Disney: 5 Ways Mickey Is the Best Classic Character (& 5 Ways It’s Donald)

Some animated characters are icons, representing something more than just the cartoons in which they appear. That is certainly the case with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, two of the most famous characters to have ever emerged from the imagination of Walt Disney. Both of them have been around for many decades, and they have quite a few appearances to their name (and Donald was even in the military!). The real question, though, is which of them deserves the title of best classic Disney character?

As it turns out, they both have some pretty good attributes that make them a competitive contender for this prestigious title.

10 Mickey: Kinder

In almost all of his movie and short appearances, Mickey shows that he really does have a heart of gold, and it’s no wonder he’s a classic. Though he might have to compete with others, there’s no question that he tries to do the right thing, and that he has the best interests of his friend–even his competitor, Donald–at heart.

He’s one of those characters that it’s almost impossible to dislike, and so it’s no wonder that he’s become the mascot of Walt Disney and is one of the most recognizable rodents in the world.

9 Donald: Less Saccharine

If Mickey is notable for being one of the nicest cartoon characters to have ever appeared in animated form, Donald is a very different type of character. He has a bit of an edge to him, and he’s not the type of person that you want to make an enemy of.

As a result, he comes across as being significantly less saccharine than Mickey, which means that his stories, particularly the shorts, tend to have a bit more depth and nuance than those in which his mousey counterpart appears.

8 Mickey: His Sweet Romance with Minnie

There are some fictional couples that are just perfect for one another, and Mickey and Minnie are one such couple (and Minnie is pretty great in her own way).

Time and again in their movies and shorts, they show that they are absolutely devoted to one another and that no one, not even Pete or Mortimer, is going to come between them. They might occasionally argue and disagree, but they will always come back together and show how much they love one another and are devoted to one another’s well-being.

7 Donald: More Cunning

While Mickey is notable for being, at times, more than a little naive and willing to believe the best of others, Donald is more of a cynic. He knows that most people are out to get their own and that they’re willing to hurt others to do so.

This leads to Donald being much more of a cunning sort of character than Mickey and while his schemes may not always (or even often) work out to his advantage, one can’t help but admire his persistence in pursuing them.

6 Mickey: Was Where It All Began

As feisty as Donald might be, there’s no denying that Mickey has the distinction of being the mouse where it all began. It’s impossible to imagine the many things that Disney as an animator and a film producer accomplished without thinking of Mickey.

Something about him just seemed to hit all the right notes for the viewing public, and animation was never the same. That’s not too bad for a mouse, is it?

5 Donald: Has Been In More Films

While Mickey might have been where it all began, Disney fans will know that Donald has the distinction of having been in more movies than any other Disney character, including Mickey.

Is it any wonder that he often feels like he’s getting the short end of the stick when everyone always looks at Mickey rather than him? It’s also important to point out that there’s quite a lot of variety in the sorts of roles in which he appears, meaning that he has more range than Mickey.

4 Mickey: Better Specials

Anyone who has seen any one of the Mickey Mouse special movies knows that they are truly something to write home about. In particular, one need look no further than Mickey’s Christmas Carol which, as the title suggests, is the Disney adaptation of one of the most iconic Christmas stories to have ever been written.

Time and again, Mickey gets to play the starring role in some of the best Disney specials, and one can’t help but admire the way that he always seems to command the most attention and resources.

3 Donald: His Sparring with his Nephews

Even though Mickey is Donald’s nemesis at times, he also has quite a few run-ins with his nephews (this is particularly true of the older shorts). Even now, after the passage of so many years, it’s quite hilarious to watch the ways in which they constantly vie with one another.

While the nephews sometimes manage to get the best of their uncle, it has to be said that Donald is generally pretty good at giving as good as he gets, and he tends to fare a little better against them than he does against his other enemies, Chip and Dale.

2 Mickey: His Bond With Pluto

It may seem rather strange, when one thinks about it, to contemplate a mouse having a dog as a pet, but it’s one of those things that seems to make sense in the world of cartoons.

Besides, is there anyone who isn’t touched by the profound bond of love that exists between Mickey and his dog, Pluto? There’s just something fundamentally pure about the relationship between a mouse and his dog, and it’s one of Mickey’s most enduring legacies. Pluto is, when all is said and done, a great Disney sidekick.

1 Donald: That Voice

Fans of Disney know that one of the great strengths of the studio has been in finding great voice talent, and that extends to the one and only Donald. For many years, he was voiced by the great Clarence Nash, and he managed to create one of the most iconic voices for an animated character.

When it was clear that he wasn’t going to be able to do it much longer, he handed off the role to Tony Anselmo–whom he personally trained–and he continues to voice Donald to the present day.

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