Bolt (character)

Bolt is a white American Shepherd Dog and the protagonist from the 2008 animated feature of the same name.
Bolt's journey and the personal evolution it provokes in him embodies the movie's main themes regarding trust
and loyalty.
In the film, Bolt has spent his entire life from early puppyhood on the set of a television show, kept isolated
from the outside world. In the show, Bolt must use his superpowers to save his owner and co-star Penny, whom
he loves dearly, from the evil Dr. Calico. However, Bolt believes that he actually has the superpowers possessed
by his television character, a delusion the directors of the show maintain by tricking Bolt, week after week, into
thinking his adventures are real, in order to make his performance more authentic.
From early puppyhood, Bolt has been playing the lead in a popular TV-show where he is a genetically altered
superdog with superpowers such as the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes and the iconic “superbark”. His
mission is to protect his owner Penny, a child actress, from the evil villain Doctor Calico. Although the dog’s
love and concern for Penny is authentic, everything else about his life is, unbeknownst to Bolt, entirely fake.
The programme makers are intentionally setting up the show with extensive scenography and real-time special
effects in a way to condition the young canine into believing the fiction around him is real and that his owner is
in immediate danger. For the experiment to work, Bolt is not allowed to get a glimpse of reality and is therefore
locked in a trailer inside the studio where he is allowed to spend a few minutes together with Penny after each
shooting.
When the director ends an episode with a “cliff-hanger” in an attempt to boost ratings, Bolt escapes his trailer
convinced that Penny is in mortal danger. In the process, he knocks himself unconscious and ends up in a
shipping box packed with Styrofoam, and is subsequently shipped to New York.
Stranded in the real world, Bolt initially and unsuccessfully attempts to recreate the stunts from the TV-show,
repeatedly hurting himself in the process. He eventually realizes that his sense of a reality, and therefore his
sense of identity, has been severely screwed, although he still holds on the hope that Penny’s love for him was
real and not faked. With the help of Mittens, an abandoned street cat, and Rhino, a fearless, TV-obsessed
hamster and Bolt fan, who help him recognize his limitations and come to terms with his self-realization, he
embarks on a journey back to Hollywood where he is eventually rejoined with Penny after saving her from a
burning sound-stage.
Personality
Bolt is depicted in the film as having a very complex and multifaceted personality. When in the company of
Mittens and Rhino, in the beginning of the movie, he is earnest, intent and introverted. The gradual process
of self-realization did at times make him hostile towards Mittens who attempted to convince Bolt that he
is delusional. However, after his epiphany, Bolt opened up to Mittens and trusted her to help him adjust to
reality and teach him how to be a normal dog. When in the company of Penny, his owner, Bolt behaves much
like a normal affectionate, albeit very protective dog.
Despite the handicap provided by his delusions, Bolt is portrayed as a highly intelligent character who is quick
to adapt to new environment and find solutions to problems. When he can’t break into a U-haul truck with his
laser vision, Bolt instead distracts nearby workers with a coin and sneaks in. When Bolt rescues Penny from the
burning building, he is able to locate a ventilation shaft and bark to alert firemen outside, before succumbing to
smoke inhalation.
During his entire journey, Bolt remained loyal to Penny, fixed on the goal of returning to her. After his brush
with reality, Bolt also beings to open up to other characters in the film. His ability to trust other characters,
despite the hardship he has been through is depicted as one of his most admirable characteristics.
Physical appearance

Bolt’s breed is not defined in the movie but the animators based him on the American White Shepherd Dog, his
big, erect ears and long, brushy tail being the most prominent indicators. Most of the time, his ears are standing
vigilantly erect over his head which matches his intent personality and sharp profile, and allowed the animators
to emphasize his expressiveness as they leave his face uncovered.
Bolt is a medium sized dog with a height at the wither of 50 cm and a creamy white coat. Bolt has a strong neck
with thick, double-coated fur, which is raised when excited and lowered while running, much like a real
shepherd dog. The difference between Bolt’s back head and furry neck is not very defined. Bolt’s appearance is
“softer” than a normal German Shepherd with a more curved outline, thick, rounded legs and domed forehead.
The "normal" Shepherd has longer, thinner legs and a more meager appearance.
Bolt’s coat is a creamy white and his fur differs in thickness as it is short haired over his belly, flanks and back,
and a bit thicker over his neck. The animators worked much with Bolt’s fur so that it would seem soft and fluffy
with every hair moving in a realistic way. Special animation software was used by the production team to
animate and render Bolt's more than 200.000 hairs. During the making of the movie, having Bolt’s white fur
getting smudged and dirty was a bit of a challenge according to the animators.