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- “The name's Tigger! T-I-double-guh-ER! That spells Tigger!”
- ―Tigger introducing himself
Tigger is an energetic, anthropomorphic stuffed tiger belonging to Christopher Robin that first appeared in Disney's 1968 short film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. He is one of the best friends of Winnie the Pooh, with an affinity for bouncing.
Background
Tigger is a resident of the Hundred Acre Wood, residing in a literal tree house. When Tigger introduces himself, he often says the proper way to spell his name is: "T-I-double-guh-err, that spells Tigger." As Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day indicates, Tigger is Christopher Robin's latest stuffed toy, as the events of the short marks the first meeting between Tigger and Pooh Bear.
Along with his comedic personality and love of bouncing and pouncing, Tigger is known for his theme song, "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers", in during which he boasts that he is the only tigger in existence. Practically speaking, Tigger's "I'm the only one" statement comes from being the only "tigger" ever made, if one takes into consideration the fact that Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and such are all stuffed animals, and homemade ones at that, Tigger is, in fact, the only tigger. Though some Pooh media make reference to Tigger's relatives, The Tigger Movie reaffirms that Tigger is, indeed, the only one of his kind.
Personality
Tigger is arguably the most eccentric member of the Hundred Acre Wood. Overly energetic, reckless, and fairly thoughtless, Tigger is somewhat of a trouble-maker and causes a fair share of mishaps for both himself and his friends. To his core, however, Tigger is extremely loving and friendly; he means well and tries his best to be of support toward his friends, even if his efforts ends in some form of misfortune, such as in Christopher Robin, in which he takes Christopher Robin's papers from his briefcase and replacing them with things from the Hundred Acree Wood to remember him and his friends . He can also be considered the most social of the animals and is exceptionally eager to have his friends join in on his personal joy.
Tigger notably prides himself in being the only "tigger" in existence. This title has given him quite an ego, and he considers himself significantly handsome, debonair, the "greatest bouncer" in the Hundred Acre Wood. Such egotism is never meant to be malicious, but it often drives Tigger to act without much consideration toward others and it often frustrates people. In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, for example, he bursts into Pooh's home uninvited, takes his food (claiming he enjoys honey, only to rebuff after actually tasting it and realizing how sticky it is) and absentmindedly leaves Pooh in the state of fear over the mention of honey-stealing Heffalumps and Woozles.
Tigger's rambunctiousness is also directly linked to his relationship with Rabbit, who openly dislikes Tigger's various quirks and even works to knock the latter's ego's down a few times. Rabbit's aggression is often expressed without much notice, but in some cases (such as Piglet's Big Movie and Pooh's Heffalump Movie) Tigger has taken note and this leads to mild contention.
With his fun-loving nature and general innocence, Tigger is about as optimistic and carefree as Pooh himself. Rarely ever upset or depressed, Tigger tends to look on the brighter side of a situation; so much so, that he is somewhat obvious to the problems surrounding him. Nevertheless, he is not incapable of falling into a heavy state of vulnerability. His only significant phobia is that of heights—a crippling fear, and one that renders him incapable of even bouncing. He can also be rather insecure at times, with the confidence in his various assets simultaneously acting as his greatest weakness; when he's unable to perform his usual antics with a usual (if not greater) amount of ease, he instantly becomes emotional and openly self-loathing.
For all of his shortcomings, Tigger is very much the heart of the Hundred Acre Woods' social circle. While exuberant and boisterous, he gives levity to the fearfulness of Piglet, or the gloominess of Eeyore, by providing a sense of confidence, joy, and optimism.
Film appearances
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tigger is first seen on the segment Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. Late at night, Tigger introduces himself to Pooh, after having bounced into Pooh's house and onto Pooh. Tigger later attempts to eat Pooh's honey but dislikes it. Tigger then tells Pooh about Heffalumps and Woozles, who steal honey. Tigger leaves as fast as he came. Tigger is seen the next day, coming to Christopher Robin's house with Rabbit, Kanga and Roo to find safety from the flood. Afterward, he is shown celebrating at Pooh's first hero party and then again, singing along to "Hip-Hip-Poohray".
In the segment Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, Rabbit is seen becoming frustrated with Tigger's constant bouncing, especially when he ruins his garden. Rabbit makes a plan to lead Tigger into the deepest part of the woods and loses him there. This plan is foiled when Rabbit, along with Pooh and Piglet become lost in the mist themselves. Pooh and Piglet eventually find their own way home and run into Tigger. Tigger reveals that "Tiggers never get lost" and then rescues Rabbit, who is still lost in the mist.
During wintertime, Tigger comes to take his best friend Roo out to play. Tigger inadvertently reveals that he is afraid of heights when he and Roo bounce up a tree, and Tigger becomes to scared to come down. Rabbit, Christopher Robin, Pooh, Piglet, and Kanga all come to Tigger's rescue. While Roo is able to jump down to safety, Tigger remains stuck. Going so far as to promise not to bounce again, the Narrator finally helps Tigger to come down. Rabbit initially intends to hold Tigger to his word, but relents when he sees how sad Tigger and everyone else is. Tigger then sings his song as he teaches everyone how to bounce.
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
In this short film, Tigger is portrayed in a more antagonistic light, albeit childishly so.
While Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, and Roo are playing Poohsticks, they see Eeyore floating in the river below. After a somewhat successful attempt to get him to shore, he tells them that he fell in due to being bounced from behind, to which Piglet assumes to have been caused by Tigger. Sure enough, Tigger arrives on the scene, and he claims that his bounce was actually a cough, leading to an argument between him and Eeyore, but with some outside help from narrator Laurie Main, the animals find out that Tigger has indeed deliberately bounced Eeyore. Tigger says it was all a joke, but nobody else feels that way. Tigger disgustedly says that they have no sense of humor, and bounces away.
Tigger arrives again during Eeyore's birthday party, which angers Rabbit, who opines that Tigger should leave because of the way he treated Eeyore before. Roo wants Tigger to stay, and Christopher Robin's solution is for everyone to go to the bridge and play Poohsticks. Eeyore, being a first-time player, wins the most games out of everybody, while Tigger does not win at all, causing him to conclude that "Tiggers don't like Poohsticks". Eeyore's secret for winning, as he explains to Tigger afterward, is to "let [his] stick drop in a twitchy sort of way." As Tigger bounces Eeyore again, Pooh and Piglet decide that "Tigger's all right, really."
Pooh's Grand Adventure
In the sequel to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger is first seen failing to rescue Piglet, who is stuck on a high tree branch. This causes Tigger to question his bouncing.
Later, it is discovered that Christopher Robin is supposedly kidnapped, leaving only a letter as a warning of his fate. Pooh and friends embark on a perilous journey to rescue Christopher, with Tigger tagging along. During the adventure, the map leading to Christopher Robin's whereabouts is torn, with one piece drifting over a log across a ravine. Tigger chases after but is unable to reach it due to his weak bouncing of late. The log then tumbles further down the ravine, frightening Tigger to a standstill. Pooh and the others encourage him to bounce to safety, but due to his insecurities, Tigger refuses, resulting in a rescue mission. By the end, the log breaks, causing the gang to fall into the mud below.
Tigger is later given the chance to redeem himself when the group manages to find Christopher Robin within the vast inner workings of a skull cave. Unfortunately, the obstacle keeping them from reuniting with their friend is an impossible height. Tigger is able to gather the strength within his tail, and muster his courage to bounce each of his friends to the designated point, successfully leading to the "rescuing" of Christopher Robin, who revealed to have only been away at school for the day. With the misunderstanding that Owl created, cleared, the friends (including a reinvigorated Tigger) return to the Hundred Acre Wood.
The Tigger Movie
In this film, Tigger convinces the narrator to make himself the main character of the movie instead of Pooh. As the story goes, Tigger is sick of being the one and only Tigger in the Hundred Acre Wood and goes out to search for his 'real' family. After hearing about family trees from Owl, Tigger, who took the advice literally, tries to find a striped tree. When he finds none, he attempts to write a letter to his family. When no response comes, Tigger becomes lonely. Roo and friends try various methods to cheer him up, but they all fail. To make amends, they decide to write the response letter themselves.
Tigger, seemingly deceived by the letter, suggests it's from the family he thinks about, but when Pooh and friends dress up as costume Tiggers in an attempt to avoid disappointment, he discovers the truth. Nevertheless, Tigger refuses to give up hope for himself and sets off in a potentially deadly blizzard to find his 'true family', having felt betrayed by his friends. Pooh, Roo, Rabbit, Piglet, and Eeyore set out to find Tigger. They do but are nearly killed by an avalanche caused by Tigger's loud, frustrated shouting after Rabbit somewhat insults Tigger's goal. Tigger saves everyone by bouncing them into a branch of the tallest tree in the Hundred Acre Woods.
Tigger is still saddened about his family. At the end of the film, however, Christopher Robin explains to Tigger that Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Roo, and Kanga are his family. Tigger finally agrees to this and takes a family picture to place in an amulet now belonging to Roo, Tigger's little brother.
Piglet's Big Movie
At the start of the film, Tigger takes part in Pooh and Rabbit's plan to extract honey from the beehive. Tigger's job is to help Pooh act as a tree and hold a decoy hive to trap the bees. The plan goes downhill but their friend Piglet imprisons the bees saving everyone. Like everyone, Tigger fails to notice. When Piglet goes missing, Tigger and pals can't find him, Tigger joins in the big search.
In order to find him, the friends use Piglet's scrapbook filled with memories of the past (including one seen of him tearfully being reminded of the "family reunion" from The Tigger Movie). When Tigger and Rabbit get into an altercation they end up ripping the book. They repair enough to continue searching for Piglet. Tigger assists Rabbit, Roo, and Eeyore as they try to rescue Pooh from a deep drop down from a waterfall. They do but only with the help of Piglet. Tigger finally has a chance to thank his friend for all he's done and attends the party in celebration of Piglet.
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
Tigger is fast asleep in his tree house but is soon awaken by a loud noise. Tigger rushes to Rabbit and learns a Heffalump is in the woods. Tigger prepares himself to catch the beast and joins his friends on an expedition into the home of the Heffalumps, Heffalump Hallow. Tigger and Rabbit are separated by Pooh and Piglet and become trapped in one of their traps. After freeing themselves they hear the noise yet again. Tigger and his friends rush back home only to learn a Heffalump was in their home.
Oblivious to Tigger and his friends, a baby Heffalump has become friends with Roo and they are looking for Pooh and his friends to properly meet. After spotting Roo and the Heffalump, Tigger is angered, believing the Heffalump is trying to kill Roo. Along with Rabbit, Tigger attacks the young Heffalumps (named Lumpy) and makes an attempt to trap him. He manages to escape, but after Roo lands in trouble, Lumpy's mother arrives and saves the young kangaroo. Realizing Heffalumps aren't savage beasts, things are set straight and the inhabitants of both the Hundred Acre Woods and Heffalumps Hallow becomes friends. Tigger, especially, warmed up to the newfound unity after he learned Heffalumps love to bounce.
Tigger also appears in the sequel Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie, where he tells his friends about the Spookable, a creature that comes out every Halloween.
Winnie the Pooh
Tigger is first seen when Pooh has a very important thing to do. Tigger spotted a balloon with Pooh and pounced it, thinking it was attacking Pooh. Later on, Pooh finds a mysterious letter indicating (or at least according to Owl) that Christopher Robin has been captured by a ferocious beast known as the Backson. Like the others, Tigger fears the creature and joins the adventure to defeat the monster and rescue Christopher.
While the gang sets traps and bait, Tigger separated himself, believing only Tiggers can catch Backsons. Tigger attacks Eeyore, mistaking him for a Backson. Eeyore was left behind by the others because he couldn't keep up. Feeling bad for his friend, Tigger offers Eeyore a spot in his expedition making Eeyore "Tigger Two." Tigger dresses as the Backson to train Eeyore for battle. Eeyore escapes the scene, however, not wanting to join Tigger. Meanwhile, Pooh and the others accidentally trap themselves in a pit trap meant for the Backson and sends Piglet to Christopher Robin's house to find rope.
Piglet begins his search in the forest and runs into Tigger, still in his Backson costume. Piglet rushes away in fear, falling into the pit with Tigger falling behind. Fortunately, Pooh creates a latter using the textbook letters that fell into the pit whilst Piglet was running away from Tigger in his Backson costume. The friends are freed and reunite with Christopher Robin who was merely off on a day at school. In the end, Pooh finds Eeyore's lost tail and receives a large honey pot reward for its recovery. Tigger was animated by Andreas Deja and voiced again by Jim Cummings.
Christopher Robin
Tigger returns in the live-action film, taking place during Christopher Robin's adulthood. Though much older and worn by the time of the movie, Tigger is every bit as energetic and enthusiastic as he was when Christopher was a kid. When Pooh fears that an adult Christopher Robin has lost his way, Tigger joins him, Piglet and Eeyore in traveling to London to save their friend. Tigger easily becomes best friends with Madeline Robin, Christopher's daughter, as he teaches her how to bounce. Jim Cummings returns to voice Tigger in the film, and his design stays faithful to Milt Kahl's distinct interpretation (the most notable differences being his eyes, which are now green instead of black, his stripes, which are now orange instead of black, and his eyebrows, which are now white instead of black, which does share similar colors to that of the real Tigger doll owned by Christopher Robin Milne).
Other films
In Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo, Tigger attempts to help Rabbit get into the spirit of Easter, also acted as the Ghost of Christmas Past from The Christmas Carol.
Television
Welcome to Pooh Corner
In contrast to Tigger's other appearances, Welcome to Pooh Corner featured a life-size Tigger puppet operated by a person. He lives with Kanga and, like another series is close friends with Roo. He is also depicted as having a talent for art.
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tigger features as a main character in the animated series, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. In this series, Tigger is shown to live in his own home, a tree house. He has many episodes that revolve around him. Several episodes show that he has two alter egos: The Masked Offender (a mispronunciation of Masked Avenger), and Tigger, Private Ear, who was based on a detective story Tigger had heard.
In the episode "King of the Beasties", Christopher Robin is showing everyone their different relations (i.e. the animals they are based on). When Christopher Robin reveals that he is uncertain what Tigger is related to, Tigger assumes that he is related to a lion, and thus is the King of Beasts. "All's Well That Ends Wishing Well" reveals that Tigger has never had a birthday party. The friends decide to give him one, but Tigger becomes disappointed when his birthday wishes don't come true. Tigger and friends are later transported to a world where Tigger's birthday wishes can all come true.
A different side of Tigger is shown in "Stripes". Tigger becomes unsure of his identity when his stripes are washed off after a bath, as Tiggers are recognized by them. During the episode, Tigger tries being a rabbit, a bear, and a Christmas tree, but in the end, Eeyore tells Tigger that he is always the same person on the inside.
The Book of Pooh
Tigger was one of the main characters of the live-action series as an articulated puppet.
Following the adventures of Pooh and friends within the Hundred Acre Woods, Tigger served as the focus for several episodes, including "I Could Have Laughed All Night", where Tigger believe Kessie finds his laugh ridiculous, thus resulting in him vowing to never laugh again; "Could it Be Magic?", where Tigger decides to take up magic; and "The Autobiography of Tigger", and many others.
Notably, in "Tigger's Replacement", Tigger goes on a journey to get in contact with his wild self, leaving Piglet behind as a temporary replacement. However, after overhearing Rabbit commenting on Piglet being an improvement on the old Tigger, the latter decides to leave permanently.
In "Night of the Waking Tigger", Tigger believes he's spending too much time asleep and decides to spend his nights wide-awake from that point forward, which causes his friends to try to get him back to sleep.
House of Mouse
Tigger regularly made cameo appearances in the animated series, House of Mouse, often sitting alongside Pooh and the other characters from the franchise. During the opening, he can be seen bouncing throughout the crowd. He's also present whenever the running gag of the audience fleeing the club is utilized.
In "The Mouse Who Came to Dinner", Tigger was mentioned by Mortimer Mouse when the latter referred to Shere Khan as "Tigger's Evil Twin". In "Ask Von Drake", Tigger was present during the headcount of all the Disney character guests. In "Turkey Day", he was seen sitting alongside Eeyore and Piglet as the two commentated on the numerous events occurring before them after finishing their evening meals. In "House of Genius", he is seen mid-bounce waiting for Daisy to wait for his table along with the other guests, much to his and the other guest's annoyance. In Goofy's Menu Magic, he was seen yelling at Goofy when he asked if anyone wanted more stew, along with Pooh.
Tigger also made appearances in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse; most notably during Eeyore's stage speech and the finale song.
My Friends Tigger & Pooh
Tigger was one of the central characters for the animated series and was brought into the third dimension. Here, Tigger was part of a small mystery organization consisting of himself, Pooh Bear, a young girl named Darby, and her puppy Buster. Together, the team (known as the Super Sleuths), traveled throughout the Hundred Acre Woods to solve mysteries and problems revolving around both themselves and their friends.
Doc McStuffins
Tigger made a guest appearance in the episode "Into the Hundred Acre Wood!". While looking for Pooh with Piglet and Eeyore, he mistakes Stuffy for Pooh and bounces him.
Other shows
In The Mouse Factory, Tigger made recurring appearances in the live-action wrap-around skits alongside the other costumed characters and celebrity guests.
In the Aladdin episode "As the Netherworld Turns", Genie is playing Charades with Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Sultan. When it's the Sultan's turn, he pretends to be a monkey, which Genie guesses correctly. Pleased, he turns into Tigger, claiming "Guessing is what Genies do the best!"
Video games
Tigger's Honey Hunt
Tigger is the main character in this game. Here, Tigger went on a long journey through the entire Hundred Acre Woods to collect honey for a special party in honor of Pooh. Throughout the search, Tigger visited some of the well-known and unknown parts of the woods including a cave full of diamonds and jewels as well as Heffalumps.
Kingdom Hearts series
Tigger is a recurring character in the series that resides in the Hundred Acre Wood world.
Tigger makes his first chronological appearance in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep as a Command Board character, alongside Pooh.
In Kingdom Hearts, he appears in several minigames. He is often seen bouncing on tree stumps with Roo and even has his own "bouncing corner". He also ruined Rabbit's farm, bouncing on his carrots and lettuces.
Ge reappears in Chain of Memories as a recreation of Sora's memories in Castle Oblivion.
Then in Kingdom Hearts II, he is part of several more minigames. One involves him and Roo and takes place in Kanga's house. He is also an ally that helps Sora through the "Spooky Cave" mini-game.
Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Tigger appears in the game as an unlockable meet-and-greet character near the Splash Mountain exit in Critter Country. He also plays a major role in the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh mini-game. When Pooh gets trapped in one of Piglet's Woozle traps, Tigger feels that a Woozle is still out and about, and plans on scaring the Woozles away with the help of the player.
Disney INFINITY
Tigger appears as a walk around, non-playable character in the form of one of the townspeople.
Disney Parks
In the Disney theme parks around the world, Tigger is a very common character who usually appears with Pooh or Eeyore, and occasionally Piglet and Rabbit.
Tigger appears in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as an audio-animatronic. Tigger is first seen after the Blustery Day and Honey Tree sections and bounces with the riders and eventually introduces the Heffalumps and Woozles scene. In the Walt Disney World and Hong Kong Disneyland versions of the attraction, Tigger's voice work is done by the late Paul Winchell while in Disneyland, it's done by Jim Cummings.
Disneyland Resort
Tigger appeared in the World of Color pre-show as a large puppet with a flashy body system along with Lumière, Sebastian, Genie, and Mike Wazowski. Some of the puppets were later used in the Paint the Night parade at the Disneyland park.
In the 2015 rendition of World of Color, Tigger made a cameo appearance during the opening sequence, in honor of Walt Disney.
For meet-and-greets, Tigger can be found in Critter Country.
Walt Disney World
In Florida, Tigger can be found in the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland, the Crystal Palace buffet, and the United Kingdom Pavilion in Epcot for meet-and-greets.
Tigger's voice can be heard during Once Upon a Time at the Magic Kingdom, where he introduces the Heffalumps and Woozles.
In the game show "Win, Lose or Draw" during Disney World Week, Tigger is seen on a sailboat with host Bert Convy.
Tokyo Disney Resort
In Pooh's Hunny Hunt, Tigger bounces along with the audience while singing "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers".
Shanghai Disneyland
In Shanghai, Tigger is one of the characters part of Garden of the Twelve Friends, representing the Chinese Zodiac symbol of the tiger. He also appears during Mickey's Storybook Express.
Gallery
Trivia
- Tigger has his own theme song, "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers", written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
- In Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, Pleakley is wearing a Tigger slipper.
- Walt Disney originally intended for Tigger to be voiced by Wally Boag, though after Walt's death in 1966, the part ended up going to Paul Winchell.
- Other actors who were considered for the role was Paul Frees, Don Messick, and Daws Butler.
- In animation, Tigger's nose is pink. In his walkaround costume, his nose is black, though the Disney Live version's is pink also, and in puppetry, it's red.
- Tigger's departing comment of "T.T.F.N." or "Ta-ta for now" has become widely used as Internet shorthand for users departing from chat rooms and other live discussions.
- In the pre-1997 Disney presentations, Tigger was originally voiced by Paul Winchell. Winchell died June 24, 2005; John Fiedler, the voice of Piglet in most of those films, died the next day.
- Tigger's "birthday" is believed to be in October 1928, the year that The House at Pooh Corner was first published. On Tigger-related merchandise, Disney often indicates Tigger's birth year as 1968, a reference to the first year that Tigger appeared in a Disney production.
- Tigger also makes an appearance in the anti-drug movie Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue with many other 1980's animated stars.
- It is ironic that Tigger appeared in two Disney on Ice shows, Great Ice Odyssey and Snow White as well as skating in "Round My Family Tree".
- The My Friends Tigger & Pooh episode "How the Tigger Lost His Stripe" reveals he named the stripes on his tail, in order:
- "Springy" (second stripe)
- "Whirly" (sixth stripe)
- "Swirly" (fourth stripe)
- "Curly" (top stripe)
- "Bouncy" (bottom stripe)
- "Flouncy" (fifth stripe)
- "Leapy" (seventh stripe)
- "Oomphry" (third stripe)
- Tigger's current voice actor, Jim Cummings, also provides the voice of Pooh himself.
- In "A Pooh Day Afternoon", it's revealed he can do an impression of a horn honk and a bottle of pop.
- Paul Winchell created Tigger's voice by using his ventriloquist dummy, Knucklehead Smiff; as he stated in recent interviews Paul did in 2004.
References
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