Top 10 Disney Male Role Models

Boys need positive role models, and some of the best ones always come from books, movies, and shows. Personally, I think a good attitude is more important than being perfect. Perfection is overrated (and impossible), while a positive attitude and the ability to learn from your mistakes can make a good person out of anyone. That’s what’s really important. So, with that said, here are 10 Disney characters who would make great role models!

Hercules

Like Luke Skywalker, Hercules’s path from zero to hero and from hero to zero is explored really well in one of my favorite Disney cartoons. Love him or hate him, the story of Hercules is very appealing. He goes from being an overpowered nobody to being a weak somebody. He goes from being a big fish in a small pond (Demi-god amongst humans) to being a small fish in a big pond (human amongst the gods). And through it all, in the end, he makes the choice to protect someone he loves, which is something any boy could learn a good lesson from.

Bruce Banner

As you know, Marvel is now under the Disney umbrella, so I get to write about a character that’s very dear to my heart — Bruce Banner. Bruce is all about brains, but he also has a good heart. He is a kind man, he is loyal, and he has learnt the lesson that anger is not the right solution to any problem. He has learned to control his anger, and that’s a very positive trait for men to develop. There’s too much aggression, and learning to control your emotions and think with your brain is an admirable trait.

James P. Sullivan

Even though he is a giant and strong monster, James P. Sullivan is kind and loving. He quickly learns that children aren’t as hazardous as he thought, and proceeds to act accordingly throughout the rest of Monsters Inc. He is a great demonstration of how kindness and understanding can lead to more progress than sticking to whatever society deems to be “normal”. A great role model!

Luke Skywalker

Well, today Disney also owns George Lucas Films, so this counts! Luke Skywalker is a great role model. His character is explored quite thoroughly throughout all the films that he’s been in, and we’ve seen him transform from someone who is unsure of his own capabilities to someone who will sacrifice himself for the greater good. Numerous times he has had the chance to defeat evil by ignoring his morals, but he chose mercy over murder, and that is what makes him both a good Jedi and a good male role model.