History YMMV / Balto

* DracoInLeatherPants: Steele and Niju, despite being the BigBad of their respective movies, have their share of fans. At least Niju has the excuse of just being afraid of losing his home. Steele, on the other hand, has '''zero''' redeeming qualities. But as always, that doesn't stop fanfiction and fanart from depicting Steele somehow performing a HeelFaceTurn and Niju getting paired with Aleu. Though Steele was actually in the original script for the third movie, where he was supposed to help Kodi find Balto along with several others. He was left out for reasons unknown.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Steele and Niju, despite being the BigBad of their respective movies, have their share of fans. At least Niju has the excuse of just being afraid of losing his home. Steele, on the other hand, is ''much'' harder to justify, having absolutely '''zero''' redeeming qualities. But as always, that doesn't stop fanfiction and fanart from depicting Steele somehow performing a HeelFaceTurn and Niju getting paired with Aleu. Though Steele was actually in the original script for the third movie, where he was supposed to help Kodi find Balto along with several others. He was left out for reasons unknown.

* CounterpartComparison: Our hero starts out as a pariah in a small, rural community where everyone fears and distrusts him due to his beastly nature. His only friends are fellow outsiders and a soft-spoken NiceGirl, who is the only member of said community who not only likes him, but serves as his LoveInterest. Unfortunately, said girl has the [[AbhorrentAdmirer unwanted attention]] of a boorish JerkJock who ''especially'' has it out for the aforementioned male lead, and despite his ego, has [[VillainWithGoodPublicity the entire town singing his praises]], and gets [[GreenEyedMonster murderously jealous]] of him when, among other things, he seems to have the female lead's attention. [[FiveSecondForeshadowing And every last inch of him's]] [[VillainSong covered with hair]]. Now, are we talking about Balto, Jenna, and Steele, or [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast Beast, Belle, and Gaston]]?

* BaseBreakingCharacter:
** Star, Kaltag, and Nikki on whether they're funny or just annoying. Same goes for Muk and Luk as well as most of the characters in the sequels.
** Aleu has long been divisive in that some consider her a fairly well rounded main character, while others see her as annoying. Her characterization did actually win ''Wolf Quest'' an [[https://web.archive.org/web/20100406055244/http://www.humanitasprize.org:80/Prize_PastWinners.html Humanitas Prize]], but this does not help in regards to the fandom.

* RonTheDeathEater: Strangely enough, ''Balto'' is this for the [[WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega Alpha and Omega fanbase]], with fan fictions usually portraying him as a villain trying to take over the valley.
* TheScrappy: Stella isn't all that well liked. Doesn't help she has the only song in the series that counts as a BigLippedAlligatorMoment. The fact that her character design is so sexually over-the-top doesn't help her case with the majority of the fandom either, at least in the mid-2000's when most of the fanbase was more conservative. Nowadays, she is considered hilarious and over the top, in the few fandom pockets that remain.

** Say what you will about ''Wolf Quest.'' The ending, where Balto and Aleu part ways over an instrumental "Someone Who Loves You", tugs on the heartstrings.

** Kodi is either a very likeable main character and excellent HeroAntagonist, or a belligerent whiner whose relationship with his father is not well explored.

* FanficFuel: A sizeable chunk of fanfics center on how Balto's parents met. Given how little we know about either of them, save which sub-species which parent was, there's a fair bit of variation. It gets a ''very'' passive mention in ''Wolf Quest'', simply saying that Balto's father "had puppies" with a wolf.

* FanPreferredCouple: Despite WordOfGod saying they wanted Dusty and Ralph to be the OfficialCouple, most fans prefer to pair Dusty with Kodi instead.
* FriendlyFandoms: There's a ''lot'' of fanart and fanfiction crossing the characters from this film over with Creator/DonBluth's ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', another [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Renaissance]]-era animated feature starring dogs. It helps that most of the animators for that film also worked on the two [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail Bluth]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime films]] Spielberg produced, so their character designs compliment one another to the point that many mistake ''Balto'' for a Bluth film.

* HoYay: Blink and you miss it shots in the third sequel suggest that Kodi has a thing for Kirby. Pretty one-sided, but still.
* MemeticMutation: Pretty much anything that Star says, really.

** In the third movie, Kodi and his friends skirt the line by essentially attempting ''murder by proxy'' by [[spoiler:making a clear stand to not save a dying man]]. Thankfully, they see reason - thanks to Jenna [[WhatTheHellHero drilling how horrible that is]] - but still.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Apparently [[spoiler: Rosy]] grew up to be [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Professor Sprout]].

* ShipToShipCombat: Dear God, the fight between those who pair Balto's son Kodi with Dusty (who already has a love interest, according to the director of the second sequel and to her interactions with Ralph) or with Kirby is still going on!
* SignatureScene: The White Wolf towards the end of the first film.
* {{Squick}}: In ''Wings of Change'', Stella's TearsOfRemorse are YELLOW (as opposed to the other characters who cry blue tears), which somewhat resemble URINE.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The sequels ''Wolf Quest'' and ''Wings of Change'' both present potentially decent father/child bonding narratives, but fail to live up to them in different ways. ''Wolf Quest'' has a good concept of Balto trying to help Aleu, but it's weighed down by the sudden inclusion of the rather complicated and unsubtle supernatural elements and interpretation of destiny. ''Wings of Change'', on the other hand, seemed like it wanted to feature Kodi in a role akin to Aleu (Balto's fear of letting him down, Kodi wanting to make his father proud, the flashback to when Balto helped him as a pup, etc.), but ultimately doesn't fully explore the father/son narrative aside from a few key scenes (as Balto is the main focus, with Kodi in a supporting role).

* TheWoobie: Star from the first movie. It's impossible not to just want to hug him after Kaltag keeps hurting him. Its thankfully dropped at the end with a much needed smile from the latter.

* MostWonderfulSound: Any time Balto howls like a wolf.

* [[HeReallyCanAct He Really Can Voice Act]]: Most people were ''surprised'' to learn that Balto's voiced by '''Creator/KevinBacon''' and this was his only voice acting role in his career, which is a shame since everyone agrees he gives it his all.

** Muk and Luk were ostracized from the other polar bears and consider their "uncle Boris" as family. Thirteen years later comes [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda another animated film featuring a chubby bear adopted by a goose after being separated from his own species]].

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Star, Kaltag, and Nikki on whether they're funny or just annoying. Same goes for Muk and Luk as well as most of the characters in the sequels.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Steele and Niju, despite being the BigBad of their respective movies, have their share of fans. At least Niju has the excuse of just being afraid of losing his home. Steele, on the other hand, is ''much'' harder to justify, having absolutely '''zero''' redeeming qualities. But as always, that doesn't stop fanfiction and fanart from depicting Steele somehow performing a HeelFaceTurn and Niju getting paired with Aleu.
** Steele was actually in the original script for the third movie, where he was supposed to help Kodi find Balto along with several others. He was left out for reasons unknown.
* EnsembleDarkHorse: Star from the first movie. Sadly, he wasn't in the sequels. Same goes for Kaltag and Dixie as well.

* [[HeReallyCanAct He Really Can Voice Act]]: Most people were ''surprised'' to learn that Balto's voiced by '''Creator/KevinBacon''' and this was his only voice acting role in his career, which is ashamed since everyone agrees he gives it his all.
* HilariousInHindsight: It's kinda funny that Creator/BrendanFraser originally recorded Steele's dialogue, only to get replaced by Creator/JimCummings. Years later, with ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'', Cummings had recorded some of Taz's dialogue, only to get replaced by Fraser in the final film!

* MoralEventHorizon: Steele is an arrogant blowhard in the opening of the first movie, but he sails over the line into '''''evil''''' when he deliberately sabotages Balto and the sled dog team's efforts to reach Nome, thus endangering not only the sled team, but the dying children who desperately need the medicine being delivered. And all of that was simply because Steele was jealous of Balto trying to help Steele's team, and then forced to take it over as a last resort.

** In the third movie, Kodi and his friends essentially attempt ''murder by proxy'' by [[spoiler:making a clear stand to not save a dying man]]. Thankfully, they see reason - thanks to Jenna [[WhatTheHellHero drilling how horrible that is]] - but still.

* TheScrappy: Stella isn't all that well liked. Doesn't help she has the only song in the series that counts as a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
** The fact that her character design is so sexually over-the-top doesn't help her case with the majority of the fandom either, at least in the mid-2000's when most of the fanbase was more conservative. Nowadays, she is considered hilarious and over the top, in the few fandom pockets that remain.

* TearJerker: Say what you will about ''Wolf Quest.'' The ending, where Balto and Aleu part ways over an instrumental "Someone Who Loves You", tugs on the heartstrings.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo_(dog) Togo]] is nowhere to be seen despite being the lead dog of the sled team that traversed the toughest (and longest) parts of the medicine run. Though one could argue that, given the hell he goes through in the movie, Balto is a CompositeCharacter of the two.

* CompleteMonster: Seemingly just a JerkJock, [[BigBad Steele]] graduates to pure evil thanks to [[GreenEyedMonster jealousy]] at Balto being placed on his sleigh team. Angrily trying to sabotage their efforts to get medicine delivered to sick children, Steele spitefully tries to make them lose their way on the path to the village, [[LackOfEmpathy uncaring]] for the lives of the dogs or kids. Returning to the village on his own, Steele claims his teammates died in a blizzard while he was unable to save them, caring nothing for anything save his own {{glory|Hound}}.

* CompleteMonster: At first, [[GloryHound Steele]] was your typical run of the mill {{jerk jock}} who had it out for the titular character, [[TheBully bullying]] him. He was extremely egotistical and would always [[FakeUltimateHero boast about his accomplishments]] to his peers. Once Balto was placed on his team, however, it is there that he graduated from a standard {{jerkass}} to pure evil. He deliberately tried to sabotage his own team by making them [[MoralEventHorizon lose their way back to the village]]. This ultimately proved that he [[LackOfEmpathy didn't care]] about the possibility that the children might die because of him, and that he [[EvilIsPetty only went on with it]] [[DisproportionateRetribution so that he could spite Balto]]. Steele later returned to the village and attempted to [[WoundedGazelleGambit invoke sympathy from his peers]] by saying that all his teammates died in a blizzard. It is only after Balto returned successful that the crowd saw Steele as a remorseless monster and ultimately left him. [[ItsAllAboutMe Prideful]], cruel, and selfish, Steele ultimately represents all that traits that Balto despises.

** This won't be the last animated film where [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda a goose is the adoptive father of a bear]].

* AllAnimationIsDisney: It's also commonly mistaken for a Creator/DonBluth film, especially given its similar style of character design. It doesn't help that it's produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and distributed by Creator/{{Universal}}, just like ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'', and thus it's often advertised alongside those films. Adding to the confusing is the fact that Creator/{{Amblimation}}, the studio that ''did'' make it, also produced ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest'', which many think Bluth worked on.

* AllAnimationIsDisney: It's also commonly mistaken for a Creator/DonBluth film, especially given its similar style of character design. It doesn't help that it's produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and distributed by Creator/{{Universal}}, just like ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'', and thus it's featured alongside those films. Adding to the confusing is the fact that Creator/{{Amblimation}}, the studio that ''did'' make it, also produced the first ''American Tail'' sequel, which many think Bluth worked on.

* AllAnimationIsDisney: It's also commonly mistaken for a Creator/DonBluth film, especially given its similar style of character design. It doesn't help that it's produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and distributed by Creator/{{Universal}}, just like ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'', and thus it's featured alongside those films. Adding to the confusing is the fact that Creator/{{Amblimation}}, the studio that ''did'' make it, also produced the first ''American Tail'' sequel, which many think Bluth worked on (he didn't, but he was offered the opportunity to direct both, only turning it down because he couldn't get along with Steven Spielberg any more).

* FriendlyFandoms: There's a ''lot'' of fanart and fanfiction crossing the characters from this film over with Creator/DonBluth's ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', another [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Renaissance]]-era animated feature staring dogs. It helps that most of the animators for that film also worked on the two [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail Bluth]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime films]] Spielberg produced, so their character designs compliment one another to the point that many mistake ''Balto'' for a Bluth film. Humorously enough, both films ''were'' originally going to be another collaboration between Bluth and Steven Spielberg until CreativeDifferences got in the way.

* BaseBreakingCharacter:
** Star, Kaltag, and Nikki on whether they're funny or just annoying. Same goes for Muk and Luk as well as most of the characters in the sequels.

* CultClassic: Wasn't a huge hit when it was released, but has a very large and active fanbase today in part due to television runs and home releases.
* DracoInLeatherPants:
** Steele and Niju, despite being the BigBad of their respective movies, have their share of fans. At least Niju has the excuse of just being afraid of losing his home. Steele, on the other hand, is ''much'' harder to justify, having absolutely '''zero''' redeeming qualities. But as always, that doesn't stop fanfiction and fanart from depicting Steele somehow performing a HeelFaceTurn and Niju getting paired with Aleu.

* EnsembleDarkHorse:
** Star from the first movie. Sadly, he wasn't in the sequels. Same goes for Kaltag and Dixie as well.

* FriendlyFandoms:
** There's a ''lot'' of fanart and fanfiction crossing the characters from this film over with Creator/DonBluth's ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', another [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Renaissance]]-era animated feature staring dogs. It helps that most of the animators for that film also worked on the two [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail Bluth]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime films]] Spielberg produced, so their character designs compliment one another to the point that many mistake ''Balto'' for a Bluth film. Humorously enough, both films ''were'' originally going to be another collaboration between Bluth and Steven Spielberg until CreativeDifferences got in the way.
** In part due to [[AllAnimationIsDisney the similar art styles]], the series shares its fans with ''Disney/OliverAndCompany'', ''Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound'', and the two ''Disney/LadyAndTheTramp'' films.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** It's kinda funny that Creator/BrendanFraser originally recorded Steele's dialogue, only to get replaced by Creator/JimCummings. Years later, with ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'', Cummings had recorded some of Taz's dialogue, only to get replaced by Fraser in the final film!

* MemeticMutation:
** Pretty much anything that Star says, really.

* MoralEventHorizon:
** Steele is an arrogant blowhard in the opening of the first movie, but he sails over the line into '''''evil''''' when he deliberately sabotages Balto and the sled dog team's efforts to reach Nome, thus endangering not only the sled team, but the dying children who desperately need the medicine being delivered. And all of that was simply because Steele was jealous of Balto trying to help Steele's team, and then forced to take it over as a last resort.
** Steele may have crossed it earlier than that during his and Balto's initial confrontation, when he knocks over the sled carrying the medicine in a fit of rage, potentially breaking the fragile jars. Even Nikki, Kaltag and Star are appalled by this.

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** Apparently [[spoiler: Rosy]] grew up to be [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Professor Sprout]].

* TheScrappy: Stella isn't all that well liked. Doesn't help she has the only song in the series that counts as a BigLippedAlligatorMoment. The fact that her character design is so sexually over-the-top doesn't help her case with the majority of the fandom either, at least in the mid-2000's when most of the fanbase was more conservative. Nowadays, she is considered hilarious and over the top, in the few fandom pockets that remain.

* TearJerker:
** Say what you will about ''Wolf Quest.'' The ending, where Balto and Aleu part ways over an instrumental "Someone Who Loves You", tugs on the heartstrings.

* TheWoobie:
** Star from the first movie. It's impossible not to just want to hug him after Kaltag keeps hurting him. Its thankfully dropped at the end with a much needed smile from the latter.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Star, Kaltag, and Nikki on whether they're funny or just annoying. Same goes for Muk and Luk as well as most of the characters in the sequels.

* CultClassic: Wasn't a huge hit when it was released, but has a very large and active fanbase today.
* DracoInLeatherPants: Steele and Niju, despite being the BigBad of their respective movies, have their share of fans. At least Niju has the excuse of just being afraid of losing his home. Steele, on the other hand, is ''much'' harder to justify, having absolutely '''zero''' redeeming qualities. But as always, that doesn't stop fanfiction and fanart from depicting Steele somehow performing a HeelFaceTurn and Niju getting paired with Aleu.

* EnsembleDarkHorse: Star from the first movie. Sadly, he wasn't in the sequels. Same goes for Kaltag and Dixie as well.

** Boris is quite popular among older viewers, wonder why that is?

* FriendlyFandoms: There's a ''lot'' of fanart and fanfiction crossing the characters from this film over with Creator/DonBluth's ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', another [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Renaissance]]-era animated feature staring dogs. It helps that most of the animators for that film also worked on the two [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail Bluth]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime films]] Spielberg produced, so their character designs compliment one another to the point that many mistake ''Balto'' for a Bluth film. Humorously enough, both films ''were'' originally going to be another collaboration between Bluth and Steven Spielberg until CreativeDifferences got in the way.

* HilariousInHindsight: It's kinda funny that Creator/BrendanFraser originally recorded Steele's dialogue, only to get replaced by Creator/JimCummings. Years later, with ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'', Cummings had recorded some of Taz's dialogue, only to get replaced by Fraser in the final film!

* MemeticMutation: Pretty much anything that Star says, really.

* MoralEventHorizon: Steele is an arrogant blowhard in the opening of the first movie, but he sails over the line into '''''evil''''' when he deliberately sabotages Balto and the sled dog team's efforts to reach Nome, thus endangering not only the sled team, but the dying children who desperately need the medicine being delivered. And all of that was simply because Steele was jealous of Balto trying to help Steele's team, and then forced to take it over as a last resort.
** He may have crossed it earlier than that during his and Balto's initial confrontation, when he knocks over the sled carrying the medicine in a fit of rage, potentially breaking the fragile jars. Even Nikki, Kaltag and Star are appalled by this.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Apparently [[spoiler: Rosy]] grew up to be [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Professor Sprout]].

* TheScrappy: Stella isn't all that well liked. Doesn't help she has the only song in the series that counts as a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
** The fact that her character design is so sexually over-the-top doesn't help her case with the majority of the fandom either, at least in the mid-2000's when most of the fanbase was more conservative. Nowadays, she is considered hilarious and over the top, in the few fandom pockets that remain.

* TearJerker: Say what you will about ''Wolf Quest.'' The ending, where Balto and Aleu part ways over an instrumental "Someone Who Loves You", tugs on the heartstrings.

* TheWoobie: Star from the first movie. It's impossible not to just want to hug him after Kaltag keeps hurting him. Its thankfully dropped at the end with a much needed smile from the latter.

* FriendlyFandoms: There's a ''lot'' of fanart and fanfiction crossing the characters from this film over with Creator/DonBluth's ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', another [[TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Renaissance]]-era animated feature staring dogs. It helps that most of the animators for that film also worked on the two [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail Bluth]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime films]] Spielberg produced, so their character designs compliment one another to the point that many mistake ''Balto'' for a Bluth film. Humorously enough, both films ''were'' originally going to be another collaboration between Bluth and Steven Spielberg until CreativeDifferences got in the way.

* AllAnimationIsDisney: It's also commonly mistaken for a Creator/DonBluth film, especially given its similar style of character design. It doesn't help that it's produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and distributed by Creator/{{Universal}}, just like ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'', and thus it's featured alongside those films. Adding to the confusing is the fact that Creator/{{Amblimation}}, the studio that ''did'' make it, also produced the first ''American Tail'' sequel, which many think Bluth worked on (even though he didn't).

* FanficFuel: A sizeable chunk of fanfics center on how Balto's parents met. Given how little we know about either of them, save which sub-species which parent was, there's a fair bit of variation.

* GrownTheBeard: This was Amblimation's first attempt at a more weighty story and heavier drama. Unfortunately, it was also their last.