| “ | I know how it feels to be caged. I would never wish that upon another soul. | „ |
| ~ Chris Morris after helping Gumball and Darwin Watterson avoid punishment. |
Chris Morris is a minor antagonist in the animated series The Amazing World of Gumball.
The pet hamster at Elmore Jr. High, Principal Brown entrusts Gumball and Darwin Watterson with the responsibility of caring for him over a weekend (in "The Burden," Chris' only major role). The duo mistakenly believe they've brought him home, only to later discover they've been tending to a clump of Brown's hair. Upon returning to the school to retrieve the real Chris, they find him hiding in the building, having escaped his cage.
Despite his unassuming appearance, Chris proves to be rather cunning and ruthless as he antagonizes Gumball and Darwin to prevent the two from catching him. Still, he ultimately just wants to be free and ends up befriending the Watterson brothers before they set him off in the wilderness.
Appearance[]
Chris is a grotesque-looking hamster with gray-brown fur covering most of his body, with numerous thin spikes and hairs protruding outward. His appearance is overall disheveled, crude, frail and sickly. He also has two small, thin ears coming from the top of his head.
He has red, puffy areas around his pale, green eyes that appear swollen and a large, grey snout with small, visible nostrils. He has a small mouth at the bottom of the face with two, off-white, sharp teeth. Two thin arms come from the sides of his body, and his hands and wrists are pink and reddish.
Biography[]
"The Burden"[]
| “ | You kept me imprisoned for an eternity. But today, at the sunset of my life, I shall walk proud and free; to a new life of happiness and abundance, and I shall see the daylight once more. | „ |
| ~ Chris Morris upon escaping. |
While in Principal Brown's office, Gumball and Darwin are given the task of looking after Chris Morris, the school hamster, by Brown himself. Chris is shown in a cage, appearing frail, infirm, and absent-minded, much to Gumball and Darwin's dismay. Brown mentions that Chris hasn't been taken out of his cage in six years (since he was born) and asks them to take exceptionally good care of him. However, Brown accidentally drops Chris on the floor and unknowingly replaces him with a clump of his own hair. Gumball and Darwin leave with a cage containing only hair, Brown exits his office, and the now-free Chris Morris declares his intention to defy his lifelong imprisonment to live a happy life.
Gumball and Darwin spend time caring for the clump of hair before it's destroyed, causing them to realize that the real Chris Morris has been at the school all weekend. The two decide they must put Chris back in his cage before anyone finds out, but Chris overhears this from inside the school and mutters, "Forget you." Gumball and Darwin break in and spot Chris at the end of a hallway. He picks up a broom and drops it on the fire alarm, putting Gumball and Darwin at risk. The two chase after him but have to "adapt to his speed" because he moves exceptionally slowly. Gumball and Darwin can't proceed due to Donut Cop, Principal Brown, and Miss Simian investigating the false alarm, but they notice Chris Morris heading to the science lab. He puts an "L" sign on his forehead, offending Gumball and Darwin, who try to beat him to the lab.
However, it's a trap, as Chris Morris has rigged an explosion in the lab to kill Gumball and Darwin. They narrowly escape but are still burned by the blast. Gumball is enraged and flies throughout the school, grabbing Chris Morris and ending up in Brown's office. Chris bites Gumball's finger to release his grip, causing him to scream, which alerts Donut Cop, Brown, and Simian. The investigating trio enter the office, but Chris ends up protecting Gumball and Darwin by advising them to hide in the closet with him. He explains that he did it because he knows how it feels to be caged and would never wish it upon another soul. The three of them decide to allow Chris Morris's escape and use Brown's hair as a decoy in the hamster cage.
| “ | My time has come. Finally, I am one with the sun. Today, my journey is complete. (…) Huh? Weird. Oh well, maybe another day then. | „ |
| ~ Chris Morris before his departure. |
Gumball and Darwin set Chris free in a field of grass, where the hamster attempts to die peacefully while lying out in the sun. However, he survives, so he instead wanders off. Gumball and Darwin watch tearfully, but because Chris moves so slowly, they leave early.
Other[]
In "The Matchmaker," Chris Morris is referenced by Teri as one of the characters Darwin had kissed in the past. In "Vote Gumball…and Anyone?" of the Gumball Chronicles mini-series, Chris runs as Juke's running mate during the race for school president. According to a direct message by Richard Overall, Chris Morris eventually returned to his role as a school pet after the events of "The Burden," with many students taking him home and caring for him. Chris formed a particularly close friendship with Juke due to the pair both being comfortable communicating non-verbally. [1]
Videos[]
References[]
Trivia[]
- His name could be a reference to the British writer/actor Chris Morris.
