History YMMV / Balto

* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: With its fluid and expressive character animation, and absolutely [[SceneryPorn beautiful environments]], it's no wonder so many people mistake it for a Don Bluth film.

* FanPreferredCutContent: After the discovery of a DeletedScene where Steele is gets his collar snagged on a lever before falling into a coal pit and being buried alive, many fans have stated this would've been a more satisfying defeat for a sociopathic narcissist like him than simply being abandoned by the other dogs.

* BrokenBase:
** Over the sequels as to whether they're decent or just plain awful. And even then the fanbase is divided on which one of the two sequels is superior over the other as well as which one should be considered canon.
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iVaGtxEVis emergence of a]] DeletedScene where Steele suffers a FamilyUnfriendlyDeath that involved getting his collar snagged on a lever, falling into a coal pit, and being buried in coal has sparked a heavy debate in the fandom over whether this would've been appropriate or not. Some say it's too dark for an animated family film, plus it doesn't make sense for him to die in a coal pit after [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou surviving falling off a cliff]]. Others think it would've been a [[KarmicDeath better comeuppance for him]] than simply being abandoned by the other dogs, especially since he was willing to ''[[TheSociopath let children die]]'' just to [[GloryHound preserve his ego]].

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhof: The movie (and to a lesser extent it’s sequels) fared much better in Japan, if the amount of merchandise coming from the country back in those days was any indication.

* 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 repulsive, inside and out. 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, posibly by Steele's unsympathetic character in the first movie.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The white wolf from the original film. A lot of EpilepticTrees stem from its almost ethereal appearance, the way it vanishes and reappears in the thick blizzard, and the fact that it only appears in a single scene with Balto alone. Is it real? Is it a memory from Balto's past? Is it a hallucination? Is it a spirit guide? Is it a visual metaphor for Balto's acceptance of his heritage? The ambiguity of the scene is what makes it so brilliant. Granted, the DirectToVideo sequel removes all the ambiguity, but there are [[FanonDiscontinuity fans who do not count the sequels as canon]]. Neither do the original movie's writers, who intended this wolf to be male.[[note]]Specifically, in ''Wolf Quest'' [[spoiler:the wolf is revealed to be Balto's mother]]. [[WordOfGod Phil Weinstein]] has since clarified that Balto's [[spoiler:mother]] was meant to be the dog half of the wolf/dog union, ergo why Steele's [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar joke]]... works.[[/note]]

* {{Adorkable}}: Star. So very much.

* TearJerker:
** From the first movie: the little coffins. Granted, no one is actually dead yet, but that was such a horrible sight. To make it worse, the man making them is the same carpenter that made a sled for Rosy and was so delighted to see how happy it made her. Just thinking about how he must feel knowing she and so many other children might be buried soon and he's the one building the caskets...

* GrownTheBeard: Creator/{{Amblimation}}'s first (and ultimately only) success at a weightier story and heavier drama.

* PopularWithFurries: Several of the characters, most commonly Balto, Jenna, and their pups, have a lot of furry fans.

** Star's voice actor, Robbie Rist (already somewhat notable for playing [[Series/TheBradyBunch the original]] CousinOliver), would later go on to voice [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Choji Akimichi]].

* PopularWithFurries: Several of the characters, most commonly Balto, Jenna, Steele, have a lot of furry fans.

* RonTheDeathEater: Strangely enough, ''Balto'' is this for the ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'' fanbase, with fan fictions usually portraying him as a villain trying to take over the valley.

** [[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.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iVaGtxEVis emergence of a]] DeletedScene where Steele suffers a FamilyUnfriendlyDeath that involved getting his collar snagged on a lever, falling into a coal pit, and being buried in coal has sparked a heavy debate in the fandom over whether this would've been appropriate or not. Some say it's too dark for an animated family film, plus it doesn't make sense for him to die in a coal pit after [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou falling off a cliff]]. Others think it would've been a [[KarmicDeath better comeuppance for him]] than simply being abandoned by the other dogs, especially since he was willing to ''[[TheSociopath let children die]]'' just to [[GloryHound preserve his ego]].

* BrokenBase: Over the sequels as to whether they're decent or just plain awful. And even then the fanbase is divided on which one of the two sequels is superior over the other as well as which one should be considered canon.

* 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.
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
** Stella's song, "Come Fly With Me" in ''Wings Of Change'' certainly qualifies. Including sudden change in lighting and even background singers and dancers coming out of nowhere! Most of the songs are portrayed realistically (except Muru's in ''Wolf Quest'', but he's a spirit so its justified), but hers... not so much...
** That squeaky cat toy... thing from the first movie.

* 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, posibly by Steele's unsympathetic character in the first movie.

** In part due to [[AllAnimationIsDisney the similar art styles]], the series shares its fans with ''Disney/OliverAndCompany'', ''Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound'', ''Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', and the two ''Disney/LadyAndTheTramp'' films.

* [[SugarWiki/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.

** Star's voice actor, Robbie Rist, would later go on to voice [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Choji Akimichi]].

* CompleteMonster: [[FakeUltimateHero Steele]] starts out as a JerkJock, before becoming far worse, DrivenByEnvy 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 [[WouldHurtAChild 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: Seemingly just a JerkJock, [[BigBad Steele]] graduates to pure evil thanks to 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}}.