- “The horror of my every waking moment! The Nefarious PROFESSOR RATIGAN!”
- ―Basil showing a picture of Ratigan to Dawson and Olivia
Professor [Padraic] Ratigan is the main antagonist of Disney's 1986 animated feature film The Great Mouse Detective. A pernicious, yet suave crime lord, he is the archenemy of Basil of Baker Street, who proves to be an obstacle in his grand scheme to control all of Mousedom. He is obsessed with his status as a mouse, but when labeled a rat, his ostentatious demeanor shatters and reveals a violent and savage mind.
Ratigan is based on the character of the same name from Basil of Baker Street and the story's version of Professor James Moriarty from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
Background
Professor Ratigan is regarded as the most infamous criminal in all of Mousedom. His reputation as the "world's greatest criminal mind" is backed by an impressive track record, as several of his schemes have actually saw success—notable events include the "Big Ben Caper" and the "Tower Bridge Job", both of which are said to have had devastating results on London. The only road block in Ratigan's plots appear to be Basil the great mouse detective, whose intellect (and eccentricity) matches that of Ratigan. However, just as he continuously fails to kill Basil, Basil continuously fails to apprehend Ratigan, thus allowing their rivalry to endure for several years—much to the chagrin of both parties.
Ratigan has a variety of henchmen that follow him, most of which are an army of two-bit, yet heavily-armed thugs. Ratigan's right-hand man is a peg-legged bat named Fidget. He has no tolerance for failure and will quickly resort to killing minions that either fail him or disrespect him (regardless of whether or not this was intentional). His method of execution comes in the form of his obese pet cat, Felicia, whom Ratigan adores greatly. Felicia is summoned by the ringing of a bell that is always kept on his person. Once the bell is rung, Felicia will arrive and devour Ratigan's latest victim(s).
Personality
- “Oh, I love it when I'm nasty.”
- ―Ratigan[src]
Professor Ratigan is very charismatic, calm, suave, and calculating, but can easily be sent into a violent rage at the mere mention of Basil, who has foiled many of his rather complex schemes, or by the incompetence of his minions. He cannot stand it when someone calls him a rat (which he is), and prefers to be called a big mouse. Intolerant of failure, he nearly kills Fidget for losing a list of items he was dispatched to obtain, before making a calculated, albeit split-second decision and sparing him, believing he may yet be of use to him. He has a very dark, malicious sense of humor and an inflated ego. He is also very intelligent, and attained the title of professor. Unlike most Disney villains, he is an ebullient, lip-smacking jester who has a tendency towards big movements and long rants or speeches.
A truly cruel and sadistic megalomaniac, Ratigan is solely driven by power and the desire to earn himself riches (such as the Tower Bridge Job, an assemblage he quite arrogantly calls a "cunning display that made Londoners sob") and even more so the desire to rule over his fellow men in the place of the Mouse Queen. Unlike most evildoers, he acknowledges his crimes as being immoral and takes pride in his wicked acts, which he acknowledges as being evil, making him a truly sadistic and heartless being. He even says that he loves being nasty and that he is about to pull off a crime that will leave an infamous legacy.
In spite of his universally cruelty and sadism, Ratigan at least appears to genuinely enjoy the approval of his minions. He also has an affectionate relationship with Felicia, who he calls "darling", "baby", and "little honey bun", and addressing himself as her father figure. He is also seen hugging her and looking at her awkwardly when she burps.
Even though he is one, Ratigan detests, above all else, being referred to as a rat, preferring the description of a "big mouse," and fed Bartholomew to Felicia when Bartholomew calls him the "world's greatest rat" while intoxicated. Despite his hatred of being labeled as such, he possessed enough self-control to barely react when Basil referred to him as a rat, which is evidenced with two instances in the film: The first, right after he trapped Basil and Basil called him a sewer rat, Ratigan retained his cool demeanor, only closing his watch, and the second time, when Basil revealed his survival after the literal breaking down of the fake Mouse Queen by finishing her sentence of Ratigan being a rat, only growling in irritation.
Despite being stoic and charismatic, Basil's exposure of his robot, tying his cape to a gear, and rescue of Olivia finally send him over the edge. In his rage, he pursues Basil, tearing his clothes in the process and transforming from very formal and composed to highly aggressive and savage. He tackles Basil, extending his long, strong claws and scratching, punching, and strangling Basil continuously and wounding him.
Physical appearance
Ratigan is a towering mouse with grey fur dressed in a black tuxedo suit complete with a long black cape with a red underside, similar to the Phantom of the Opera or a stereotypical vampire or devil. His face is shaven and has yellow eyes with lavender circles around them, above them are thick eyebrows. Although he lavishes himself as a mouse, he has rat-like characteristics, such as sharp fangs and fingers, a large nose, and a long, pink tail. On his head, he wears a black top hat with a grey band, which covers his black combed hair. His suit includes a high white collar and a dark gray vest with buttons on it with a pink-and-purple striped cravat. On his hands are white gloves and cuffs with golden cufflinks. He is always seen carrying a gold cane.
However, when Ratigan becomes completely enraged, he becomes incredibly feral, running on all fours in a hunched position. His hair becomes messy and his clothes become torn exposing his intimidating physique as Ratigan becomes vicious as he obtains a more mouse-like appearance. His nails and teeth also grow longer and gnarly.
Appearances
The Great Mouse Detective
Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective.
Ratigan makes plans to take over the United Kingdom by replacing the Mouse Queen with a robotic fake built by a toymaker named Flaversham, whom he has Fidget kidnap. He will then have the real Queen fed to Felicia, ensuring his reign as permanent supreme ruler of all Mousedom. Although Flaversham is reluctant to help, Ratigan threatens to harm the former's daughter, Olivia, and this gets the prisoner back on course. He then reveals his plan to his followers, but not before having one gobbled up by Felicia for "insulting" him. Just as his plan is nearing completion, Basil and his new companion, Dr. David Q. Dawson, bring Olivia along and they are able to intervene in the final stages. Learning of their involvement from Fidget, Ratigan constructs a very complicated trap consisting a barrage of life-size weapons to pummel Basil and Dawson before leaving for Buckingham Palace with his thugs and the Robot Queen boxed in a package, flying off in his blimp. However, unbeknownst to Ratigan, Basil uses the trap to free himself, Dawson, and Olivia.
At Buckingham Palace, Ratigan's plan is set into motion. His thugs, disguised as guards, enter the Queen's room, where they unbox the package to reveal the Robot Queen, to the confusion of the real Queen. As the robot chases her, Ratigan reveals himself. The real Queen orders the "guards" to seize him, but Ratigan, shouting into a speaker built into the robot's controls that makes the Robot Queen speak, orders his thugs to seize the real Queen, then rings his bell to summon Felicia. As the Diamond Jubilee takes place, the Robot Queen names Ratigan as her new "Royal Consort", and Ratigan, dressed in an ornate robe, immediately presents himself in front of the gathered citizens of Mousedom, terrifying them. Ratigan then proceeds to read over his long list of tyrannical laws, one of which is a heavy tax policy for people he deems "parasites", such as the elderly, infirm, and even children.
Meanwhile, Basil, Dawson, and Olivia rush to the palace, arriving just in time to save the real Queen. Basil then takes control of the Robot Queen and reveals the scheme in front of the citizens, foiling Ratigan's plans. The citizens then ambush Ratigan and his thugs, but Ratigan fights off his attackers by shedding off his robe. Just then, Fidget reveals that he had captured Olivia again, and Ratigan, rushing over to Fidget, orders Basil, Dawson, and Flaversham to remain where they are, threatening to kill Olivia if they attempt to stop his escape. The three mice quickly rush outside the palace and improvise a flying apparatus to pursue Ratigan above the city. Fidget, who is pedaling Ratigan's blimp to speed it up, cannot take the extra weight and tells Ratigan they have to lighten the load, meaning to throw Olivia off the balloon. Ratigan, out of sheer bad temper, instead throws Fidget (who cannot fly) off the blimp and into the River Thames. With Fidget gone, Ratigan pedals the blimp himself, but Basil jumps onto the blimp, distracting Ratigan and causing the blimp to crash into one of the clock faces of Big Ben.
Ratigan in his vicious, highly feral state.
Inside the clock tower, after making a full recovery, Ratigan seizes Olivia in one hand, and prepares to ambush Basil, who notices him, and the two fight atop the gears of the clock tower. While Olivia bites Ratigan's hand, causing him to scream in pain and let go of her, Basil traps Ratigan by throwing his cape into the gears. The two mice then escape and Basil is able to take Olivia to safety. This finally sends Ratigan over the edge. Breaking free from the gears, he pursues Basil, tearing his clothes in the process and transforming from very formal and composed to highly aggressive and savage. He tackles Basil and they both fall onto the clock's hour hand; when it seems like the coast is clear and Basil can reunite Dawson and the Flavershams, Ratigan suddenly jumps up from behind and grabs Basil by the throat, finally ready to murder him. However, Basil breaks free and desperately struggles to reach the others and escape, but Ratigan blocks him and eventually corners the defenseless detective. His breaking point reached, Ratigan extracts his long, sharp claws and begins scratching, punching, and strangling Basil continuously. The attack leaves a weary Basil severely wounded with his clothes torn, until he is left dangling from the hand for dear life. Ready to finish him off for good, Ratigan knocks Basil off the clock hand and yells in triumph, thinking he has won. However, Basil calls out to him, declaring that, on the contrary, their game was not yet over. Ratigan glances down and sees Basil holding on to the broken blimp. Basil rings Ratigan's bell which he used to summon Felicia and Ratigan realizes that he stole the bell during the fight and already lost the battle. Suddenly as if on cue, the clock bell tolls, the vibration knocking Ratigan off balance, and he plunges off the hand, taking Basil with him, but Basil manages to save his own life with a piece of the blimp, while Ratigan plummets to his doom, never to be seen again.
His death later makes headlines in newspapers (via a sub-headline that reads "Time Runs Out for Ratigan"), one of which is kept by the fully-recovered Basil.
House of Mouse
Ratigan in House of Mouse.
Ratigan's most notable cameo was in the House of Mouse episode "Donald's Lamp Trade", in which he tries to lure Dr. Dawson with cheese on a mousetrap, but Basil stops Dawson and tells him it's a trap, at which point the nearby Ratigan groans, "Curses!" He is also seen with several other mice in "House of Scrooge".
Ratigan can also be spotted seated alongside other Disney villains and Fidget in recurring crowd shots. This shot is also included in Mickey's House of Villains, and though he and Fidget do not appear in the rest of the movie, it is possible that they are apart of the House of Mouse's takeover with the other Disney Villains.
In "The Mouse Who Came to Dinner" Ratigan can be seen sitting with other villains such as Hades, Maleficent, Shan Yu, Jafar, and the evil queen.
Other appearances
Professor Ratigan makes a cameo in Oliver & Company. During the song "Perfect Isn't Easy", he appears on a black-and-white photo at the very back of Georgette's portrait collection.
In the German and Italian follow-up comics, Ratigan is revealed to have survived the fall from Big Ben by using his cape like a parachute, than landing on a soft surface of a carriage roof. In later adventures, he plots his revenge against Basil.
In an episode of Quack Pack, Ratigan can be seen on the box art of criminal trading cards.
Video Games
Disney Heroes: Battle Mode
Ratigan is a playable character in Disney Heroes: Battle Mode. Ratigan is a Front-line Tank role hero. This game marks his debut as a playable character in a crossover RPG game. Ratigan's skills are: "Dinner is Served", "A Rat?!", "Fur-ocious Fury", "Claws Out!", "False King". These skills allow Ratigan to (in the order):
- Ratigan rings his bell summoning Felicia to attack. Felicia swipes with her huge claw hitting all enemies for some Normal Damage. If Ratigan is Berserk all enemies receive bonus Normal Damage. If Ratigan is not Berserk he Charms the Enemies with the highest Basic Damage for a few seconds.
- Ratigan becomes enraged, thinking someone called him a Rat gaining stacks of Endurance while his Basic Attacks deal an additional Normal Damage for a few seconds. If Ratigan is Berserk he will instantly use “Fur-ocious Fury”.
- Ratigan yells exaggeratedly and angrily at all enemies, Piercing and Studying them for a few seconds. Enemies Pierced and Studied lose Armor and deal less damage.
- If Ratigan is not Berserk and would take a hit that would KO him, instead he survives at 1 HP. For the next few seconds, he increases his Basic Damage and his Basic Attacks hit twice. While Ratigan’s above a percent of his Max HP, every few Basic Attacks he Charms the enemy with the highest Basic Damage for a few seconds.
- For every second that Ratigan is Berserk, he gains a percent of Attack and Movement Speed. Ratigan Heals for a percent of the Damage that Charmed enemies deal. Additionally, while they are Charmed, enemies gain a percent of Attack and Movement Speed. When Ratigan uses “A Rat?!" if he is not Berserk his bonus Normal Damage to his Basic Attacks is also given to Charmed enemies.
Ratigan has friendship campaigns with Monkey Fist and Negaduck.
Printed media
Comic books
In the European follow-up comics, Professor Ratigan is revealed to have survived the fall from Big Ben by using his cape like a parachute, than landing on a soft surface of a carriage roof. In later adventures, he plots his revenge against Basil.[1]
Descendants: Isle of the Lost
Professor Ratigan is one of the villains brought back to life to be imprisoned in the Isle of the Lost. It is mentioned once that he and his crew went to Ursula's Fish and Chips Store and every time they go there, Ursula chases him out.
Disney Parks
Ratigan was once a walkaround character at the Disney parks during the film's initial release. But he has been retired, rumor has it that it was because he frightened children. His last appearance to date was at a special event at the Magic Kingdom in 2004.
Gallery
Trivia
- Although Professor Ratigan's first name is not mentioned in the film, in the Basil of Baker Street book series it is revealed to be Padraic in Basil in Mexico.
- Furthermore, he is in fact, portrayed as a mouse with rat-like traits, as confirmed in the book Basil and the Pygmy Cats/Cave of Cats; in contrast to his depiction in the movie.
- Ratigan can easily be identified as a rat since he has five-fingered hands, while all the other mice have four fingers. Also, both the mice in the film, other popular culture, and real-life have thinner, fur-covered tails while Ratigan has a thick, pink, fleshy, segmented tail.
- Professor Ratigan is shown to have an animation flaw regards to his hands. Ratigan has five fingers yet during the battle sequence when he goes feral, the animation consistently switched between four and five fingers.
- Though not too noticeable, Ratigan actually seems to grow in size during his breakdown in Big Ben, and his claws are shown extending out of his hand. This transformation could be compared to that of a stereotypical werewolf.
- Vincent Price said that Professor Ratigan was his favorite role because he had two songs written for him.
- According to a deleted lyric in "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind", the Tower Bridge Job involved hurling several innocent mice into the River Thames and then shooting whoever attempts to come up to the surface.
- Despite his death, some European follow-up comics depict Ratigan as having survived the fall by using his cape like a parachute, than landing on a soft surface of a carriage roof.
- There is a level in Disney Heroes: Battle Mode called Ratigan Street, named after Ratigan.
- Ratigan was present in Frank Agones' unproduced pitch for a Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers reboot as a criminal mastermind in the past with a plot to destroy humanity that Fat Cat would have carried in present day.
- Ratigan is one of the few Disney animated villains to fall to his death, following the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty.
External links
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