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Rabbit is a character from the Winnie the Pooh franchise, making his first Disney appearance in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. He was voiced by Junius Matthews in the first film, then by Ray Erlenborn in Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons, then by Will Ryan in both Welcome to Pooh Corner and A Day For Eeyore, then by the late Ken Sansom in later television shows until his death in 2012, and most recently by Tom Kenny in the 2011 film.
Personality
Rabbit is a complex character. He is shown to value organization and order. However he is easily frustrated, often due to the chaos caused (unintentionally) by his friends. Rabbit's greatest concern is his garden, which is works on constantly, and he is easily annoyed when it is tampered with. Tammy the Babysitter
When faced with the annoying actions of another (often Tigger), Rabbit often resorts to harsh measures and plans to punish the offender; such measures usually backfire on Rabbit. Rabbit is often shown to be the one to take charge of a situation, but he can often be a control freak, needing every last detail to be to his liking.
However, Rabbit does have a softer side, and will do anything to help another when he is needed.
Film appearances
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Rabbit first appears in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. Pooh invites himself over for lunch after he fails to get honey from a honey tree. Rabbit's horrified reaction implies that this happens often, but though Rabbit pretends he isn't home, Pooh comes in the back door. Resignedly, Rabbit offers his honey to Pooh, which results in Pooh eating so much that he becomes stuck in Rabbit's front door. After getting Christopher Robin's assistance, they realize that the only solution is to wait for Pooh to get thin again, so that he can be removed.
Rabbit attempts to make the most of it, by decorating Pooh's lower half. Later, he stops Gopher from giving Pooh honey, as he worries it would delay Pooh's removal. When Pooh budges one day, he excitedly tell Christopher Robin. After a tug of war, Pooh is removed from the doorway, much to Rabbit's relief.
In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Rabbit is seen harvesting his garden. Though he is initially worried when Pooh is dragged though, he changes his attitude when he realizes that Pooh has essentially harvested all his carrots for him and wonders if he can do the same to his rutabaga patch. That night, he is forced to go to Christopher Robin's home as a result of the flood.
Rabbit with Tigger in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.
In the third segment, Rabbit has grown annoyed by Tigger's constant bouncing. He hold a meeting consisting of himself, Pooh, and Piglet. His intent is to take Tigger into the mists and lose him there, which would supposedly humble Tigger. However, the plan fails. Rabbit himself grows hopelessly lost, and Tigger retrieves him, announcing happily that Tigger's never get lost.
Later on, when Tigger is stuck in a tree, Rabbit forces a promise that Tigger would never bounce again. He quickly comes to regret it, after everyone expresses their love of the old bouncy Tigger. He allows Tigger to bounce again, which Tigger does joyfully. Tigger later encourages Rabbit to bounce, insisting that Rabbit has the feet for it. Rabbit surprisingly enjoys himself, and tells the others to join them.
A Day for Eeyore
In this featurette, Rabbit is playing Poohsticks with Pooh, Piglet and Roo, when they see Eeyore floating in the water and decide to get him out. After they rescue him, they all determine that Tigger bounced Eeyore in to the river. Suddenly Tigger appears and bounces on Rabbit. He at once questions Tigger of his actions, but he denies it, so with a little help from the narrator, they all find out that Tigger really did bounce Eeyore and Rabbit is furious saying that Tigger is very thoughtless with his bouncing. Later he is bounced again by Tigger when they all throw Eeyore's birthday party. Then, when Tigger gobbles up a piece of Eeyore's birthday cake wholly, upset, Rabbit says that he's got a lot of nerves showing up after what he did to Eeyore. Then, he thinks Tigger should leave the party. However, Roo tells him to let Tigger stay.
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
In this film, Rabbit joins Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore as they go on a quest to find Christopher Robin, whom they mistakenly believe is in trouble. Annoyed with Pooh's leadership, Rabbit takes over. Later on, Rabbit panics under pressure, realizing that he is not as smart as he believes himself to be. But later, he claims he was smart in the end after all. At the end, Rabbit returns home with Christopher Robin.
The Tigger Movie
Rabbit in The Tigger Movie.
Rabbit is first seen attempting to use a pulley system to remove a rock from Eeyore's home. However, the machine is ruined by Tigger. Rabbit's temper reaches his peak and wonders why all Tigger cares about is bouncing. This saddens Tigger and he leaves and it shows Rabbit could care less.
After Tigger runs away, Rabbit leads the expedition to find him. He does so reluctantly at first, but acquiesces after seeing his saddened friends. When they find Tigger, Rabbit tells him to forget about his family tree, accidentally offending Tigger, Tigger screams and it causes a large and dangerous avalanche. Rabbit is the last to be saved by Tigger, but along with the others survives the storm. Rabbit later becomes apart of Tigger's true family. At the end of the film Tigger promises Rabbit that he would watch where he is bouncing in the future, which Rabbit accepts gratefully.
Piglet's Big Movie
Rabbit in Piglet's Big Movie.
Rabbit appears working on a plan to extract honey from a hive. Piglet is able to carry out the task, but no one realizes what he has done. Later on, Rabbit takes part in a search party to find the missing Piglet, using Piglet's scrapbook as an aid. During an argument with Tigger, Rabbit loses the sketchbook to the river. He and the others make a new one, detailing Piglet's adventures. The new book gives Rabbit and the friends a warm feeling centering Piglet which encourages them to return into the woods to find him.
The scrapbook is seen over a waterfall and Pooh attempts to retrieve it and Rabbit is the most worried and begins to panic. Piglet rescues Pooh and the friends return home. During a party the most carefree side of Rabbit is exposed even laughing at his own misfortune when cupcakes splat in his eyes.
Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo
In the film, Rabbit's role is akin to that of the character Ebenezer Scrooge from The Christmas Carol. Roo is shown to be puzzled when Rabbit seems to prefer to work and clean for Spring rather than enjoy Easter. Rabbit even goes as far as to ban the holiday. Eventually both the Narrator and Tigger take Rabbit out of the story in an attempt to remind him how much he had loved the holiday.
In the flashback, which takes place the prior year, Rabbit is shown to be in charge of Easter celebrations, being the Easter bunny. However, he attempted to make Easter orderly and organized rather than fun and enjoyable. Tigger would later steal the Easter Eggs and hide them himself. Rabbit would be deeply hurt when he realized that the group was enjoying Easter without him. Upon seeing this, Rabbit agrees that he used to enjoy Easter, but refuses to renew the holiday, due to continued hurts as to Tigger's usurpation of the Easter Bunny role.
Rabbit returns home, however, the narrator intervenes again, taking Rabbit to Roo's home to show him how his friends care for him. Rabbit again refuses, so that night, the narrator takes Rabbit to the future. Everything is neat and organized, but Rabbit's friends have long since left the Hundred Acre Wood.
Rabbit comes to realize the error of his ways; he had been focusing on himself rather than his friends, and was wrong to try to control an event everyone enjoyed. Rabbit tries to renew Easter, but realizes that his friends took the decorations when they moved.
However, Rabbit awakens at his home and realizes that it is Easter morning. Rabbit finds the Easter supplies, and happily plans an enjoyable Easter for his friends. The Easter celebration is shown to proceed as planned.
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
Rabbit is awakened by his friends who claim to hear a terrifying noise. Rabbit is the first to know there is a creature in their forest, a Heffalump. Rabbit guides his friends to have an expedition to capture the Heffalump. Although he is just as terrified, he tries to keep cool infront of his friends.
Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie
Rabbit joins his friends in a Halloween night and the decides to organize the year's Halloween by pairing the friends up and limiting their candy. Soon enough, Rabbit is the only friend to oppose Tigger's ghost story being that it frightens Lumpy who has never experienced Halloween before.
The Lion King 1½
Rabbit has a silhouetted cameo appearance sitting next to the Mad Hatter as Stitch was making way to his seat.
Winnie the Pooh
Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh
While Rabbit is picking carrots out of his garden, Pooh stops by and leaves an excessive amount of signs informing Rabbit of a very important meeting that is to take place. Rabbit and the others attend and becomes excited to hear that a contest is to be held for the recovery, or replacement, of Eeyore's lost tail. Later at Owl's house, Rabbit was seen rewarding Owl the honey pot prize as Pooh walks in to show everyone a message left by Christopher Robin. Owl reads that Christopher has been kidnapped by a creature called the Backson. Rabbit and the others then go on a search for the monster to save Christopher.
Rabbit acts as the ring leader of the expedition, telling everyone where to plant bait and traps for the Backson's planned incarceration. Pooh however, falls for the honey trap and falls inside a deep pit. Rabbit plans on using the chain on Eeyore's anchor tail to pull Pooh out. Instead, the anchor pulls the rest of the group in. Piglet is the only member left above, and Rabbit attempts to guide Piglet in a rescue mission. As Piglet's cowardliness gets the better of him, Rabbit begins to lose his temper more and more.
After Piglet and Tigger get trapped as well, Rabbit loses all hope. Pooh then notices a honey pot at the top of the pit and creates a latter using the text from to the book to reach it. Rabbit then becomes hysterically ecstatic when he realizes the opportunity to escape. Once their freed, Christopher Robin arrives with the gang's "friend" balloon. Rabbit then awards the honey pot to balloon. At the end, Pooh recovers Eeyore's real tail and receives a massive jar of honey from Rabbit and the others. as gratitude for the recovery.
Rabbit returns in the new traditionally animated Pooh film. Rabbit is voiced by Tom Kenny and animated by Eric Goldberg. To further the film's comedy, Rabbit was given a more delicate temper that is far easier to set off.
Television appearances
Welcome to Pooh Corner
In this TV series, Rabbit is portrayed by a live actor in a puppet suit. Besides being a gardener, he is portrayed as a talented magician.
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Rabbit combing his ears in Party Poopher
Rabbit is portrayed similarly to his earlier film appearances and has greener fur than in the films. He is often faced with fighting threats to his garden, with include crows, bugs, and Gopher's destructive plans. He is sometimes presented in an antagonistic role, though he usually repents. Though normally he is portrayed as a living animal, the episode "How Much is that Rabbit in the Window", presents him as a toy. The episode has an unappreciated Rabbit run away from home not feeling special by thinking that the others were taking advantage of him, only to be picked up by the owner of a store, who puts him up for sale.
Two episodes depict Rabbit's softer side. In "Find Her, Keep Her", Rabbit rescues a baby blue bird named Kessie, and raises her. He is shown to be overprotective of her, even forbidding her from flying, though in the end, he reluctantly allows her to migrate South for the winter. Kessie returns in "A Bird in the Hand", and Rabbit still treats her as a child, despite her being grown up. After a run in with heffalumps and woozles, however, he comes to realize that though she is grown up he can still be Kessie's good friend.
In the episode "Party Poohper", Rabbit is shown to have over 500 baby bunny relatives who he tried to tried to throw a party for but continued to suffer numerous problems due to his hectic schedule.
The Book of Pooh
Rabbit is a major character in the series and has a role similar to The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Like the previous series, Rabbit is a master gardener and is often seen trying to find new ways to avoid the annoyance of Tigger.
House of Mouse
Rabbit made several cameos in House of Mouse with Winnie the Pooh and friends. In Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, He is seen at the end with Pooh, Tigger, Christopher Robin and all their friends singing The Best Christmas of All.
My Friends Tigger & Pooh
Rabbit is a supporting character and much like prior appearances, his garden is usually on the verge of destruction in some way. Here, Pooh, Tigger, and their new friend Darby, go around the Hundred Acre Woods, solving various problems. Rabbit was one a substitute member of the Super Sleuths team, when eh originals was unavailable.
Disney Parks
Rabbit at Walt Disney World.
In Disneyland, Rabbit is a rare meetable character and is seen on special occasions. Rabbit usually appears at Christmas time and a small amount of shows. Due to Rabbit being rare, Rabbit has become a popular character in the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Rabbit appears as an Audio-Animatronic in the dark ride themed after the original film. Rabbit can be seen several times.
Pooh's Hunny Hunt
Like the attraction in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, Rabbit is seen in a park version of the original film and plays virtually the same role.
Magic Kingdom
At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom park, Pooh and his friends are regularly seen at Disney's Crystal Palace restaurant. Rabbit makes appearances in the restaurant on Easter holidays.
Once Upon a Christmastime
Rabbit appears in the Christmas parade on Pooh Bear's float wearing only a winter scarf.
Kingdom Hearts series
Rabbit's house is the host for the Block Tigger minigame in the Hundred Acre Wood, whilst the gate at the back of his house is the host for the Veggie Panic minigame in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Rabbit was shown briefly running away from a large pumpkin rolling down the hill towards a stack of hunny.
Kingdom Hearts
10 years later, Rabbit is seen with Pooh who wishes to get hunny from Rabbit. Rabbit pretends to be a "Nobody" (as in the joke: Nobody's home.) But Sora discovers Rabbit and Pooh ends up with Piglet helping himself to some hunny. Pooh then gets stuck in Rabbit's hole door while he is trying to leave, Rabbit says the way to get him out is to use carrot juice. But when Rabbit goes to collect the carrots, Tigger comes to use his garden as his new bouncing ground, this makes Sora go to protect it. Rabbit is also seen with his friends at the last page of the 100 Acre Wood.
Kingdom Hearts:Chain of Memories
Rabbit is one of the friends Sora must find for Pooh to complete the 100 Acre Wood World Card. He is busy trying to carry his vegetables down a hill when one of his pumpkins gets loose and bowls over Pooh. Sora stacks the rest while the continue to roll down the hill. Once Rabbit races down, he sees that the vegetables have been stacked and thanks Sora with the Sleight, Synchro. In Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, you receive the Cross-slash+ sleight instead.
Kingdom Hearts II
Rabbit tries to help Pooh remember Sora in Kingdom Hearts II by feeding him hunny. When he runs out, he asks Sora to get some more which leads to the "Hunny Slider" minigame. He shows up to help in the Spooky Cave, but doesn't go in with Sora during "The Exposition" minigame.
Trivia
- Although Rabbit's color is officially yellow, in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, his fur is more greenish than usual. This might be due to coloring errors, though.
- Rabbit is sometimes named the smartest resident in the Hundred Acre Woods, but the title also goes to Owl at times.
- He used to have a rabbit burrow, but now has a tree house like Pooh, Piglet, and the others.
