Summary
- Despite having a wide variety of cards featuring figures from many classic Disney films, some iconic characters are missing from Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter.
- The game focuses on animated characters, excluding franchises like Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean, and no characters from subsidiary studio Pixar have appeared.
- The omissions from Disney Lorcana, such as Dumbo, Tarzan, Bambi, and Snow White, seem particularly glaring and may appear in future chapters.
The new trading card game Disney Lorcana is debuting with a wide variety of cards featuring figures from many classic films, but a number of iconic Disney characters are actually missing from The First Chapter. Considering the enormous roster of cultural figures under Disney's umbrella, it's not particularly surprising that not every fan favorite could make it. Heavy hitters that were not included seem likely to appear in future chapters of the game.
Not every memorable Disney character would have been a natural inclusion in Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter. The game is keeping its focus on animated characters, leaving franchises like Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean out of the picture. No characters from subsidiary studio Pixar have appeared, although some CGI animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios made the cut. Even with these restrictions, some of the Disney Lorcana omissions seem particularly glaring.
10 Marie
Marie may not have the richest complexity of any Disney character to appear on the silver screen, but the pampered princess (in spirit) of The Aristocats is still a common fan favorite. Fluffy white fur and a perfectly pink nose translate the cuteness inherent to any kitten quite effectively, and there's no denying her sophistication and talent at a young age. Factor in her surprising resilience in the face of adversity, and it's no surprise that Marie has attracted a following that makes her exclusion from Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter surprising.
9 Dumbo
When it comes to adversity, few Disney characters have faced more than Dumbo. His journey might not be the most life-threatening, but he does endure an unusual amount of callous cruelty. More than anything, though, it's the oversized ears that he was once bullied for that have kept Dumbo in the limelight. With a popular ride at Walt Disney World to his name, it's certainly a little odd that Dumbo couldn't manage a single entry among all the cards in Disney Lorcana.
8 Tarzan
Tarzan might not be quite as marketable as a cute animal or beautiful princess, but the film that bears his name is fondly ed for pairing a strong story with gorgeous animation and a memorable Phil Collins soundtrack. It's not difficult to imagine a Disney Lorcana card adorned with dynamic art of Tarzan swinging on a vine or surfing down a branch. If Disney's other late '90s leading man, Hercules, could make it into The First Chapter, surely Tarzan's time to shine will eventually come.
7 Bambi
The 1942 film Bambi represented a huge leap forward in the animation of animals, aiming for even greater realism than Dumbo and centering key sequences around events like a young deer's struggle to walk. The young deer himself remains one of Disney's cutest characters, with a wide-eyed naïveté that makes him immediately endearing even as it sets up the sad elements of the story. A Bambi card would also be a great visual showcase, as the idyllic forest environments could tap into the same natural beauty as several of the most striking cards in Disney Lorcana.
6 Pinocchio
The recent flood of new Pinocchio adaptations shows just how eternally compelling the story of the puppet is, and no rendition has permeated pop culture more thoroughly than Disney's animated film. A Disney Lorcana Pinocchio card would have plenty of fun potential for abilities related to the puppet's iconic quirks. Pinocchio's path may have been wayward for a while, but the bravery he ultimately shows should certainly earn him a spot.
5 Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket might only be Pinocchio's sidekick conscience, but he seems like an even more natural pick for the focus on the magic that defines the unique rules of Disney Lorcana. The steadfast grasshopper's song "When You Wish Upon a Star" has become a symbol of Disney's ideals of dreaming and believing, and his dapper appearance strikes the perfect blend of old-fashioned and timeless. A conscience may be a small voice, but it deserves careful attention all the same.
4 Tiana
Tiana may not have spent as long in the princess canon compared to some of Disney's most iconic characters, but she's worked harder to earn a spot than many. Few would have the hustle to make her dream of a magnificent restaurant come to life, a journey that requires quite a lot more than just kissing a frog. The Princess and the Frog villain, Dr. Facilier, already has several Disney Lorcana cards, making it seem like Tiana's inclusion in the trading card game is only a matter of time.
3 Alice
Alice is another main heroine in a film with side characters that have made it into the game first, with both the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat having been introduced. Including just one of the wacky inhabitants of Wonderland could be chance, but adding two seems like an offense against the girl who fell down the rabbit hole. Her wide variety of misadventures would make for plenty of fun card ideas, not the least of which include the effects of the magical food and drink that she really should not have been touching.
2 Winnie-The-Pooh
Few characters are more lovable than everyone's favorite bear of very little brain, making Winnie-the-Pooh's exclusion from Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter particularly striking. Disney's rendition of Pooh in a bright red shirt is even more culturally omnipresent than Ernest Shepard's original illustrations, and his joy in a small smackerel of honey is magic enough to warrant a card. Just as Poohsticks always emerge from under the bridge in the end, it seems inevitable that Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood will eventually be added to the trading card game.
1 Snow White
It may have all started with a mouse, but a certain princess played no small role in making Disney into a phenomenon. Disney's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, stunned Hollywood with gorgeous animation and memorable songs that showcased just how powerful of a tool animation could be. Snow White's absence in the new trading card game is a particularly striking exclusion, earning her status as a truly iconic character missing from Disney Lorcana.
