Littlefoot (The Land Before Time)

Littlefoot is a character in the Land Before Time film series. He is an Apatosaurus, but is called a longneck in the films.

Littlefoot is the central character of the film, The Land Before Time and its sequels.

The earnest, honest, and enthusiastic Littlefoot is always leading his friends into new adventures, overcoming obstacles, and learning important lessons about friendship and teamwork.

He is close friends to six other young prehistoric animals (Cera the Triceratops, Ducky the Parasaurolophus, Petrie the Pteranodon, Spike the Stegosaurus, Chomper, the friendly Tyrannosaurus, and Ruby the Oviraptor) all of which are a different species of prehistoric creature. He also makes other friends throughout his adventures. Littlefoot's having friends outside his species is a taboo, as many of the dinosaurs practice racial, or species based, segregation, which was based upon the days of racism in America, with the concept of threehorns never play with longnecks (which is based on a now defunct proverb in the US and is now considered racist and offensive in todays decade: Coloreds never played with white folk). His grandparents accept his friendships but other dinosaurs, such as Topsy (Cera's father), do not. His father is a longneck named Bron and has a rowdy stepbrother named Shorty. He is the largest of all of the main Land Before Time characters.

Personality
Littlefoot is a modest, intelligent, playful longneck who, despite his traumatic upbringing, believes that friendship goes beyond species boundaries. He is good at making friends, but his clique is with his six best friends, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Chomper, and Ruby, who are collectively call the Prehistoric Pals by fans. Although these are his closest friends, all living in the great valley together, he has friends in many other places, including Ali, Mo, Doc, and many others. He, along with his friends, go on many adventures together. Littlefoot tends to be ethical, mature, caring, and protective of all of his friends, believing that there is good in everyone. He is very caring of his friends, and acts as both their leader and the voice of guidance among them. He has a particularly strong relationship with Chomper, supporting him in everything he does, forming an almost brother-like relationship between the two. In the TV series, Littlefoot is most often seen singing Adventuring, showing his love of going on adventures with his friends.

Family
In the original movie, the viewers are introduced to Littlefoot, his mother, and his grandparents. His father is not yet seen. His mother was devoted to her only son, and defended him at all costs. She even gives up her life fighting against the sharptooth in order to save Littlefoot and his then acquaintance; later friend, Cera. After her death, her spirit still stays by him, and her voice is often heard overhead, telling him to carry on; she would always be with him. When he finally decides near the end of the movie that he can't go on any further, she takes on cloud form and blows towards the other side of a rocky tunnel. When he reaches the opposite opening, he finds the Great Valley just below him. He is then reunited with his grandparents. Littlefoot finds treestars, his favorite food, symbolic with his mother, as a treestar was the last gift she gave him before she died.

Littlefoot's grandparents are seen in all the films, and in the television series. Littlefoot has a strong bond with his grandfather, and generally looks up to him as an idol.

Littlefoot's father, Bron, was finally seen in the tenth movie, and from that point the main plot focuses on Littlefoot adapting to the fact that he has finally met his father. Bron comments in this film that he was called "Littlefoot" as a nickname when he was young.

Littlefoot states in the The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water that he wishes he had a brother. In fact, he likely might have had one, or several siblings, as in the original film it is seen that there were several eggs in the longneck's nest. However, all of them except the one which contained Littlefoot were broken. Later in the ninth movie, he and his new friend Mo, the Opthalmosaurus, make a "mud-brothers" pact. In the tenth movie, along with Bron, a young Brachiosaurus named Shorty is introduced. Although he bullies Littlefoot out of jealousy, as Littlefoot now has all of Bron's attention, Littlefoot tries to be his friend, and even suggests that they pretend to be brothers. At the end of the film, Littlefoot asks Bron to adopt Shorty, which he does.

Trivia
In the original movie (1988 version), Littlefoot was animated by directing animator Dan Kuenster along with animators Colm Duggan, Ken Duncan, Jean Morel and Ralf Palmer

Quotes

 * "Hey, Chomper, come back!"
 * (yelling) "Take it back!"
 * (to Petrie) "Well, you can't! You're tearing my tree-star!"
 * "This is Chomper, remember? We saved him from egg-eaters, we hatched him, we're like his family, he'd never hurt us."
 * (tearfully to Bron) "Where were you, all this time?"
 * "I wish my mom had given me a brother, then I'd always have someone to have fun with."
 * "Where will I ever find friends like you?"