Bolt

**Bolt** is the protagonist of Disney's 2008 animated feature film of the same name. He is the star of a live-action superhero series that has conditioned him to believe he is an authentic superpowered canine. When he becomes spirited away from his owner, Penny, Bolt embarks on a journey in the real world to get home.

## Character Information

### Occupation:

Actor (formerly)Penny's dog

Auradon Hero

## Other

### Allies:

**Canon:** Penny, Mittens, Rhino, the pigeons
**Fanon:** Rapunzel, Varian, Cassandra, Eugene, Fairy Godmother

### Enemies:

**Canon:** Dr. Calico (Tv show villain)
**Fanon:** Doris, Negaduck, Mother Gothel, Penny (formerly, In Once Upon A Dream)

### Hobbies:

Spend time with Penny, Spending time with Carlos (Once Upon A Dream)

## Physical Description

### Appearance:

White German shepherd with a bolt painted on the side

## Background Information

### Mics:

The DT RP: improvised (side story, mentions)

## Background

Bolt was raised to believe everything in a series' stage was real. He believed that he had actual superpowers and that his owner, Penny, was actually in danger of Dr. Calico, a fictional supervillain.

After accidentally getting stuck in a box and sent to New York, Bolt embarks a new journey to get back home and "save" his owner. Bolt later learns the truth and accepts being a normal dog.

### Personality

Bolt is a very fervent, lively, and impulsive individual, often seen performing dangerous stunts, even in the real world, like when he jumped from a bridge onto a speeding locomotive. Bolt is headstrong and tends to give the impression of being stubborn as it takes a lot for him to be beaten down, exhibited in the fact that he does not accept that he is an actor with no superpowers. However, it could be argued that Bolt is surprisingly quick to realize his understanding of the world is wrong, given the fact that he spent the majority of his life completely isolated from the real world.

In accordance to his superhero persona, he often gives the impression of being adventurous in the real world. However, it is unknown to which point Bolt enjoyed the fictional adventures he shared with Penny at the TV studio and it is likely that his fear of losing Penny made the entire experience rather stressful for Bolt most of the time, rather than thrilling or stimulating. It is also likely that he saw his superpowers merely as a means of protecting Penny. Bolt is also focused on finding Penny, rarely speaking of his superhero role, which would explain why he is able to accept that he does not have any superpowers after only a few days, despite having spent almost five years in his delusional state.

At first, due to his delusional outlook, Bolt seemed theatrical and eloquent when speaking, often using articulate expressions, hyperbole, and descriptive metaphors, much in contrast to Mittens who speaks with certain street slang. Bolt referred to some of the feline characters as "*degenerated creatures of darkness*", calling Mittens' arguments about his lack of superpowers "*preposterous*". He often came with typical, hero-like one-liners, including, but not limited to; "*It ends here*", "*You leave me no choice*", and uses terms like "classified" and "target acquired" quite frequently. Obviously not knowing what food is, he referred to whatever could cure the hunger-pains in his belly as "antidote" (much to Mittens' amusement) and blood as "red liquid". After his huge self-realization and accepting who he really was, Bolt speaks less and seems more introverted. Compared to Mittens, Bolt is a few-worded character and the animators relied heavily on body language to make him expressive.

Stuck in the fence in New York, Bolt tried to break free with his perceived strength but to no avail. He showed a stubborn side, at first not listening to the pigeons' advise on how to break free. After calming down, he follows their methods and is freed. The event marks a milestone in his character development, as it is the first time that he has listened and taken help from other characters in the movie. The positive outcome served as a behavior alternating "positive reinforcement" as it is also the first time he solves a problem through the use of intelligent problem solving rather than use superpowers – a practice that Bolt will develop and use throughout the rest of the movie. Bolt's ability to solve problems indicates that he is intelligent or extraordinarily adaptive, despite his delusional view of the world.

Bolt is, as mentioned, a very caring individual who will stay faithful to his closest friends. His canine trust and guileless credulity make him a susceptible target for other characters, such as the fast-talking, cynical Mittens, who, at times, manages to hurt Bolt's feelings and the cat actors, who relish in mocking his delusions. During the first part of the movie, Bolt reacted to Mittens' sarcastic comments with frustration, and later, with a strong measure of disappointment and resignation.

As he began learning to become a normal dog, he came to possess the common dog-like playfulness; enjoying chasing sticks, playing with Rhino's hamster ball, and digging. Sometimes, when the situation allows for it, Bolt likes wrestling and chewing on his favorite squeaky toy, Mr. Carrot. The brief scenes in the movie when Bolt is shown blissfully playing, learning how to be a "normal dog", are also the scenes in which the titular character seems the most joyful and carefree. Bolt also enjoys rainy nights, playing with garden sprinklers, and much like most dogs, he likes to stick his head out of moving vehicles to feel the wind against his face, and, in contrast, he seems to like watching fireworks and is disgusted by the idea of lapping water out of toilets.

### Physical appearance

Bolt's breed is not defined in the movie but his overall appearance has seemingly more similarities with the Swiss-originated Blanc Suisse than the American White Shepherd. Bolt is a medium sized white-furred dog with a strong neck with thick, seemingly double-coated fur, which is raised when excited and lowered while running. Bolt has a muscular, sturdy body with strong upper arms and thighs. He is, however, slender, with a trim belly, long elegant tail, and flexible, agile body. His eyes are usually brown but tend to seem auburn in bright lighting.

Bolt's appearance is "softer" than a normal German Shepherd with a more curved outline, thick, rounded legs, and domed forehead. The "normal" Shepherd has longer, thinner legs and a more meager appearance.

Bolt's coat is a creamy white and his fur differs in thickness as it is short haired over his stomach, flanks, and back, and a bit thicker over his neck. The animators worked much with Bolt's fur so that it would seem soft and fluffy with every hair moving in a realistic way.

## Powers and Abilities

**Canon (TV series):**

* Speak (Super Bark)
* Stare (Laser Vision)
* Zoom Zoom (Super Speed)
* Enhanced Strength
* Enhanced Jump Boost

**Fanon (books and RP):**

* Wing Customization (changing colors, wing style, etc.)
* Flight
* Levitation
* Elemental Powers (ice, water, fire, plant, etc.)
* Teleportation
* Portal Opening

## Appearances

### Bolt

In March 2003, an 8-week-old Bolt is raised at the Silverlake Animal Rescue Center. One day, a girl named Penny enters the locale and spots Bolt almost immediately. Bolt turns to Penny, smiling and wagging happily before being distracted by his own tail and starting chasing it. Penny adopts the puppy, hugs him, and gives him his iconic dog collar.

Five years later, Penny has received a call from her "father" alerting his daughter she is in danger from the evil Dr. Calico. To protect Penny, her father genetically manipulated Bolt to have superpowers, like super-strength, the super-speed, heat vision, and his legendary "Superbark". His mission is to protect his owner from Dr. Calico and his minions and save Penny's father who is being held, prisoner. Using these powers, Bolt helps Penny foil Calico's plans, playing the role of a stereotypical, nerveless superhero.

However, it is soon revealed that the entire premise is part of a popular TV show where Bolt plays the lead role. Bolt, however, believes that his adventures are real and that Penny, his actual owner and whom he directs all of his considerable love and devotion to, is in real danger. The directors nurture this illusion through the use of extensive stenography and live-effects, hence tricking the apprehensive canine, year after year, into believing that Penny is in serious danger and in need of constant protection. Everything is done in order to achieve a more realistic, genuine performance from the poor dog whose only real interest is to be with his owner.

Penny, as a child actress who knows the drill, nonetheless returns Bolt's love when she is not being pulled away by other workers or her greedy agent. After each recording session, at the end of each day, Bolt and Penny spend some time alone in a trailer located inside the studio. Aside from the recording, this is seemingly the only time the two get to have together. Penny is forced to leave Bolt every night, alone in the trailer, as the directors are very keen to keep Bolt isolated from reality out of fear it would have on his performance, but she aspires to one day take him home with her and let him enjoy the life as a real dog.

After a recording session, the two have some time on their own, but the dog is too worried and triggered to play or even eat. Instead, he persistently guards the door against the potential evils he is convinced might still be outside. Penny seems worried and tries to connect with Bolt by getting him to play or calm him down but soon must give up when her pink cell phone rings, reminding her that it is time to leave Bolt alone. Bolt, obviously knowing from earlier experience what the ringtone means, looks insistently at Penny and tries to block the door with his body, trying to keep her from leaving. Penny sighs saying, "You know I have to go" and hugs Bolt before leaving, who stands by the door after that she left, whining uneasily.

During the night, two cats from the TV show visit Bolt's trailer to mock him and harshly and inconsiderately play on the fact that he thinks it is all real. Bolt does not realize that the cats are making fun of him and gets extremely frustrated when the cats ignore his threats and attempted intimidation. The cats leave him barking crazily.

When the ratings are dropping, the directors decide to make a "cliff-hanger" as a comeback with Bolt not getting to rescue Penny, who knows Bolt's condition will get even worse, at the end of the shooting. Instead, he is restrained and dragged to his trailer where they try to lock him in. Thinking that Penny needs to be rescued, he effortlessly tricks the guard and escapes the trailer. Spotting some props from the TV set outside a window, he throws himself against the hard surface, convinced that he will be able to break through. Instead, he knocks himself unconscious and falls backward into a box stuffed with packing Styrofoam which is then sealed and Bolt is shipped cross-country to New York without anyone knowing where he really is.

Bolt ends up walking up in New York City running through the city and streets past people calling for Penny to no Avail. Bolt tried to use his powers but failed such as trying to superjump but ends up falling down or knocking someone out (who looked like Calico from Behind) but being non sucessful at it and also trying to crash into a truck with his head but the driver saw Bolt saving his life before the car hit him. Bolt doesn't find Penny in the portable toilet but he meets a few dogs down the street, which he refers to as "brothers" suggesting that his career at the TV series has left him with a view of all dogs as allies. However, he quickly becomes frustrated as the dogs seem entirely clueless rather than answering any of his questions, and he runs away when a concerned dog walker tries to put a leash on him. Bolt eventually gets his head stuck in bars and tries pulling his head out and pushing on the bars with no success. Then Bolt was approached by three pigeons who tell him to turn his head and pull, He did so getting free. When Bolt said he's looking for a cat The Pigeons take him to Mittens who Bolt thought was working for Calico. After holding her above a highway, Bolt gets Mittens to show him where Penny is. After The two find a map in a allyway, Mittens determines that Penny is in Hollywood but Bolt still drags her along for the ride. The two takes a truck but later Bolt jumps out of the truck after being scared by Styrofoam Packing Peanuts.

Bolt and Mittens tumble down a hill where Bolt experiences pain and hunger for what we assume is the first time ever considering he lived in the studio his whole life. Mittens takes Bolt to a nearby Ohio Trailer Park and starts teaching Bolt's some 'dog faces'. Bolt used these dog faces and the people started throwing food out their doors for him. Its at this point Bolt and Mittens meet Rhino, a hamster who is apparently Bolt's number One fan. Rhino joins the team and when Bolt asked if there was a quicker Transportation method, Rhino takes the two to a nearby bridge with a upcoming train. Mittens, rightfully so, thinks this is a horrible idea and tries to leave but doesnt get far because she's tied to Bolt's leash. Bolt jumps off the bridge holding onto Rhino's ball dragging Mittens behind and the three landed on the train with Mittens holding onto a ladder for fear. Bolt goes over to Mittens and extends his paw to Mittens but the ladder broke and collapsed. Bolt tries to leave but his leash gets stuck in between the ladder rims. Bolt tries to pull on his leash but it still stays stuck. Meanwhile a screw is coming out of the ladder so Mittens holds onto it trying to keep it in, but Rhino sees Bolt struggling and Mittens holding onto the ladder and misinterprets it as Mittens trying to kill Bolt so Rhino starts fighting Mittens.

### Once Upon A Dream

Bolt is the main deuteragonist in Once Upon A Dream particularly in the D2 And D3 Portions. He, unlike Penny, was one of the few auradon residents alongside Ben and Audrey who wanted to give the VKS a chance. He also moved in with his new best Friend Carlos after Penny said something hurtful to him on Family Day.