Background
Friend Owl is a local owl in the forest, known by all of the residents. He appears to be close to the royal family (Bambi, his mother, and the Great Prince of the Forest). While incredibly cheerful most of the time, Friend Owl is better known for his mildly grumpy attitude. He strongly dislikes the Springtime because animals tend to become twitterpated (which is his nickname for falling in love) and always disturb him during that time of the year.
As said above, he holds a friendship with the forest's royal family, most notably the Great Prince of the Forest as seen in Bambi II, where Friend Owl and the Great Prince commonly speak with each other.
Appearances
Bambi
In the film, Friend Owl is the first character seen in the movie. In the beginning, he returns home (apparently from a hunt) and goes to sleep. However, he's later awakened by Thumper, who tells him that "the new prince is born". Thus, Friend Owl joins several other animals in a thicket, where he first sees Bambi and is the first to congratulate Bambi's mother. After watching the fawn take his first steps, Friend Owl shoos the others away after seeing Bambi yawn. Besides a brief appearance during "Little April Shower", Friend Owl isn't seen again until he's rudely awakened by the birds singing "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song".
When the birds ignore his attempts to silence them, Friend Owl moves to another tree, only to receive another rude awakening by a stag sharpening his antlers on the tree. Though grumpy at first, Friend Owl cheers up when he recognizes the stag as Bambi, now a young adult. After Thumper and Flower appear, the three notice some birds acting strangely. When they ask about it, Friend Owl explains that they're "twitterpated" (in love). He then goes on to explain what being twitterpated involves, warning the trio that it can happen to them as well, shocking the three into promising that this won't happen to them (which it promptly does).
Friend Owl isn't seen again until the very end when he once again goes to a thicket to meet some newborns, this time the twins of Bambi and Faline.
Bambi II
Friend Owl in Bambi II.
Friend Owl plays a more important part in Bambi II. He appears in the beginning, when the Great Prince of the Forest first brings a now motherless Bambi to his home. Friend Owl comforts the Great Prince over the mother's death and asks if he can be of any help. The Great Prince asks him to find a doe to replace the mother to take care of Bambi. Though Friend Owl suggests that the Great Prince himself watch over the fawn, he eventually agrees. He later appears to present the groundhog, as it's time for the shadow thing, getting his head stuck in the groundhog's burrow in the process. Later, the Great Prince approaches him, telling him to start the search, which gets off to a flying (literally) start. When he reports this, however, he starts to suspect that the Great Prince is growing attached to Bambi, though he denies it.
Eventually, Friend Owl finds a suitable replacement: a young doe named Mena, who was friends with Bambi's mother. Though Bambi is angered by this treachery, he eventually goes along with it. Friend Owl later appears along with Thumper, Flower, and Mena after Bambi's climactic fight with Man's dogs and, seeing Bambi and the Great Prince's reunion, smiles at Mena, who smiles back and leaves. He later appears when Thumper tells an exaggerated version of the fight. He sees Bambi and Faline kiss, and grumbles "twitterpated". When Flower asks what that is, Friend Owl promises to tell him when he's older.
Other appearances
Friend Owl made a small cameo appearance in the 1960 Disney animated short film, Goliath II. He was woken up when the elephants jumped into the water to escape the mouse.
Disney Parks
Walt Disney World
In Disney's Hollywood Studios' version of Fantasmic!, Friend Owl can be briefly seen during the bubble montage.
Disneyland Paris
In 2012, during Disneyland Paris' 20th anniversary, Friend Owl had his own Disneyland Paris Anniversary Collection Card.
Trivia
- One of Bambi's deleted concepts include a song meant for Friend Owl to sing titled "Twitterpated". The song was cut as it was decided that the principle forest animals should not sing.
- Friend Owl's appearance in Goliath II reused the animation from Bambi when he was awoken from Bambi sharpening his antlers on the tree he was on.
Gallery
Concept art
Add a photo to this galleryScreenshots
Miscellaneous
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