Judy Hopps

"When I was a kid, I thought Zootopia was this perfect place where everyone got along and anyone could be anything. Turns out, real life's a little bit more complicated than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Real life is messy. We all have limitations. We all make mistakes. Which means―hey, glass half full―we all have a lot in common. And the more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each of us will be. But we have to try. So no matter what type of animal you are, from the biggest elephant to our first fox, I implore you: Try. Try to make the world a better place. Look inside yourself, and recognize that change starts with you. It starts with me. It starts with all of us."

- Judy Hopps

Officer Judy Hopps is the protagonist in Disney's 2016 animated feature film Zootopia.

Official Description

 * Judy Hopps is the first bunny ever to join Zootopia's police department. Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the chance to crack a case, even if it means teaming up with a con artist fox.

Development
For a majority of the film's production, Judy was not the protagonist of the story. Instead, the film was centered around Nick, while Judy essentially served as his sidekick. She was an already established member of the Zootopia Police Department, initially being tasked with apprehending the fugitive Wilde. As the story progressed, the two would have come to form a relationship, and the goal was then centered around assisting Wilde in clearing his name after being framed for a crime he did not commit. She was also going to be a lieutenant and the police force's best cop, but her motivations remained the same throughout most versions of the story.

In the earlier iterations of the story, Judy's character was portrayed as a somewhat aggressive figure; a seasoned officer, Judy's was much more of a cynic, being well-experienced and no-nonsense. Furthermore, she was more of an outcast in earlier drafts; bunnies were typically an impersonal race that worked as phone operators. The number of rabbits was also emphasized (dramatically so) to further Judy's loss of identity amongst her own crowd—this would have been acknowledged, as her own father was unable to distinctly identify her.

A little over a year before the film's set release date, a screening was held for the filmmakers of Pixar Animation Studios. Andrew Stanton, one of the studios' lead directors, suggested that the leads of the story trade places in significance. This was a response to the screening's negative reactions: the story was deemed too dark and unpleasant—the world and characters too unlikable. Byron Howard, and the rest of the production team crucially revamped the story so that it was Judy in whom the audience would follow. To Nick, the city was broken from the beginning, and following the story through the eyes of a cynic would degrade both the message and the city, itself. With Judy being optimistic and starry-eyed, the story and themes made much more sense, with Hopps' struggle to insert herself within the harsh world of reality serving as an important, and emotional story. The drastic change was met with both reservation and acclaim. Though a hefty amount of development had to be forcibly removed, the filmmakers felt a much stronger connection towards Hopps and her journey.

Voice
Longtime Disney fan, Ginnifer Goodwin, recalls receiving notifications about the role of a character in Zootopia during shooting of ABC's Once Upon a Time in Vancouver. Before even receiving information about the role or the script, Goodwin's love for Disney led to answering the offer with a resounding "yes", wanting to save the rest of the information for after her inclusion was legally bound. According to Kira Lehtomäki, Goodwin played a significant role in altering Judy's personality from a cynical officer, to an optimistic and positive heroine.

Personality
Judy is fiercely optimistic and independent. Since childhood, she has harbored a dream to become a police officer, solely for the opportunity to help those in need and make the world a better place. She cares deeply for the well-being of others; this includes her family, friends, Mrs. Otterton's despair over the disappearance of her husband, and even Nick. During the chase in Little Rodentia, Judy intercepted every chance of danger for the small residents even when capturing the thieving Duke Weaselton was on the line. She has a large heart, and although she tends to keep her emotions under control - and even under wraps - a majority of the time, she is capable of expressing her true feelings in a genuine, powerful light. This is mostly seen with Nick Wilde, whose feelings and companionship she values highly, motivating her to prevent her own ambitions from harming others.

Due to being a rabbit, a species unassociated with such a high-stakes occupation, Judy faced continuous doubt and underestimation from those around her, from her parents to local bullies. Nevertheless, she used her opposers as a means to increase her determination and became progressively more insistent on reaching her goals than ever before with each naysayer; she believed in the importance of always trying and making an effort to reach your goals, no matter what. Her goal was to eventually become a resident and local officer of Zootopia, a city where predator and prey supposedly live together in peace and harmony, unlike the burrows, believing she will be quickly accepted amongst her peers and neighbors in spite of her species. She was very idealistic in this sense, having this set dream and not necessarily taking potentially negative outcomes into consideration which, unfortunately, made her too idealistic for her own good in this regard and she found out herself unprepared to face the negative aspects that lie within the city upon her first residential day, leaving her to easily fall victim to bigotry and manipulation.

Her optimism and determination to be a police officer tend to lead her to be, at times, overzealous and impulsive. As a parking enforcement officer, she gave 201 tickets to anyone whose cars had been in a parking meter too long (including herself) before noon just to show up Chief Bogo's doubts about her, arrested Duke Weaselton for stealing (even though parking enforcement officers cannot arrest someone, which was disclosed from a furious Bogo), and had nearly gotten herself killed on multiple occasions during her first case.

Furthermore, though she respects the law, the manner in which Judy carried out her first case is rather controversial, in which she was not given permission of authority to blackmail others into complying with her demands and used her alliance with a notorious crime boss (a partnership controversial on its own) for interrogation purposes. Granted, these acts were mostly committed out of desperation, as her initial lack of respect from the police force, limited timeframe to solve the case, and her lack of resources due to not yet being in the city's computer system, forced her to take extreme measures to complete her mission. This also extends to tokenism as Chief Bogo gave her a job a parking attendant but wanted to keep a positive reputation for the Zootopia Police Academy.

Despite the odds and hardships, Judy remains optimistic and determined, adapting herself to the environment and those around her to build up both the way she presents herself and pursue her goals. She is clever and resourceful, which proves to be her greatest asset. She tarnishes the stereotype of a "dumb bunny", being intelligent enough to outsmart professional con artist Nick, several times. Months of training at the Zootopia Police Academy has also left her tactical, with an impressive amount of physical prowess. During times of chaos, she can quickly take charge of a situation by concocting an efficient plan on the spot, being daring enough to take dangerous chances, in order to potentially end the day victorious. More often than not, Judy comes out successful as a result of this.

From childhood, Judy has held the belief that predators and prey should be treated equally, and made attempts to refrain from acting on bigotry herself. Due to her childhood experiences, however, having been bullied by a fox, Judy has a mild fear of predators (mainly foxes), whether she wanted to admit it or not; so much so that it manifests as unintentional prejudice itself. After being pestered into taking a canister of fox repellent during her move from Bunnyburrows to Zootopia by her folks, Judy made the conscious decision to keep the canister by her side for a majority of the film. When she first spotted Nick snooping about the streets, she immediately assumed him to be in the midst of a scam, following and nearly assaulting him with the canister, all due to the fact that he was a fox. When it appears that Nick was merely an innocent civilian looking to buy ice cream for his "son", she felt ashamed of her bigotry, which caused her to overcompensate in hopes of redeeming herself, wanting to be progressive and unbiased, while hypocritically claiming others to be otherwise; this would ultimately make her a pawn to Nick's scams, in the end, while simultaneously teaching her a valuable lesson reflecting both life and herself.

The events of Judy's first few months in Zootopia would ultimately blossom a more mature, practical, diligent and legitimately progressive individual. Through her experiences, she discovers the downside of having an overly idealistic mentality carry you through life, and that the world is a problematic and messed up place, filled with issues such as prejudice, learning that all mammals - be they predator or prey, foxes or rabbits - can be victims of bigotry, even when it is unintentional. No matter the species, all animals have feelings, hopes, and dreams, all of which can be destroyed by preconceived notions and constant underestimation. As such, all should strive to live and accept one another for who they are inside, and not the stereotypes they have been labeled as by society.

Even with this new outlook on life, Judy would still contend to the method of trying. Using her success and experiences as evidence, she encourages those around her to make an effort to see beyond stereotypes, to prove their worth and to reach their goals in spite of all that may go against them, with the belief that these positive actions can ultimately lead to a better world. With this being said, Judy becomes the physical representation of Zootopia's meaningful motto, "anyone can be anything".

Physical appearance
Judy is a young rabbit with a lithe build and round face. She is covered in gray fur with a lighter shade on her underbelly up to her muzzle and on her paws. She has large purple eyes, a pink nose, long ears with black tips, and a teardrop-like tail with gray fur on the top and a lighter shade on the bottom.

When arriving to Zootopia, Judy's outfit consisted of a short-sleeved teal shirt with lavender on the lower sleeves and lower part of her shirt, a black tank top underneath, and black leggings. This may be her casual outfit when not working as an officer.

Judy owns three police uniforms: her dress blues, a parking enforcement officer uniform, and her rookie uniform. The first of these, worn at her graduation, is a typical, navy blue ensemble with long sleeves, a high collar, peaked cap and matching pants. The ZPD insignia and a gold aiguillette (ceremonial cords) adorn her shoulders. She also wore a thin, black tie, a brass tie clip, and a standard issue utility belt. During Nick's graduation to the force, this style of uniform (minus the aiguillette) was worn once again.

Her rookie uniform (more or less known as a 'field dress' in police and military circles) consisted of dark blue pants, a blue shirt, a Kevlar stab vest, and black coverings around her wrists and ankles. She also had metal kneepads on her pants and a black utility belt with a silver buckle. The uniform is made of neoprene, allowing Judy to work in different types of weather. Judy's meter maid outfit was worn over the aforementioned uniform and consisted only of an orange 'high-visibility' vest and a hat that contained a 'traffic citation enforcement' emblem.

When working as a carrot farmer, Judy wore a red-striped pink flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves, stone-washed blue jeans, and a beige sun hat.

Abilities

 * Rabbit Physiology: Judy is an anthropomorphic rabbit.
 * Animal Speed and Agility: Judy is fast and agile given she's rabbit. It seems to be the only physical prowess she uses. Judy can flip, leap, and is quick to react and move. During her time at the Zootopia Police Academy, Judy overcame the obstacles by using her surroundings, including the other cadets for support, and once used a cadet rhino's force against him. During her time as parking attendant, she uses a street sign as a foothold to place a ticket on a giraffe's car.
 * Animal Hearing: Having long ears, Judy has a sharp sense of hearing. She can hear every parking meter on the street go off while on her job as a parking attendant.
 * Anthropomorphism: Given that the animals in the movie act in the place of humans, Judy evolved to the point where she walks on her back legs, uses human resources like technology, and partakes in human-related activities.
 * High Intellect: Judy is remarkably intelligent, clever, and resourceful, which proves to be her greatest asset. Since Judy doesn't have much physical strength and has little advantages in a physical confrontation, she relies on her wits to solve situations.
 * Skilled Tactician: Months of training at the Zootopia Police Academy left Judy tactical and sharp. Judy tricked Nick, a con-artist, into confessing he was committing tax evasion. She was also able to formulate a plan into tricking Bellwether into admitting she was the mastermind turning the predators savage by pretending she was bitten by a savaged Nick.
 * Determination: Judy is fiercely optimistic and determined. Despite a rough and dispiriting start at Academy training, Judy never gave up and managed to pull through to become valedictorian of her class. During her time as the first rabbit officer, she was treated unfairly but remained optimistic, and proved herself through solving the Missing Mammals Case.

Zootopia
In the countryside community of Bunnyburrow, young Judy has dreamed of becoming a police officer in the city of Zootopia, where anyone can be anything. Her parents, Bonnie and Stu, try to dissuade Judy from following her risky dream and encourage her to become a carrot farmer with the family instead. Judy sticks to her determination to make the world a better place by becoming an officer, despite the fact that no rabbit has ever yet become a cop. Judy decides she will just have to be the first bunny cop in order to fulfill her dream. At the farm fair, Judy confronts a young fox and local bully named Gideon Grey picking on prey children; Judy demands he give the kids their stolen tickets back. Gideon mocks the young rabbit and shoves her to the ground, to which Judy retaliates by kicking him in the face. Angered, Gideon claws Judy's cheek, drawing blood, and derides her, snarling that she will never be a cop or anything more than a "dumb bunny". Gideon then leaves without knowing that she swiped the tickets from him, and after recovering, she stands tall and becomes inspired to prove Gideon wrong.

Fifteen years later, Judy joins the Zootopia Police Academy under Mayor Lionheart's Mammal Inclusion Initiative; at first struggling with the course demands, she gradually becomes stronger and graduates as valedictorian and the first rabbit officer for Zootopia's police, meeting Mayor Lionheart and his assistant, Dawn Bellwether during the ceremony. Because she was assigned to the department's first precinct, located at the center of the city, Judy prepares to move to Zootopia. Bonnie, Stu and the rest of her family all say their goodbyes at the train station. Bonnie and Stu reluctantly accept the path their daughter is taking but warns her of the dangers of predators in the city, particularly foxes. They give her a care package filled with various "anti-fox" products, just in case, though Judy only agrees to take one canister of fox repellent to keep her parents' worries at a minimum. Disregarding the sour note, Judy bids her parents a loving farewell as the train arrives, and her journey to Zootopia begins.

In Zootopia, Judy finds a home in the Grand Pangolin Apartments, never minding its small size, undesirable wallpaper, and rowdy neighbors. Excited to start her first day on the police force, Judy prepares to leave home but takes a few moments to ponder over taking her fox repellent along with her. She neglects it at first but quickly turns around to retrieve it upon second thought. She then travels to the Zootopia Police Department, where she finds a large number of animals on the force to be either predators or massive in size, including Officer Clawhauser. At muster, Chief Bogo disregards Judy's impressive academy record and places her on parking duty, not willing to acknowledge her as a real officer because of her species. Judy takes offense but nevertheless is determined to make the best of her new position. Thanks to her exceptional hearing, she is able to detect every meter on time, processing a planned 200 tickets by noon, plus one after running the meter to her own vehicle.

During her time at work, she spots a shady fox sidling into Jumbeaux's Café and follows him, suspicious of his motives. She discovers that the fox simply brought his elephant-enthusiast son to the parlor to get a Jumbo-pop for his birthday, and is ashamed of her bigotry. The head of the parlor, Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., refuses to sell the fox an elephant-sized treat on account of his being a fox. Judy interrupts the argument by pointing out potential health violations in the parlor, blackmailing Jerry into selling the popsicle to the foxes, and even paying for it herself when the fox claims to have forgotten his wallet. The fox introduces himself as Nick Wilde and thanks Judy for her assistance, with Judy admitting foxes should not be treated as sly or crooked. But while filing tickets in Sahara Square, she spots Nick melting the Jumbo-pop down into "pawpsicles" with his son. Following them throughout the city, Judy discovers Nick's "son" to actually be a fully-grown accomplice named Finnick, who helps Nick sell the pawpsicles to lemmings before recycling the sticks as lumber to mice construction workers for an additional price. When Judy confronts Nick, he stumps her by revealing permits for his actions. He is quick to guess her fears and insecurities, warning her that Zootopia is not the paradise she believes it to be and predicting her inevitable failure, and to make her return home because no one will ever take a small-town hick bunny cop seriously. As a self-assured Nick leaves the bunny in shock and with her feet in wet cement, Judy returns to her apartment with her hopes of being accepted on the police force dented.

The next day, Judy resumes her meter duties but is increasingly depressed as she only succeeds in aggravating animals with parking tickets. As she dejectedly asserts to herself that she is a real cop, she is alerted to a crime courtesy of Duke Weaselton, who had robbed a nearby flower shop. Ecstatic, she removes her parking enforcement garb and pursues Weaselton, taking the chase into Little Rodentia. Weaselton causes chaos in his escape, nearly killing a young female shrew in the process, though Judy manages to both save her and apprehend Weaselton, who is delivered to the ZPD headquarters. Upon Judy's arrival, a furious Bogo grills her on abandoning her post, insisting that a meter maid is all she is qualified to be. Just then, Mrs. Otterton arrives at Bogo's office, desperately seeking someone to search for her missing husband Emmitt; Judy volunteers for the challenge, much to Mrs. Otterton's joy. Bogo, outraged, fires Judy for insubordination, but a brief talk with Bellwether forces him to assign Judy the case, though not unconditionally: should Judy fail to solve the case in the timeframe of 48 hours, she must resign from the force.

Clawhauser provides Judy with the case file on Otterton, but the information is scarce. According to Clawhauser, Judy lacks leads, witnesses, and—due to the fact that she is not in the computer system yet—resources, adding to the level of difficulty in her mission. Upon further investigation, however, Judy discovers that Emmitt had bought a pawpsicle from Nick on the day of his disappearance; she seeks out the fox for questioning, but Nick refuses to cooperate, wanting to continue with his latest hustle as he brags about the amount of money he makes off of such schemes, unknowingly admitting to tax evasion while doing so, which Judy slyly records on her carrot pen with a recording function. Judy then blackmails Nick into aiding her on the case or be subject to five years jail time, to which Nick begrudgingly abides to.

Nick brings Judy to the last place he saw Emmitt, the Mystic Springs Oasis, which to Judy's horror and discomfort is a naturist club. The receptionist, Yax, mentions that Emmitt was last seen jumping into a limousine and provides the plate number. Because she lacks the authority to run a plate, Nick takes Judy to the Department of Mammal Vehicles, to seek the assistance of his friend, Flash. To Judy's dismay, Flash and his co-workers are all sloths. After some frustration with the sloth's slow nature, worsened by Nick telling Flash a joke, they obtain the plate number, identifying which company the limo belonged to. Upon stepping out of the DMV, Judy is dismayed to find that night has already fallen.

The pair locate the motor pool where the limo was parked. But to Judy's annoyance, it is locked, and she lacks a warrant to search the place. Believing his debt to her paid, Nick asks for the recording, but Judy casually tosses her pen over the fence, tricking Nick into climbing over and thus giving himself a trespassing violation for additional blackmail, also providing Judy "probable cause" to search the premises. When they locate the limo, they discover the back compartment riddled with claw marks. Nick soon realizes that the limo belongs to Mr. Big, Tundratown's biggest and feared crime boss. Before they can escape, a pair of polar bear henchmen find and take them directly to Mr. Big, whom Judy discovers is an arctic shrew. When Mr. Big addresses Judy, Nick tries to prevent her from revealing that she is a cop, but she directly accuses Big of being behind Emmitt's disappearance. Scorned, Mr. Big orders the pair to be "iced", but before the polar bears can drop them into a pool of freezing ice water, his daughter Fru Fru―the same shrew Judy saved the previous day―arrives and recognizes Judy. Fru Fru tells her father of Judy's deeds, resulting in Big sparing Judy and Nick's lives. In gratitude, Mr. Big kisses Judy on both cheeks, establishing an alliance (much to Nick's shock and confusion), and invites her and Nick to Fru Fru's wedding reception.

During the wedding reception, Mr. Big explains that Emmitt was his florist, who was coming to tell him something important but, en route, suddenly went savage and attacked his chauffeur Manchas, a black jaguar. Judy and Nick visit Manchas at his home in the Rainforest District for questioning. Manchas mentions "night howlers" were involved in the case, but before further answers can be uncovered, Manchas suddenly goes savage himself and chases the pair. Judy frantically radios Clawhauser for backup just before she and Nick are separated at a nearby gondola drop off. Nick finds himself cornered and nearly killed by Manchas, but Judy chains the jaguar's ankle to a post using handcuffs, saving Nick's life. The two narrowly make their escape, crossing paths with Bogo and the force once they do. Judy then escorts her colleagues to the gondola drop off, but when they arrive, Manchas is nowhere to be found. When Judy tries to explain the events that had transpired, Bogo refuses to listen, taking her claims as a coverup for failure, thus requesting her badge as resignation. Defeated, Judy slowly starts to comply, but Nick steps in and rebukes Bogo for purposely setting Judy up for failure, noting her lack of resources, and extremely limited timeframe to solve a case that the entirety of the ZPD couldn't solve in two weeks. Nick then notes that Judy still has a remaining 10 hours, and the fox kindly escorts Hopps to a gondola leaving the Rainforest District, allowing their case to continue.

As the pair depart the district during sunrise, Judy softly thanks Nick for his support. Nick replies by revealing his past experiences with prejudice, having been cruelly ganged and muzzled by a group of prey animals as a child just for being a fox, explaining his sympathy for the oppressed and underestimated. Nick continues, confessing that he resolved to live out the "sly fox" stereotype as he felt there was no point in trying to fight the preconceived notions that society had established. Judy expresses her belief that Nick is more than what society labels him as, and her attitude towards him softens significantly. Their tender moment is cut short due to Nick's discomfort in having opened up to someone, and he tries to change the subject by jokingly talking about traffic. This leads Nick to the revelation that the city's traffic cameras may have captured how Manchas disappeared. An impressed Judy commends Nick on his cleverness, and in order to access the camera data, they consult Assistant Mayor Bellwether at City Hall.

Reviewing the footage, they learn that a pair of wolves, whom Judy assumes to be the "night howlers", captured Manchas and trace their truck to the Cliffside Asylum. As they infiltrate the facility after distracting the guards with a howl, they find all the missing predators imprisoned there, including Emmitt and Manchas, all having gone savage. The duo then discovers Mayor Lionheart to be keeping the savage predators imprisoned and their existence concealed from the public and the ZPD to prevent civil unrest. Judy uses her phone camera to record Lionheart's admission, but their presence is given away by an inconvenient call from her parents. As the wolf guards are summoned, Judy uses a toilet to flush herself and Nick to the outside. With her evidence intact, Judy calls the ZPD, who raid the asylum and arrest Lionheart. Judy reads Lionheart his rights and is unsympathetic when he claims to have simply been trying to keep the city safe, ignoring his warnings concerning the danger that the mysterious savage outbreak holds over the city.

A press conference is held centering the events of Judy's success. While preparing for her interview, Judy offers Nick a chance to join the ZPD, stating that she would like to have him as a partner. Nick is notably touched by this, but when it comes time for Judy to speak, jumps to a conclusion by describing the savaged mammals' condition a case of "biology", claiming they may be reverting to their natural instincts. As the crowd goes into a confused panic, Bellwether assists Judy off the stage, where she is confronted by an offended Nick. Judy tries to justify her words by declaring that predators are naturally savage, unlike prey such as bunnies, deeming Nick the exception, as he wasn't like "them"; however, this only furthers Nick's anger. As the confrontation heats, Judy starts to feel threatened (as Nick's claws and fangs are showing), instinctively reaching for her canister of fox repellent and confirming her bigotry against foxes. Nick returns the fully filled ZPD application and storms off. Judy tries to chase after him to make amends, but a crowd of press blocks her path.

As time goes on, more cases of predators going savage begin sprouting across Zootopia with no known cause or cure, resulting in fear and discrimination against predators from the prey population. Judy watches, firsthand, the controversial consequences of her actions unfold, and in response to this, she and Bogo are summoned by Mayor Bellwether at City Hall. Bellwether and Bogo request that Judy becomes the public face of the ZPD, as prey citizens look to her for guidance and view her as a hero. Judy declines, feeling she has failed at her mission to make the world a better place by instead provoking chaos and fear amongst the city. Downheartedly and realizing this is all her fault, Judy inflicts penalty upon herself by resigning from the force.

Judy returns home to Bunnyburrow and rejoins the family business as a carrot farmer, just as Nick had predicted when they first met. Bonnie and Stu comfort the visibly depressed Judy, celebrating her will to try new things, despite her actions having caused so much trouble. Just as Judy openly feels she's failed countless predators, she meets an adult and much more mature Gideon. Her parents reveal they've established a partnership with Gideon, a fox, based on Judy's progressive influence. Gideon awkwardly apologizes to Judy for his past behavior, explaining his actions to have been due to self-doubt and unchecked aggression, rather than "predatory instinct", like he claimed as a child. Subsequently, Judy notices flowers her parents have been growing to protect their crops, but which neither of her parents wants any of their children to come into contact with. As Stu explains that the flowers have severe psychotropic effects on mammals, including rabbits like her Uncle Terry, Gideon also reveals that the flowers are nicknamed "Night howlers". Judy learns that predators are not the only ones who can be turned savage and realizes that these flowers must be the cause of the outbreaks. Judy hastily takes her father's truck and returns to Zootopia to set things right.

With help from Finnick, Judy tracks down Nick and reveals this new information, but Nick rebuffs her. As Judy becomes visibly upset, tearfully apologizing and condemning herself as "just a dumb bunny" for her words and actions, Nick opens up and forgives and comforts her, playfully playing back her apology on the carrot pen, which he held onto. With a hug, their friendship is reconciled and their investigation is renewed.

Recalling that Duke Weaselton had been stealing a bunch of Night howler bulbs when she first arrested him, Judy and Nick confront him, demanding to know who he was stealing for. When he refuses to cooperate, they take him to Mr. Big, who threatens to ice him unless he told them what they wanted to know. During the interrogation, Mr. Big designates Judy the godmother of his future grandchild, whom Fru Fru is planning on naming Judy in her honor.

Using Weaselton's information, the pair track down a ram named Doug, who is cultivating and weaponizing Night howlers at a secret lab hidden in an abandoned subway car. They spy on Doug, who mentions during a phone call with his mysterious client that he "hit a tiny little otter through the open window of a moving car". These words and the sight of photos of all the "savaged" predators on Doug's bulletin map, make Judy realize that the reason why Otterton, Manchas, and all the other predators went savage is because Doug had secretly shot them with the Night howler toxin via a dart gun, completely unnoticed. As two more sheep arrive, Judy takes the opportunity to steal the subway car, hoping to get the evidence to ZPD. As the sheep give chase, they spot an oncoming train about to collide with them, so Judy knocks a sheep onto a track switch, diverting the car onto a different track. Unfortunately, the car is going too fast, forcing the pair to abandon ship, resulting in it crashing and bursting into flames. However, Nick reveals that he retrieved a case containing the dart gun and its Night howler pellets.

As they cut through the Natural History Museum to get to the ZPD, the pair run into Bellwether, who insists on taking the evidence. Suspicious as to how Bellwether knew of their whereabouts, Judy and Nick try to leave, only to find a large, sinister-looking ram blocking their way. Realizing that Bellwether is the true mastermind of the conspiracy, Judy and Nick try to flee, but Judy accidentally cuts her leg on a tusk display, prompting Nick to do first aid. As Bellwether and her ram henchmen close in, the pair use a stuffed bunny as a decoy and make a run for the exit, only to be knocked into a pit by the big ram, making them drop the gun case. Bellwether then shoots the dart gun at Nick, apparently causing him to go savage, and frames a call for help to the ZPD. While trying to evade Nick, Judy induces Bellwether to reveal her plot to divide predator and prey so the latter can take over Zootopia, enabling Bellwether to remain in power. When it seems like Nick is about to bite Judy, it turns out it was all an act; they had secretly swapped the dart gun's ammo with blueberries from Judy's farm. Bellwether nevertheless threatens to frame the duo as she had done with Lionheart, but Judy reveals her action of recording Bellwether's confession on the carrot recorder. After Judy plays back Bellwether's admission aloud, Bogo and his force arrive to arrest the treacherous sheep mayor and her accomplices.

Later, Judy is reinstated into the ZPD. The savaged predators have been successfully cured and Judy is present at a hospital witnessing the reunion between Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, the latter thanking Judy for her help. She sees that the city of Zootopia is peaceful and predators and prey live in harmony once again. Months later, Judy is present at Nick's police graduation ceremony, where she gives a rousing speech reflecting her experiences and matured viewpoints. She also takes the honour of badging Nick, exchanges salutes with him to officially welcome him into the force as the first fox officer on the ZPD, and later takes him on as her partner. During their first muster together, Bogo seemingly relegates them to parking duty as a jest referencing their past history, before assigning the pair to hunt down a street racer zipping through Savanna Central. As they roll out on their first assignment, Judy admits to Nick that she loves him (platonically). Just then, they find and apprehend the racer and, to Judy's shock, and Nick's amusement, discover he is none other than Flash.

During the credits, Judy and Nick, along with most of the Zootopian populace, attend and dance at a concert performance of "Try Everything" by Gazelle.

Other appearances
In a promotional video released on Twitter, Judy uploads a throwback image reminiscing her graduation from the Zootopia Police Academy. This sparks a humiliating conversation between her parents and Nick.

An emoticon version of Judy appeared in the Zootopia entry of the As Told by Emoji short series.

Disney INFINITY 3.0
Judy's figure was released on March 1, 2016 as a playable character in the Toy Box mode, alongside Nick.

Some of her attacks include her special ability: "Sleep Enforcement", which allows her to use her tranquilizer gun that momentarily put enemies to sleep. For melee attacks, Judy has "Super Sensitive Hearing", which allows her to sense and repel enemies to an exceptional degree. "Rabbit Kick" has Judy leap and kick an enemy with powerful force. Other abilities include enhanced speed and jumping action.

Judy also has an exclusive Toy Box story, which intertwines with the exclusive Toy Box story of Nick Wilde, entitled Judy Hopps: Hot on the Case. In the story, a mysterious antagonist has stolen the Jumbo-pops of Jerry Jumbeaux, leading Judy to hit the streets for investigation. She soon finds a suspicious car, and a chase follows. She eventually learns the criminal's plans, finds their base, and teams up with Nick to end the case. Judy's Toy Box story can be downloaded by accessing the "Developer's Pick" menu, under "Community Content".

Judy also has the costume-changing "Meter Maid Judy" power disc, which dons her character model in her meter maid outfit when activated.

Other games
In Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ, Judy appears as a costume available as customizable attire, a pochette accessory, and as one of the four Zootopia avatar companions for the game's avatars. She is also featured as a 5 star golden speed combat medal.

In Disney Tsum Tsum, when activating the special skill of the Judy Tsum Tsum, a silhouette of Judy briefly appears on the screen, ticketing a parked car.

In Zootopia: Crime Files, Judy, along with Nick, are the protagonists as they take part in every case and search for clues, interrogate suspects, and analyze evidence to solve each crime. In the game, Judy is shown to have a great appreciation for Detective Oates, a horse, and seems to idolize him.

In Disney Crossy Road, the original Judy Hopps is featured in the 'Classic' class while young Judy appears in the 'Secret' class.

Judy also appears in Disney Magic Kingdoms, as part of the Zootopia set along with Nick, Chief Bogo and Flash.

Disney Parks
Judy Hopps made her live debut at the red carpet premiere of Zootopia on February 17, 2016, alongside Nick.

In Paris, her teeth are not visible. She also takes part in annual Easter festivities such as parades in various parks.

Disneyland
In California, Judy and Nick are currently available for meet-and-greets on Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure.

Walt Disney World Resort
In Florida, both Judy and Nick made their theme park debut at Disney's Animal Kingdom, at the Harambe Village Marketplace, for meet-and-greet sessions during a promotional event for Zootopia.

Judy alongside Nick began making regular appearances at the Magic Kingdom during the ''Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It!'' Street Party, starting on March 26, 2016, when they replaced Genie and Stitch for the role.

At the Disney Springs complex, a statue displaying Judy and Nick is featured.

Tokyo Disney Resort
Judy made her debut with Nick during the Easter parade at Tokyo Disneyland, appearing on the final float.

Disneyland Paris
Judy made her first appearance in France at the Disneyland Park as part of the 2016 Easter meet-and-greet event. She also took part in the park's Easter parade alongside other Disney rabbit characters.

Hong Kong Disneyland
On April 25, 2016, Judy and Nick began their meet-and-greet sessions on Main Street, U.S.A. at Hong Kong Disneyland, as part of its 10th anniversary celebration.

Shanghai Disneyland
In Shanghai, Judy and Nick ride in the caboose in Mickey's Storybook Express. She also appears, briefly, during the finale of Ignite the Dream. Judy and other characters from Zootopia also serve as mascots for guest etiquette in the park.

For meet-and-greets, she and Nick can be found at Happy Circle in Adventure Isle.

Trivia

 * Her voice actress Ginnifer Goodwin finished recording her voice on September 11, 2015.
 * Judy's last name, Hopps, is a play on the word "hop", given the fact that rabbits hop.
 * Judy's nose twitches whenever she is nervous or scared.
 * When recording Judy's apology to Nick, Ginnifer Goodwin was actually in tears.
 * Judy's ears often droop when she's sad, depressed, worried or feeling sentimental, among other occasions.
 * Judy is shown to be fascinated with eating carrots throughout the movie. Contrary to popular belief, rabbits don't eat carrots, nor do they digest them. In fact, her parents owned a carrot farm, proving her further interest in the root vegetable.
 * Judy's right foot thumps rapidly whenever she is angry or frustrated.
 * Byron Howard confirmed that the names between Judy and the character Officer Judy Hoffs from  was an unintentional coincidence.
 * Judy is 24 years old during the film's main events.
 * Judy's eye color is purple because it adds some color to the dull coloration of her gray fur.
 * It is interesting to note that Judy is not issued a side-arm nor a stab vest that can completely cover her stomach for her uniform. This is a moot point, however, as the fact remains that Zootopia is aimed for younger audiences and not all cops, even metropolitan cops, require or use sidearms or stab vests.
 * Unlike real rabbits, Judy's upper lip doesn't split at the center of the philtrum.
 * During renovations of the Walt Disney Animation Studios building, beginning in 2014, Judy was one of the character silhouettes featured on the wall mural.
 * In the teaser trailer, Judy is shown to be armed with an air-powered dart pistol that fires darts of "elephant tranquilizer," and uses one of these darts to subdue Nick Wilde, who is hiding off-screen. However, in the actual movie, Judy carries no such weapon, and in fact, despite being a police officer, seems to spend the entire movie completely unarmed, unless one counts the small spray can of "fox repellent" given to her by her parents. The pistol, however, appears as a special ability for Judy in Disney INFINITY 3.0.
 * A press release confirms that it was Mayor Lionheart who coined the mantra Judy lives by: "In Zootopia, anyone can be anything".