| “ | You still think you can interfere with my destiny? Ha! This is my forest. Mine. Just as it always should have been. Now why don't you save us all a lot of trouble and hand over the crown? | „ |
| ~ Rothbart to the Fairy Queen. |
| “ | How can this be?! No… NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! | „ |
| ~ Rothbart after being overwhelmed by the Magic Crystal's power. |
| “ | (Odile: Hey, doesn't anybody care that I am allergic to dust?) You.... you think you've got problems? | „ |
| ~ Rothbart, as a cuckoo clock, also his last words. |
Rothbart is the main antagonist in the 2003 direct-to-DVD animated Barbie film Barbie of Swan Lake. He is the cousin of the Fairy Queen and father of Odile.
He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer, who also played Harold Attinger in Transformers: Age of Extinction, Stinky Pete in Toy Story 2, Hunter in Storks, and Sideshow Bob in The Simpsons.
Biography[]
Years ago, Rothbart and his cousin, the Fairy Queen lived peacefully together under their uncle, the King. However, when it came time to select his successor, the King chose the Fairy Queen over Rothbart. Incensed at being passed over as the new ruler of the Enchanted Forest, Rothbart swore revenge and jealously and fled the Enchanted Forest. During his time in exile, he delved into the dark arts and black magic in hopes of using it to attain what he felt was rightfully his. He also married at some point and gained his first child in his daughter Odile, but his wife presumably divorced him afterwards due to being unable to remain with him as he continued his studies into the dark arts and black magic, leaving him to raise Odile on his own.
After several years, he returned to the Enchanted Forest, and using his new dark powers, began taking it over. With each area he conquered and ally of the Fairy Queen he cursed with his dark magic, not only did his powers grow stronger, but the Fairy Queen's magic grew weaker, unable to fully reverse the curse on her subjects, but at least partially reverse it so they returned to their original forms during the night, but became their cursed selves during the day. Rothbart soon learned of a prophecy of a young woman who would release the Magic Crystal from where it was embedded and use it to overthrow him and undo his damage to the Enchanted Forest. Because of that, he sent out spies to keep their eyes open for this Chosen One who would stop his conquest.
After some time, this destined Chosen One entered the Enchanted Forest and freed the Magic Crystal to help the talking unicorn Lila after she snared the remains of the rope noose a hunter had tried to catch her with around a tree branch and couldn't untangle it. This young woman, named Odette, who was the younger daughter of the town baker in the nearby kingdom, did not want any part in her destiny to stop Rothbart and tried to go home, but Rothbart and Odile stopped her before she could leave the Enchanted Forest. Knowing it was too dangerous to let her leave after all she learned from her short visit in the Enchanted Forest, Rothbart did to Odette what he had done to so many of the Fairy Queen's subjects, and cursed her with turning her into a swan. The Fairy Queen intervened and was able to reverse the curse partially so Odette regained her human form during the night, but became a swan again by day. However, Rothbart then tried to kill Odette, but the Magic Crystal protected her from any fatal spells Rothbart aimed at her. Disgruntled, but not defeated, Rothbart retreated to plan how to remove Odette's protection from the Magic Crystal. He decided to lure Prince Daniel from Odette's home to the Enchanted Forest to hunt and kill her, but when Daniel saw Odette, he could not bring himself to do it, and fell in love with her as soon as he saw her human self. Rothbart knew this was a problem, but he needed to find out how to counteract it before it ruined his plans.
Later, when the Fairy Queen is teaching Odette how to waltz for her upcoming dance with Daniel at the ball he invited her to, Rothbart kidnaps Erasmus the Troll, acquiring the vital book that carried the information on how to defeat Rothbart, but also the counter to it, right in front of them. The Fairy Queen tries to save Erasmus, but his kidnapping further saps her strength and magic, leaving her further weakened. With the book in hand, Rothbart learns that if Daniel professes his love to Odette, the Magic Crystal's full power will be awakened and he's done for, but if Daniel professes his love to another, Odette will be left near death's door and the Magic Crystal will be depleted of its power, leaving it ripe for the taking. Using this to his advantage, Rothbart disguises himself as Odette's father, the town baker, while disguising Odile as Odette, but ordering her to keep silent to avoid blowing the ruse since Daniel recognized Odette's voice and if Odile speaks, he'll realize the deception.
Heading to the ball, Rothbart watches as Odile dances with Daniel, and when Daniel professes his love to "Odette", Rothbart reveals the ruse and how Daniel just sealed Odette's fate, before taking his leave with Odile, arriving out on the balcony to find an unconscious Odette there, critically weakened thanks to the Magic Crystal having lost its power. Taking the gem and placing it on his tie knot, Rothbart is soon confronted by a furious Daniel over tricking him like that. Despite having the advantage in his magic versus Daniel's weapons, Rothbart soon accidentally hits Odile with one of his spells, turning her into a pig. Despite his horror at what he did to his daughter, when Rothbart sees the Fairy Queen arrive to retrieve Odette and flee back to the Enchanted Forest, enraged, he takes off in pursuit.
Chasing them back to the Enchanted Forest, Rothbart soon crashes the Fairy Queen's carriage. The Fairy Queen takes a desperate chance, despite her depleted powers, to face Rothbart to protect Odette, but before she can strike first, Rothbart is faster on the draw, and turns her into a mouse, thus finally dealing with his cousin once and for all. Although the Fairy Queen's followers try to take a stand against Rothbart themselves, he soon forces them into retreat as well, proving too powerful for them. Finally, Daniel arrives in pursuit to confront Rothbart, but his weapons are no match for the sorcerer. Odette soon comes to and rushes to Daniel's side, but without the Magic Crystal's protection anymore, she is vulnerable. Seizing the moment, Rothbart fires what is potentially a fatal spell at Daniel and Odette, and lands a direct hit. The two fall to the ground, apparently dead, with Odette falling on top of Daniel, their hands holding each other tightly as a gesture of true love and willing to sacrifice themselves to protect each other.
Unaware of this, Rothbart believes he's won and prepares to carry out the rest of his conquest, as the Magic Crystal glows blood red with his dark power, but suddenly, the glow from the Magic Crystal turns a vibrant and power of good bright pink, paralyzing Rothbart and lifting him into the air against his will. Realizing his last attack and Daniel and Odette's willingness to die together constituted an act of true love, the thing he had been avoiding letting come to pass, Rothbart can only scream in horror and anguish as he is overtaken and overwhelmed by the Magic Crystal's full power being awoken and his reign of terror is brought to an end. His manor in the swampy area of the Enchanted Forest collapses into the water as the area is freed of his dark influence and comes back to life, the Fairy Queen is restored to her human form with all her powers fully restored, her followers are freed of their curses, and Daniel and Odette soon awaken, healthy and unharmed. Afterwards, the kingdom and the Enchanted Forest celebrate, with Daniel and Odette slated to be married.
As for Rothbart, while his daughter Odile gets off easy with being assigned as a maid to clean up Erasmus' library, Rothbart is cursed to be a cuckoo clock, permanently stuck in his bird form, for the foreseeable future.
Relationship[]
Allies[]
- Odile (daughter)
- The Fairy Queen (formerly)
- Unnamed king (formerly)
Enemies[]
- Princess Odette (archenemy)
- The Fairy Queen (archenemy)
- Prince Daniel (attempted victim)
- Kelly
- Lila
- Queen Mother
- Eramus
- Reggie
- Jenny
- Liana
- Marisa
- Carlita
- Ivan
- Marie
- The Baker
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- Rothbart is one of the most powerful villains in the Barbie franchise, the first being Mouse King from Barbie in the Nutcracker.
- He was based on on Von Rothbart from the Russian ballet Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
- The junior novelization of the movie omits the epilogue that shows him as a cuckoo clock and Odile as a maid. It instead outright states that Rothbart is gone for good after being destroyed by the Magic Crystal's power, indicating he died in that adaptation.
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 Villains
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Barbie as Sleeping Beauty Barbie in the Nutecracker Barbie as Rapunzel Barbie of Swan Lake Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper Barbie Fairytopia/Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia/Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus The Barbie Diaries Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses Barbie as The Island Princess Barbie: Mariposa/Mariopsa and the Fairy Princess Barbie & the Diamond Castle Barbie in A Christmas Carol Barbie presents: Thumbelina Barbie and The Three Musketeers Barbie in A Mermaid Tale Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale Barbie: A Fairy Secret Barbie: Princess Charm School Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar Barbie in the Pink Shoes Barbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale Barbie: The Pearl Princess Barbie and the Secret Door Barbie in Princess Power Barbie in Rock 'N Royals Barbie & Her Sisters in A Great Puppy Adventure Barbie: Spy Squad Barbie: Starlight Adventure Barbie: Video Game Hero Barbie: Dolphin Magic Barbie: Princess Adventure Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures Barbie: It Takes Two Barbie: Mermaid Power Barbie (2023) Barbie: A Touch of Magic | ||