Nick & Judy relationship: short analysis/commentary(2)
This one's slightly more organized compared to the first one:
I hope you enjoy reading this one, too!
Nick & Judy Character/Relationship Analysis(After watching Zootopia 2)
There was so much going on that I honestly feel a little anxious- there are so many things I want to talk about! It's excitement, really.
Where do I even start? How much should I say? From which point, and to what extent?
Some of this may sound obvious, but I’ll just write down what came to me, as it came.
Nick, by default, tends to wear that half-lidded expression — the one we all recognize as his trademark.
He keeps it as his baseline, though it’s not that he can’t make lively expressions.
When he’s happy, his eyes open wide; when he’s scared, his face becomes extremely expressive. He’s actually very versatile.
But that slightly smiling, half-lidded look seems like something he’s trained himself into — almost out of habit — as a way of maintaining emotional equilibrium. (I think this is called "Affect Regulation" in official terminology)
I don’t remember every detail, but I believe Nick’s past clearly wasn’t implied to be a happy one. He wasn’t treated particularly well and this guy's been through a lot.
Think about people who deal with others for a living — the kind of polite smile they keep on their faces by default.
That isn’t always a “sales smile.” It’s not necessarily strategic or manipulative.
Sometimes, when you smile long enough, your face just settles that way.
Nick’s default expression feels like that.
It’s as if he’s learned to reset himself back into that emotional posture, like a roly-poly toy snapping back upright.
That tendency feels deeply ingrained.
And interestingly, he often wears that same expression even when he’s looking at Judy — especially when he’s reluctantly going along with her. A lot of it comes from his affection towards her and how he finds her as an adorable fluff ball, of course, but there seems to be something more to it, too.
As I wrote in a previous post, his mindset seems to function this way:
Yeah… I’m kind of tired. This isn’t really my style.
But it’s Judy.
It’s Judy’s case, so I’ll go.
If something happens, I should be there next to her.
What am I supposed to do — stop her? I don’t even want to.
She wouldn’t listen anyway.
But I don’t dislike this side of her. She seems happy.
So… I’ll go with her.
This seems to be his recurring psychological state throughout this film, especially the first half.
And that doesn’t come from obligation — it comes from protective attachment toward someone he loves.
Even when it’s something he doesn’t want to do, or doesn’t feel up to,
his concern for Judy — and the many things he genuinely likes about her — outweigh that resistance.
Nick truly, deeply loves Judy. He’s extraordinarily devoted.
He jokes. He grumbles. He acts sly.
But in reality, he’s far more tired and stressed than he lets on.
Nick is a very delicate soul. You can see it clearly.
He’s much more emotionally fragile than Judy.
Honestly, if a third movie ever comes out, I wouldn’t be surprised if it digs into Nick’s trauma more deeply.
It feels like there’s more there.
That default smile might not be his “true” baseline at all.
It feels more like a defense mechanism — not the smile of someone who’s carefree or naturally cheerful, but the smile of someone protecting themselves.
This character carries a lot of wounds, and it feels like they haven’t all been addressed yet.
And yet — Judy outweighs all of that.
He loves her more than his own life.
The movie shows it very clearly, multiple times.
Those reactions are unmistakable.
They’re the reactions of someone in love.
(And yes, the movie literally says it, which makes me so happy for the two of them and the fans — but honestly, I didn’t even need that.
I could tell within the first five minutes.)
The Nick–Judy relationship is built on Nick’s immense devotion.
He really is a devoted lover type.
People often think Judy is the more expressive one — but watch Nick carefully.
Pay attention to the moments when his default expression loosens, just slightly.
Those micro-expressions say everything.
This character adores Judy.
There’s a scene where Judy discovers how messy his place is.
Nick plays it off casually, but he keeps blocking her view with his tail.
I bet he cleaned up right after she left.
When you like someone, you want to look good in front of them — I bet he felt it was a bit embarrassing.
Nick is the type who loves deeply, but because of everything he’s been through, he’s anxious.
He’s sincere — but he wraps that sincerity in jokes, constantly, to keep it light.
Yet every one of those “jokes” is genuine.
So when he does speak seriously, his words don’t sound dramatically different from his usual banter — because even the banter has always been real.
He’s not naturally slick or flippant.
He learned to be that way as a survival strategy — a way to endure hardship.
He’s warm, affectionate, and soft — but he never had anyone to attach that affection to.
Now that he loves Judy, all of that devotion pours straight into her.
His emotional weight is heavy.
Throughout the movie, he’s constantly “super-saving” Judy, keeping her safe, saving her life from the sidelines.
As for Judy’s feelings toward Nick —
Judy is naturally high-energy, but around Nick, her energy ramps up even more.
She nudges him with her elbow, smacks him when he teases her —
and honestly, that reads like affection to me.
Some people express fondness through physical contact when they’re comfortable and happy.
It’s a form of affection.
She bounces around more. Her movements get bigger. Her eyes sparkle.
It’s the kind of brightness you see when a naturally cheerful person becomes even brighter around someone they love.
Like:
I like you so much!
You’re here!
This is fun!
That energetic excitement is very visible, especially early on.
Judy is reckless and impulsive by nature, always diving headfirst into things.
That was always part of her — but it might be amplified because Nick is beside her.
When someone you love is with you, you gain confidence.
You want to do better. You feel energized.
You have someone who has your back, so you charge forward —
because you trust that you’ll be caught.
As I mentioned in another post, Judy’s focus is largely on justice and restoring truth — social values.
Nick, unable (and unwilling) to resist her, often ends up supporting her and backing her plays.
This is a very common fictional relationship dynamic:
The idealist, and the person who loves the idealist.
And the latter inevitably becomes deeply devoted.
Not because they want to change the idealist —
but because they affirm who that person is.
“That’s who you are. I’ll help you. You shine when you do this.”
Where it varies is how the idealist treats the person who loves them.
In Judy’s case — she truly loves Nick.
But people like her often become blinded by ideals, especially when those ideals feel urgent.
They tend to carry excessive responsibility.
If I don’t do this, no one will.
People are suffering.
I can help.
If I stop now, the chance might disappear.
Just a little more.
And because it hurts too much to look away, they can’t let go.
When the snake(Gary) first opens up to Judy and her expression shifts — a mix of pity, shock, and sorrow —
you see that exact moment where she’s hooked.
That’s why she nearly dies riding that water tunnel — without even realizing how dangerous it was.
The importance of the task completely eclipsed her own safety.
That level of altruism is rare.
Judy is extremely empathetic, and she has a big, warm heart that directly links to those who are suffering.
And because of that, she can’t even pick up how much Nick worries about her — because the snake’s pain is so real for her. She feels she must to something to alleviate the pain and restore justice.
“You almost died. This isn’t more important than your life.”
This isn’t stubbornness — it’s synchronization.
Her goal has locked in completely. You don't see a lot of people like her, but the world is a better place with people like them.
What also shines in this dynamic is that Nick is unbelievably gentle with her.
That’s why I keep thinking: Judy needs to hold onto this man.
A more typical person could have snapped by now.
There are plenty of people who get angry out of fear —
Why did you do that?! What’s wrong with you?!
But Nick never does. He doesn't get agitated, he's worried and concerned.
At most, he complains lightly.
He simply plays a recording — which is basically a very mild protest, like a couple’s spat.
And considering how dangerous everything was getting, that is incredibly restrained.
Even more, he risks his life multiple times for Judy with no hesitation at all.
Even though, left to his own devices, he would have avoided half of these situations entirely.
He tries to quit. He says he’s exhausted.
But he still willingly throws himself into danger to protect her.
Even after being hurt by her words, he breaks out to save her — even before the reconciliation had happened — risking death.
Isn’t Nick one of the most devoted male leads in all of Disney?
Judy is unbelievably lucky. Her partner is so devoted and sweet.
Nick never yells at her — not because he isn’t hurting,
but because he loves her that much.
He keeps putting that default smile back on and follows her lead.
He doesn’t force her. He suggests — but she's the one who usually leads.
It’s like he willingly hands her the leash of his own heart.
And that’s something people do only when they truly love someone.
There are recognizable patterns in how women love deeply, and how men love deeply.
Nick embodies one of those patterns perfectly.
And Judy shows her own version too — though hers is more youthful, while Nick’s love is remarkably mature.
Honestly, he could just get married tomorrow with Judy and be a fine husband for life, I'm sure.
That’s why I think they should end up together.
Nick loves Judy immensely — and Judy loves him too.
But because Judy is so driven by justice, Nick is constantly afraid:
What if she gets hurt?
What if she dies?
What if things go too far and I can’t stop it?
He just wants her to be safe.
She’s irreplaceable.
If I lose her… what would I do?
That feeling is written all over him.
And the fact that he expresses that desperation so gently —
that’s a truly staggering depth of love. He's holding himself back a lot just for her sake. He's not asserting his wishes over her ideals.
You don’t let someone like this go.
And foxes, by the way, are known for being monogamous and deeply devoted to their mates.
Nick says foxes live alone — but biologically, I think I read foxes form lifelong pairs, raise their young together, and share roles.
They don’t live in packs like wolves — they live as pairs.
So when Nick says Judy is his “pack,”
what he really means is: she’s his mate.
That’s why the confession later felt inevitable —
It wasn’t exaggeration.
It was simply showing what was already there.
I only talked about Nick and Judy here but Zootopia 2 itself is incredibly dense and well-structured.
No characters are wasted.
Every hint and setup gets paid off.
Even the side characters — Clawhauser, Gazelle, the mafia family (the new baby granddaughter was adorable), the new mayor — all shine and have their own share of roles.
The new beaver and snake characters were fantastic.
It made me want the art book immediately.
I already own the first one!
This is absolutely the kind of film where you want to study the concept art and world-building more deeply.
And yes — I looked it up and my memory was correct!
Foxes are monogamous.
They do stay with one partner and raise offspring together. (Usually, at least. Not all if you dig deep, but a lot of them seem to display that sort of behavior.)
So really, Judy should stick close with Nick and keep his butt with her.
Because when a fox says “you’re my pack,”
it means “you’re my special someone.” The one and only, like how he actually phrased things in the movie.
Overall, I had so much fun reading this film, and I'm happy there's going to be more!/// I loved it and had a wonderful time watching it!
