Many of us really related to characters in cartoons and Disney movies as kids, especially the main characters, but how relatable they seem changes as we get older and have more life experience.
Ariel's desire for freedom and control over her own life makes total sense when you're a kid and adults are in charge of your life, but she starts to seem kind of irresponsible once you realize that she put her whole family in jeopardy just to get what she wanted.
Meanwhile, some of the other characters, especially authority figures, start to make a heck of a lot more sense when you experience being truly responsible for other people.
Redditor kaizen1989 asked:
"Which cartoon character becomes more relatable,the older you get?"
Party Poopers
"The overly cautious fun suckers in any Disney movie."
"Zazu from The Lion King, Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, and Bagheera from Jungle Book come to mind."
- SheenzMe
"Zazu has a line where he's complaining to Simba, 'The sooner we get to the watering hole, the sooner we can leave!'"
"Do I now identify with Zazu on a spiritual level rather than just childishly thinking he's a killjoy?"
"Yes."
- poppyfairy
GiphyWe're All Depressed
"Eeyore. I'm tired, depressed and grey most of the time."
- Striking-Ferret8216
"And yet, when people are depending on you, you try to help. (Eeyore is my favorite character)"
- Gen-Jinjur
We all have annoying coworkers
"Benson from regular show. After becoming a supervisor/manager, you start to realize how much the little things employees do add up and make you absolutely hate your life"
- ostrichual
"The clip where benson has a breakdown when Mordecai and Rigby spent all night inside an arcade. When he said how this job is all he has left. That sh*t hit me nowadays…."
- Dinobob
Propane and Propane Accessories
"Definitely Hank Hill. Especially now that I have to listen to a guy I know talk about conspiracy theories all the time. I've even got my own damn Dale."
- AstroWorldSecurity
"I love that clip of Hank finally getting fed up and calling out Dale’s BS. Maybe it will give you some peace."
- TheRavenSayeth
"Dale you giblet head, we live in Texas!"
- Daikataro
Hank Hill Smh GIFGiphy"Everything Has a Beginning and an End"
"Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop."
- Prank_Owl
"The absolute exhaustion in his every syllable"
- puttyarrobro
"Lol he's only 35."
- NoThxBtch
"35 going on 50. Seriously though, Jet was an 'old soul' at 35."
- Orome2
Totally Misunderstood
"The Grinch. He just wanted to chill with his dog in peace and quiet."
- -eDgAR-
"'The grinch didn't hate Christmas, he hated people. And that is fair. -Jim Carrey (paraphrased)"
- plz2meatyu
"I have told my wife this. They ostracized him as a child and basically made him an outcast. Why? He looked different. He was a nice kid who just wanted to fit in. He is mercilessly picked on until he is old enough to live on his own. He is so mentally destroyed that he lives in a cave filled with trash because that's what he feels his self worth is. No one has ever been nice to him. He is suspicious when Cindy Lou tries to be nice to him. He wants to rejoin society, I think, but had no reason to believe it'll be a good experience. He hates Whoville and all the residents because they've treated him awful his whole life. Why do they get to have a merry Christmas, screw them. But it's the grinch, and not that town, that is the villain."
- RoccoTaco_Dog
Every Parent Ever
"Stu Pickles"
- TrickBoom414
"The chocolate pudding scene rings true to this day."
- SomwhatCharmedLife
"'Why on earth are you making chocolate pudding?' 'Because I've lost control of my life.'"
- Brain_lessV2
Sweet Solitude Shouldn't Be Too Much To Ask
"Shrek. F**k outta my swamp, I just want to enjoy my solitude with my wife."
- Onomatopaella
Ohana
"Nani from Lilo and Stitch."
- jestagoon
"Every time I think about how hard Nani had it, I remember the shelf of surfing trophies in her room. Girl could have probably made some cash as a pro surfer but had to shift to a more stable job as a waitress because that’s what Lilo needed."
- Threspian
lilo and stitch lol GIF by DisneyGiphyMaybe He Had a Point
"King Triton from the little mermaid—yes, he overreacted by destroying her stuff, but like. He did also have a point for being upset with Ariel’s irresponsibility and sneaking out."
- ctortan
"Plus he had spent his time and magic hiding the Atlanteans and their world. she’s just like 'f**kkkk it I’m horrrrnnnyyyyy. I’m gonna undo thousands of years of hard work and sacrifices my family has made.'"
- duchessisboss
The characters that we related to as kids often come to seem silly or irresponsible as we get older, and those that we thought of as stuffy or overbearing can seem much more reasonable when we understand what handling real adult responsibilities is really like.
@PreetBharara/X
@RepBrendanBoyle/X
@twesq/Bluesky
@christopherharris/Bluesky
@evangelinewarren/X
@FrankC164/X
AMC