Strange World is Disney’s latest theatrical release. It follows the Clade Family as they
attempt to save a plant known as Pando. While the film features a message about energy and
saving the planet from damaging archaic fuels, it also functions as a fun lighthearted adventure.
But let’s take a look at how the characters stack up on the morality spectrum.
I’m Kyle with WickedBinge and this is Strange World Characters: Good to Most Heroic.
Now, just a heads up: Spoilers ahead.
Secondly, because of a serious lack of real villains in this film,
this spectrum is Good to Most Heroic. .
With that said, let’s get started with the
least good character and work our way up to the most noble.
The least good character on our list is Caspian. Caspian is a nerdy and erratic member of the crew
who go on the adventure to the Strange World. He first appears early on in the film where he
tries to get Searcher to forge Jaeger’s autograph because he was a big fan of the adventurer. He’s
later the one who loses Ethan when he runs off and gives up trying to fly the ship when
Miridian pops in. Caspian is just very bad at his job, he only comes along to generally be annoying
and useless. In fact, one could argue that while he is sort of useless, he is the reason Ethan was
able to escape and without him the movie would have ended drastically different. Regardless,
he is unhelpful and definitely deserves to be at the very bottom of our list.
However, we get to the only real villain this movie has, up next is Callisto Mal. Calling
Callisto a villain is not exactly true, but she does take on the heaviest antagonist role for this
film. In fact, there are no real villains in the film, beyond the plant Pando, but Callisto does
get a villain arc for a very short time, however it’s because she is just misguided about what’s
going on. Callisto is the president of Avalonia, where she enlists Searcher to help find out why
Pando is failing. She brings Searcher along and tries to work as a middle ground for Searcher
and Jeager’s fighting and tries her hardest to save Pando. In fact, this gets to the point
where she locks the Clade family in a closet so they couldn’t destroy the plant she believes is
nothing but helpful. Callisto is a good person who cares about her country and the people around her,
which leads to her misguided attempt to lock up the Clades. This is why she has to rank here
on our list, not because she’s all that bad but because her actions stop her from ranking higher.
From the president down to her captain, up next is Captain Pulk. Pulk is the highest ranking
member of Callisto’s crew beyond herself, where she worked as the captain, giving some orders
but mostly keeping track of the crew and what they’re doing. She tells the pilot to “earn
his paycheck” and doesn’t seem too perturbed by Callisto’s decision to lock up the Clades.
Pulk does have one excuse, because she is taking orders from the president, so following orders,
even misguided ones is her whole thing. She also doesn’t have much in terms of screen time,
the time she is on screen is mostly following an order or berating an employee. However,
she can’t take as much blame as Callisto, simply because she was following Callisto’s
orders to kill the creatures. So, she has to land here for the moment.
Up next on our list is the only other “villainous” character on our list,
Jaeger Clade. Now, much like Callisto, calling him a villain is sort of a mischaracterization,
however, he is roughly antagonistic, at least at first. Jaeger is the father of Searcher Clade and
the grandfather of the main character Ethan. Jaeger was an explorer and adventurer who had
been exploring the land of Avalonia for quite a while, even training and bringing his son
Searcher along as he did so. He makes it quite obvious that his mission is to reach the other
side of the mountains no matter what, despite better and more effecient options being found
in the Pando that Searcher discovers.Jaeger then abandons his son and family for twenty five years,
finding his way into and getting stuck in the titular Strange World. His survival instincts
have let him handle the world and it’s creatures, and upon arriving he instantly ends up saving both
Searcher and Ethan on a couple of occasions. Jaeger is a man who is stuck in his ways and is
found to be nearly immovable, which was especially the case twenty five years ago when he first left.
However, as the years went by he got wiser and while he still wanted to find out what was on
the other side of the mountains, he seemed regretful for abandoning Searcher. In fact,
he seemed to only care about fame and fortune, however, by the end of the film he gives up on his
dream to help save the Strange World and learns to trust Searcher and Ethan, even if he didn’t
believe them at first. Jaeger manages to turn for the better at the end of the film, however,
we do need to dock points for abandoning his family and his general behavior and personality.
However, we’re not knocking him too much, he’s just not nearly as good as everyone else.
Moving from cranky grandfather to mischief maker, we have Splat landing next on our list. Splat is
a Scout, a small gooey creature that allegedly leads adventurers to their deaths at the hands
of the large “Reapers”. However, while it did attempt to get Ethan killed, upon getting helped
by Ethan it switches gears and becomes more like a pet and friend, helping Ethan on his
adventure. Splat makes it’s presence known by not only saving the life of Ethan a couple of times,
but helping Jaeger and Searcher on occasion. Not to mention it managed to utilize the Sea of Fire
Pickles to help get the ship through so they could get closer to the heart of pando. Splat
spends most of the film being little more than a menace, but if it wasn’t for this goopy friend,
the movie would have had a premature end. Splat is also the one who let’s Ethan know
about the truth of Pando and the Strange World, which is the reason why they were able to save
the world turtle. So, yes, Splat can’t rank higher because it is a bit of an annoyance,
but that doesn’t mean that it deserves to fall anywhere else on the list.
From one pet to another, up next on our list is the three-legged dog himself, Legend. Legend is
a big dog that seems to have been owned by Searcher and Ethan for quite a while, and he
helps out around the farm to some degree. While it is unknown what caused Legend to lose a leg,
it’s likely because of some sort of farming accident. Legend is also a sort of dumb dog
as he continually tries to eat Pando despite constantly getting shocked by it. Legend does
spend most of the time in the film being cute and just meandering around. However, he is partly
responsible for saving the Clade’s from being locked in the closet for too long. With help
from Splat, Legend was able to save the family and help save the giant turtle they live on.
Bringing about the bronze medal of good is best boy Ethan Clade. Ethan is arguably the
main protagonist of the film, where he is the son of Searcher and Meridian Clade. He grew up on the
Pando Farm that Searcher operated and ends up sneaking on board the ship that ends up going
to the Strange World. He is also shown trying to impress his crush Diazo on multiple occasions,
even trying to get his dad not to embrass him. Ethan also wants to be his own person,
becoming an explorer and trying to help those around him in any way he can, usually by farming
the Pando. When he met Splat he trusted it with his life, and after it got injured, Ethan had
no problems helping it get fixed up. He’s also a smart kid, knows how to do the things necessary
to survive whilst also helping those in need. Ethan has a thirst for adventure that he does
everything necessary to fulfill, even if it puts himself in danger. Sure, he’s still just a kid,
and it shows that he doesn’t know exactly what’s best at any given time, but he’s trying his best.
Similarly, standing with the silver medal of good is soil sterling Searcher Clade. Searcher
is the son of infamous explorer Jaeger Clade and the father of Ethan. Searcher was once a
great explorer like his father Jaeger, but upon discovering Pando he instead became a
researcher and farmer, becoming a hero to the world of Avalonia. Searcher spent 25 years of
his life farming Pando and trying to live happily and quietly without thinking about his father or
adventure. This is especially true considering he was initially against going on the trip to
the Strange World until he was sort of guilt tripped into saving Pando. Searcher cares very
deeply for his family, and was vigilant about trying to have Ethan join their crew. Searcher
will do anything for his family, whether it be fight monsters or allow his dad to help them.
Searcher does have some issues with his father, but that’s to be expected from a man who had
disappeared for twenty five years. Searcher also hates adventure for the most part and would rather
be at home when it comes down to everything happening. Searcher does have an issue when
it comes to Ethan’s dreams to do anything else, and it takes him a little bit to find that Ethan
doesn’t want to be like him. Searcher does try his best and he’s a much better father
than his was, however, Searcher can’t take the top spot for one main reason, he’s not Miridan.
Grabbing our grandiose gold medal of good is the grandest girl of them all, Meridian Clade.
Meridian is the mother of Ethan and the wife of Searcher, but she’s an amazingly good character in
her own right. She works hard on the farm, mostly fertilizing and dusting the crops so that they
grow right, and she’s also an intensely skilled pilot. Meridian appears pretty early in the film,
and seems like she might disappear, however, she arrives to let Searcher know about Ethan being a
stowaway. She then helps the crew by becoming the new pilot and working with them to try and save
Pando. However, unlike the rest of the crew, she instantly believes Searcher and Ethan when they
inform them about the truth behind Pando and the turtle. In fact, this leads to her being
locked up with the other two, only to escape and help them defeat the virus-like Pando. She even
fights with the president of Avalonia so that she can help her family, which shows just how good of
a person she really is. Meridian is a good person who cares deeply for her family and for the people
around her, however, she won’t give up fighting so that she can be the best she can possibly be.
Meridian deserves our gold medal and runs with it, but what’s to be expected from a Clade.
Don’t leave us just yet, because we’ve got a few sinner medals to hand out.
Dragging our divisive Darwin Medal is the dumb dog himself Legend who is shown on multiple
occasions just being dumb, unable to unlock the door or eating Pando despite it’s reprecussions.
Our raucous Wrath Medal rightfully resides in the hands of Jaeger Clade,
who argues and fights constantly, and is one of the only characters shown killing.
Powerful patriarch Jaeger Clade purposefully picks up the Pride Medal,
as throughout the film he’s shown to care for very little beyond his own pride,
his ego and becoming a famous explorer by fulfilling his destiny.
Lastly, lovingly taking our Lust Medal is Searcher Clade, who continually kisses and loves on his
wife Meridian throughout the film. Yes, one could argue Ethan here because of the romance
subplot but, we feel this is a better fit. But let us know in the comment section if
you agree with our ranking. And tell us what we should cover next. Remember to hit that
notification bell and binge our Good to Evil playlist. Where we break down the morality of
the characters in your favorite cartoons, shows and movies. But most importantly, stay wicked.