Bolt

Bolt is the titular protagonist of Disney's 2008 animated feature film of the same name. He is a white German shepherd and 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.

## Bolt

### Aliases

Bolty, Boltz, Boltster, Wags, Cujo, Crazy Canine

## Appearances

### Portrayed by

Truman Burbank from The Truman ShowShadow

### Appears in

BoltWreck-It Ralph (cameo)Big Hero 6 (cameo)Zootopia (cameo)Ralph Breaks the Internet (cameo)Frozen II (cameo)Super RhinoVampirina (cameo)Bolt: The Video Game

## 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.

## 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.

## Trivia

* According to dates seen on posters and in magazines that appear in the movie, Bolt was born in March 2003 and was 8 weeks old when adopted by Penny.
* By size and behavior, he is probably or most likely 31 years old.
* The number on Bolt's dog tag is the address of Disney's feature animation building.
* Bolt was adopted from the Silverlake Animal Rescue center. There is a real animal rescue organization named Silver Lake Animal Rescue League, located in Michigan.
* Bolt seems to have a habit of talking to himself. He is seen talking to himself in one of the early scenes, trying to calm down. He also called himself "Bolty," a name that Penny also uses on him.
* Bolt's name was changed to "Volt" in Russia, since the word "bolt" can be used as a vulgar word, meaning a male organ in Russian.
* When Bolt escapes from the studio, he has his dog collar and iconic lightning bolt tattoo, with the collar representing his loyalty to Penny and the lightning bolt representing his delusional view of the world and perceived superpowers. When Bolt returns to Penny after his great adventure, he is still wearing his collar, while his lightning bolt has been smudged off his fur, symbolizing how he has left his superhero role behind while still believing in his relation toward Penny.