The Land Before Time/Characters

Here you will find the main characters of The Land Before Time films, as well as minor characters of varying importance.

Littlefoot - Apatosaurus



 * Berserk Button: Don't insult his mother.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: After dealing with Cera's attitude for a while and then her remark about his mother being stupid, Littlefoot snaps. He lost the fight, but it was a pretty brutal affair.
 * The Hero
 * It's Personal/You Killed My Mother: Not outright stated, but when the opportunity to kill Sharptooth appears, Littlefoot is the first to take it.
 * The Stoic: If something's going wrong, Littlefoot's generally the one who keeps his head together.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: In Invasion of the Tinysauruses, Littlefoot accidentally knocks all of the fruit off of a special tree that no one is to eat from until everyone is there to share it. He proceeds to lay the blame on the innocent Tinysauruses, and the rest of the Valley inhabitants try to chase away and even destroy the innocent micro-dinos. When Littlefoot admits he lied, everyone gives him a disbelieving reaction.
 * Would Hit a Girl: To be fair, the girl in question can shatter rocks with her head.
 * You Imagined It: No one believes Littlefoot saw a mysterious blue stone fly over the Valley and land on Three Horn Peak in The Stone of Cold Fire. Except for 2 small dinosaurs that may or not be aliens in disguise.

Cera - Triceratops



 * Fantastic Racism: Especially in the first film. She mellowed pretty fast, though.
 * Hate Sink: In the first film. In some ways, she was actaully more the antagonist than Sharptooth!
 * Hair-Trigger Temper: It doesn't take much to anger Cera. But this is toned down greatly in the sequels.
 * Ineffectual Loner: In the first movie, before learning The Power of Friendship and becoming part of the group. In later movies she still has a tendency to storm off by herself after disagreements with the group, but her leave is never permanent.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's bossy, she's egotistical, she's short-tempered, and she'll always come through for her friends.
 * The Lancer
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to Ducky's Girly Girl.
 * Tsundere
 * Ungrateful Bastard: For most of the first movie, she remains prejudiced against longnecks and even goes so far as to call Littlefoot's mother stupid even after she'd given her life to save her and Littlefoot from Sharptooth. Like many other negative traits, this too fades out as time goes.
 * Use Your Head: She is a Triceratops, after all.
 * Welcome Back, Traitor: She's accepted as a friend after she helps to kill Sharptooth, even though she'd left Ducky, Petrie, and Spike to nearly die awhile back.
 * Why Did It Have To Be Heights: Cera doesn't do too well when it comes to cliffs, chasms, and anything involving crossing them. Unfortunately, they face this dillemma at least once a movie

Ducky - Saurolophus



 * Catch Phrase: "Yep yep yep!"
 * The Chick
 * Team Mom: She always comforts and pep-talks everyone, and her plucky personality usually rubs off on everyone aorund her.
 * Tin Man: In The Big Freeze, Ducky had to ask Cera what the strange emotions she was feeling towards Spike's constant snoring and keeping her awake were. When Cera told her she was feeling angry, Ducky was mystified, because she had never felt anger before, and Cera has to teach her (In song, no less), how to express anger.
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Cera's Tomboy.

Petrie - Pteranodon

 * Acrophobic Pterosaur: Grows out of it by the end of the first movie, for the most part.
 * Cowardly Lion
 * Ptero-Soarer: The original movie averted this slightly as while he was still outdated by modern standards the animators gave him features in accordance to then new theories like walking on all four. Unfortunately, the sequels throws all of those features into the trash bin.
 * The Smart Guy: Though not so much because he's the most intelligent as he is the most cautious.
 * Third Person Person
 * Vegetarian Carnivore: Peterie is a Pteranodon, which are known to dine on fish. Yet, he and other "fliers" are shown eating plants and there's no explanation as to why.
 * Vegetarian Carnivore: Peterie is a Pteranodon, which are known to dine on fish. Yet, he and other "fliers" are shown eating plants and there's no explanation as to why.

Spike - Stegosaurus

 * Big Eater
 * The Big Guy
 * Happily Adopted: By Ducky's family.
 * Oblivious Adoption: Deals with issues related to this trope in The Big Freeze.
 * The Voiceless: Except for two instances where he yells Ducky's name when she's in danger, and when he yells "Mama!" as he nearly drowns in a lake.
 * Later revealed that he can talk but simply chooses not to.
 * And, when he does "speak", it's usually unintelligible mumbling. Interestingly enough, in one episode of the series, it's shown that his thoughts are quite sophisticated.
 * In several of the songs, however, he can be cearly seen and heard humming and hilariously enough, scat-singing at a few points. Most prominent during the "Bad luck" song, where he gets several scat-solos, going from lame-o to Satchmo in a matter of seconds.

Sharptooth - Tyrannosaurus Rex

 * Badass: Being a Tyrannosaurus Rex helps, but even for a T-rex, he seems superhuman
 * Big Bad: Considered this in the first film.
 * Carnivore Confusion
 * Disney Villain Death:
 * Hate Sink: If you don't consider him "evil", then you will at least hate him for continously hunting down the dinosaur children and being responsible for the death of Littlefoot's mother.
 * Made of Iron: His stamina and strength were ridiculous enough, but he survived falling into a deep trench without any actual injury and can smash large rocks with his head with no pain involved.
 * Not Quite Dead: Is seemingly killed when he falls off a cliff fighting Little Foot's mother. Cera finds out later on he survived and is ticked off!
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge: In the novel version that is, because apparently, while Littlefoot fled from him, he sent a thorn flying into one of his eyes, half-blinding him.
 * Super-Persistent Predator: Is dead set on killing the group. Justifed as few other dinosaurs are seen during the film, so they may just be the only thing to eat. Also see Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
 * The Voiceless: Like almost every sharptooth in the series.
 * The Voiceless: Like almost every sharptooth in the series.

Mama Longneck - Apatosaurus

 * Almost-Dead Guy
 * Heroic Sacrifice
 * Mama Bear: Oh yes. She protects her son by fighting off a bloodthirsty Sharptooth while an earthquake is tearing apart the land around her.
 * Sacrificial Lion

Grandma and Grandpa Longneck - Apatosaurus

 * Badass Grandpa: Literally. Grandpa is able to keep up with Doc when it comes to fighting Sharptooth. And in a battle in a later film, he and Grandma team up to beat a sharptooth into the ground.
 * Big Damn Heroes: Once in a while.
 * Cool Old Guy: Grandpa Longneck can hold his own against a Sharptooth. Not bad for an old dinosaur.
 * Parental Substitute: Acted as Littlefoot's parents since the first film.

Topsy / Mr. Three Horn - Triceratops

 * Divided We Fall: His stubbornness finally gets him and Cera into trouble in Time Of Great Giving, and they end up getting saved by Grandpa Longneck.
 * Fantastic Racism: Prejudiced against longnecks. Seems to get along with Grandpa Longneck in the sequels well enough, however.
 * Grumpy Bear
 * Jerkass: Is the one who taught Cera her Fantastic Racism in the first film, and he repeatedly causes trouble for all the other grown-ups in the sequels and the series. Is shown to have a Hidden Heart of Gold on occasions, though.
 * Papa Triceratops
 * Antagonist Song: "I'm Tough!" could be considred this in the third film, given what he was doing at the time.

Rooter - Euoplocephalus

 * The Obi-Wan
 * One-Scene Wonder

Chomper - Tyrannosaurus Rex

 * Carnivore Confusion: Actually addressed. Normal Sharptooth would try to eat the group, but he resolves to only eat bugs in order to stay around his friends, though they do find this disturbing as well.
 * Enfant Terrible: Averted, despite being an infant Sharptooth, he's a very nice guy. However he is often mistaken for this by dinosaurs that don't know him. In fact in one episode of he TV series spinoff, it almost gets him killed.
 * My Species Doth Protest Too Much: His parents are the only Sharptooth he actually seems to like, otherwise he actually prefers to hang with the Great Valley dinos over his own kind. Probably because other adult Sharptooth seem to attack him on sight as well.
 * Omniglot: He's the only known Sharptooth to be able to speak Sharptooth and plant eater. This comes in handy at times. Most dinosaur adults seem suitably suprised upon learning of this.
 * Sixth Ranger (in animated series)
 * Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Anyone who doesn't consider him an Ensemble Darkhorse thinks of him as this in the animated series. Of all the characters, he has the most number of episodes focused around him.
 * It should be noted in the movies he never fills this role

Chomper's parents - Tyrannosaurus Rex

 * Deadpan Snarker: Chomper's father. "Sometimes I worry about that boy."
 * Heel Face Turn: Well sort of. The were entirely villainous in The Mysterous Island but still a danger to the heroes anytime they saw them, until Littlefoot risks his life to save Chomper's. After that, they're much more friendly, even managing to not complain as Cera hugs their leg.
 * Mama Bear/Papa Wolf: They're very quick to come to their son's aid if he's in danger. Also part the reason they sent Chomper to the Great Valley in the series, to protect him from Red Claw.

Ozzie and Strut - Struthiomimuses

 * Those Two Bad Guys
 * Vegetarian Carnivore: Ozzie and Strut are both Struthiomimuses. Strut seemed more content on eating plants, while Ozzie seems obsessed in eating eggs. In reality, Struthiomimus and it's relatives were omnivores, and having such restricted diets would probably be a death sentence.
 * Villain Song: "Eggs"

Hyp, Nod and Mutt - Hypsilophodon, Nodosaurus, and Muttaburrasaurus

 * Delinquents
 * Freudian Excuse: Hyp's dad was an even more hardass than Topsy.
 * Gang of Bullies
 * Heel Face Turn: When they are upstaged by carnivores.
 * Jerkass --> Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * Villain Song: "When You're big", a possible contender for the best villain song in the series. Also notable as the first obvious change from the usual kiddy-pop oriented songs of the series.

Ali - Apatosaurus

 * Fantastic Racism: Not as bad as Mr. Threehorn gets, but she initially wasn't comfortable interacting with dinosaurs who weren't longnecks.
 * Guest Star Party Member: In Journey Through The Mist
 * Walking the Earth: Her herd is migratory, after their homeland was ruined by constant rain and floods.

Old One - Apatosaurus

 * Walking the Earth

Ichy and Dil - Ichthyornis and Deinosuchus

 * Brains and Brawn: Ichy is the planner, Dil is the muscle. They're useless without each other, as Ichy is too small to accomplish much and Dil is nearly blind.
 * Those Two Bad Guys
 * Toothy Bird: Justified, as Ichy is an Ichthyornis, which had teeth in real life.
 * Villain Song: "Who Needs You", all about how they can't stand each other, despite the fact that neither can survive without the other.

Doc - Diplodocus

 * Badass
 * Fantastic Racism: When he shows up in the series, he refuses to accept Chomper might be a good guy due to him being a Sharptooth. However, he ultimately learns the error of his ways when the little guy helps save his 'lady friend'.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold
 * The Drifter
 * Red Baron: The Lone Dinosaur
 * Whip It Good: What he uses his tail for.

Dana and Dinah - Triceratops

 * Annoying Younger Sibling: For Cera, though they are apparently supposed to be her niece and nephew.
 * Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: They disappear after Saurus Rock.

Pterano - Pteranodon

 * Anti-Villain: Not really evil per se, but certainly selfish and very reckless. While he has put people in danger before, he never means to do so and wishes no harm on anyone.
 * Dirty Coward: Accused of being one, after his disastrous leadership.
 * Evil Uncle
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Ptero-Soarer: Unlike his nephew, he was unlucky to be a sequel character, and hence whatever accuracy the original movie's pterosaurs had was not carried on.
 * The Atoner: Eventually.
 * Villain Song: "Very Important creature", another contender for the best villain song of the series, mainly because rather than being about how nasty and vicious he is, this song is simply about how brave and strong he thinks he is, and how egotistical everyone else thinks he is.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: He legitimately believes himself to be a good leader and thinks that everyone would be better off with him as such.

Sierra and Rinkus - Cearadactylus and Rhamphorhynchus

 * Ptero-Soarer: Same as above.
 * The Starscream
 * Those Two Bad Guys

Rainbow Faces - Gallimimus

 * Alien Among Us: Never directly addressed, but very, VERY heavily implied, both by their more-than-saurian knowledge of how the world works, and by the shimmering pillar of light that marks their departure.
 * Deadpan Snarker: The female Rainbow Face.

Mr. Thicknose - Pachyrhinosaurus

 * Cool Old Guy
 * Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Originally respected as the smartest resident of the Great Valley, having "Been everywhere and seen everything", it is then revealed that he gets most of his knowledge from second-hand sources.

Mo - Ophthalmosaurus

 * Guest Star Party Member
 * Disney Death
 * Heroic Sacrifice: Narrowly escaped actually dying by sheer luck.
 * Third Person Person

Bron - Apatosaurus

 * Disappeared Dad: He left to find a suitable place to live before Littlefoot's birth and by the time he returned, the Great Earthshake had occurred.
 * Parental Substitute: To Shorty.

Shorty - Brachiosaurus

 * Brats with Slingshots: He uses his tail to smack pebbles at things with great precision.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold

Guido - Microraptor

 * Butt Monkey
 * Instant Expert: Has no problem flying, as long as he is asleep.
 * Last of His Kind: Allegedly, likely stemming from...
 * Laser-Guided Amnesia: He wakes up in the Great Valley and has no idea where he is, what he is, where he came from, how he got here...
 * Remembered I Could Fly: See above, and only after everyone tells him he can.
 * Plucky Comic Relief: Pulled off decently for a direct-to-DVD character.

Ruby - Oviraptor

 * Cool Big Sis: Ruby is the oldest of the kids and goes between this and Team Mom.
 * Remember the New Guy?: She and Chomper are already with the main cast on the first episode without any mention of her past. Even though she gets more details explained later its quite Egregious.
 * Science Marches On: Her design includes feathers.
 * Seventh Ranger
 * Verbal Tic: Tends to say things twice, but the second time switching the structure of the statement around. It can get a tad annoying.

Red Claw - Tyrannosaurus Rex

 * Big Bad: Of the TV Series
 * Informed Ability: He's said to be one of the biggest, baddest Sharptooth of all time, but he's constantly defeated by a group of children...though said children have a long record of beating Sharptooth.

Screech and Thud - Utahraptor

 * Evil Is Dumb
 * Evil Minions