Tinker Bell

Tinker Bell (or Tink for short) is a character in Peter Pan and its sequel and spin-offs.

In the many years since her inception, Tinkerbell has become one of the main spokespersons for Disney and one of its most iconic characters (mostly known for flying towards the screen with a wand in her hand, waving it and causing pixie dust to fly out to the screen).

Background
Tinker Bell is described as a common fairy who is small, slender, hand-sized, and fair-skinned. She is feisty and hot-tempered (with her body turning fiery red when angered), but also beautiful and cute. She has blue eyes, blond hair worn in bun, and pointy ears. Though she can sometimes ill-behaved and vindictive, at other times she is helpful and kind to Peter, for whom she apparently has romantic feelings. The extremes in her personality are explained by the fact that a fairy’s size prevents her from holding more than one feeling at a time.

She is usually seen wearing a green strapless dress with a mini skirt, green shoes with white puffs on her toes, and clear wings on her back. In the Disney Fairies franchise, she is sometimes seen wearing more tomboyish clothing, though it is clearly based off her original outfit.

As a fairy, Tinker Bell can fly and produces pixie dust, which allows others to fly. She is described as being a tinker, meaning that she mends pots and kettles, and is shown to be very talented at it.

Peter Pan
Tinker Bell is the companion (described as being a pixie) of Peter Pan. She accompanies Peter on his journeys to the Darling house. When Peter Pan meets Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell shows signs of jealousy. When Peter and the Darling children come under attack, Peter tasks Tinker Bell with leading them to safety at his hideout. Tinker Bell intentionally flies to fast for the children to keep up. At Peter's hideout, she awakens the Lost Boys and tells them that Peter had ordered them to attack Wendy. Thankfully, Wendy is unharmed, and the matter is cleared up by Peter. Upon learning Tinker Bell's role in the attack, Peter banishes her for a week as punishment.

Later, Tinker Bell is captured by Mr. Smee, who brings her to Captain Hook. The captain is able to play on Tinker Bell's jealousy of Wendy, and convinces Tinker Bell to reveal Peter's hideout so that they can capture Wendy. Tinker Bell does so, but forces a promise that Captain Hook would not lay a hand or hook on Peter. Later Tinker Bell overhears that Hook planted a bomb in the hideout, meant to kill Peter while still keeping his promise. Tinker Bell attempts to warn Peter, but when she fails, she flies the bomb away, saving Peter's life. Tinker Bell is injured, but recovers as Peter tells Tinker Bell how much she means to him.

At the end of the film, Tinker Bell covers Captain Hook's ship in pixie dust, allowing it to fly back to London so that the Darling children can go home.

Aladdin And The King of Thieves
Tinker Bell made a cameo at the song "There's a party here in agrabah"

Disney Anthology (series)
Tinker Bell also serves as one of the company’s mascots, representing The Magic of Disney, and serves as the lead character in many of Disney’s anthology television series (Disneyland, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, The Magical World of Disney, etc.) opening each show with pixie dust.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Tinker Bell appeared at the very end of the film helping Porky Pig close the movie with her pixie dust.

House of Mouse
Tinker Bell made numerous cameo appearances in the animated series House of Mouse. In "Goofy's Menu Magic" - Mickey asked Tinker Bell to spy on Goofy in order to learn the secret to his delicious soup. Instead Goofy accidentally used Tinker Bell as an ingrediant and created flying soup which flooded the club. In the episode "Chip N' Dale" - Tinker Bell helped the Lost Boys open a bag of nuts and right after was grabbed by Pete as he demanded to open his but instead she made him uncotrolably fly.

In Mickey's Magical Christmas, Tinker Bell appeared at the very end to close out the film.

Return to Never Land
In the film, Peter and Tink meet Wendy's daughter Jane. Tink was once again jealous of the new arrival. However, when Jane reveals that she doesn't believe in fairies, Tinker Bell becomes very sick. Tinker Bell dies, but is revived by Jane, who had a change of heart after Peter and the Lost Boys were captured. Tinker Bell accompanies Jane as she rescues Peter Pan, and later escorts Jane back home to London.

Tinker Bell
The film, Tinker Bell (in which she is the main protagonist and finally talks) tells of Tinker Bell's history before she met Peter Pan. According to the film, Tinker Bell was born from a baby's first laugh. She arrives at Pixie Hollow, located in Never Land, where she learns that her special talent is being a tinker.

After hearing stories of the mainland, Tinker Bell becomes excited at the prospect of visiting in the springtime. She soon learns that only nature-talented fairies visit the mainland, and becomes determined to find a talent which would let her go. However, Tinker Bell's attempts at learning nature talents fail miserably. After her friends see Tinker Bell successfully repair a music box, they tell her that going to the main land shouldn't matter if tinkering is what she is good at. This does not make Tinker Bell feel better, and so she goes to Vidia for help. Vidia, who had been unintentionally humiliated by Tinker Bell earlier, tells Tink that capturing sprinting thistles would allow her to go to the mainland. In attempting to capture them, Tinker Bell ruins the preparations for spring after Vidia secretly interferes. After speaking with Terrence, she realizes the importance of a tinker's job.

Tinker Bell is able to redeem herself by inventing machines that speed up the spring preparations, allowing the other fairies to get back on schedule. As a reward, Queen Clarion allows Tinker Bell to go to the mainland with the nature fairies, to return the music box Tinker Bell had fixed earlier.

Disney Parks
Prior to 2005, the only appearances for Tinker Bell at the Disney theme parks were in the nightly fireworks shows, in which she would fly from one side of the park to the other through the fireworks, started by Walt Disney himself.

The character also made appearances in the Parade of Dreams spectacular at Disneyland, as part of the Enchanted Adventures Parade at Mickey's Pirates and Princess Party at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom hard ticket event, as well as in the Fantillusion nighttime parade at Disneyland Paris, and as of 2009, she now appears as the lead character in the Main Street Electrical Parade at California Adventure, replacing the Blue Fairy. She has also appeared in the Walt Disney Cinema Parade at Walt Disney Studios Paris before that event ended in 2008.

This all changed following the release of the Tinker Bell film, when Disneyland converted Ariel’s Grotto to a representation of Pixie Hollow with the character having meet-and-greets. In addition, there was an additional meet-and-greet with the fairies in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Also in Hong Kong Disneyland, Thinker Bell can be a part of meet-and-greet.

Peter Pan's Flight
Tink also has a central place in the attraction “Peter Pan’s Flight” at all Disney Theme Parks (with the exception of Hong Kong Disneyland), all of which are located within Fantasyland. The original version at Disneyland was one of the first rides when the park opened in 1955.

Fantasmic!
Tinker Bell is summoned by Sorcerer Mickey. she restores the Rivers of America in Disneyland Resort and also, she restores the mountains in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Disney On Ice
Tinker Bell has appeared on and off in the Disney on Ice productions produced by Feld Entertainment.

Kingdom Hearts series
Tinker Bell has appeared in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
After Tinker Bell is captured by Captain Hook, Terra tricks the pirate into handing him her cage, and releases her.

Later, Ventus arrives at Never Land and runs into the pixie. He is stunned by her beauty, but discovers that she is holding an item his friend had misplaced, a Starcrystal. Ventus then politely asked for her to hand it over to him. She refuses, and turns to fly away, but after a stern warning from Peter Pan, she reluctantly returns it to Ven. She is also shown kicking him, knocking him over and later being caught by Captain Hook. Later on, when Aqua arrives and tries to join Peter Pan's hunt for treasure, she disapproves but reluctantly gives in after Peter Pan argues with her.

Kingdom Hearts
Tinker Bell is introduced to Sora, Donald, and Goofy when they meet Peter Pan in the hold of Captain Hook's galleon. Tinker Bell informs Peter that she has located Wendy (she, however, has a deep jealousy for Wendy, due to her growing relationship with Peter). Tinker Bell later sprinkles the trio with her pixie dust for later use of flight. Peter rescues Wendy and flies off somewhere, leaving Tinker Bell and the others to fight for themselves.

Tinker Bell is then captured by Hook and held hostage in a lantern - her life or the Keyblade is Hook's demand. Sora walks the plank instead and flies thanks to happy thoughts. Peter returns and saves Tinker Bell from Smee. After Captain Hook takes the plunge and is defeated, Tinker Bell reappears and tells Peter of something happening at the clock tower in London. They go to the clock tower (Big Ben) in London where Sora seals the Keyhole. Tinker Bell seems to approve of Peter and Wendy's friendship at last and Peter asks Sora to take Tinker Bell with him as an ally. Tinker Bell is delighted to go with Sora as a summon.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Tinker Bell, from Sora's memories, appears in the Neverland floor in Castle Oblivion. Tinker Bell is first seen in the beginning when Sora, Donald, and Goofy entered Captain Hook's ship. She took the three to see Peter Pan to help him find Wendy on the ship. After the fight with Captain Hook, Tinker Bell sees Sora and the others and gives them her summon card.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
When Roxas was sent out to eliminate a Wavecrest Heartless in Neverland, he soon met Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell then asked Roxas for help to stop Captian Hook and Smee's plan. She gave him the abilty to fly. After, she then flew to Hook's ship. Sometime later, Roxas and Axel came to Never Land to eliminate Artful Flyers. They soon met up with Tinker Bell, who was mad at Roxas for not following her last time he came. She soon helped Roxas and Axel fly, thinking that they might help her this time. She then flew off, with Roxas behind her, he was soon stopped by Axel to continue their mission.

A few day's later, Roxas returned to Never Land to eliminate a Phantomtail. Shortly after his arival, he witnessed the capture of Tinker Bell by Hook and Smee and returned to there ship. Roxas, deciding to hold off his mission until she was safe, snuck into Hook's ship. After Hook and Smee left Hook's cabin, Roxas snuk into the cabin and released Tink from the lamp. Tink then showed Roxas a peice of a map that Hook had torn apart, which had a circle marked on it, showing where one of the treasures that Smee dug up was. Needing to look at that spot marked on the map peice, Roxas asked Tinker Bell if she could help him fly again.

Agreeing with his question, Tink helped Roxas fly again, and she soon flew off to safety after Roxas advised her to. The next day, Roxas returned to eliminate an unknown heartless threat. Tink soon appeared again, giving him the ability to fly again and defeat the Ruler of the Sky. After the Ruler of the Sky's defeat, it then crashed landed on to Hook's ship and badly damaged it, much to Tink's enjoyment.

Kingdom Hearts II
Tinker Bell returns with Peter Pan as a summonable character after Sora finds the Feather Charm in Port Royal, maintaining the same healing factor she did previously.

Disney Fairies
In 2005, Tinker Bell became the lead character for her own line of licensed products called Disney Fairies. This program, a spin off of the popular Disney Princess line of which she was a part of before this new franchise started, includes toys, accessories, clothing, Halloween costumes as well as books and a direct-to-video movie series. The first book in the series, titled Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, was written by Ella Enchanted author Gail Carson Levine. In it, Tinker Bell, who lives in a secret place within Never Land called Pixie Hollow and three of her fairy friends are faced with the task of protecting the egg responsible for keeping Neverland’s inhabitants young.

Although she had been capable of speaking in the comics, Tinker Bell never had a voice in Disney films and television, always having been mute and using pantomime to communicate with humans. This changed with the release of her self-titled direct-to-video movie, which takes place before the events of the 1953 Peter Pan movie. The late actress Brittany Murphy was first chosen to provide Tink’s voice on the film; however, due to scheduling conflicts, she was replaced by Mae Whitman, who said in an interview with USA Today :

"Kids will like [Tink’s] energy and festiness because it never comes from a malicious place. It’s always out of the goodness of her heart."

Other voices in this film include Anjelica Huston as Queen Clarion, Raven-Synome (of Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven) as Iridessa, Kristin Chenoweth as Rosetta, America Ferrera as Fawn, British actress Jane Horrocks as Fairy Mary, Loreena McKennitt as the narrator, Jesse McCartney and Kathy Najimy. Three sequels are in the works to be annually released on DVD and Blu-Ray. A preview clip of the movie aired on ABC during a telecast of the Peter Pan movie on July 26th, 2008. In the clip, Tink tries to teach a baby bird to take flight, with embarrassing results. The television debut of the film aired on November 30, 2008 on Disney Channel. The second movie in the series, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, was released October 27th, 2009, and made its' TV debut on Disney Channel November 29th of that year. three more direct-to-DVD films have been scheduled as a fifth film was added in 2009 based on the success of the first two films' sales.

Trivia

 * For the direct-to-DVD video movie Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Tinker Bell was given her first new outfit in over fifty years, which reflects the autumn setting of the movie. According to Klay Hill, the director of the movie, the tomboyish look of the outfit still reveals the curves she has had since her first appearance in 1953. Her outfit is consisting of a hat, cape, long sleeve top, leggings and boots with her familiar pompoms.
 * Tinker Bell acts like the Auto-Life from the Final Fantasy series and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, reviving Sora if his HP is depleted.
 * In 2010, Tinker Bell was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
 * It it obvious that Tinker Bell has romantic feelings for Peter Pan, but it is unknown if Peter and Tinker Bell are or were ever a couple.
 * Tinker Bell was an official Disney Princess, but finally, she was cancelled, and moved to the Disney Fairies line-up.