Dimitri (Anastasia)

Dimitri (Russian: Димитрий) is the deuteragonist and the love interest of the titular protagonist of Don Bluth's 1997 animated film, Anastasia. He is a poor man who attempts to gain wealth by fooling the Dowager Empress to believe he found Anastasia, but when he finds the suitable candidate for the role, he slowly develops a change of heart. 
He is voiced by (Jonathan Dokuchitz, singing) who also plays as Igor.
==Personality==
Dimitri is a sly and gentle but impatient con-artist from St. Petersburg whose real interest is in the fast money and who always must have the last word. Before he gets to know Anastasia (or Anya) there is no one who contrasts him what often upsets him. While being with her he is often very contentious and speechless. Therefore; he did not particularly like very emancipated women, though mainly has trouble with people that have stronger wills than him. Moreover, he hates to get outsmarted or travel by train.
While the story goes on, he notices that he is falling in love with Anya, therefore; he turns into a more tender, concerned, polite and courageous person than before.
As a child, he was courageous, principled, and clever; during the siege of the palace, he directed Anastasia and her grandmother, Marie, to escape via a servant's passage that is indistinguishable from the wall when closed, after which he remained behind to cover their retreat. When Bolshevik soldiers interrogate him for their location, he refuses, throwing a phone at them, which gets him knocked out by the butt of one of their rifles. Growing up in Soviet Russia, it seems for survival, he lost his principles and bravery, yet remained cunning, thus conned his way into surviving. However, after falling in love with Anya/Anastasia, his bravery and principles returned, even though he didn't expect a romantic relationship due to their different social and royal strata.
==Biography==
Dimitri started out as a servant boy in the Imperial Palace, and is first seen admiring Anastasia during the Romanov tricentennial celebration in 1916 as Anastasia was with her grandmother, Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, having a clear attraction to the young and beautiful Grand Duchess before being ushered away by his supervisor. 
When the villainous Rasputin sold his soul in exchange for unholy power and casts a curse on the Romanov family in revenge, triggering the Russian Revolution in 1917 to overthrow the Romanovs and establish the Soviet Union, Dimitri provides a secret passageway out of Anastasia's room for Marie and Anastasia to escape through moments before Bolshevik soldiers break the door down trying to capture them with the rest of the Tsar's family. When they demand Dimitri tell them where the grandmother and granddaughter went, Dimitri attacks them in self-defense, causing him to be knocked out when one of the soldiers retaliates by clubbing Dimitri with the butt of his rifle. However, he bought enough time for Anastasia and Marie to reach the train station and attempt to flee St. Petersburg by rail. 
Ten years later, he is now a con man along with his best friend and partner, Vladimir in the Communist-ruled Soviet Union. They are in search of an Anastasia look-alike now called "Anya". Anya leaves the orphanage after she has lost her memory before arriving here. He first met Anya, who was impressed by resembling the "real" Anastasia and decide to take her with them. After an encounter with demonic spirits sent by Rasputin, he, Vladimir, Anya and Pooka entered Paris to meet Marie, but Marie refuses to see her, having given up after dealing with so many impersonators beforehand. Sophie quizzes her to confirm her identity and Dimitri and Vladimir taught her all the answers as Sophie invites him, Vladimir and Anya to go to the Russian Ballet and Dimitri realizes that she is the real Anastasia. 
That night, he, Vladimir and Anya went to see the Russian Ballet for the first time and Dimitri suggests that Anya will be reunited with her grandmother after the Ballet is over. When Marie tells Dimitri that she wants nothing to do with him and knows about his scheme to trick Anya when she tells Dimitri who he really is, Anya, who eavesdropped on the conversation, becomes really upset and accuses Dimitri of lying to her and using her as part of his con to get Marie's money. Dimitri tries to tell her that his intentions have changed because she is the real Anastasia, but she refuses to listen to him and angrily storms out. Still determine to show Anastasia and Marie the truth, he drives Marie to the house where Anastasia is packing her belongings; Dmitri hands Marie the music box, which makes her realise that he was the servant boy that saved her and her granddaughter's lives in 1916, therefore agrees to meet Anya. After Marie and Anya sing the song from Anastasia's childhood, the two were happily reunited, beginning a steady return of Anastasia's lost memories. 
The next day, Dimitri refuses to accept the money because he loves Anastasia more and decided to go back to the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR) in the Soviet Union. However, when he realizes that someone is in danger, he arrives to stop Rasputin and saves Anya. Anya is able to destroy Rasputin and Dimitri and Anya were able to reconcile after Anya discovers the truth as the two head back to Paris by the end of the film, deciding to elope and reunite with Marie at a later time.
==Trivia==
*Dimitri was originally going to be called "Philippe".
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