Importance of Supporting Characters

Some of the best and most loved characters in animation are the animals that aren't strictly necessary for the plot and the narrative, but add humour and fun to the story and are there to interact with the main characters. 

Tangled is a good example of this. Pascal the chameleon isn't a crucial character, he's there so that Rapunzel has someone to interact with while she's trapped in the tower for the first part of the movie. His character is someone who plays games with Rapunzel and is too scared to venture out of the tower. He is Rapunzels best friend and he does what he can to look out for her. His character doesn't speak it can only squeak and make little sounds when necessary, and he can't do over exaggerated gestures to show what he's feeling as he's a very small character and doesn't have a huge range of movement, so most of his emotion is portrayed in facial expressions. His large eyes help get across the emotion he is feeling well. In my opinion, the best pascal moment in Tangled is when he's staring Flinn Ryder down while balanced on a frying pan and he wakes Flinn Ryder up by sticking his long tongue in his ear. 

These moments early on cement pascal in the minds of the viewers as a funny and loyal character.

Maximus, the horse, is another character who is not crucial to the plot line but adds excitement, humour and compassion to the film and other characters. His interactions with Flinn Ryder and Rapunzel are the main source of comedy throughout the film. Flinn and Maximus really do not get on at the start of the story but as the film continues, the audience can follow the growing friendship between these two characters which adds an extra narrative to the film and adds a bit more depth and excitement. 

His behaviour adds a lot of humour just by itself. Maximus is a character that almost appears to think he is a dog instead of a horse at times and at other times it is like he is a human, and who loves apples. 

He's also a very law abiding horse, as he works with the palace guards, although as he spends more time with Flinn Ryder he becomes more rebellious.