Rhino (James and the Giant Peach)

Villain Overview Gallery

Evil-doer
Full Name	Unknown
Alias	The Rhino The Rhinoceros The Cloud Monster The Cloud Rhino Smoke and Noise
Origin	James and the Giant Peach
Occupation	Embodiment of James' fear
Powers / Skills	Electrokinesis Growing stronger through fear Umbrakinesis Dream control Flight
Hobby	Scaring James. Riding clouds. Feeding off fear.
Goals	Grow strong enough with James' eternal fear of it. Rule over James' nightmares forever (both failed).
Crimes	Murder Attempted pedicide Child abuse Abuse of power
Type of Villain	Symbolic Monger

“	You're not even a real rhino! You're just a lot of smoke and noise! I'm not afraid of you!	„
	~ James to the Rhino.

The Rhino (also commonly known as the Rhinoceros) is a minor antagonist from the 1961 children's novel James and the Giant Peach by the late Roald Dahl and the overarching antagonist in the 1996 Disney live-action/stop-motion animated film of the same name.

Its vocal sound effects were provided by Frank Welker.

Personality

The book showed the Rhino as a savage animal that ate people like a carnivore, similar to that of an alligator or possibly a giant snake. However, like all rhinoceroses, the Rhino is still a herbivore, as it feeds on plants.

In the movie, the Rhino appeared to be a sadistic and intimidating monster when it haunted James' dreams.

Appearance

In the book, the creature is an actual rhinoceros with a carnivorous appetite that escaped from the zoo and killed James' parents.

In the film, the Rhino is a giant black cloud that is shaped like a rhinoceros with glowing yellow eyes.

History

In the book

The rhino is a normal rhinoceros that escaped from the London Zoo and has eaten James' parents when they attended.

In the film

Despite being the overarching antagonist, its role in the film is small. The Rhino is a demonic force of nature that came out of nowhere and gobbled up James' parents before he ended up with the two nasty aunts named Spiker and Sponge.

Spiker and Sponge used the Rhino to scare James. It is unknown whether it was once a real rhinoceros when it killed James' parents or if it is just an ominous spirit that haunts James (the second possibility is much more likely since actual rhinoceroses are herbivores and do not eat meat).

That night, James had a nightmare about his aunts who came to attack him with their pesticide weapon in order to summon their rhino. He ran away from them, rushes into a tunnel-like can of turnip soup and hides inside a rock, and then their rhino catches him.

“	Mr. Grasshopper: Could it be! Mr. Centipede: No, it can't be! James: It's the Rhino!	„
	~ James, Mr. Grasshopper, and Mr. Centipede's exchange after seeing that the Rhino has appeared once again.

When James and his insect friends finally reach New York, the destructive Rhino appears and tries to slow down their progress. Slowly, it approaches the giant peach, using the power of fear. When James manages to muster up the courage to say that he is no longer afraid of the Rhino, it attempts to get closer to James before weakly shooting its final lightning bolt at the Giant Peach until the Rhino and the clouds dissolve away and he dies.

It is later revealed that James' insect friends are still alive and have survived the thunderous Rhino's lightning bolt thanks to the remaining seagulls after the giant peach finally landed in New York, and they proceed to get rid of Spiker and Sponge and rescue James.

Powers and Abilities

• Intangibility: The Rhino's body is made of clouds, so it probably cannot be physically harmed.
• Atmokinesis: The Rhino seems to have the ability to control the weather, because when it is seen, a strong wind comes and a destructive storm cloud appears, and when it arrives, lightning appears afterwards followed by thunder.
• Fear Embodiment: The Rhino also uses fear as a weapon; the more a person fears it, the stronger it gets. In fact, it represents James' fear.

Enemies

• James
• James' parents
• Earthworm
• Glowworm
• Mrs. Ladybug
• Mr. Grasshopper
• Ms. Spider
• Mr. Centipede

Trivia

• Although it is the overarching antagonist, the Rhino turned out to be more dangerous than Spiker and Sponge.

Navigation

Villains

Books James and the Giant Peach: Aunt Sponge & Aunt Spiker | Rhino | Cloud Men Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Arthur Slugworth | Veruca Salt | Mike Teavee The Magic Finger: The Girl Fantastic Mr. Fox: Boggis, Bunce and Bean | Rat Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator: Vermicious Knids Danny, the Champion of the World: Mr. Victor Hazell The Enormous Crocodile: Enormous Crocodile The Twits: Mr. and Mrs. Twit George's Marvellous Medicine: Grandma The BFG: Giants (Fleshlumpeater, Bloodbottler, Bonecruncher, Meatdripper & Gizzardgulper) Revolting Rhymes: Big Bad Wolf | Jack's Mother | Little Red Riding Hood | Miss Maclahose | Ugly Sisters The Witches: Witches (Grand High Witch, The Woman in Black, Beatrice, Henrietta & Elizabeth) Dirty Beasts: Crocky-Wock | Stingaling Boy: Tales of Childhood: Headmaster of Llandaff Cathedral School | Mrs. Pratchett | Captain Hardcastle The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me: The Cobra Matilda: Agatha Trunchbull | Harry Wormwood Rhyme Stew: Jock McFadden | Lord Hellespont | The Emperor | The Witch The Minpins: Red-Hot Smoke-Belching Gruncher Movies Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Arthur Slugworth The Witches: Witches (Grand High Witch, Susan Irvine, Nicola Cuttle, Pamela, Lois Leffour, Mildred, Elizabeth, Henrietta, Jacqueline & Beatrice) James and the Giant Peach: Aunt Sponge | Aunt Spiker | Rhino | Skeleton Pirates | Shark Matilda: Agatha Trunchbull | Harry Wormwood | Zinnia Wormwood | Michael Wormwood Fantastic Mr. Fox: Boggis, Bunce and Bean | Rat The BFG: Giants (Fleshlumpeater, Bloodbottler & Bonecruncher)

Villains

Movies Beetlejuice: Beetlejuice | Sandworms Batman (1989): Joker | Bob Hawkins | Joker Goons | Alicia Hunt | Carl Grissom | Max Eckhardt | Vinnie Ricorso | Joe Chill | Edward Scissorhands: Jim Batman Returns: Penguin | Red Triangle Circus Gang (Organ Grinder, Poodle Lady, Tattooed Strongman, Stungun Clown, Thin Clown, Fat Clown, Sword Swallower & Knifethrower Dame) | Max Shreck | Catwoman The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie Boogie | Lock, Shock and Barrel Batman Forever: Riddler | Two-Face | Sugar | Spice | NygmaTech (Frogmen) | Neon Gang (Neon Gang Leader) | Salvatore Maroni James and the Giant Peach: Aunt Sponge | Aunt Spiker | Rhino | Skeleton Pirates | Shark Batman & Robin: Poison Ivy | Mr. Freeze | Bane | Snowy Cones Thugs | Golums | Jason Woodrue Mars Attacks!: Martian Leader | Martians (Martian Ambassador & Martian Girl) Sleepy Hollow (1999): Lady Van Tassel | Headless Horseman | Reverend Steenwyck Planet of the Apes (2001): General Thade | Attar | Limbo Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Arthur Slugworth Corpse Bride: Barkis Bittern | Maudeline Everglot Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: Sweeney Todd | Mrs. Lovett | Judge Turpin | Beadle Bamford | Jonas Fogg | Adolfo Pirelli 9: Fabrication Machine | 1 | 8 | Machines (Cat Beast, Winged Beast, Seamstress, Steel Behemoths, Seeker Drones & Spiderbots) | Chancellor Fredinand | The Chancellor's Party Alice in Wonderland (2010): Red Queen | Knave of Hearts | Card Soldiers | The Jabberwock | Jubjub Bird | Hamish Ascot Dark Shadows: Angelique Bouchard | Julia Hoffman Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Adam Frankenweenie: Mr. Whiskers | Shelley | Were-Rat | Sea Monkeys | Mr. Burgermeister Big Eyes: Walter Keane Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Mr. Barron | Malthus Dumbo (2019): V.A. Vandevere | Neils Skellig | Pink Elephants | Rufus Sorghum