Top Ten Rabbits

Rabbits are versatile creatures. They can be cute & cuddly, devious & deceiving, or any combination in between. Being so flexible, we have many names for them, using rabbit, bunny, or hare interchangeably. (I’m sure there’s a scientific distinction. No one cares.) Their flexible natures are why they probably show up in stories more than almost any other animal. Coming up with a list of the top ten rabbits in popular culture is surprisingly hard. With Easter being the rabbit’s biggest day of the year, it seems like a good time to try.

10. The White Rabbit (from Alice in Wonderland)

Sometimes pompous, sometimes submissive, always concerned with punctuality, the White Rabbit is the most literal hallucination from Lewis Carroll’s best-known work. Disney added to his legend by letting him sing the second biggest earworm in their catalog: “I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I’m late! I’m late! I’m late!”. For the record, Disney’s biggest earworm concerns the earth being not at all large upon further reflection. I won’t quote it for fear of the agony of the song being stuck in my head so long it triggers a Carroll like hallucination of my own.

9. Peter Rabbit

This little scamp has been entertaining young readers with his adventures since 1902. Listening to Beatrix Potter’s beloved story as delightfully read by actress Rose Byrne reminds this writer that a simple story is often the best. If Ms. Potter approached a publisher today with the story of a young rabbit disobeying his mother by raiding a vegetable garden, she would probably be asked where the dragons or vampires were. That makes me sad.

8. Thumper (from Bambi)

The creative team behind Bambi had to walk a very fine line. A story about a young deer losing his mother to a hunter doesn’t exactly seem like the recipe for a successful children’s movie. To Walt Disney’s credit, he recognized the universal appeal of the story’s themes. The filmmaker’s also realized that they desperately needed something for comic relief. Enter Thumper, the adorable little rabbit who keeps the kids smiling and steals all of his scenes. Fun fact: Young Thumper was voiced by a four-year-old named Peter Behn who later became a real estate agent. Talk about having the best story ever to tell at parties!

7. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

Mickey Mouse almost never existed. Walt Disney’s first cartoon success was with this lucky rabbit. Universal studios released many Oswald shorts in the late 1920s. Disney was not making as much from Oswald as he thought he deserved, so he approached his producer asking for a larger cut of the profits. In true show business fashion, his request was denied. Instead of continuing with the arrangement, Walt quit Universal and left his rabbit behind. He created Mickey Mouse on the train ride home, and the rest is history. Postscript: In 2006 the rights to sportscaster Al Michael’s were traded from Disney owned ABC to Universal owned NBC for the rights to Oswald. Michaels became the voice the Sunday Night Football. Oswald finally found his way home.

6. Hazel (from Watership Down)

Richard Adams’ best-loved work has been terrorizing and mesmerizing school children for decades. The story of a group of rabbits escaping the destruction of their warren and finding a new home is unlike anything else in literature. Many characters stand out including the brave Bigwig and the mystical Fiver, but Hazel is my favorite. While not the strongest or smartest of the group, he is a natural leader. His guidance leads the diverse group of rabbits through a harrowing and ultimately successful journey. John Hurt voiced Hazel in the 1978 film adaptation, which was the first non-Disney animated film I ever saw and changed my perception of what animation could be forever.

5. Harvey

Probably the tallest rabbit in history, Harvey is the 6’ 3.5” friend of Elwood P. Dowd, local…eccentric. The beloved movie starring James Stewart is based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play by Mary Chase. As a Pooka, a mischievous but harmless Celtic creature, Harvey has to live by specific rules, but you’d think he could be less of a jerk and let others know he’s there. I guess a story about a giant rabbit everyone can see wouldn’t win a Pulitzer Prize though. Stewart smartly took a percentage of the movie’s profits and made approximately 2.1 million in 2019 dollars. I hope he shared some it with his invisible friend.

4. Roger Rabbit

Roger has had quite a life. Cartoon star in the beloved Baby Herman shorts. Husband to sumptuous sexpot Jessica. Framed for the murder of businessman Marvin Acme. Vindicated by gumshoe Eddie Valiant. Those escapades alone would be enough to get Roger onto this list. The fact he starred in Robert Zemeckis’ groundbreaking live-action/animated masterpiece adds to his worthiness. Roger has been quiet of late. Hopefully, he finds a new project to entertain us all again soon. Fun fact: Roger is the nephew of Thumper. The family resemblance is not strong.

3. The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog (from Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

The biggest badass on my list, this unassuming but powerful rabbit killed several of King Arthur’s brave knights on their quest to find the Holy Grail. Unfortunately, even this rabbit was not immune to the effects of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. Once the surviving Knights got their hands on this powerful relic, the end was near for this surprisingly vicious little guy. Monty Python got the idea for the killer rabbit from this carving on the side of Notre Dame cathedral. I hope it is still there.

2. Bugs Bunny

It’s probably just as well Walt Disney had to move on from Oswald. Its unlikely Bugs would have been created if his main competition was another rabbit. Bugs’ exploits were much different than Mickey’s. Battling Nazis, singing opera, and meeting Michael Jordan are just some of Bugs hilarious escapades. Not many rabbits can claim to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bugs’ star is very well deserved.

1. The Easter Bunny

He generously brings chocolate and other candy to all the good boys and girls around the world. No other bunny comes close to deserving the top spot.