Valiente

* Adult
* Young

**Valiente** is a bull and the tritagonist (former anti-hero) of *Ferdinand*. He is an ambitious bull whose former dream is to become a famous fighting bull, until he was sent to the chop house after losing his right horn in a foolish fight against Ferdinand and realized the truth.

Valiente is voiced by Bobby Cannavale as an adult and Jack Gore as a calf.

## Development

In order to portray Valiente as a tough bull, he was designed with sharper movements and a stockier body posture and when storyboarding, he was made more imposing and intimidating.

## Biography

### Early Life

Valiente was raised in Casa del Toro alongside Guapo, Bones, and Ferdinand. On the day that the matador visited the Casa to pick a bull to fight, he was play fighting and head-butting with Bones and Guapo. As a truck backs into the ranch, he excitedly trots up to see and calls it the "Winner's Truck".

Ferdinand inquires what the Winner's Truck is, to which Valiente answers him impatiently. Ferdinand proceeds to ask who the matador is going to pick and Valiente quickly assures that his father would be chosen. He later brags that when he grows up, he would be picked and be renowned as the most feared bull in Spain. When Guapo boasts about his good looks while showing off his smile, Valiente messes with him by telling him the matador is here, which causes Guapo to suddenly panic without hesitation and nearly puke until he is reassured by Ferdinand otherwise. When Bones starts boasting about his speed, Valiente calmly taunts him before suddenly head-butting him and causing him to fall. As Ferdinand stops to help Bones up, he spots Ferdinand's flower and mocks him for it, threatening to step on the flower. He challenges Ferdinand to a fight but Ferdinand politely refuses while allowing him to hit him if he wants but asks him to leave the flower alone. Stunned and confused, Valiente leaves him with a huff.

The adult bulls charge out in that instance to display their fighting skills to the matador and the calves rush to see them fight in the other pen. Valiente cheers for his father but when the latter is defeated by Ferdinand's father, he leaves. On the way out, he meets his father and encourages him, only to be reciprocated with a gruff: "Who asked you?", and he is visibly saddened. Ferdinand joins him shortly but Valiente pushes him away. Upset, Valiente, as well as his father, wait for Ferdinand to enter his pen after saying good-bye to his father for the last time before stamping on his flower and leaving.

Later, at night, in the stables, Valiente witnesses Ferdinand climbing out of his pen, excited to see his father again only to find the truck that took him earlier today to be empty, therefore, realizing that his father never made it out of the fight alive and is never coming back as he promised he would. Though Valiente appears to show slight remorse for Ferdinand's loss, his father shows lack of sympathy as he tells him to "bull up", therefore, he reluctantly refrains from remorse in his father's favor. Then, Valiente witnesses Ferdinand escaping from Casa del Toro, fearing he might suffer the same fate as well once he's all grown-up.

### At Casa del Toro

Two years after Ferdinand ran away from Casa del Toro to Seville by train on that same night and was found and raised by a farmer/florist named Juan and his daughter, Nina on their farm, Ferdinand finds himself unfortunately sent back to Casa del Toro after a misunderstanding involving a bumblebee back at the village during the flower festival where he discovers that some of the bulls he knew from calfhood including Valiente have all grown up along with two new bulls: Angus and Maquina with a "calming goat" named Lupe to keep them "company".

After Bones manages to recognize Ferdinand, Ferdinand and Guapo recognize each other, and Ferdinand has met Angus and Maquina, Valiente shows up. After Ferdinand recognizes him, Valiente is glad he remembers him and sarcastically says he's touched before pushing Bones out of the way. Valiente acts even more sarcastic when he says he didn't see Bones, only for Bones to angrily reply back to him and justly refer to him as a "sizeist", which earns him an intimidating glare and grunt from Valiente in return. Ferdinand says to himself reluctantly that some things never change.

Then, Valiente expresses his own view and dislike of Ferdinand as he sarcastically admits he's glad Ferdinand's back and that it's good to have a "real bull around here for once" while ignoring Lupe's silly comments, thinking it will make him look even better as he threatens to "beat him to a pulp inside the ring". Then, Valiente turns around and walks away with a frown on his face after sarcastically welcoming Ferdinand back.

### El Primero's Arrival

In the morning, after overhearing the ranch hands announcing and preparing everything for the arrival of a famous bullfighter named El Primero, Valiente and the other bulls including Ferdinand are awoken and informed about El Primero's arrival by Lupe.

Valiente and the bulls approach to witness his arrival while Lupe explains to a reluctant Ferdinand that El Primero is the greatest bullfighter in all of Spain. Valiente carelessly messes with Guapo as usual while trying to keep his calm until Bones kindly reassures Guapo not to "let that jerk get in his head." Once El Primero arrives at Casa del Toro and when they learn that he has come to select a bull for his final fight, Valiente and the other bulls are excited but dismayed when they see that Lupe thinks this is her chance to train and make a fighter out of Ferdinand as his coach.

### The Trial for El Primero

Valiente and the others are seen getting ready to show off their fighting skills and training for El Primero in the ring with a reluctant Ferdinand joining along. Before the trial and after Bones points out that "nobody likes the teacher's pet" to Ferdinand and Angus calls Ferdinand "the teacher's pet" since Moreno wanted him to be the first bull to come out first, Valiente states to Ferdinand that he's been waiting for this day for a long time and that it's going to get messy out there. When Ferdinand refuses to go out while unintentionally blocking the others' passage, Valiente pokes him on the rear with his horn to force him to get out there.

During the trial, Valiente can be seen fighting Guapo for a while and is later annoyed by Bones showing off his speed skills to him. Later, Valiente is about to challenge Ferdinand to a fight until he is knocked down momentarily by Guapo. Then, Valiente starts messing with Guapo's head again by sarcastically telling him to show El Primero that he's got what it takes to be a fighter after regaining consciousness. However, the moment Guapo focuses his attention on El Primero, glaring at him so menacingly, he begins to get so nervous until he collapses and finally, faints after that. When Ferdinand tries to help Guapo up after passing out, this causes Valiente and the rest of the bulls to foul up, therfore, causing an embarrassment to them and unimpressing El Primero, who decides to leave until Moreno asks him to reconsider, which he does for the next two days before his final fight in Madrid.

Upset for not getting picked by El Primero, Valiente and the other bulls reprimand Ferdinand for making them look bad even though that was hardly his intention and all he was doing was just trying to help Guapo. When Ferdinand reveals he isn't a fighter, everybody is confused including Lupe; though this is barely a surprise and a bit of a shock to Valiente and Bones since they've known about his pacifism since they were calves as pointed out when Valiente still refers to him as the "same, scared, little coward he always was."

Then, everybody hears Guapo boasting about his "success" back at the trial to them as he is seen boarding a truck; assuming he has been picked by El Primero. But as they watch him leave, they realize that the truck he is boarding on is actually a meat truck that transports bulls to the chop house nearby if they fail to impress the matador and are considered "soft"; much to Bones' horror and shock and a fact which Guapo remains oblivious to for now.

Upset, Bones blames Valiente for this because of messing with Guapo's head during the trial; a fact which Valiente tries to deny while stating that "Guapo was never going to make it to the ring." When Ferdinand asks him if that's the reason why he deserves to go there, Valiente coldly states that things have changed around here ever since he ran away while pointing out that bulls are either considered as fighters or meat now. Then, he leaves after coldly referring to Ferdinand as "meat."

### Training and dancing

The next day, Valiente is seen training with all the other bulls except Ferdinand. Then, Valiente and the others observe Ferdinand trying in vain to rescue a Bunny from getting hit by Angus. Later, after a somewhat successful but embarrassing rescue, Valiente laughs at Ferdinand in mockery after watching him get his face smacked with a carrot thrown at him by the angry Bunny.

After a bonding moment between Angus and Ferdinand and after winning a dance-off between Ferdinand with Angus, Bones, and Maquina with a little help from Lupe and the hedgehogs: Una, Dos, and Cuatro, and the snobbish horses: Hans, Klaus, and Greta, Valiente watches Ferdinand and the others mocking the horses for losing and then intervenes on their victory celebration and laughter to remind them that as they continue doing other things besides training and fighting, they will be sent to the chop house sooner than they think as he still continues boasting about being the one to be selected to fight in the ring tomorrow against El Primero. Despite Ferdinand's objections and his offer to take them with him back to his home on the farm, Valiente's statement unfortunately proves efficient enough to convince the others to reluctantly and regrettably resume training.

### Escape from Casa del Toro

At night, Valiente and the others are awakened by Ferdinand and Lupe. When Ferdinand states that they have to escape immediately, the others, still thinking they can win a fight, refuse to listen but Ferdinand asks them to reconsider as he refers to the bullfights as a "death sentence" and to further intensify his proof of what he saw in Moreno's house when trying to escape with Lupe and the hedgehogs, the hedgehogs bring back a trophy of horns belonging to one of the fighting bulls who got selected to fight the matador in the arena while foolishly thinking they could win in the past just like Ferdinand's father did; much to everyone's shock and horror except Valiente, who still remains unconvinced by this fact.

Then, Valiente, even more selfish and stubborn than ever, challenges a reluctant Ferdinand to a fight, which eventually leads to Valiente losing his right horn, Ferdinand getting selected by El Primero (who saw the whole thing as well), and Valiente getting sent to the chop house; much to everyone else's shock and horror.

Realizing what getting selected by El Primero means for Ferdinand, what's in store for them whether they get selected to fight or not once El Primero is done with Ferdinand, and learning that Ferdinand is offering everyone a chance to come back home with him if he is intending to leave including Valiente, the other bulls gladly agree to come with him including Lupe and the hedgehogs as well.

Later, after the hedgehogs trick and trap the horses inside while holding them off inside their pen so as not to alert the humans with a little help from the other bulls, Ferdinand goes out and up to the chop house to rescue Valiente despite their differences.

In the chop house, Ferdinand finds and frees Valiente from his temporary enclosure but Valiente refuses to leave; given his recent state and preferring to accept his fate rather than to run away from it since he thinks it's over for him and still believes in the whole "You're either a fighter or you're meat" thing. Ferdinand tells him it doesn't have to be that way and that he's "more than just a set of horns" while offering him a chance to come back home with him as well but Valiente scoffs at the possible idea of sniffing flowers and paling around with goats. After Ferdinand points out that all this is his thing, he kindly tells Valiente that he can live his own life now unless he gives up. Then, both of them hear a voice in the place, which Ferdinand recognizes as Guapo's; implying that Guapo is still alive. When Ferdinand asks Valiente to come help out, Valiente simply refuses to leave and listen to him any further as he coldly tells him to go away. Disappointed, Ferdinand reluctantly leaves but not before stating that he was wrong about believing that Valiente was more of a fighter than a quitter.

However, a few moments later, when Ferdinand nearly fails to save Guapo from being crushed to death after accidentally and unintentionally activating the security alarm system, Valiente suddenly comes out of nowhere and uses his horn to disable a pole so as to stop the machine just in time from crushing Guapo to death momentarily; much to Ferdinand and Guapo's surprise. When Ferdinand acts surprised by Valiente's sudden change of heart and act of heroism, Valiente simply replies: "Thought you could use an extra horn." When Guapo appears shocked and surprised by Valiente's recent appearance, Valiente, with a slight frown on his face, asks what's the problem and Guapo simply replies: "Nothing. You look great." before being dragged away to proceed to further machines that turn bulls into meat in one direction. Valiente and Ferdinand proceed to further rescue Guapo before getting dragged along in the opposite direction.

After all three bulls have been dragged through the mechanism while avoiding some deadly machinery, they finally get themselves iced in the freezer and then sent down and out of the factory and the ice as they roll back down in a cart to and break through the horses' pen.

After rescuing Valiente and Guapo from the chop house and the horses are dealt with for good for now, Valiente tries to show kindness to Bones and Angus, only to be given the cold shoulder when they happily welcome Guapo back in open arms, which is no surprise to Valiente when he admits he deserves such treatment as payback for his former behaviour in the past.

The hedgehogs take command of the truck transporting the bulls and Lupe and drive further away from Casa del Toro after the humans have been alerted. On the way, they stop the truck to avoid hitting the same Bunny again, which Ferdinand brings on board as well, and then, continue to drive on with Moreno and his men in pursuit in his car. Valiente watches as Angus tries in vain to revive the fainted Bunny despite Bones' encouragement but to no avail until Maquina manages to revive the Bunny with electroshock therapy using his charged up hooves, which later earns him the Bunny's trust and respect as he is later seen perching on top of his head the rest of the way.

During the chase, the hedgehogs accidentally turn left after misunderstanding Lupe's sense of direction until they including Ferdinand and Lupe notice a low bridge on their way and duck to avoid collision while screaming, which somehow destroys the top of the cart carrying the bulls and the Bunny now perching on Maquina's head; making it a close shave for them.

When Moreno and his men get closer and after Una manages to subdue them momentarily, Valiente rescues Una from falling in the end. Then, the humans crash into a haystack pile in a field as Valiente and the company drive further away towards Madrid.

### Escaping to the train station in Madrid

The gang are stuck in a heavy traffic jam in Madrid until they notice Moreno and his men having caught up to them and decide to go on hoof to the train station that will take them to Ferdinand's home where he grew up in Seville with the hedgehogs riding on Ferdinand while the Bunny rides on Maquina. During the chase, Bones naively asks the others to dodge the cars the same way he does; given his speed and size but to no avail for the others; especially Valiente as they unintentionally cause damage, panic, and chaos throughout the city of Madrid. Valiente can be seen charging at a phony matador (a guy in a matador cutout actually) along with the other bulls except Ferdinand, of course. Later, Valiente can be seen enjoying some churros with his friends while riding a bus to the train station. At the station, after the hedgehogs watch on the board for which track to take, Valiente and the others follow them. Unfortunately, they are spotted by Moreno and his men and their passage is somewhat blocked. The train heading for Seville is leaving so, Valiente and the others hurry to catch up with it. While the bulls push a cart to connect it to the train, the hedgehogs climb aboard to help with the connection and Lupe gets the train switch. As soon as everbody is on board the cart after it's been connected to the train, Valiente asks Ferdinand to climb aboard next but Ferdinand insists he climbs up next instead while dragging and pushing him up the cart by force and later, stays behind as Moreno and his men catch up with them. When Ferdinand sacrifices himself to save his friends and Lupe stays behind as well, Valiente and the others are saddened as they watch him get captured by Moreno and his men to be taken to the arena in El Primero's final fight while riding further away.

### Living on Juan's farm

Later, after the fight is over, Ferdinand's life has been spared; given his gentle nature, which deeply touched Lupe and the crowd during the fight, and El Primero retires with dignity, as Lupe watches Ferdinand get reunited with Nina, who embraces him as the crowd throws carnations to the ring to praise him, Valiente and the others including the Bunny and the hedgehogs arrive, thinking they are too late to save Ferdinand, but instead witness Ferdinand making history as the first bull to ever make it out of a bullfight alive by being himself. Impressed, Valiente and the others sit to praise him for his efforts. Then, they are taken with Ferdinand back to his home on Nina and her father, Juan's farm, where Ferdinand was raised and grew up all his life, by Moreno. After Lupe becomes the first to be welcomed on the farm and loved by Nina, Ferdinand, Valiente, and the other bulls along with Lupe watch the sunset over Ronda from a field of flowers on top of a hill next to Ferdinand's favorite tree.

## Physical Appearance

Valiente is a large, well-built bull with dark brown fur. From his experience bull fighting, he has plenty of scars marring his body and wide gray horns. He has short locks of black fur on his head and a tan streak of fur from below his eyes that stretches along his snout, down to his dark brown muzzle.

After a brawl with Ferdinand, he loses his right horn.

When he was a calf, he was much scrawnier and smaller, not unlike the other calves. He had shorter, stubbier horns and the same hair, although shorter. Despite his age, his brows are perpetually furrowed, giving him his iconic arrogant look.

## Personality

Valiente is arrogant and true to his name, brave. The reason to why he is fighting is because he wants fame. And he is also known as violent, argumentative, loquacious, grumpy, ill-tempered, emotionless, negative, tough, rough, egotistical, selfish, careless, sarcastic, volatile, ambitious, loyal, impolite, envious, no-nonsense, somewhat menacing, testy, reluctant, stubborn, and erudite. Valiente's behavior can be explained by his relationship with his father who was stern and sharp to him and barely loved him.

However, after losing his right horn to a fight against Ferdinand and being rescued from the chop house by Ferdinand despite his reluctance at first, Valiente becomes friendlier, more caring, and understanding; much to everyone's surprise. After Ferdinand wins the fight, he becomes more respectful.

## Relationships

### His Father

Valiente looks up to his father as a fighting bull, as displayed when he placed full faith in him being picked by the matador and seemed upset and stunned when Raf beat him. In addition, he appears to genuinely care for his father's emotions and attempted to comfort him when he was not picked.

However, the relationship is rather one-sided. Valiente is often met with harsh criticism and indifference from his father, as shown when his father pushed his encouragement aside with little to no concern. He is often hurt by such comments but despite this slightly disfunctional relationship, Valiente still appears to show unwavering support for his father. It's possible that Valiente's bullying of others could be the result of his relationship with his father.

### Ferdinand

When they were calves, Ferdinand, like Guapo and Bones, was often subject to Valiente's bullying. On one occasion when Valiente sees a red flower Ferdinand liked, he mocked Ferdinand over it; calling him a "flower bull," and even threatened to smash the flower, Valiente then challenged Ferdinand to a fight but Ferdinand refused; telling Valiante to hit him instead of the flower. Surprised and confused, Valiente leaves without hurting either. When Ferdinand returns to the pen after his father leaves for the fight, Valiente angrily stomps the flower in front of him and leaves with his father. However, when Ferdinand found out that his father didn't return from the fight as promised, Valiente showed slight remorse until his father told him to "bull up", therefore, reluctantly refrain from remorse for Ferdinand's loss in his father's favor.

Two years later, Valiente, all grown-up like everyone else, still bullies Ferdinand after being sent back to Casa del Toro due to a misunderstanding despite having run away in the first place; even threatening to beat him to a pulp inside the ring when he states he's glad to have a "real bull for once" to make himself look good for a matador during the trial; given Ferdinand's size. After Ferdinand unintentionally embarrasses everyone in front of El Primero, he continues to refer Ferdinand as "the same, scared, little coward he always was"; given his pacifism. The next day, he mocks Ferdinand for saving a Bunny and getting smacked with a carrot on his face.

One night, when Valiente refuses to believe Ferdinand's story about every bull's true fate inside the ring, he becomes full of rage as he challenges Ferdinand to a fight; up to a point where Valiente finally loses his right horn and is sent to the chop house. When Ferdinand, despite their relationship, comes to rescue him, Valiente refuses to join him and the others in their escape for freedom including saving Guapo from death as well; stating he's already done given his recent appearance now. However, when Guapo is close to sudden death, Valiente unexpectedly and suddenly arrives just in time to stop a machine from crushing him to death; much to Ferdinand's surprise.

During their escape in Madrid and in the train station, Valiente tells Ferdinand to jump on the track cart headed for Seville with the others as Moreno and his men get closer but Ferdinand insists Valiente jumps on while he stays behind to stop Moreno and his men instead in order to allow his friends to escape. When returning to the ring with the others to rescue Ferdinand rather than to continue with their journey to Ferdinand's home, Valiente and the others become impressed when they find Ferdinand still alive, reunited with his owner, Nina, and being hailed as a hero by the audience in the ring. Therefore, proving that their relationship has finally improved since the time Valiente came to rescue Guapo from certain death back at the chop house.

### Bones

Valiente is initially shown to dislike Bones, as he pushes him away and growls at him when the latter calls him a sizeist, suggesting that they have a bad relationship. Valiente later bullies Bones further by pushing him away during the trial for El Primero, although he claimed to be fine, and he scolded Bones for believing that Guapo would be chosen to fight in the ring after seeing him get driven off to the chop house.

It is likely that they are friends now that they are living together on Nina's farm.

### Guapo

Since they were calves, Guapo and Valiente weren't on good terms, and Valiente would often mock Guapo for his anxiety over thinking about facing the matador. During the trial for El Primero, Valiente starts messing with his head, which ended with Guapo fainting. When Guapo is taken to the Chop House, Valiente shows no sadness over it and claims Guapo was never going to make it to the ring.

After Ferdinand comes to the Chop House to rescue him and goes to try to save Guapo from machinery, Valiente, who had a change of heart, saved Guapo from being crushed to death. At first, Guapo seems surprised and somewhat shocked at Valiente's condition but when he annoyingly asks what's the problem, Guapo simply replies that there is no problem and that he looks great. Valiente, however, still tries to save Guapo with Ferdinand, and they eventually escape the Chop House.

It is likely that they are friends now that they are living together on Nina's farm.

### Una

For most of the film, Valiente doesn't with the hedgehogs siblings until they flee Casa del Toro. While Moreno and his men chase the animals, Una manages to subdue them momentarily, Valiente rescues Una from falling in the end. When the bulls, hedgehogs and the bunny rush to Plaza de Toros to save Ferdinad, the hedgehgos are seen in Valiente's head.

It's likely Valiente and the hedgehogs siblings are friends now living in Nina's farm. However, during the credits, Valiente is shown to be angry at the hedgehogs for using his right horn as a barbecue stick.

### Dos

For most of the film, Valiente doesn't with the hedgehogs siblings until they flee Casa del Toro. When the bulls, hedgehogs and the bunny rush to Plaza de Toros to save Ferdinad, the hedgehgos are seen in Valiente's head.

It's likely Valiente and the hedgehogs siblings are friends now living in Nina's farm. However, during the credits, Valiente is shown to be angry at the hedgehogs for using his right horn as a barbecue stick.

### Cuatro

For most of the film, Valiente doesn't with the hedgehogs siblings until they flee Casa del Toro. When the bulls, hedgehogs and the bunny rush to Plaza de Toros to save Ferdinad, the hedgehgos are seen in Valiente's head.

It's likely Valiente and the hedgehogs siblings are friends now living in Nina's farm. However, during the credits, Valiente is shown to be angry at the hedgehogs for using his right horn as a barbecue stick.

## Quotes

**Bones**: "*Why?*"

## Trivia

* The Spanish word valiente, the root of the English word valiant, means brave.
* It is unknown if Valiente's right horn was or will ever be reattached after the events of the film, as it was shown to still be detached during the credits.
* During the credits, the hedgehogs were seen using his right horn as a barbecue stick; much to his anger despite the hedgehogs never having been seen carrying it with them during their escape from Casa del Toro.
* Though having grown up in Casa Del Toro most of his life, Valiente is the only bull without a notched ear next to Ferdinand unlike the others.
* When Valiente asks Guapo, "What? What's the problem?" after Guapo notices his missing horn, Ferdinand is nowhere to be found behind him.
* Valiente was voiced by Bobby Cannavale, who also voiced his father earlier in the movie.

## References

1. ↑ *"A lot of it came from sharp movements and body posture. In storyboarding, we made Valiente the most physically imposing compared to the other characters to make him look more imposing and intimidating." #AskAnArtist*. (November 30, 2017). *Twitter*.