Yen Sid

Yen Sid is a character that first appeared the 1940 Disney animated feature film, Fantasia. Appearing in the The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment, he is a powerful sorcerer that served as Mickey Mouse’s mentor in the arts of magic and sorcery.
==Background==
===Development===
Yen Sid was modeled after Walt Disney, right down to signature facial features recognizable by the animators. Concept sketches showed early designs of Yen Sid in which the sorcerer had a red beard, rather than his traditional grey. In another, Yen Sid was bald altogether. Yen Sid's name—which is not given in the film itself—was given by the animators. It is "Disney" spelled backward, which pays tribute to Walt. The first appearance of the name “Yen Sid” was in the 1940 screenplay Walt Disney's Fantasia written by Deems Taylor. It is the story he narrated live performances of Fantasia that year. The audio of Deems calling the Sorcerer Yen Sid in the original monologue was never included the film version. That same year (1940), Walt Disney Productions published "Fantasia in technicolor and fantasound." The name Yen Sid does not appear in this Disney publication.
===Personality===
Being rather mysterious, not too much is known about Yen Sid. He is wise, practical, and most often seen with a serious tone in such a way that it often quashes Mickey's playful nature into obedience. Most who encounter Yen Sid often can be bound to be intimidated by his appearance but underneath his fierce look, lies a heart of gold. Surprisingly, he is very forgiving and actually has a sense of humor. He is more than aware of Mickey's mischief and willing to deal with this; putting it aside to teach his apprentice. Underneath his harsh exterior is a man who strongly believes in his apprentices, no matter what mischief they may get into.
===Physical appearance===
Yen Sid is a stern-looking elderly gentleman with his signature sorcerer hat atop his head. He has a long gray beard reaching down underneath his chest. He has small eyes with tiny pupils as well as a long aqua-colored vestment which he wears in all appearances.
===Powers and abilities===
====Fantasia====
Most of Yen Sid's magic is obtained through his sorcerer hat. With the hat, he is known to conjure up mystic clouds taking the shape of bats and such. It can also bring to life inanimate objects, like broomsticks and even broomstick shards. It is said that he can make diamonds out of warts and elephants out of cats.
Despite this, he has abilities without the hat, presumably through years of study and discipline in practicing the arts of sorcery. When Mickey accidentally flooded the tower with the hat, Yen Sid stormed in and forced the water to dissolve and while so, he created large waves—all without the hat.
====Kingdom Hearts====
In the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Yen Sid in addition to his powers from Fantasia is a retired Keyblade master, and thus possesses the ability to use a Keyblade and also the magical abilities capable of being used by Keyblade masters. He can wield and manipulate the power of Light to hold an immense army of Heartless without strain for an unknown amount of time. He can divine far-off events past, present, and future from reading the stars, can create and conjure objects, enchant objects and garments for various effects, revert people to younger versions of themselves and send them back to the past versions of worlds, and teleport between worlds at will.
====Epic Mickey====
In the Epic Mickey franchise, Yen Sid possesses all of his powers from Fantasia and also can create entire worlds and beings using a magic paintbrush and thinner. He is also aware of other worlds outside his own and can reach them via various means such as a magic mirror in his study as seen with Mickey using a mirror in his house to reach Yen Sid's study and Yen Sid placing him back through the mirror. He also was able to reach into and pull Mickey out of the Wasteland.
====Fantasia: Music Evolved====
In Fantasia: Music Evolved, Yen Sid has all his powers from Fantasia and is capable of magically creating music which sustains the realms of Fantasia. He can conjure objects out of thin air, foresee the future as revealed while talking to Scout, and was capable of holding the chaotic force known as the Noise, which threatens the realms of Fantasia after Scout accidentally unleashed it.
==Appearances==
===Fantasia===
Yen Sid first appeared in the Fantasia short, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, as Mickey Mouse's master. He owns a magical hat, which shares somes of his powers. In the short, he performs magic while Mickey completes his chores. Satisfied with his work, Yen Sid yawns and puts down his hat to retire for the night.
During his absence, Mickey takes the hat and begins to play with its magic. He creates a living broom and orders it to take water and place it in a vat (which is his chore). After falling asleep and dreaming of becoming the most powerful sorcerer next to his beloved master, he awakens to see the broom flooding the tower. He chops it up, but this only creates several more. The tower is nearly flooded completely until Yen Sid returns from his chambers and stops the chaos with his powers. He is furious that Mickey had disobeyed him. Humbled, Mickey returns his hat and broom to him as he slowly goes to finish his chores. Despite his anger, Yen Sid shows a small mischievous smirk at Mickey as he is somewhat amused by the latter's antics, and Mickey gives a weak smile back. To make sure he has learned his lesson, Yen Sid smacks him once in the buttocks with the now inanimate broom, making Mickey get his chores done a lot faster.
===Disney on Parade===
In this episode of the Disneyland TV show broadcast in 1971, Yen Sid (incorrectly referred to as "Merlin the Magnificent") interrupts the Disney characters' dancing show by making them all disappear except Mickey. In a booming voice, Yen Sid questions if Mickey really plans on making a good show without any magic, an idea he finds nonsensical. A bolt of lightning strikes the stage and when the lights come back, Mickey finds himself in his "Sorcerer's Apprentice" costume; Yen Sid advises him to look in his pockets, and the mouse finds pixie dust in it, which he then uses to put together a magic act with help from Yen Sid's disembodied voice.
===Fantasia 2000===
Yen Sid reappears in the sequel and lives out the exact same role in the original, his sequence being the only one from the original film to appear in the new one.
===House of Mouse===
In the animated television series House of Mouse, Yen Sid makes a few cameos, usually alongside the magic brooms from the Fantasia short. For some reason, Yen Sid's beard is much shorter than usual. 
In the episode "Rent Day", Mickey needs to find a book for Belle and asks a man for a book he's reading; however, the man reveals himself as Yen Sid, causing Mickey to quote "Never mind." and forcing him to break the trade altogether. 
In "Pete's Christmas Caper", Pete steals Yen Sid's hat and uses it to control the brooms as they steal everyone's Christmas gifts.
Yen Sid was seen staring harshly at Mickey with his hat in the "Magic Mirror Consultant" advertisement in "House of Magic" when Mickey asks the Magic Mirror on whether he could keep Yen Sid's hat. 
Yen Sid also made a cameo appearance in Mickey's Magical Christmas where his hat was turned into that of Santa Claus' (like the one Pete gave him in Pete's Christmas Caper") as the club undergoes a Christmas makeover. 
===The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse===
Yen Sid appears in The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse episode "Keep on Rollin'", as the disc jockey of the roller rink that also bears his name. When the rink is overtaken by Pete and his cronies, Yen Sid is temporary displaced by Ursula. Mickey and his friends band together to defeat the villains, and once the rink is reclaimed, Yen Sid is reinstated with a 70’s-style outfit.
==Printed media==
He rarely appears in the Mickey Mouse stories, but there are some cases:
In the story Case of the Hovering Wolf (INDUCKS W WDC 133-03), he gives magic powers to the Li'l Bad Wolf.
In the Brazilian story O Novo Aprendiz De Feiticeiro (INDUCKS B 74024), he takes Fethry Duck as a new apprentice.
In the other Brazilian story De Volta À Fantasia (INDUCKS B 910276), Mickey and Goofy help him to beat Magica De Spell and Madam Mim.
In the story Consider the Sorcery, in which Sorcerer Mickey is depicted as an ancestor of the current Mickey Mouse that's actually named Moustradamus, Yen Sid is gone and has left the position of village's sorcerer to Mickey/Moustradamus. However, when he's in trouble, Mickey seems able to contact Yen Sid thanks to a magic potion that makes Yen Sid's face appears in its fumes; whether it's a mean of communication while Yen Sid is alive and retired, or if Yen Sid is dead and Mickey is invoking his ghost, is not clarified.
Of course, he also appears in all comics adaptations of the short The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which Inducks codes are W SS 2-02 and Kus/MMA 9B. Additionally, Yen Sid has also appeared in the comics and manga based on Epic Mickey and the Kingdom Hearts series.
==Video games==
===Sorcerer's Apprentice===
In 1983, Atari released Sorcerer's Apprentice for the Atari 2600. The Sorcerer makes an appearance in the game, but is not named in the description nor in the game story poster. "Based off the animated Disney classic "Fantasia", Sorcerer's Apprentice puts players in charge of Mickey Mouse as he collects and shoots stars and meteors on the mountaintops to keep the walking brooms from filling the Sorcerer's cavern below."
===Disney's Phonics Quest===
Yen Sid appears in the opening cutscene, taking place after the events of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. He informs Mickey that he will be leaving for a while, and instructs his apprentice to stay away from a magical book within the tower. Immediately after Yen Sid’s departure, Mickey toys with the book and must spend the remainder of the game recovering its lost pieces before Yen Sid’s return.
===Kingdom Hearts series===
Yen Sid appears as a retired Keyblade Master, renowned for his wisdom and command over the arts of magic; though no longer an active Keyblade Master, he still keeps a close watch on the balance between Light and Darkness. He was once Mickey Mouse's master and taught him everything he knows about magic and the Keyblade.
In Kingdom Hearts II, Yen Sid's tower is invaded by the Heartless (led by Pete) in an attempt to turn the old wizard into a Heartless, as well. Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrive and defeat the enemies. They then meet Yen Sid, who informs the trio of the challenges they will face on their latest adventure. He also introduces Sora to Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, who bestow new powers and clothing. After returning them to their Gummi ship, Yen Sid vanishes for the remainder of the story.
In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Yen Sid communicates with Master Eraqus with his magic powers. He then warns Terra about the Darkness, to not let his Heart get swallowed by it.
At the end of Kingdom Hearts coded, Yen Sid has a meeting with Mickey discussing the current circumstances of Sora's success. He explains that the defeat of Heartless Ansem and Nobody Xemnas has led to the restoration of their original form, Master Xehanort. With such a threat, Yen Sid demands that Sora and Riku be summoned to undertake their Mark of Mastery exam.
In Dream Drop Distance, Yen Sid's oversees the exam and puts Sora and Riku to the test by assigning them to awaken several worlds which remained in a state of "deep sleep" following Ansem's destruction. By the time of the exam's completion, Yen Sid only declares Riku as a Keyblade Master, since he managed to unlock two keyholes of sleep, while Sora failed to resist the darkness and ended up in a magical sleep induced by Young Xehanort. Meanwhile, having realized Master Xehanort's plan to recreate the χ-blade by pitting his new Organization XIII against the seven Princesses of Heart, Yen Sid devises a plan to counter Xehanort by gathering seven Keyblade wielders of Light to protect the Princesses, and orders Riku to bring Kairi to him to undergo training with the Keyblade she received from Aqua.
In Kingdom Hearts III, Yen Sid guides Sora on his quest to obtain the power of waking, while Riku and Mickey venture off to rescue Aqua. In the end, however, it's Sora that rescues Aqua, who later awakens Ventus, allowing for the seven guardians of light to finally band together against the Organization. During the final showdown at the Keyblade Graveyard, the guardians are overwhelmed by an onslaught of Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed. They are nearly killed until Yen Sid makes a miraculous appearance and uses his power to fend off the hoard. While Sora and the guardians go forth, Yen Sid stays behind with Donald and Goofy to fend off the enemies. In the end, Xehanort meets his defeat at Sora's hands, restoring peace. In the epilogue, Yen Sid is seen at Disney Castle, where he and the others are greeted with celebratory fireworks.
===Epic Mickey===
Yen Sid serves as the narrator of the game, looking back at what events followed. Years ago, Yen Sid created a home for the forgotten and retired aspects of Disney, serving as a benevolent, albeit unseen creator, watching from "on high" and enjoying their antics. But one day, his magic mirror opened into the home of Mickey Mouse. When he entered Yen Sid's workshop after he was resting from that evening's work, Mickey played with the magic paintbrush and created a monster, ruining Yen Sid's creation in the process, now dubbed the Wasteland.
In the end, Mickey returns home and is apparently locked out of Yen Sid's studies. Although it seems to be impossible to return, Yen Sid remembers he is Mickey Mouse and with that personality will eventually find a way to return.
===Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two===
Yen Sid himself narrates the opening cutscene and painting tutorial. In this way, he helps the player guide Mickey through his workshop to retrieve the Magic Brush which the former used in the previous game. He only briefly appears during the opening cutscene, while the events of the first game are recounted.
===Disney Magical World===
Yen Sid appears in the game as the creator of the primary world known as Castleton, which is the peaceful home of dozens of citizens and Disney characters. Aside from appearing in the opening cinematic for the game, Yen Sid also summons the player to seek help in defeating an army of ghosts that have been invading the tranquil realm.
===Fantasia: Music Evolved===
In Fantasia: Music Evolved, Yen Sid appoints the player his newest apprentice. Throughout the game, some of Yen Sid’s history is revealed. It is learned that he earned his famous Sorcerer's Hat when he was student of the magical arts and that each star and moon appeared on it as he learned new magic and that it is the same for his own apprentices whom he gifts their own sorcerer's hat to imbue with magic while training. It is also learned that Mickey was not Yen Sid’s only apprentice, but that the sorcerer has taught many in the arts of magic and music through the ages. One such apprentice was a student by the name of Scout, an enthusiastic girl who had accidentally created the game’s villain, the Noise, a chaotic force that drowns out the music that is found in and sustains the Realms of Fantasia. This force was kept at bay by Yen Sid until Scout created it by accident. Scout also revealed he never left his workshop while she was training with him.
==Disney Parks==
===Disneyland Resort===
A walk around version of Yen Sid existed as part of the Flights of Fantasy Parade in 1983.
In 2013, Yen Sid played a major role in Mickey and the Magical Map, appearing in animated form on the theater screen, interacting with the live Mickey Mouse. In the show, Mickey uses Yen Sid's magic to travel along a special map showcasing various Disney locations. Throughout, an ink spot causes mischief, which is revealed to have been Yen Sid watching over Mickey the entire time.
Yen Sid makes a brief cameo in World of Color: Celebrate! during the Sorcerer’s Apprentice segment.
===Walt Disney World===
Yen Sid can be easily spotted as a statue at the Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf at Walt Disney World. He is featured at the final hole of the Gardens course, showcasing him controlling the water (which functions as the ball return). Additionally, Hole 6 of the Fantasia Fairways course is named "The Legend of Yen Sid."
He has his own spell card known as "Yen Sid's Sorcerer Hat" in the attraction Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.
He was mentioned during the Fantasia segment of The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which has since been defunct.
===Shanghai Disney Resort===
Yen Sid is one of four characters sculpted in gold on the framework of the Fantasia Carousel.
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*"Yensid" (Disney spelled backward) is the last name of Retlaw Saile Yensid (Walter Elias Disney), a pseudonym Walt Disney sometimes used instead of his real name.
*The Disney animators used Disney's "dirty look" (which was the same look that Walt gave his animators when he disapproved of their work) for the sorcerer by lifting his eyebrow.
*Yen Sid's appearance inspired the appearance of King Kashekim Nedakh, Kida's late father from Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
*Yen Sid himself did not appear in the film The Sorcerer's Apprentice, but his hat did at the end of the end credits for the film, although he was the inspiration for the wise sorcerer character Balthazar Blake.
*The only film credit containing the word Yensid was for the 1962 movie Walt Disney presents Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. by Bill Ford pseud. for William Johnston, based on a story by Retlaw Yensid. Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1966 : July-December pg. 1762 By Library of Congress. Copyright Office
*In the book Walt's People (pg. 167), Bill Walsh talks about Walt handing the story for Lt. Robin Crusoe USN to him: "That's interesting because it was the only story Walt ever wrote. He wrote it on the back of an envelope on the plane or the back of a throw-up bag or whatever it is. At the end of it, I said, "Walt, you don't want your name on this, do you? "I do, too!" he said. And by God, he did it. Only he reversed it, "Retlaw Yensid." He wrote his name backward. That's the way it's on the screen. That's Retlaw Yensid."
*Elements of Yen Sid's character-notably his title of sorcerer, his having an apprentice, and owning a magic hat-were applied to the character of Merlin in Once Upon a Time.
*In the original poem, the sorcerer (who didn't have a name) doesn't get angry with his apprentice for calling powerful spirits, instead making the statement that powerful spirits should only be called by the master himself.
==External Links==
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