It's mostly because the opposite... would make even less sense. If Blu ends up being The Hero, albeit the sort that takes the whole movie to become one, then Jewel is relegated to... The Chick, a role she clearly doesn't belong to, since the entry on that trope basically amounts to 'Spiritual support, Hero's love interest, often needs to be rescued', which is definitely not the case. The current situation, that Blu's not even worthy of being seen as a Hero because of his situation up until the end of the film (in which roles are clearly Blu as The Hero and Jewel as The Chick) makes more sense, as Jewel is a much more fitting Hero at first.
The confusion may be due to the fact that while Heroes taking the role of a Chick at first is acknowledged in The Hero's page, the opposite, a Chick being The Hero at first then trading the role at the end, isn't taken into account in The Chick's page.
Edited by Sothalic
Would it qualify that there is a case of You fail biology forever in that they state that the two main characters are the last of their species and the only ones that can "save" it? You cannot ensure long term genetic viability with just 2 subjects of a species. I remember offhandedly hearing some time ago that for a species to maintain continued genetic viability there has to be several thousand of that species. As well, there would have to be great control in which of them coupled due to inbreeding which are current problems with tigers and pandas in captivity as well as several other species.
So in short, there is no way to "save" Blu and Jewel's species because it is well past the point of saving on a healthy, genetic level.
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I've also heard of scientist creating genetic databases for species that are critically endangered, so as to artificially store genetic diversity. Also, saving the species at all is far better than letting it die off, even if there are a few genetic problems, also those genetic problems are a bit overplayed, they aren't as bad as you'd think, at least not in the first few generations...
Through careful control, it can be done.
Call it Artistic License. The idea of taking the last two members of a species and saving it is a pretty old trope. Putting aside that there are ways to do this in the Real World (crossbreeding into compatable subspecies then purebreeding later, artificial generation of diversity, etc.) it's just an easy-to-understand kiddie version of the real Spix's situation, which is a viable but very tiny captive population (of about 70 birds) being used for repopulation. It's also a very convenient plot device, since it gives Blu and Linda little choice but to go to Rio. If there were 35 other males? Not so much.
It could also be that, since Blu and Jewel are implied to be the same age, that Jewel grew up for about 15 years in the jungle with a family of a few Spix Macaws. Jewel said humans caused her to "lose everything (a family, maybe?)." So they might never have been the last two Spix Macaws in the first place. But since they were endangered and Tulio's team only recently found Jewel in the film, in giddy enthusiasm they planned to bring Jewel and Blu together as quickly as possible. Tulio himself says: "As far as we know, Blu is the last male...", meaning there could be others out there.
Edited by DocET Don't be caught dead doing nothing. :]
How can Blu be considered "The Chick" of the "Five Bird Band" if he is both a male and the character with the most screen time? Would somebody please explain what he does to earn that title?
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