John Smith (Disney)

John Smith is the deuteragonist of Disney's 33rd full-length animated feature film Pocahontas, and the tritagonist in its 1998 sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to the World, due to having a few scenes of screen time. 
In the first film, he was voiced by Mel Gibson, who also played Rocky Rhodes in Chicken Run, Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon franchise, Max Rockatansky in the Mad Max trilogy, Thomas Craven in Edge of Darkness, William Wallace in Braveheart and Graham Hess in Signs.
In Pochaontas II, Smith was voiced Donal Gibson, Mel's younger brother.
==Biography==
John Smith is a 26-year-old explorer who is shown already be a legend at when he first appears, as Thomas mentions that there are "amazing stories about him." He is well known for his exploits as an explorer, not to mention his success at fighting savages. At the beginning of the film, he initially assumes that the voyage to the New World will be the same as the other voyages he has taken. By the end of the film, though, many of his views about the natives have changed.
According to the book A Boy Across The Sea from the Six New Adventures collection, John Smith was born in Willoughby, Lincolnshire. He grew up on a farm and was the oldest of three siblings. He has a brother named Francis and a sister named Alice.
At the beginning of the film, John is shown to have some prejudiced views regarding Native Americans, as he believes them to be savages. Despite these views, he is regarded for his courage and heroism. An encounter with Pocahontas changes his opinions, and he comes to believe that the natives can help his men. He is shown to be selfless, as he is willing to take the blame for Thomas, when Thomas kills Kocoum.
John Smith in Young Pocahontas is portrayed as a scraggly clumsy 16-year-old redheaded teenager, but he still has as much courage as in the Disney film. He's not afraid to care for Pocahontas and tells off his assistant when he tries to shoot anyone.
Smith plays a smaller role in the sequel. Instead, John Rolfe takes over as the deuteragonist. Smith is assumed to have pushed off a roof to his death by the old foe Ratcliffe, so Pocahontas grieves for him and then meets Rolfe in Jamestown, Much later, Smith appears to have survived the deadly river. He then realizes that Rolfe is in love with Pocahontas. After getting rid of Ratcliffe, Smith invites Pocahontas to travel the world with him. Pocahontas refuses, citing that they now have their own paths to follow. When Smith realizes this, he decides to let her go, even if it meant that they would never be together again, but wishes her happiness in the future, and she wishes him the same.
==Trivia==
*John Smith was one of the few Disney characters who didn't need two separate actors to do his singing and speaking. Mel Gibson did both the speaking and the singing.
*He wears an armor breastplate and helmet which looks like a Spanish conquistador. This could be an allusion to how the English settlers in the 17th century feared that the Spanish might overtake them in establishing the American colonies.
*Smith is the first Disney Prince to wear a hooded cape.
*Despite the events depicted in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, most media, including the Disney Princess franchise, still keep John Smith as Pocahontas' official love interest, completely ignoring John Rolfe. This is perhaps because the original film and the Disney Princess Franchise was made by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, while the sequel was made by Disney MovieToons, later known as Disneytoon Studios.
*In the original film, Smith was voiced by Mel Gibson. In the sequel, he was voiced by Donal Gibson, the younger brother of Mel.
*According to A Boy Across the Sea, John Smith was 12 years old in 1592. If it's assumed that, by that point the events of the book took place, he already had his birthday, he had to have been born in 1580. So, when the year 1607, the year the movie is set, came, John Smith had to have been either 26 or 27 years old all depending on whether the events of the movie came before or after his birthday.
==External Links==
*
==Navigation==
fr:John Smith (Disney)
Category:Male
Category:Military
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Cartoon Heroes
Category:In Love
Category:Adventurers
Category:Fictionalized
Category:Fictional Fictional
Category:Role Models
Category:Pawn of the Villain
Category:Servant of a Villain
Category:Warriors
Category:Pure Good
Category:Fantasy Heroes
Category:Honorable
Category:Selfless
Category:Falsely Accused
Category:Animal Kindness
Category:Love Rivals
Category:Martyr
Category:Suicidal
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Loyal
Category:One-Man Army
Category:Sympathetic
Category:Sophisticated
Category:Strong-Willed
Category:Obsessed
Category:Optimists
Category:Merciful
Category:Disciplinarians
Category:Deal Makers
Category:Dreaded
Category:Spoiled Sweet
Category:The Messiah
Category:Victims
Category:War Heroes
Category:Fortune Hunters
Category:Feminists
Category:Tragic
Category:Nurturers
Category:Theatrical Heroes
Category:Sensational Six Heroes
Category:Defectors
Category:Nature-Lovers
Category:Egalitarian
Category:Good Vs. Good
Category:Voice of Reason
Category:Neutral Good
Category:Brutes
Category:Philanthropists
Category:Damsels
Category:Historical Heroes