Prince Hugo is a supporting character, who appears in the Disney Jr. animated series Sofia the First. He is a prince and the best flying horse racer in flying derby at Royal Prep Academy. Throughout the first season, he was portrayed as a bully and the central antagonist of the first season episode "Just One of the Princes" until he reforms in the second season episode "The Flying Crown".
Background[]
Personality[]
Due to his success, Hugo was very rude, egotistical, and was a bully. He made fun of Sofia at every opportunity. He teased James when he helped Sofia. He was also a cheater, as he cheated during the race and caused Sofia to fall off of Minimus.
Hugo relishes in the fawning and admiration he receives from the Princesses, mainly Princess Hildegard and Princess Clio. The person he used to like the most was Princess Amber, who adored him until she saw him make her younger sister fall off Minimus. He was disliked by the other Princes because they found him annoying. The person he used to dislike the most was Princess Sofia, mostly because she chose to be his competition instead of one of his fawning fans like the other Princesses and because he blamed her for his fall from grace after the tryout race. While everyone else including her siblings tried to discourage her interest in joining Royal Prep's Flying Derby team because it was traditionally a Prince only thing at the time, his reason for doing so was because he secretly saw the small and quiet former provincial as a rival: he recognized that unlike the twins, she is a hard worker who could commit to the training and who was just as determined to become a Flying Derby champion as he was. Meanwhile, Sofia herself used to dislike him because she regarded him as an obnoxious bully, and for the stunt, he pulled on her during the tryout race and was the only Princess at Royal Prep who wasn't wowed by him.
In the episode "The Flying Crown", it's revealed that his personality stems from the pressure of trying to live up to his family's legacy and the frustration at always failing to do so. When James sprained his wrist before the championship race, Hugo found himself paired with Sofia, and it didn't seem to bother her. The only trouble was that Hugo refused to work with her because his pride wouldn't allow him to be anything but number one, which resulted in him temporarily quitting when he couldn't do team plays. With a little help from his horse Electra, along with Sofia, James, and the rest of Royal Prep, he competed in the championship, helping Sofia to win the race, thus winning the Flying Crown for the first time for Royal Prep, not to mention for his family. When his older brother, Axel, said that it was thanks to him that Sofia and Hugo won, he happily replied it was thanks to Sofia, showing that he'd become a much better person and is now friends with Sofia and has abandoned his dislike for her.
It was revealed in "Lord of the Rink" that Hugo loves Enchanted Ice Dancing, and, like Sofia, he doesn't like to let down the people he cares about. Hugo also doesn't like being made fun of and therefore, also like Sofia, is vulnerable to peer pressure and has a habit of keeping secrets. Hugo also appreciates Sofia's encouragement.
Role in the series[]
As the best racer in the Flying Derby team at Royal Prep, as well as his good looks, Hugo was greatly adored by the princesses, especially Princess Amber, Princess Hildegard, and even Princess Clio. When Sofia decided to race, Hugo, as well as Amber, told her she shouldn't because it was a sport meant for only Princes at the time. Sofia decided to try out anyway, which Hugo didn't like at all because he secretly saw her as a threat because of her work ethic and determination especially after she became skilled at riding a flying horse in just one day. He taunted her at every chance he got in an attempt to discourage her enough to make her give up or anger her enough to provoke her into doing something that would get her disqualified and became increasingly angry when she kept ignoring him and did neither action. After one of Sofia's many failed attempts to finish the course, he tells her there's no point starting a race you can't finish and that she should go back to where she belongs: with the other princesses and be one of his fawning fans. During the tryout race, he purposely brings his horse to a sudden halt in mid-air, causing Sofia to fall off Minimus and onto a haystack. James lends her a hand and they persevere, both catching up to Hugo and beat him in the end. Hugo is also now greatly disliked by Amber, who witnessed the stunt he pulled on Sofia during the race.
Hugo returned as a protagonist in the episode "The Flying Crown", in which he is paired in the flying derby with Sofia after James sprained his wrist and was taught the meaning of teamwork along the way. With a little help from Sofia and his flying horse Electra, Hugo learned to overcome his selfishness and arrogance in order to learn what a true Flying Derby racer means, and after their victory in the flying crown, the pair became good friends.
In "Lord of the Rink", during hockey practice and enchanted ice dancing class, Sofia discovered that Hugo loved ice dancing, and was shown to have a great talent for it. Flora was so impressed that she offered him to join the class. At first, Hugo declined because to him and his friends, ice dancing was for girls and not for boys. But with some encouragement from Sofia and a reminder of how she became the first princess to be in the flying derby, he accepted. However, afraid of what his friends and father might think, he chose to keep it a secret, despite Sofia's assurance that there was nothing for him to worry about. During his first class, Flora revealed they would be hosting an ice dancing recital for the whole school. Hugo and Sofia chose to skate together in the recital and the two of them practiced hard together. Each time Sofia failed to pull off a dance move, Hugo helped her out and she got each move right after a second try.
Hugo's father, King Garrick, felt like it was time to have more father-son time with him, so he decided to be there for him by being the assistant coach for the hockey team, which horrified the young prince. Not wanting to let down his father or Sofia, Hugo tried to be in two places at once. At first, it seemed to go well until he was eventually caught in the act by his friends. To his surprise, his friends accepted his choice of doing ice dancing but his father remained unaware of it and Hugo still didn't have the courage to tell him. On the day of the recital, Hugo reluctantly went to do hockey for his father instead of ice dancing with Sofia. With more encouragement from Sofia, Hugo finally revealed his passion for ice dancing to his father and then left the rink to join Sofia. Hugo and Sofia did a most spectacular duet at the recital and Garrick was proud of him and even asked Flora if there was an extra spot as a co-coach, embracing his son's love for ice skating.
Hugo makes a final appearance in the series finale "Forever Royal", where he and his friends all graduate from Royal Prep. He is mentioned personally by Sofia during her speech where she notes all of the people who helped her during her time at the school, smiling when his name is mentioned. Hugo then joins them on the stage to sing a final rendition of the Royal Prep song.
Trivia[]
- In the episode "The Shy Princess", Hugo is seen in the front row, cheering loudly for Prince Zandar and James' cannon castle. It is revealed in the same episode that he is right-handed, and it is also the first episode where he does not actually speak.
- Hugo's original voice actor, Colin Ford, was replaced by Grayson Hunter Goss to voice Hugo, Ford having voiced Axel for the remainder of the series.
- Hugo's older brother, Axel, mostly refers to him as "Baby Bro", while their father, King Garrick, refers to him as "Champ".
- As revealed in the episode with the same name, Hugo is the first in his family to ever win the Flying Crown.
- Hugo was also seen in the episode of "Sidekick Clio", along with his lookalike counterpart Prince Frederick and was participating amongst in the Cast.
- Hugo is seen in the game "Royal Bubble Rescue", where he is one of the students trapped inside a trouble bubble.
- In "Just One of the Princes", Hugo states that he has a little sister. However, he may have been sarcastic since he was making fun of James when he made this statement.
- It was said that Hugo would not be returning for the fourth season, due to the inability to fit him into any of the episodes.
- Despite this, Hugo has a cameo at Dunwiddie School singing Huzzah! Huzzah! song with some of his Royal Prep classmates during the episode, "Princess Jade".
- Hugo also makes a cameo in the episode "The Birthday Wish", where he tries to pin the tail on the dragon, only to wander aimlessly thanks to his blindfold.
- Along with Prince Khalid, Hugo made a cameo in the Fancy Nancy episode "Nancy's Ghostly Halloween" in a recolored version of his bat costume.
- Prince Frederick, a non-speaking character who appears in multiple episodes as a background character, bears a strong resemblance to Hugo. This has often resulted in him being mistaken for Hugo in episodes where he appears.
- According to Craig Gerber, Hugo was originally supposed to be from Rudistan, where King Magnus was from, but Gerber disliked the idea of said king being his father.[1]
Gallery[]
- ↑ "Hugo's original kingdom". Twitter.
