Vlad Vladikoff is the secondary antagonist of Horton Hears a Who!. He is a vulture who was hired by the Sour Kangaroo to steal the clover from Horton. He is voiced by Will Arnett.
Appearance[]
Vlad is a vulture (almost resembling a condor) who frequently sheds feathers. He has sharp, yellow teeth and has bloodshot eyes with a bald head. He also has large wings, long beak, and sharp talons in his feet, which he often uses as hands throughout the film. In the original book (Horton Hears a Who!) and in the musical, Seussical during Chasing the Whos, he is incorrectly identified as a black-bottomed eagle.
Personality[]
In the beginning, Vlad is shown to be a scary and ravenous vulture who spends most of his time eating carcasses.
He is also a mercenary who would do whatever he's asked in exchange for something, as seen where he initially wanted to eat the Sour Kangaroo's son, Rudy, showing his more murderous demeanor, before the Sour Kangaroo manipulates him into stealing the clover for free.
Also, being a bird of prey, Vlad is also shown to be predatory, which is especially shown during the scene where he tries to steal the clover from Horton, which he eventually succeeded. However, he's not the smartest bird, as he failed to destroy the clover like he offered, resulting in him being fired after the Sour Kangaroo found out that Horton still has the clover.
Despite these traits, however, Vlad is very eccentric, and he has the tendency to exaggerate when telling his story. He can also be incredibly goofy at times.
Near the end of the film, however, Vlad shows a softer side to his character as he watches Horton and the Sour Kangaroo making amends with each other. This scene may likely indicate that he, too, heard the Whos' voices.
Role in the film[]
The Sour Kangaroo hires Vlad to get rid of the clover and demands that he must do it for free. Morton informs Horton about it and Horton reveals that he knows two Vlads: Vlad Vladikoff (a scary vulture), whom he calls 'Bad Vlad', and Bunny Vlad, a bunny rabbit who bakes cookies.
Suddenly, however, Vlad tries to attack Horton in an attempt to steal the clover, but was initially unable to do so after Horton lets go off a palm tree, which smacks into Vlad, causing him to be sent flying towards the wall of a cliff.
However, Vlad would soon manage to steal Horton’s clover, and despite the elephant's best efforts to get it back, Vlad drops the clover into the field of identical clovers below, nearly destroying Whoville in the process.
Later on, Vlad explains to the Sour Kangaroo in an exaggerated manner about what he did to the clover (and apparently Horton), but the Sour Kangaroo soon learns that Horton still has the clover, much to her anger as she fires Vlad while calling him an 'idiot', much to Vlad's dismay.
Near the end of the film, Horton greets who he thinks is either bad Vlad (vulture) or bunny Vlad who makes the cookies, causing everyone to gasp in fear, thinking it is the former Vlad (vulture) who has returned. Fortunately, it turns out that it is the latter Vlad (rabbit).
Vlad Vladikoff, meanwhile, is moved to tears by the sight of Horton and the Sour Kangaroo making amends with each other, and soon breaks down crying, overwhelmed by such a heartfelt sight. He even joins in singing REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" during the conclusion of the movie.
Vlad is seen during the alternate version of the end credits exclusive to the international version of the movie. The eccentric vulture is seen singing and dancing to a more fast-paced version of "Can't Fight This Feeling". He soon stops dancing, however, when he sees Mayor McDodd letting out a yell, much to his unamusememt.
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