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What's the matter? You scared of grasshoppers? You don't like Thumper?
~ Hopper preparing to feed Dot to Thumper
No! Bad Grasshopper! BAD Grasshopper! GO HOME!
~ Dot demanding that Thumper leaves.

Thumper is the secondary antagonist of Pixar's 2nd full-length animated feature film A Bug's Life.

He is an unhinged, feral grasshopper who acts like a guard dog and serves as the pet and right-hand of Hopper. He is also Dot's arch-nemesis.

His vocal sound effects were provided by Frank Welker, who also played Stripe in Gremlins, M.E.L. in Super Ducktales, The Hawk in Rango, Sabor in Tarzan and The Dogs in Chicken Run. In the outtakes, he was voiced by the late David Lander, who also played Smartass in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Brickster in Lego Island.

Appearance[]

Thumper is depicted as a slender grasshopper who in his debut had a leash and collar like a dog and the shape of his head vaguely resembles a human skull compared with the rest of other grasshoppers' heads. He has exceptionally sharp teeth.

Personality[]

Thumper is very temperamental and psychotic, snarling at ants for no particular reason and seeming very eager to tear anyone apart at the seams, and getting even worse when angered by something. He is known for being primal and animalistic in terms of both mannerisms and intellect, being generally used as Hopper's pet and right-hand man, with many of the ants and even other grasshoppers being scared of him. Unlike Hopper, there is no indication that he cares about anyone but himself, as he decides to abandon Hopper when the going gets tough. Although in the brief scene at the grasshoppers' home, Thumper was also as shocked as everyone else when Hopper buries a few henchmen alive. Despite his feral aggressions Thumper is nothing more but a coward trying to pretend to be hostile when he realizes he can't face brutes like the circus bug Dim (who had enough with Thumper abusing Flik earlier and trying to antagonize Dot) after that his spirt is broken and will always flee like a weaker prey.

History[]

Thumper first appears at the beginning of the film with the other grasshoppers, held on a leash. In order to maintain control over the ants, Hopper captures Princess Dot and brings her really close to Thumper, who is snarling and growling, causing fear and panic for the ants, especially Dot, who seems to be traumatized by the encounter. Then Flik yells at Hopper to let her go. Hopper's response is to double the food order for the grasshoppers before flying off with the other grasshoppers.

Thumper is later seen at the grasshoppers' home, laughing with the other grasshoppers when Hopper expresses concern about Flik standing up to him. Then, after Hopper presumably kills three grasshoppers and told the others that the ants outnumbered them 100 to 1 and that they are going back to keep them in line, Thumper even appeared aghast at Hopper's viciousness. Thumper and the grasshoppers then flew to the anthill.

When Hopper was dissatisfied with the food, he orders that every scrap of food on the island be given to him and Thumper is shown growling at the ants to scare them. When Princess Dot goes to find Flik, Thumper finds her and chases her until he pushes her off a rock (which, to the ants, is a cliff) to her supposed death. Thumper snickers before flying away, only for Dot to emerge, flying for the first time.

Thumper is shown growling at Manny when he tries to do a circus act on the Queen, but Hopper tells him not to. Then a model bird the ants made is unleashed, scaring the grasshoppers, only for P. T. Flea to set it on fire; in doing this he accidentally aids Hopper. When it is revealed that it was Flik's idea to build the bird, Hopper orders Thumper to attack him. When the ants revolt due to being inspired by Flik’s bravery and kindness, Thumper tries to scare Dot one last time, only to be slapped in the face by her and being called a "bad grasshopper" and told to go home. Enraged, Thumper snarls at Dot, but only for Dim to land behind her and roar at him like an obstreperous Tyrannosaurus rex. Scared out of his wits, Thumper immediately flies off with the other grasshoppers, whimpering like a cowardly dog.

As with the other grasshoppers, it is unclear where Thumper and his fellows went after their defeat and Hopper's death at the beak of the bird, but it is likely that they went back to the home where they came from during the middle of the film.

Audio Samples[]

Quotes[]

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. C-Can we cut? It's just that I-I don't think I'm coming across. Hmm, Oh, oh, I know, I know! I could lather up a bunch of spit! Ooh, ooh, that's what! I got it, J.L.! All right, one more for me!
~ Thumper breaking character in a blooper reel.

Gallery[]

render[]

Images[]

Videos[]

Trivia[]

  • It is possible that Thumper may only attack or act feral towards ants, because he can be seen at the grasshoppers' home laughing along with a crowd of other grasshoppers and at Hopper explaining how the ants might stand up to them.
  • Thumper acts as if he wants to eat Dot. However, grasshoppers are actually herbivorous in real life.
  • Thumper may actually be a locust as grasshoppers will become locust when there’s not enough food and act more wild and feral.
  • Although Thumper is supposed to resemble a dog, several of his vocalizations are derived from clips of primates, such as baboons and chimpanzees.
  • Thumper's ironic name was completely intended as the director of the film, John Lasseter, named him after his favorite character from Disney's Bambi and just loved tasting the irony of it.
  • Before development of the film started, John Lasseter initially considered Thumper to have a speaking role, voiced by the late Rik Mayall.
    • While Thumper does not speak in the film itself, he does in its end credits' "bloopers".

External Link[]

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