Zootopia is a city where predators and prey live side by side, in districts built for every climate, from an arctic Tundratown to a desert Sahara Square. Judy Hopps, a small-town rabbit, arrives determined to become its first bunny police officer. On her first real case she has to rely on Nick Wilde, a fox who makes a living from small, legal-ish scams and expects nothing good from anyone.
Walt Disney Animation Studios released Zootopia in 2016. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was followed by the Disney+ shorts series Zootopia+ (2022) and the sequel Zootopia 2 (2025). This guide covers Judy and Nick, the police department, the citizens they meet, the first film's villains and the new characters in the sequel. For the rest of the studio's casts, see our Disney characters hub.
- Studio
- Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Directors
- Byron Howard and Rich Moore (Zootopia); Jared Bush and Byron Howard (Zootopia 2)
- Films
- Zootopia (2016), Zootopia 2 (2025)
- Series
- Zootopia+ (2022, Disney+ shorts)
- Also known as
- Zootropolis (UK and other markets)
- Leads
- Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman)
Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde
The two leads are a classic odd couple: the optimist and the cynic, prey and predator, cop and con artist. Use the chips on each grid to filter by film or group.
Judy Hopps
Rabbit · ZPD officer
Judy grew up on a carrot farm in Bunnyburrow, one of hundreds of siblings, and has wanted to be a police officer since childhood. She graduates top of her academy class and is promptly assigned parking duty. She is stubborn, quick-thinking and sincere. The first film also confronts her with her own prejudices, when a careless remark about predators hurts Nick and fuels panic across the city. By the sequel she and Nick are official partners.
- Voice
- Ginnifer Goodwin
Nick Wilde
Red fox · Hustler turned cop
Nick runs small cons, like melting down a giant popsicle to sell as tiny ones, and treats the world with easy, sarcastic charm. Judy tricks him into helping her case by recording him admitting tax evasion. Underneath the attitude is a childhood experience of being muzzled by other kids who assumed a fox couldn't be trusted, and he decided that if everyone saw him that way, he might as well act the part. By the end of the first film he's joined the ZPD.
- Voice
- Jason Bateman
The Zootopia Police Department
Precinct 1 is full of large mammals who don't expect much from a rabbit. These are the officers Judy works with.
Chief Bogo
Cape buffalo · Police chief
Bogo runs Precinct 1 and has no interest in a token bunny officer. He hands out big cases to big animals and parking duty to Judy, then gives her 48 hours to solve a missing-mammal case or resign. He's gruff and impatient but fair, and he comes to respect her. His secret love of Gazelle's music is a running gag.
- Voice
- Idris Elba
Benjamin Clawhauser
Cheetah · Front desk officer
Clawhauser is the round, sweet-natured cheetah at the precinct front desk, usually with a doughnut in hand and Gazelle's app on his phone. He welcomes Judy warmly, and his reassignment after her press conference shows how quickly fear spreads through the city. He's one of the film's most quoted characters.
- Voice
- Nate Torrence
McHorn, Wolfard and the precinct officers
Fellow officers
The briefing room is full of rhinos, elephants, wolves and tigers, all of whom tower over Judy. They're mostly background, but their size makes the point about what she's up against.
Citizens of Zootopia
Judy and Nick's case takes them through every district of the city, and each stop introduces a memorable local.
Flash
Sloth · DMV clerk
Flash works at the Department of Mammal Vehicles, where everything moves at sloth speed. His slow-burn reaction to Nick's joke is the film's most famous scene, and a closing gag shows he's much faster behind the wheel.
- Voice
- Raymond S. Persi
Mr. Big
Arctic shrew · Tundratown crime boss
Mr. Big is the most feared crime boss in Tundratown and also one of the smallest animals in the film, protected by enormous polar bear bodyguards. His scenes parody gangster films. He wants Judy and Nick dropped into icy water until he learns Judy saved his daughter's life.
- Voice
- Maurice LaMarche
Fru Fru
Mr. Big's daughter
Fru Fru is a chatty, fashion-loving shrew whom Judy saves from a falling giant doughnut in Little Rodentia. That rescue saves Judy's life at her wedding.
- Voice
- Leah Latham
Finnick
Fennec fox · Nick's partner in scams
Finnick looks like a toddler in an elephant costume and has the deepest voice in the city. He plays Nick's "son" in their popsicle hustle and drives a van with a very loud sound system.
- Voice
- Tiny Lister
Gazelle
Pop star
Gazelle is the city's biggest singer, with backup dancers who are tigers. She speaks out for unity when panic grips the city, and her song "Try Everything" is the film's anthem.
- Voice
- Shakira
Yax
Yak · Naturist club receptionist
Yax runs the front desk at the Mystic Spring Oasis, where the guests wear no clothes, which shocks Judy. He's relaxed, surrounded by flies and has a remarkable memory for licence plates.
- Voice
- Tommy Chong
Bonnie and Stu Hopps
Judy's parents
Judy's parents are loving, anxious carrot farmers who would much rather their daughter stayed safe at home. Stu keeps foxes at arm's length, though the family later goes into business with a reformed one.
- Voice
- Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake
Gideon Grey
Fox · Judy's childhood bully
Gideon scratched Judy's cheek when they were kids. As an adult he's a polite pie baker who apologises, and a passing remark of his gives Judy the clue she needs about the night howlers.
- Voice
- Phil Johnston
Mrs. Otterton
Wife of a missing otter
Mrs. Otterton's husband, florist Emmitt Otterton, is one of the missing mammals. Her plea to Bogo persuades Judy to take the case.
- Voice
- Octavia Spencer
Manchas
Jaguar · Mr. Big's chauffeur
Manchas drove Emmitt Otterton the night he disappeared and saw him turn savage. When Judy and Nick track him down, he becomes the clearest example of what's happening to the city's predators.
- Voice
- Jesse Corti
Priscilla
Sloth · DMV clerk
Priscilla works alongside Flash at the DMV, adding to the scene's painfully slow comedy.
- Voice
- Kristen Bell
Villains of the first film
Dawn Bellwether
Sheep · Assistant mayor
Bellwether is the overlooked, overworked assistant to the mayor who seems to be Judy's only ally in City Hall. She's actually behind the savage attacks, using a serum made from night howler flowers to turn predators feral and frighten the prey majority into backing her. She's one of Disney's best-hidden villains, and her plan is the film's sharpest statement about how fear gets used.
- Voice
- Jenny Slate
Mayor Leodore Lionheart
Lion · Mayor of Zootopia
Lionheart champions the mammal inclusion programme that lets Judy join the police, but he cares about his image above all. When predators start going savage, he hides them in a secret facility rather than admit what's happening, and he's arrested for it.
- Voice
- J.K. Simmons
Duke Weaselton
Weasel · Petty thief
Duke is a bootleg-video seller and small-time crook whom Judy chases through Little Rodentia on her first day. He's a link in the night howler supply chain without knowing what it's for.
- Voice
- Alan Tudyk
Doug
Ram · Chemist
Doug cooks the night howler serum in a hidden lab inside a subway car and fires the darts at predators across the city. Judy and Nick hijack his whole lab to get the evidence out.
Zootopia 2: the new characters
Zootopia 2 was released in November 2025, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard. Judy and Nick are now partners, still learning how to work together, and their next case begins with the arrival of a snake in a city that has seen very few reptiles. This section introduces the main newcomers without giving away the plot.
Gary De'Snake
Pit viper
Gary is the snake at the centre of Judy and Nick's investigation. His appearance unsettles a city built for mammals and raises questions about who Zootopia was really designed for.
- Voice
- Ke Huy Quan
Pawbert Lynxley
Lynx · Member of a founding family
Pawbert belongs to the Lynxleys, a powerful family with deep roots in the city's history, and he's keen to prove himself to them.
- Voice
- Andy Samberg
Nibbles Maplestick
Beaver · Podcaster
Nibbles is a podcaster with a strong interest in the city's secrets, which makes her an unlikely source of help.
- Voice
- Fortune Feimster
Dr. Fuzzby
Quokka · Therapist
Dr. Fuzzby is a therapist who works with Judy and Nick on their partnership, which gives the sequel a chance to dig into their friendship.
- Voice
- Quinta Brunson
Mayor Winddancer
Horse · Mayor of Zootopia
With Lionheart gone, the city has a new mayor, and Winddancer is the face of City Hall in the sequel.
- Voice
- Patrick Warburton
Zootopia voice cast
| Character | Animal | Voice actor | Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judy Hopps | Rabbit | Ginnifer Goodwin | Zootopia, Zootopia 2 |
| Nick Wilde | Red fox | Jason Bateman | Zootopia, Zootopia 2 |
| Chief Bogo | Cape buffalo | Idris Elba | Zootopia |
| Benjamin Clawhauser | Cheetah | Nate Torrence | Zootopia |
| Dawn Bellwether | Sheep | Jenny Slate | Zootopia |
| Mayor Lionheart | Lion | J.K. Simmons | Zootopia |
| Mr. Big | Arctic shrew | Maurice LaMarche | Zootopia |
| Flash | Sloth | Raymond S. Persi | Zootopia |
| Finnick | Fennec fox | Tiny Lister | Zootopia |
| Gazelle | Gazelle | Shakira | Zootopia |
| Yax | Yak | Tommy Chong | Zootopia |
| Duke Weaselton | Weasel | Alan Tudyk | Zootopia |
| Mrs. Otterton | Otter | Octavia Spencer | Zootopia |
| Bonnie and Stu Hopps | Rabbits | Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake | Zootopia |
| Gary De'Snake | Pit viper | Ke Huy Quan | Zootopia 2 |
| Pawbert Lynxley | Lynx | Andy Samberg | Zootopia 2 |
| Nibbles Maplestick | Beaver | Fortune Feimster | Zootopia 2 |
| Dr. Fuzzby | Quokka | Quinta Brunson | Zootopia 2 |
| Mayor Winddancer | Horse | Patrick Warburton | Zootopia 2 |
Alan Tudyk's Duke Weaselton is a nod to his Duke of Weselton in Frozen; Tudyk has voiced characters in a long run of Disney Animation films. Kristen Bell, Anna in Frozen, has a small part as Priscilla the sloth. For more of these crossovers, see the voice actors directory.
Watch order
- Zootopia (2016) — Judy's first case, Nick's recruitment and the night howler conspiracy. Start here.
- Zootopia+ (2022) — six short episodes on Disney+ that follow side characters, including Fru Fru, Flash and the Hopps family, set around the first film. Optional.
- Zootopia 2 (2025) — Judy and Nick as partners, and the mystery of Gary De'Snake.
What Zootopia is about
Zootopia uses talking animals to talk about prejudice in a way that young children can follow and adults can't easily dismiss. The film doesn't have a simple "bigots are bad" message. Its hero, the most idealistic character in it, is shown to hold assumptions she isn't aware of, and she has to apologise.
- Stereotypes cut both ways. Judy is underestimated because she's small and prey. Nick is distrusted because he's a fox. Each has to see past the other's label, which is why their partnership is one of Disney's best friendships and has the tension of the screen's iconic rivalries.
- Fear is political. Bellwether doesn't need predators to be dangerous. She only needs people to believe they are. That makes her a different kind of Disney villain from the sorcerers and stepmothers of older films.
- The city is a character. Each district is designed around its residents, from tiny Little Rodentia to the giant doors of Tundratown, and the sequel expands on who the city was, and wasn't, built for.
If you like Disney casts with an ensemble city or community around the leads, Encanto and Moana are close relatives, and every name is listed in our Disney and Pixar characters A–Z.
All Zootopia character names A–Z
B
- Bellwether, Dawn — assistant mayor, villain
- Benjamin Clawhauser — ZPD front desk
- Bogo — police chief
- Bonnie Hopps — Judy's mother
D–F
- Doug — ram chemist
- Dr. Fuzzby — therapist (Zootopia 2)
- Duke Weaselton — petty thief
- Emmitt Otterton — missing otter
- Finnick — fennec fox
- Flash — sloth
- Fru Fru — Mr. Big's daughter
G
- Gary De'Snake — pit viper (Zootopia 2)
- Gazelle — pop star
- Gideon Grey — fox baker
J–L
- Judy Hopps — rabbit officer
- Leodore Lionheart — former mayor
M–N
- Manchas — jaguar chauffeur
- Mr. Big — crime boss
- Mrs. Otterton — otter
- Nibbles Maplestick — beaver podcaster (Zootopia 2)
- Nick Wilde — fox officer
P–S
- Pawbert Lynxley — lynx (Zootopia 2)
- Priscilla — sloth
- Stu Hopps — Judy's father
W–Y
- Winddancer — mayor (Zootopia 2)
- Yax — yak
Frequently asked questions
Who are the main characters in Zootopia?
Judy Hopps, a rabbit who becomes the city's first bunny police officer, and Nick Wilde, a fox con artist she blackmails into helping her. The main supporting cast includes Chief Bogo, Benjamin Clawhauser, Flash the sloth, crime boss Mr. Big, Mayor Lionheart, Assistant Mayor Bellwether, pop star Gazelle and Finnick.
Who voices Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde?
Ginnifer Goodwin voices Judy and Jason Bateman voices Nick, in both Zootopia (2016) and Zootopia 2 (2025).
What animal is Chief Bogo?
Chief Bogo is a cape buffalo. He runs Precinct 1 of the Zootopia Police Department and is voiced by Idris Elba. He starts out dismissive of Judy and gives her parking duty on her first day.
Who is the villain in Zootopia?
The first film's mastermind is Dawn Bellwether, the mild-mannered sheep who serves as assistant mayor. She uses a drug made from "night howler" flowers to make predators turn savage, stirring up fear so prey animals will back her. Mayor Lionheart is also guilty of covering up the cases.
What is the sloth's name in Zootopia?
Flash, a DMV worker whose very slow reactions to Nick's joke make one of the film's most famous scenes. He's voiced by Raymond S. Persi. The other sloth at the DMV is Priscilla, voiced by Kristen Bell.
Who is the snake in Zootopia 2?
Gary De'Snake, a pit viper voiced by Ke Huy Quan. His arrival in the city sets Judy and Nick's investigation in motion and opens up the city's history with reptiles, who were barely seen in the first film.
Is Zootopia the same as Zootropolis?
Yes. The film was released as Zootropolis in the UK and several other countries, and some local details were changed for different markets. The characters are the same.