Baloo (Disney)

Baloo is the deuteragonist of Disney's franchise.
Since 2002, he is currently voiced by Joel McCrary.
==Personality==
The Disney version of Baloo is very different from the book character on which he's based. In contrast to the book where Baloo is a judicious old bear who teaches Mowgli the law of the jungle, Disney's Baloo is jolly, fun-loving, carefree, lazy and laid-back. He loves to dance and play games. He dislikes becoming displeased and having to be firm. He also enjoys being around Mowgli. Baloo thinks of Mowgli as his son just as Mowgli thinks of Baloo as his father. Baloo can be firm when he has to be, but doesn't enjoy acting in such way. Baloo is very protective of Mowgli and was ready to battle the jungle's most feared resident, Shere Khan, to keep him safe.
==Biography==
===The Jungle Book===
Baloo is first seen eating and taking a stroll in the jungle when all of a sudden, he sees the strangest thing. Baloo takes a closer look at this "thing" and the boy disrespectfully slaps him in the nose. He tells Baloo to go away, eventually starting to punch and kick, although Baloo cannot even feel it. He does the boy a favor and begins teaching him how to fight. Eventually, the boy and Baloo become friends, and the boy's name is revealed to be Mowgli. Bagheera, who is watching Mowgli, is ready to take him back to the Man Village. Baloo offers Mowgli the opportunity to stay with him, which he accepts gladly, but Bagheera does not. Baloo then begins to teach Mowgli about "The Bare Necessities". Baloo teaches Mowgli about eating ants and relaxing. He tells him to never work hard and to not waste time looking around for something he may want but cannot be found.
During a nice swim down the river, Mowgli is kidnapped by monkeys. Baloo tries to fight them off to save his "bear cub", but they tease him and escape, taking Mowgli with them. Baloo shouts for Bagheera. The two know exactly who is accountable for this, and they head off. The plan was from none other than King Louie, king of all primates. Louie desires the power of Man, and wants to create Man's "Red Flower". He asks Mowgli, who he tries to convince by singing "I Wanna Be Like You". Mowgli claims he doesn’t know, but Louie declines to believe. Baloo and Bagheera devise a plan; while Baloo distracts the monkeys, Bagheera will rescue Mowgli. Baloo dresses as a female orangutan and dances with Louie. They are discovered after Baloo's costume falls apart, and a chase begins. The ruins begin to collapse just as Baloo, Bagheera and Mowgli make their exit, leaving Louie at his destroyed kingdom.
That night, Baloo and the others rest. Bagheera takes the time to explain why Baloo cannot adopt Mowgli as his son. Baloo is reluctant to listen until the mention of Shere Khan, the tiger who seeks to kill Mowgli only because he is a human. Baloo sadly agrees to take Mowgli, knowing it will save his life. In the morning, Baloo and Mowgli begin to travel to the village, although Mowgli does not know where they are going. Baloo tries to break the news gently but becomes angry when Mowgli speaks ill of Bagheera. Mowgli then runs away heartbroken and bitter, and Baloo and Bagheera separate to find him. Baloo then regrets at what he done and he never forgives himself if something happened to Mowgli.
Baloo searches in the wasteland home of the vultures, and just in time, as Shere Khan and Mowgli are about to battle. Baloo grabs Khan's tail, holding him back a bit. The tiger spins in circles with Baloo holding on until they wrap around a tree where Shere Khan faces Baloo's behind and, in a fit of anger, takes a massive bite into Baloo's butt, causing him to yelp loudly in pain. Soon, Shere Khan starts clawing him to death. Mowgli scares Khan away with fire, and when all seems well, darkness falls on Mowgli as Baloo lies unconscious and presumed dead. Just as Bagheera and Mowgli depart, Baloo awakens, revealing he is alive and reunites with Mowgli. During their trip back into the jungle, Mowgli becomes enchanted by a beautiful girl from the Man Village and follows the pretty maiden to the village. Baloo, initially imploring Mowgli to come back to him, eventually lets him go, and he and Bagheera return to the jungle, singing "The Bare Necessities" together.
==Vocals==
==Trivia==
*Baloo actually means "bear" in Hindi (भालू) and Urdu (بھالو), so in a way, Baloo is named after his own species.
*Baloo's species is never stated in the film and varies between the adaptatians. In Kipling's original book, Baloo's species in never mentioned either, only described as "a sleepy brown bear". For the Disney 1994 remake, Baloo was portrayed by a real life Cinnamon Bear and in 2016 he is depicted as a Himalayan Brown Bear. However, no other species of brown bear are native to India where the story takes place. For the 1967 film, Baloo is stated to be a Sloth Bear, which like Baloo are predominantly insectivores and fruit eaters.
*Whilst in the film, Baloo can be considered Mowgli's best friend and preferred mentor figure over Bagheera, in the original novel, it was the other way around. The novel version of Baloo was noted to be much meaner and stricter towards Mowgli, whereas Bagheera was the kinder and more understanding one. Despite this, Mowgli did never the less love Baloo very much. 
==External Links==
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