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Top 10 Appearances of Pete (Disney)

Earlier this month was the 100th anniversary of a very special and somewhat underrated character: Disney’s longest-lasting and most recurring antagonist, Pete. Nowadays, Pete is most well-known as the arch-nemesis of Mickey Mouse and his friends, but this thuggish, bullying scoundrel is actually even older than Mickey is. Pete first appeared in the famous “Alice Comedies” of the silent film era, as a recurring menace. This continued into the even more popular “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” cartoons that came later. When sound became a thing, and Disney wanted a rival for his new creation, Mickey, it was only natural that Pete would return in short order. He became a sort of lucky talisman of villainy: anytime a classic cartoon needed a baddy, you brought in Pete.

This tradition has continued well into the modern day for Disney. Pete isn’t the most clever villain in the Disney canon, and how truly evil he really is depends on the interpretation in question, but he is certainly the most PERSISTENT antagonist of the whole lot. Just about anytime Mickey, Donald, or Goofy go anywhere, Pete is sure to follow. Given the history of this character, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of my favorites of his appearances over the years, the same way I have with Mickey as well as various classic Disney Villains from the feature films. (Plus, I do have a bit of a crush on the guy, soooo definitely even more incentive to give him some kudos.) Just like with Mickey, I won’t be counting any of the classic theatrical shorts from way, way back, such as “Steamboat Willie;” this will be for more recent appearances the character has had, ranging from the 1980s into today.

10. Disney’s Dracula, Starring Mickey Mouse.

We’re starting with a comic appearance, though it is a rather special one. A while back, Disney created some graphic novel adaptations of two of the greatest horror stories ever told: “Dracula” and “Frankenstein.” The latter featured various characters from Donald Duck’s world, while the former focused on the mammalian side of the cast, with Mickey as Jonathan Harker, Goofy as Van Helsing, and the Phantom Blot as Dracula himself. The comic manages to actually adapt a big chunk of the novel in a surprisingly faithful fashion, while also making sure nothing is sacred: obviously, Disney couldn’t get away with the darker and more twisted aspects of the tale, so it essentially becomes a parody of the vampire legend. In the graphic novel, Pete plays the role of Renfield: in the original book, Renfield is a madman who devours flies and other insects, and acts as Dracula’s mindwashed servant. In the comic, instead, Renfield - or, rather, “Pete Pegfield” - is still Dracula’s servant, but instead is a crook obsessed with “files,” of various kinds. It’s…a very weird interpretation, which goes for the whole comic. To be honest, the main reason I list this one here is simply because I love this graphic novel so much, more than for Pete’s own sake. They later did a storybook version of the tale, as well, with a lot of the cast returning (albeit some shuffled around into other roles), but that one features neither Pete NOR Renfield, alas.

9. Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

This holiday classic features one of Pete’s more ambiguous roles. Towards the end of this adaptation of the Dickensian tale, Pete appears in a sort of surprise role (I don’t think I’m really giving away spoilers) as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a.k.a. Ghost of Christmas Future. It is he who points Scrooge’s way through the dark path his life is taking, showing him the consequences of his actions and inactions if he doesn’t choose to change his ways. This culminates in arguably the most famous scene from this cartoon, as well as possibly the darkest: Scrooge finds a lonely grave, which not even the the undertakers care enough about to finish dealing with right away, and asks whose it is. The ghost then removes his hood, revealing Pete’s greasy mug: “Why, YOURS, Ebenezer! THE RICHEST MAN IN THE CEMETERY!” With a clap on the back, the Ghost sends Scrooge careening into the pit, and then begins laughing maniacally as the coffin below opens up to reveal the fires of Hell itself, while Scrooge pleads for mercy. JESUS. Pete, we get the point! To be fair, this does end up being the final point in changing Scrooge, but…YIKES.

8. Wizards of Mickey.

Our second comic appearance on the list, and definitely a much more typical one. “Wizards of Mickey” is a series of comics that sort of parodies classic fantasy universes, such as “The Lord of Rings” and “Dungeons & Dragons.” It tales the tale of Mickey, a poor young sorcerer’s apprentice (get it?), who goes on a quest to try and find his lost master and - of course - save the world. Just like in “Disney’s Dracula,” the Phantom Blot is the main villain, here depicted as a dark wizard who wants to conquer the universe. And, also like in “Disney’s Dracula,” Pete is here depicted as the Blot’s second-in-command and chief henchmen. In this series, Pete is Mickey’s greatest rival: the leader of a group of scoundrels called Team Black Phantom. As their name itself may or may not indicate, they’re sort of the Team Rocket of the series, with the Blot as the resident Giovanni. Over and over again, throughout the comics, they pop up to cause trouble for Mickey and his friends, with many a scheme that ends up going awry either because of their own foolery, Mickey’s interfering, or - most commonly - a little bit of both. There’s not much else to say, it’s just a really good comic series, and Pete is one of the most notable antagonists in it. If you want to look at some Disney comics with Pete, this series is a good place to start.

7. A Goofy Movie.

Well, if you’re one of the more “furry-centric” people in my resident kingdoms, this one should have been a no-brainer. I think the scene with Pete at the pool is kind of infamous now amongst that crowd. However, there’s a lot more to appreciate than that. Pete plays a sort of “small but important” role in the film; he’s not the main antagonist, but instead acts as a sort of warped parallel to Goofy himself, with his son, PJ, acting in similar fashion to his best friend, Goofy’s son, Max. The movie seems to take place in the same universe of the series “Goof Troop” (more on that later), wherein Pete is depicted as Goofy’s neighbor and a sort of “frenemy.” He doesn’t seem especially villainous, but he’s not necessarily the nicest guy in the world, either. His perspective is that children need to be controlled, keeping a tight grip on his son, PJ’s, reins, and encouraging Goofy to do the same with Max. The parallel is spelled out pretty easily, when Pete warns Goofy that Max is tricking him. Goofy, disbelieving, tells Pete that no matter what he thinks, he knows that Max loves him. Pete growls back: “MY son RESPECTS me.” I think that says it all, doesn’t it?

6. Goof Troop.

While “A Goofy Movie” is definitely a memorable appearance for Pete, Pete has a much larger role in “Goof Troop,” and frankly he and his family were the best part of this show. While the nominal antagonist of the series, and certainly often up to no good, Pete was once again frequently depicted not so much as a villain, and more just as the coarse and grouchy neighbor of Goofy and his son, Max. We also got to see a lot more of Pete’s family than in the later “Goofy Movie,” as we not only met P.J., but also his smart, sassy wife, Peg, and their hyperactive daughter, Pistol. (As well as their family pet, Chainsaw. Dear God, even the NAMES are hysterical here.) While Goofy and Max were the stars of the show, I was always more excited to see the delightfully dysfunctional Pete family. There was just a lot more comedy and utter MADNESS to the way the Pete family got along, and sometimes didn’t get along. Even though they were better off than the Goofs, and no less loving as a family, the mixture of Pete’s harebrained schemes, Peg’s short temper and endless nagging, P.J.’s somewhat panicky personality, and Pistol’s...um...craziness, meant that they tended to clash a lot more. Honestly, I wish the show had been just about them; most of the best episodes were the ones where they got the majority of the focus. With the recent reboot of “DuckTales,” I keep wondering if other old Disney shows will get revamped in the near future; if they ever decide to make a “Life With Pete” show, or something like that, I’ll be genuinely hyped.

5. Epic Mickey.

In the video game “Epic Mickey,” the good Mouse descends into a world known as the Wasteland, where various forgotten characters, rides, and concepts from the wonderful world of Disney have all been retired. Pete is by no means a forgotten figure, but his presence does still make sense: first of all, I would argue that Pete - despite his perennial appearances - is one of the more underrated Disney bad guys. You don’t hear him referenced or spoken of as often as characters from the films, such as the Evil Queen or Scar. More importantly though, in the Wasteland, it is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit who is chief of all toons, not Mickey…and let’s not forget, Pete was Oswald’s nemesis well before Mickey came into the picture. What makes Pete in “Epic Mickey” fun, however, isn’t just the history involved: it’s how he’s just EVERYWHERE. There is not one Pete, but instead a whole Legion of Petes (that’s literally what they’re called, no joke) who dwell in the Wasteland. There’s “Big Bad Pete,” a sort of “Pete Prime,” who lives and works on Mean Street. Then there’s Small Pete, dressed up in drag like a Little Dutch Girl doll, in the Gremlin Village. Next there’s Petetronic, the head of Tomorrow City, who is based on both Tron AND Sark from the film “TRON.” Finally, there’s Pete Pan, who is literally Pete acting like Peter Pan, with a cyborganic Captain Hook as his nemesis, and a Tinker Bell analogy simply called “Sprite.” (I guess she really likes lemon-lime soda, har har.) In the games, all of these Petes are ultimately seemingly friendly figures, who try to help Mickey out rather than go against him…but in “Epic Mickey II,” in a twist ending, it’s revealed the Legion of Petes have some devious plans of their own. Unfortunately, the series was canceled before we could ever get a follow-up and learn what those schemes were, which is a shame. Still, seeing so many different, funny, and surprisingly amicable Petes all in one place was certainly a lot of fun.

4. The Prince and the Pauper.

After several appearances of Pete being more of just the resident grumpy-gus and not so much a villain, we’re now finally cycling back to a situation where Pete is most DEFINITELY the villain of the story, and a pretty great villain, too! In Disney’s “Prince and the Pauper,” an animated short released in 1990, Mickey Mouse plays both a spoiled Prince and a dreamy Pauper, who end up trading places for a day. The King of the Land is old and feeble, and the Prince himself is so locked up in his own little world, and so detached from the kingdom outside, he doesn’t know how to handle things. As a result, Pete - here the Captain of the Guard, aided by an army of Weasels - is the REAL ruler of the land. Of course, power-by-extension is never enough for these sorts of villains, and Captain Pete plots to TRULY take over upon the King’s demise; when he finds out the Prince and the Pauper have traded places, he plans to use this to his advantage. While Pete’s gluttonous and greedy personality does lead to a lot of humor, and some slapstick shenanigans are had at his expense, this is still probably one of his most evil portrayals out there. He’s a bit smarter and more menacing than many other depictions, while still very much being the Pete we know. I also have to give credit to the voicework here: in the short, Pete is voiced by Arthur Burghardt, who I know best beyond this for playing Venom, of all characters, in the game “Ultimate Spider-Man.” In my opinion, he’s one of the best Venoms out there, and he’s pretty darn great as Pete, too. Maybe there was more in common between Marvel and Disney than we thought, even before the buyout…who can say? Ha Ha. :P

3. House of Mouse.

I debated between this and “Prince and the Pauper” taking third place. I ultimately chose “House of Mouse” just because, much like with Goof Troop versus Goofy Movie, the format of a series gave Pete more opportunities. The series focused on Mickey and his pals running a nightclub, populated by just about every 2D animated Disney character in existence (up to that point). It was made as a vehicle for the “Mickey Mouse Works” cartoons, as well as a few older short subjects, with every episode including a selection of cartoons tied together by a framing device within the main story of the episode. Pete was the main antagonist of the series, not only showing up in multiple cartoons, but also acting as a constant threat to the club in the framing device section. It turns out that Pete owns the land the club rests on, and is constantly trying to find a way to get the club closed down so he can use the land for other purposes. His schemes involved everything from joining forces with the Evil Queen to feed poisoned apples to everyone, to arranging a “Pete Day” at the House of Mouse all for his own vanity, to trying to sabotage a show being put on by “Big Bad Wolf Daddy.” While always up to no good, he was also really, REALLY funny, and, once again, probably one of my favorite parts of the show.

2. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in The Three Musketeers.

I think most people would agree that this is probably one of the highlights of Pete’s career. While not by any means anybody’s favorite Disney movie, this animated direct-to-video parody of the classic “Three Musketeers” stories is still really fun and enjoyable in its own right. In a way, it’s a lot like “Prince and the Pauper,” but with a longer screentime and a bit more of a tongue-in-cheek tone. In this movie, Pete is once again the Captain of the Guards, this time in charge of protecting Princess Minnie. However, Pete has plans to take over the kingdom, and hires the Beagle Boys to kidnap Minnie as part of his scheme. When Minnie - who knows nothing of Pete’s diabolical plans - orders him to provide her with Musketeers as bodyguards, Pete signs Mickey, Donald, and Goofy into the ranks specifically in the hopes they’ll fail. You can guess how that ends up going for him. Just like with “Prince and the Pauper,” while there’s still a great deal of humor with Pete, he’s depicted as somewhat more clever and more dangerous than usual. He really does feel like he’s right up there in the ranks of some of the more notorious movie baddies I mentioned in the past: someone who is entertaining, but also totally reprehensible. (He also gets the catchiest song in the whole film; no surprise there.) It’s definitely one of the first roles with him I think of when I consider the character.

1. Kingdom Hearts.

Part of the reason KH takes the top is simply because I love Kingdom Hearts. A LOT. But there’s more to it than that. In Kingdom Hearts, Pete is one of the main antagonists of the series: starting with KHII, he shows up in nearly every title of the franchise, to some degree or another. In the universe of KH, it’s revealed that Pete used to be a pretty nice guy; somewhat grouchy, but not evil at all. However, over time, his jealousy and bitterness towards Mickey led to him becoming more and more devious. Eventually, his wily ways led to him being banished to a sort of limbo by Mickey and Minnie; when Maleficent offered him a chance to escape, he swore his loyalty to her, and now serves as her chief lieutenant. I absolutely love the way Pete is depicted in the series, ESPECIALLY with Maleficent as his superior. It’s a duo you would never think of, but works EXTREMELY well: this big, dumb, loutish, showboating thug standing alongside the cold and elegant Mistress of All Evil. What I love about their relationship is that, even though Maleficent is always putting Pete down, and he does get frustrated with her in turn at times, himself, you get the feeling neither can REALLY do without the other. Pete doesn’t have the brains to do much damage on his own, end of the day, and Maleficent…for all her powers, she seems to just need someone to command. She can’t do EVERYTHING on her own, after all. And while other villains have come and gone throughout the series, some siding with Maleficent before leaving her side, Pete has been there nearly every game and remained steadfast in his devotion. On top of that, it’s just a lot of fun seeing all the different ways characters encounter and battle Pete throughout the series. Sort of like Epic Mickey, Pete shows up in all kinds of capacities, with various faces, costumes, and roles to play. And unlike Epic Mickey, where he’s ultimately a fairly peripheral figure, Pete is pretty essential to the stories of these games. End of the day, I see no reason not to name Kingdom Hearts as My Favorite Appearance of Pete: Disney’s longest-lasting villain.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

DuckTales.

In the original DuckTales series, Pete showed up multiple times in various forms; no surprise there. It was always fun to see him, but I don’t tend to think of this series foremost in my mind when I think of the character. Other villains made more of an impact throughout, in my opinion.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

In this Disney Junior show, primarily aimed at preschoolers, Pete is once again less of a villain and more just of a sort of “grouchy neighbor” character. While he does frequently cause trouble for Mickey and the gang, just as often he’s either on their side or playing the role of an innocent bystander. Easily his most lighthearted appearance.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas.

In this holiday anthology film, Pete appears in one story as Goofy’s neighbor, once again. What heinous treachery does he pull here? HE TELLS MAX THAT SANTA ISN’T REAL! THE DASTARDLY SLIMEBALL!!!

The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse.

Even in the more modern, zany world of these cartoons, Pete remained his usual self: causing all sorts of trouble for Mickey and the crew in all sorts of forms. By far my favorite cartoon of the bunch was “A Pete Scorned,” where Pete gets depressed when he thinks he’s not a good enough nemesis for Mickey anymore, and becomes jealous of rival arch-foe, Mortimer Mouse. That kind of setup is always hilarious to me. XD

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