Mickey Mouse

### Appears in

The Electrical Briagde (Tokel Studios, 1991-Present)Plane Crazy (Walt Disney Studios, 1928)

Mickey Mouse is the main mascot of the Walt Disney Company and is one of the main co-leaders of the Electrical Brigade.

## Personality

*Steamboat Willie* establishes Mickey's core characteristics. He is cheerful in spirit, yet roughish in complexion. He ignored the commands of his overbearing boss for the sake of gallivanting around the steamboat. His mentality mirrored that of a rebellious child, as he mocked his superiors and threw a tantrum when others rebuked his merriment. Though impishly self-serving, he showed empathy and chivalry by forgoing protocol to aid Minnie during her time of need. With an air of valiance in spite of his diminutive stature and put-upon background, Mickey is an underdog with a heart of gold. By the high society denizens seen in *Society Dog Show*, Mickey is regarded as riff raff. In *The Klondike Kid*, Mickey describes himself as "a nobody". Pete often refers to Mickey as "Runt", a derogative term meaning an undersized or weak person. Regardless, Mickey remains jovial. His rebellious and independent mien allows him to take his downtrodden lot in life in stride with a smile and laugh.

Walt Disney once explained that elements of Mickey's character were derived from comic actor Charlie Chaplin, stating, "I think we were rather indebted to Charlie Chaplin for the idea. We wanted something appealing and we thought of a tiny bit of a mouse that would have something of the wistfulness of Chaplin ... a little fellow trying to do the best he could." Iwerks described Mickey's characterization as having been inspired by Douglas Fairbanks. Iwerks once wrote, "He was the super-hero of his day, always winning, gallant and swashbuckling. Mickey's action was in that vein. He was never intended to be a sissy, he was always an adventurous character. I thought of him in that respect, and I had him do naturally the sort of thing Doug Fairbanks would do." In addition to Chaplin and Fairbanks, Disney has attributed the development of Mickey's personality to other Hollywood figures, as well, such as Fred Astaire and Harold Lloyd.

With limited resources to his name, Mickey's greatest attribute is his wit. He is a thinker and schemer, being able to construct quick plots and ploys to advance his ambitions. This is prominently displayed in times of crises, in which Mickey must come up with hasty solutions to rescue his friends from perils, such as natural disasters, or his nemesis Pete. When paired with Donald and Goofy, Mickey serves as the resourceful "brains" of the trio by coming up with the plans and directing his companions to their desired goals. However, Mickey's schemes are often hindered by his own clumsiness and reckless abandon. Though he presents himself as slick and confident, Mickey is awkward and bumbling in actuality. In *Fantasia*, Mickey carried himself with a mighty air while donning Yen Sid's sorcerer hat, but fumbled with his oversized clothing and bungled his magic spells. He enjoys dressing in dapper attire to imitate high society as seen in cartoons, such as *Mickey Steps Out* and *Mickey's Delayed Date*, only to trip over himself while showing off. When exposed for the little guy he is, Mickey's typical response is a sheepish, self-reflecting grin.

Even with his foibles, Mickey retains a can-do spirit that allows him to smile in the face of danger and move pass his mistakes. He gets by through optimism and has a positive outlook on the world and himself, often displayed by his jovial demeanor. Mickey's optimism is a double-edged sword, however, as while it pushes him to pursue his goals, it also causes him to underestimate trouble under the belief that he can do anything. In "Mickey's Piano Lesson", in fact, he justified his insolence by arrogantly proclaiming, "I'm Mickey Mouse!". Mickey is quick to share his positivity with others, to keep their spirits high during low times. At times, Mickey's buoyancy can be invasive. In cartoons, such as "The Adorable Couple", he attempts to force his positive demeanor onto Donald and Daisy, to disastrous results.

For all his juvenile mischief, Mickey is a reliable leader. When put in charge of a production, for example (such as a stage show or the House of Mouse nightclub theater) he is professional and composed, even when inconveniences get in the way. In addition to being a strong leader, Mickey is a devoted friend. He has, on numerous occasions, risked his life for the safety of others while never expecting recompense. This is most prominently seen with Minnie, for whom Mickey has often felt inclined to sacrifice his own happiness as seen in *Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas*. He is charitable and selfless, looking out for the less fortunate despite often being in undesirable predicaments, himself. In *Mickey's Good Deed*, Mickey sold Pluto to a wealthy household and used the money to supply a poor family with food and Christmas gifts—despite being homeless and hungry, himself. In *Epic Mickey*, Mickey sacrificed his only chance of escaping the Wasteland to rescue Oswald and Gus from danger, both of whom he had just met. A hero at his core, Mickey takes charge without second thought when trouble arises. In cartoons, such as *Gulliver Mickey* and *Runaway Brain*, he fearlessly fought against monsters to protect the people around him.

Occasionally, Mickey can be *too* caring towards others, which can drive him to disregard his own needs. At times, his empathetic heart blinds his better judgment, resulting in Mickey being taken advantage of by malicious forces. There have also been instances where Mickey's desire to help can be excessive to the point of being intrusive, thus causing even more trouble in the long run.

Mickey's temper can be rather explosive after being pushed to a certain limit. When faced with his two most frequent adversaries, Pete and Mortimer Mousefor example, Mickey tends to act irritable and churlish. He is also relentless when it comes to getting back at his foes for their harassment. In some cases, instead of outright giving his enemies satisfaction by losing his temper, Mickey would resort to sly pranks and trickery to best his foes—this being a way to one-up them, while also getting in a few laughs at the same time.Because of his laid-back nature, however, Mickey is usually remorseful after letting his anger get the best of him, and does all that he can to remedy affected feelings, if any.

Mickey evidently struggles with insecurity to some extent. In "Goofy for a Day", he panicked at the prospect of losing his hosting job at the House of Mouse, believing "show business" is the only profession that he's actually good at. His popularity seems to act as a double-edged sword. While he typically enjoys the attention, Mickey also feels a sense of pressure from the public to always be at his very best. This is most notably seen when Mickey is tasked with hosting live entertainment in front of a large audience. In which, he becomes short-fused and anxious. His insecurities are also apparent in his relationship with Minnie, as Mickey has repeatedly gone to great lengths to impress her—typically out of fear of losing her, as seen in "Mickey's Rival Returns" and "Mickey Tries to Cook". Some cartoons suggest that Mickey has commitment issues. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Mickey exclaims, "I just had the scariest dream!" after waking from a dream in which he married Minnie. The cartoon *Mickey's Nightmare* highlighted Mickey's apprehensions regarding parenthood.

In spite of being an anthropomorphic mouse, Mickey has the tendencies to act with his animal nature, including the fact that being a mouse, he loves cheese. In the television series *House of Mouse*, Mickey, being a mouse, is made fun of when he is shown to exercise on a hamster wheel and drink from a rodent drinking bottle (like the ones found in a hamster cage). These particular facts seem to only exist in the *House of Mouse* and haven't been shown again, proving to have been used for brief gags only.