Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the most important movies ever made, and it just so happens to be the first film I watched in my Disney rewatch. The first of two rankings that I'm doing is the characters in Snow White. This film is filled with memorable characters, so this ranking was interesting. There are some weird placements on this list, but I think I'm happy with the final product. That said, here's my ranking of all twelve characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
12. Prince Florian
Fun fact: The prince's name is actually Florian. The prince in Snow White is in shockingly little of the actual runtime of the film. In fact, he's only really in two scenes. His love story with Snow White is kind of dumb, because they only meet once and don't actually really interact. The character feels like he's just a plot device to revive Snow White in the end, and I don't really like him because of that.
11. The Huntsman
I've actually always dug the Huntsman as a character. He's just such a minor presence in the film that I can't put him higher. Even though he's only in one scene, he actually has a pretty big dilemma that he has to deal with. He is threatened by the queen to do her bidding. He's forced to kill Snow White, but doesn't go through with it and tricks the queen to save Snow White. That's a noble thing to do, and I've always liked him because of that.
10. Sleepy
Out of all the seven dwarfs, Sleepy is the least memorable in my opinion. He barely has any dialogue. He just sleeps. He's not really that funny. For some reason, he always has this fly buzzing around him which just serves to be annoying. He doesn't do that much in the actual story. I'm not really a fan of his.
9. The Magic Mirror
The magic mirror isn't really a full-on character, but I'm including him because I want to. I've always found this character to be really cool. The vocal performance is effectively creepy and the visuals to go along with him just make you feel uneasy. I've always just loved the look of the character and the way he's used whenever he's on screen. He doesn't have a ton of screentime, but I just think he's super cool.
8. Bashful
Bashful is one of the more memorable characters in Snow White because of his funny blushing, but he doesn't do much besides that. The voice performance here is a little weird. He also doesn't serve a giant purpose in the story. He does have his fair share of funny moments, but not as consistently as some of the other dwarves. I enjoy this character. I think he's good.
7. Happy
Happy has never really been one of the most memorable dwarves for me, but upon rewatch, I had a lot of fun with this character. His energy is unlike the rest of the dwarves, and I actually really appreciated that. He stuck out a little more this time. I think the idea of having just Happy Dwarf was a good one, because he always makes you smile when he's on screen. He has a magnetic type of energy that I cannot help but to like.
6. Snow White
Yes. I know. Snow White is not a great character in my opinion. She's good. She gets credit for being the first Disney princess. But she's kind of annoying. She gets to the dwarves house and thanks them for their hospitality, but then starts ordering them around like she's their mother. That paired with the vocals from Adriana Caselotti (which I find somewhat annoying) make me not like this character as much. Now, I have to be negative to merit her placement on this list, because she's an iconic character. She's still decent. But, when compared to some of the future Disney princesses, she just feels kinda bland.
5. Sneezy
In my review, I said that Snow White was funnier than I remembered. A lot of that was Sneezy. I don't know why, but the comedy that comes from his sneezes just landed for me every time. I was laughing. It was funny. It's just such a random and hilarious idea for a dwarf, and I'm so glad they put it in the film. It's aged really well. I thought that this character was great.
4. Doc
As the leader of the dwarves, Doc is great. He can be funny, but he also takes charge and feels like a solid person to lead. He is the only one that seems to be truly protective of all the other dwarves as well as Snow White. He's the one warning her to not talk to strangers and watch out for the queen after the dwarves leave for work. It just shows how caring of a person he is, and I enjoy his character for that.
3. Dopey
The other thing that made me laugh out loud alongside Sneezy was Dopey. Dopey essentially acts as slapstick comedy, but he was really, really funny. He's just such an idiot, and all of the idiotic things he does are funny. He's also really adorable. There's a scene where Snow White kisses all of the dwarves, and Dopey runs back inside to get more kisses from her than all of the other ones. There's a layer of emotion, as you see him truly cry when Snow White "dies", which just makes you even sadder. Dopey is one of the most iconic Disney characters, and for good reason.
2. The Evil Queen
Disney's first villain is a great one. The Evil Queen is a heartless monster that borrows from tons of classic-er villains. Walt Disney himself stated that Nosferatu was a major influence on this character. She is terrifying. When she's a regular queen, she's scary. When she's a witch, she's even scarier. She's just this ruthless embodiment of jealousy, and I think that's where her character strives. It feels like she becomes an entirely different character when she transforms into the witch. Her personality seems different, so I don't love that, but otherwise, this is a great character.
1. Grumpy
Grumpy is the only character in Snow White that has a true, fleshed out arc, and it works entirely. He starts off as this...well, this grump that doesn't like Snow White. He's always against the rest of the dwarves. He just always seems mad. And then, as you progress through the story, you see moments of him warming up to Snow White. You get to the part when the dwarves all leave for work, and Grumpy tells Snow White to be careful. He is also seen crying hard at her funeral. This progression of Grumpy from mean old grump to a caring person is great. It was one of the best things about Snow White, so he comes in at number one.