Baloo

Baloo (full name given as Baloo Bear in TaleSpin) is a popular Disney character (and the deuteragonist) from the 1967 film The Jungle Book and its sequel, and the main protagonist of the series TaleSpin. He is a sloth bear and best friends with Mowgli. Even though he's not the main character of the film, Baloo has become the most popular Disney character from the Jungle Book. He was voiced by Phil Harris, Ed Gilbert (until their deaths), Steve Curtis Chapman and currently by John Goodman.

Personality
The Disney version of Baloo is very different from the book character on which he's based on. In contrast to the book, where Baloo is a wise old bear who teaches Mowgli the law of the jungle, Disney's Baloo is lazy and laid back. He loves to dance and play games. He hates becoming upset and having to be strict. He also enjoys being around Mowgli. Baloo thinks of Mowgli as his son just as Mowgli thinks of Baloo as his father. Baloo can be strict when he has to be, but doesn't enjoy doing acting such ways. Baloo is very protective of Mowgli and was willing to battle the jungle's most feared resident, Shere Khan to keep him safe.

The Jungle Book
Baloo is first seen eating and taking a stroll in the jungle when all of a sudden he sees the strangest thing. Baloo takes a closer look at this "thing" and the boy slaps him in the nose. He tells Baloo to go away eventually starting to punch although Baloo can't even feel it. He does the boy a favor and begins teaching him how to fight. Eventually the boy and Baloo become friends and the boy's name is revealed to be Mowgli. Bagheera who is watching Mowgli is ready to take him back to the Man Village. Baloo offers Mowgli the opportunity to stay with him which he accepts gladly but Bagheera does not. Baloo then begins teaching Mowgli of the Bare Necessities. Baloo teaches Mowgli about eating ants, and relaxing. Never work hard and don't waste time looking around for something you may want but it can't be found.

During a nice swim down the river, Mowgli is kidnapped by monkey. Baloo tries to fight them off to save his bear cub but they get away taking Mowgli with them. Baloo shouts for Bagheera. The two know exactly who's responsible for this and they headed off. The plan was non other than King Louie, king of all primates. Louie desires the power of Man and wants to create Man's "Red Flower". He ask Mowgli who he tries to convince by singing I Wanna Be Like You. Mowgli claims he doesn't know but Louie refuses to believe. Baloo and Bagheera advise a plan while Baloo distracts, Bagheera will rescue Mowgli. Baloo costumed himself as a female orangutan and dances with Louie. They are discovered after Baloo's costume comes apart and a chase begins. The ruins begin to collapse just as Baloo, Bagheera and Mowgli make their exit leaving Louie at his destroyed kingdom.

That night Baloo and the others rest. Bagheera takes the time to explain why Baloo can't adopt Mowgli as his son. Baloo is reluctant to listen until the mention of Shere Khan the tiger who seeks to kill Mowgli only because he's a human. Baloo sadly agrees to take Mowgli knowing it will save his life. In the morning Baloo and Mowgli begin to travel to the village although Mowgli doesn't know where their going until Baloo tries to explain. After telling Mowgli runs away heartbroken. Baloo looks for his friend but has lost him. He and Bagheera separate to find him.

Baloo searches in the wasteland home of the vultures and just in time as Shere Khan and Mowlgi are about to battle. Baloo grabs Khan's tail holding him back a bit. Soon enough, Shere Khan removes Baloo and stars clawing him to death. Mowlgi scares Khan away with fire and when all seems good, darkness falls on Mowgli as Baloo lies unconscious and presumed dead. Just as Bagheera and Mowgli depart, Baloo awakens revealing he's alive reuniting with Mowlgi. During their trip back into the Jungle, Mowgli becomes dumbfounded by a beautiful girl from the Man Village. Mowgli follows and returns home. Baloo accepts this and he and Bagheera return home.

The Jungle Book 2
Baloo reappears and is depressed because Mowgli is gone. Baloo sneaks pass Bagherra and goes after Mowgli. He kidnapped him and Mowgli and Baloo are happy to be reunited. Baloo takes Mowgli where he can't be found (King Louie's home). Baloo then tells other animals about how horrible the man village is and it saddens Mowgli. When Mowgli and Shanti are reunited, Baloo scares her off and Mowgli gets angry and runs away from Baloo. Baloo realizes his mistake and goes to the big battle with Shere Khan and saves Mowgli and Shanti from falling to their deaths. Shanti and Rajan becomes good friends with Baloo and Bagherra and enjoys playing with them in the jungle.

TaleSpin
Baloo is the main character in the animated series TaleSpin. In the series, Baloo and other characters are in a world where animals wear clothing and live in large cities, much like the world of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy. Here, Baloo lives in Cape Suzette, where he ran his own air-freight shipping company, Baloo's Air Service. He wears a yellow short-sleeved shirt (still open) and a red pilot hat. Due to his never paying his bills, though, the bank sells his company to a businesswoman named Rebecca Cunningham, who changes its name to Higher For Hire and hires Baloo as the delivery pilot. His best pal is a bearcub named Kit Cloudkicker, a former air-pirate who used to work for Don Karnage and now serves as his co-pilot on the cargo plane, the Sea Duck. His strange but incredibly ingenious mechanic, Wildcat, takes care of all the equipment maintenance for Higher for Hire. Baloo enjoys the good life and can often be found hanging out in his pal Louie's tropical cabana night club. Baloo is constantly troubled by the business tycoon, Shere Khan, the Air-Pirate Don Karnage, and Colonel Spigot, among others

Jungle Cubs
Baloo appears as a young cub in the series, in which he was voiced byPamela Adlon. In the series, Baloo is best friends with Shere Khan, Kaa, Bagheera, King Louie and Hathi. Like his older self Baloo is lazy, laid back, care free and always looking for a good scratch. Baloo is often the leader of the group although Shere Khan often tries to take the role instead. In the series, Baloo's all-time best friend is Prince Louie.

House of Mouse
In the animated series, Baloo makes several appearances. Baloo is usually seen with King Louie, Kaa, and Mowgli. Baloo also appeared in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse.

Disney Parks
Baloo is a common character in Disney theme parks around the world, with the exception of Tokyo Disneyland. He is most commonly seen at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida.

The Disney Afternoon Live!: Plane Crazy
One of Baloo's most prominent roles at the parks was in the Plane Crazy stage show that ran at Disneyland as part of Disney Afternoon Avenue in 1991. In the stage show, he is recruited along with Chip 'n' Dale and Launchpad McQuack to recover the X-22 spy jet when it is stolen by Don Karnage and Fat Cat.

Fantasmic!
Baloo appears in the bubble sequence in Disney's Hollywood Studios' version. Baloo also appears riding either the Mark Twain Riverboat or Steamboat Willie.

In the Tokyo DisneySea version of the show, Baloo appears in the jungle sequence as a large inflatable figure on one of the barges.

It's a Small World
Baloo, along with Mowgli, was recently added to the popular It's A Small World attraction along with many other Disney and Pixar characters.

Songs Baloo has sung

 * The Bare Necessities
 * I Wanna Be Like You (with King Louie)
 * I'm Gone
 * Friends for Life (with King Louie)
 * W-I-L-D

Trivia

 * Walt Disney was used as a reference for the dance moves seen when Baloo is introduced in The Jungle Book﻿.
 * Baloo is a sloth bear and they are often hunted by Bengal tigers like Shere Khan.
 * In The Jungle Book 2 Baloo is voiced by John Goodman, who also supplies the voices of Pacha, Sulley and more recently Eli La Bouff