs. He comments that his sisters are “okay for sisters” (naturally he only says this behind their backs), making the ill-advised additional comment that it’s “just too bad they’re girls.” He is only saved from an indignant Faline by the timely appearance of Bambi.

Personality
Thumper is a spunky, lively character. He is also, quite realistically for a rabbit, a formidable foe. He does his best whenever possible to help his friends, and despite various failures such as the ice-skating incident, he succeeds when it matters the most, as seen in Bambi II. Thumper’s personality is a well-executed piece of creativity: a well-balanced mix of real, deep character and old-fashioned comic relief.