History WesternAnimation / Rango

* AllThereInTheScript: Many of the characters' names are never said onscreen. Thankfully, the UsefulNotes/ClosedCaptioning gives a lot of the names.
* UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents:
** Aussie Creator/IslaFisher does a pretty convincing Southern twang as Beans.
** The ultra-British Bill Nighy does a stunning outlaw growl as Rattlesnake Jake.

* BlandNameProduct: The "Golden Guardians". The [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] is a registered trademark and can't be duplicated, even for novelty purposes; hence, the similar-looking statuettes.

* AffectionateParody: Of the SpaghettiWestern. ''Rango'' is to Spaghetti Westerns as ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' is to the MartialArtsMovie.

* AccidentalHero: After the hawk winds up dead trying to make a meal of Rango, the chameleon is hailed a hero for "killing" the hawk and made the town's sheriff. This isn't the last of his dumb luck either. Up until [[spoiler:his encounter with the Spirit of the West]], the only way he accomplishes feats of heroism is by stumbling into them.

* FairyTaleMotifs: The film takes a few cues from ''Literature/TheBraveLittleTailor'' with how both Rango and the titular tailor boasting about how they killed seven in one blow only for their boast to snowball into a genuine threat they have no idea how to handle. With the tailor, it's boasting about having killed seven flies in one blow with everyone misinterpreting that as seven ''giants'' and pitting him against an actual giant. With Rango, it's boasting about having killed all seven of the Jenkins Brothers with one bullet [[spoiler:only to be called out on it by Rattlesnake Jake]].

* KansasCityShuffle: Rango doesn't go into his final showdown with Rattlesnake Jake without a plan. However, their duel is interrupted by the miraculously revived hawk! Jake is thoroughly [[JustForPun rattled]] by the reappearance of his dreaded nemesis, but catching a window's reflection reveals [[spoiler: that the "hawk" is in fact the mole family's bats flying in tight formation. Enraged at the affront to his mystique, Jake [[MoreDakka unloads on the skies, seeking to shoot down every bat he can...]] which causes him to run out of ammo, allowing Rango to safely walk up to him with his One Bullet and plug him dead. Or at least, that was the plan...]]

* TheDreaded: Even [[spoiler:the Mayor's hired killers]] are afraid to call Rattlesnake Jake in.
** While not as feared as Jake by the rest of the characters, in a twist of irony, Jake himself is terrified by the hawk. [[spoiler: In fact, the hawk was the only thing keeping him from showing up at Dirt...until Rango accidentally [[NiceJobBreakingItHero caused its demise.]]]]
* MagicalLand: When Rango crosses the highway after Rattlesnake Jake banishes him from Dirt, he seems to have stepped from the real West into the mythical [[TheWildWest West]] -- which accounts for the encounters with spirits and walking cacti. It's essentially an accidental VisionQuest, except more tangible.

* MagicRealism: It's all over the place, from a giant eye underground to [[spoiler:walking cacti.]] It's more pronounced when Rango [[VisionQuest crosses the road]] ("It's a metaphor.") and enters the [[MagicalLand Mythic West.]]