Follow TV Tropes

Following

Characters / Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Go To

All spoilers are unmarked per site policy. You Have Been Warned.


    open/close all folders 

Expedition

    Milo Thatch 

Milo James Thatch

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/milo_thatch_profile_1.jpg
"But hey, you know, that's what this is all about, right? I mean, discovery, teamwork, adventure!"
Voiced by: Michael J. Fox, James Arnold Taylor (Milo's Return, video game); Luq Hamet (Movies) (European French dub); José Antonio Macías (Latin Spanish dub); Manolo Rey (films), Vágner Fagundes (Activity Centre CD) (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

A linguist and cartographer at the Smithsonian who's recruited to decipher The Shepherd's Journal while directing an expedition to Atlantis.


  • All of the Other Reindeer:
    • The directors of the museum thought he was a nutcase, like his grandfather.
    • He's the outsider and the butt of a lot of jokes when he joins Rourke's team, though they do grow closer to him over time, to the point where he manages to win them over when Rourke tries to steal the crystal.
  • The Atoner: Apparently, for leading Rourke and the rest of the expedition crew to Atlantis, Milo himself decides to stay in the underwater city to help protect it from future unlawful intrusions.
  • Badass Adorable: Especially at the moment when he fought against Rourke.
  • Badass Bookworm: Milo becomes this during the last action sequence by telling everyone how to use the Atlantean vehicles and then leading the charge.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Milo is a jovial and sociable guy to communicate with, but he will immediately become dissatisfied once he realises they were on a secret mission to capture the Heart of Atlantis and profit off of it, when he finds out true colors of an individual. The other crew members had to learn this the hard way as he was extremely angry with them for their decision to capture the crystal, even to the point where he gives them a "The Reason You Suck" Speech as they prepare to leave with the crystal which is merged with Kida. However, this prompts Rourke to retort back with a mockery statement, even by punching him in the face and stepping on his picture frame containg an old photo of him and his grandfather, but that dose not stop the other adventurers to take Milo's side immediatley afterwards. He's also the one the to single-handedly defeat Rourke soley by slashing him with a shard a crystalizing glass.
  • Brainy Brunette: Milo has brown hair and let's look at the info below:
    • Educated at Oxford University (1896-1903), Thatch holds a double doctorate in the fields of Linguistic Theory (Grammatical Structure, Syntax, Babel Theory, Evolution, Written Languages, and Lost Alphabets) and Dead Languages (Cryptology and Hieroglyphs, with thesis work done on American Indian tribes of the California Coast, Hawaiian, Pacific Island, and South Asian/Sub-Continent Strains).
    • He had minor degrees in Chemistry, Literature (French, Old English, and Chinese), Art History, Sociology, and Anthropology. In addition to his formal training as a linguist and translator, Milo was tutored by the legendary Thaddeus Thatch, his grandfather, in the fields of Cartography, Drafting, Navigation, Astronomy, Archeology, and Antique Restoration Techniques.
    • Employed in Washington, D.C. as a museum linguist/translator and cartographic restoration expert, 1903-04. Participated in Academic Exchange Program 1909-10, spent 11 months working in Paris at the Bibliotech National, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.
    • Also, see the Hidden Depths section.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: Milo stares at the audience when he says "Boiler?" in shock after his boss tells him that is why his services are needed at the museum. In the PS1 game, he also directly talks to the player when they're on the Memory Card or Level Select screens.
  • Butt-Monkey: He is the butt of every prank by the rest of the crew and gets no respect for most of the trip.
  • Chastity Couple: With Kida. They're clearly in love, but all they do on-screen is holding hands and hugging.
  • Cunning Linguist: An "expert at gibberish", as Harcourt claims.
  • Cowardly Lion: He makes it clear he's terrified of the various dangers he faces and is often seen panicking, but when it really counts to save his friends and loved ones, he'll be the one to lead the charge.
  • Curtains Matchthe Window: Milo has brown hair and brown eyes.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Milo sarcastically congratulates his friends when they are about to leave with both Kida and the crystal, knowing full well their actions will wipe out Atlantis. Milo also drips with sarcasm towards Sweet after the death of Kida's father.
  • Determinator: He's been trying for years to put together the resources for a mission to find Atlantis and validate his grandfather's theories despite everyone in Academia treating him like a kook and sabotaging him. In his own words, "I will find Atlantis on my own, if I have to rent a rowboat".
  • Distracted by the Sexy: Every time he's around Kida. Just look at his reaction when he first lays eyes on her. He forgets his own pain!
  • Ditzy Genius: Intellectually, he is quite capable and accomplished, being a Cunning Linguist amongst other things, but he lacks more common skills, such as being able to drive, and he also is quite The Klutz (and he disturbingly often crosses into Lethal Klutz territory to boot), triggering both small and large disasters either by fiddling with stuff he doesn't fully understand or simply by bumbling around.
  • Drives Like Crazy: When it comes to vehicles like cars, Milo admits that the extent of his driving knowledge comes from the Bumper Cars at Coney Island, and it shows. He's a lot better at piloting the Atlantean Aktirak vehicles, though; and shows everyone how to use them before leading the charge.
  • Elite School Means Elite Brain: The man who was actually able to somehow locate Atlantis and remember the language even when it was dying out in Atlantis itself, was educated at Oxford, declining admission at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, before working at the Smithsonian.
  • Endearingly Dorky: Oh, yes. Besides him being quite socially-awkward and having a tendency to be the butt of jokes, Milo's very dorky, intelligent and kind-hearted, but still proactive and daring when it counts. It also helps that he's voiced by one Michael J. Fox in the original film.
  • Expy: Both physically resembles (with the long hair and glasses) and is even introduced in an almost identical fashion as James Spader's character from Stargate.
  • Geek Physique: While he's got a bit of visible muscle, Milo is both tall and gangly; which, combined with his Nerd Glasses, gives him a classic geeky look. Kida assumes he is a scholar because with his "diminished physique and large forehead you are suited for nothing else".
  • Gentleman and a Scholar: Milo has always been an academically established man since he was younger, being educated well by his own paternal grandfather Thaddeus Thatch.
  • Going Native: At the end of the film, he decides to stay with the Atlanteans. He even eventually marries Kida, becoming the Prince Consort of Atlantis in the process.
  • Heroic BSoD: After Kashekim dies and all seems lost.
    Sweet: I followed you in and I'll follow you out. It's your decision.
    Milo: Oh, my decision? Right, I think we've seen how effective my decisions have been. Let's recap. I lead a band of plundering vandals to the greatest archeological find in recorded history, thus enabling the kidnap and/or murder of the royal family. Not to mention personally delivering the most powerful force known to man (shouting) INTO THE HANDS OF A MERCENARY NUTCASE WHO'S PROBABLY GOING TO SELL IT TO THE KAISER! HAVE I LEFT ANYTHING OUT?!
    Sweet: Well, you did set the camp on fire and drop us down that big hole.
    Milo: (angrily) Thank you!
  • Hidden Depths: He's an eager but put-upon linguist and cartographer... who also knows an awful lot about plumbing and boilers, right down to how to treat certain brands and models.
  • I Choose to Stay: He's the only one who stays behind in Atlantis, to help the Atlanteans rediscover their lost culture and stay with Kida.
  • Kindhearted Cat Lover: Milo has a white Persian cat named Fluffy, who was born as the third in a litter of seven cats, according to Mole. At the end of the movie, it's implied that since Milo chose to stay in Atlantis, he entrusts Audrey to take care of Fluffy in his absence, as Fluffy is last seen being petted by Audrey.
  • Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Feminine boy to Kida's masculine girl.
  • Mayfly–December Romance: With Kida. He's a 32-year-old man born in the late 1800's who gets together with Kida who, as he describes, is about a hundred years old.
  • Mighty Whitey: He has none of the characteristics that are usually associated with the trope, but he fulfills it anyway, since the Atlanteans can't read their own language or use their technology, and he can. An unusual variation in that he actually saves the native people's culture, while most examples of this end up doing the opposite; there's also the fact that he does this by enabling the discovery and retrieval of technology and knowledge that the Atlanteans had themselves already created, and then been deliberately prevented from accessing after the cataclysm that destroyed their continent.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Not as explicitly as, for example, Kida or Helga, and his under-dressed moments are often played for laughs, but he does spend a lot of time in a thin tank top and cool pants showcasing his Geek Physique and, at one point, goes swimming with Kida in his underwear, to the delight of many fans.
  • Naïve Newcomer: He's only brought on the team because they need a linguist.
  • The Navigator: Due to being the only one who can translate the Shepherd's Journal, though he does occasionally get it wrong.
  • Nerd Glasses: Wears big, round glasses that emphasize his nerdiness and general intelligence.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: The "Nice" to Rourke's "Mean" and Helga's "In-between".
  • New York State: Milo's profile establishes his birthplace as the town of Fishkill, in New York.
  • Nice Guy: Besides his limiting moments, he's generally friendly towards others.
  • Official Couple: With Kida. They fall in love during the movie and at the end, Milo stays in Atlantis so he can be with Kida and help the Atlanteans rediscover their lost culture.
  • Older Than They Look: Despite looking like a dorky teenager, Milo's really 32 years old, merely 5 years Helga's junior.
  • Omniglot: Not nearly as much as the Atlanteans, but in addition to his native English, he is also comfortable conversing in Latin and French and can understand and read Atlantean.
  • The Only Believer: At least initially, he's the only member of the team interested at all in scientific advancement, or thinks that the mission is about that. Everyone else is in it for the money.
  • Opposites Attract: With Kida. He's a dorky nerd, she's a Tomboy Princess.
  • Positive Friend Influence: He convinces the majority of the expedition crew to change sides after realizing that their journey to discover the Heart of Atlantis was completely wrong, especially since it can fatally affect every single one of the Atlanteans.
  • Raised by Grandparents: After Milo's parents died, his grandfather Thaddeus raised him and taught him a lot of what he knows at an early age; fuelling his desire to become a great explorer like him.
  • Science Hero: Most of his heroics are from his academic knowledge: among them languages, translation, cartography, navigation, ancient technology... and plumbing.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: He does not give a damn about all the money that can be made off Atlantis if it means killing the people living there.
  • Sinister Shiv: Milo's shiv is particularly sinister because it is a piece of glass shard from the Crystal's container, which was empowered with the ability to turn people into crystal monsters, as demonstrated when he used it on Rourke.
  • Smart People Wear Glasses: Wears circular glasses and is a major Brainy Brunette.
  • Strong Girl, Smart Guy: With Warrior Princess Kida. He's the first person to accurately pinpoint the sunken city in centuries, while she's defended the borders of Atlantis for thousands of years.
  • Took a Level in Badass: At the beginning of the movie, he's a shy bookworm who has never so much as raised his voice at anyone, barely able to keep up with the rest of the excavation crew. By the end, he's single-handedly defeated Rourke, helped save Atlantis, and led a small army of troops out to stop the excavators from destroying the city, even knowing he could have died trying.
  • Tragic Keepsake: Milo kept his grandfather's explorer hat and a framed photo of him, which he takes on the journey with him. In one tense scene, Rourke ends up stomping on the frame of the latter.

    Lyle Rourke 

Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/commander_lyle_t_rourke_8.jpg
"Think about it: if you gave back every stolen artifact from a museum, you'd be left with an empty building. We're just providing a necessary service to the archaeological community."
Voiced by: James Garner, Earl Boen (video game); Jean Barney (European French dub); Sven-Bertil Taube (Swedish dub); Pedro Armendáriz Jr. (Latin Spanish dub); José Santa Cruz (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

The leader of the band of mercenaries for the Atlantean expedition.


  • Almighty Idiot: It's implied that his transformation destroyed his rational mind. All the formerly crafty and cunning commander can do now is howl and snarl like an animal, and he lunges blindly into the propeller blades trying to get Milo. The novelization mentions that Rourke seems to be in "a trance, as if he did not see or feel the world around him."
  • Ax-Crazy: Downplayed until the climax, where he goes into a Villainous Breakdown, to which it even applies to him literally (when he's trying to kill Milo w/ an actual axe).
  • Bad Boss: Shows no signs of remorse if his expedition resulted hundreds of men and women of his crew to perish and that his endgame would leave the Atlanteans to die; even during the final battle, he throws Helga from the zeppelin.
  • Beyond Redemption: Best summarized by his first reaction when the majority of his expedition crew turned back against him as their leader:
    Rourke: "We're this close to our biggest pay day ever, and you pick now, of all times, to grow a conscience?"
  • Big Bad: He is the leader of a group of mercenaries that are after the crystal.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Throughout the first half of the film, Rourke presents himself as a Reasonable Authority Figure with no sign of any malice. However, in the second half, he reveals his true colors.
  • Body Horror: What happens to him after his arm is sliced with a piece of glass charged with crystal energy.
  • Broken Pedestal: Becomes this not only to Milo, but also most of the explorers participating in the expedition to Atlantis once they learn of his true nature.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He betrays Milo, Whitmore (by extension), the main crew and Helga, all in the name of getting the cash reward for only himself.
  • Clipped-Wing Angel: Unlike most Disney villains, turning into a monster does not make him more powerful—as he claws his way after Milo, it's implied that moving causes him pain, and he's instantly shredded to pieces by the chopper blades of his zeppelin.
  • Colonel Badass: Is a high-ranking military man and very good at that.
  • Crazy-Prepared: According to Audrey, Rourke is "never surprised" and "carries a lot of guns." Both of which are understatements.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: His demise is incredibly drawn out and grotesque, even by Disney standards. He gets slashed with a shard of Crystal-irradiated glass, and the energy painfully spreads across his body and mutates him into a crystallized abomination. Then he's thrown headfirst into giant spinning blades, which shred him to crystal dust. And he's alive and likely in unimaginable agony throughout the whole thing.
  • Crush the Keepsake: Rourke smashes Milo's framed photo of Thaddeus Thatch when he turns against him.
  • Crystalline Creature: When he comes in physical contact with the giant Atlantean crystal, he's quickly transformed into glowing blue crystal. While at first this seems to kill him, he quickly resumes movement, becoming a furious berserker until Milo hoists him up into the blimp propellers, shattering him.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Rourke has his moments of snark and sarcasm, especially in the second half of the film and especially towards Milo.
    Rourke: Did you have a nice swim?
    Rourke: Tired, Mr Thatch? Aw, that's a darn shame. Because I am just getting warmed up!
  • Deader than Dead: The Mother Crystal turns him into a horrific humanoid crystal that can still move, but explodes into energy charged shards when it hits the Gyro-Evac's propeller. The flaming balloon finally crashes into the Volcano floor, which in turn causes the whole thing to erupt, wiping away what's left of Rourke in a sea of lava.
  • Dread Zeppelin: A justified use, since the movie takes place at the pinnacle of the zeppelin period. The general design is actually taken from high-altitude meteorological balloons of the period.
  • Equal-Opportunity Evil: Somewhat surprisingly, given his imperialistic attitude to the Atlanteans. His crew of mercenaries include a half Black, half Native American man and a young Hispanic girl, and he generally doesn't undervalue them based on race or gender. Of course, once the mission reaches its climax, he has little problem abandoning them with the city once they side with Milo.
  • Evil All Along: Starts off seeming like a tough-but-fair leader, but it turns out that he was after the crystal from the very beginning, as confirmed by Sweet.
    Sweet: Ah, don't go beatin' yourself up. He's been after that crystal since Iceland.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He shows complete confusion and frustration when his crew abandons him for condemning Atlantis to death out of greed, and when they explain that they didn't want anyone hurt in their tomb-robbing, he remarks, "P.T. Barnum was right" (referencing his supposed saying "There's a sucker born every minute," which ironically enough, was actually said by one of Barnum's rivals).
    Rourke: Aw, you can't be serious.
    Audrey: This is wrong, and you know it!
    Rourke: We're this close to our biggest pay-day ever, and you pick now of all times to grow a conscience?!
    Vinny: We've done a lot of things we're not proud of; robbing graves, eh, plundering tombs, double-parking... BUT, nobody got hurt! Well... maybe somebody got hurt, but nobody we knew.
    Rourke: Well if that's the way you want it, fine. MORE FOR ME! P. T. Barnum was right.
  • Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: When Rourke reveals his true colors, he makes more wisecracks than one might expect from a naval officer. Instead of making him Affably Evil however, it makes him all the more despicable and disturbing. For instance, when Dr. Sweet protests after Rourke fatally punches King Kashikem, the villain simply quips back:
    Rourke: I suggest you put a bandage on that bleeding heart of yours; it doesn't suit a mercenary.
  • Evil Is Bigger: Rourke is a powerfully built, six-foot-four and 250 pound mountain of muscle, easily towering above Milo's average height and scrawny physique.
  • Evil Is Petty: You can't get any more petty than condemning an entire civilization to death just for triple the amount of money (of whatever the friggin' heck would already be, still most assuredly mind-blowing, the amount of money and prestige that would come from being one of the men who discovered Atlantis). Or bullying Milo and the King.
  • Evil Old Folks: Rourke uses his age and experience to his advantage to gain Milo's trust before betraying him.
  • Family-Unfriendly Death: After being painfully transmogrified into a crystal monstrosity when Milo slashes his forearm with a piece of irradiated glass from Kida's containment tank window, he is literally shattered into tiny, bitty pieces by the whirling helicopter blades.
  • Fantastically Indifferent: Shows remarkable ability to just roll with things.
    Milo: Okay, there's a giant crystal hovering 150 feet above our heads over a bottomless pit of water. Doesn't anything surprise you?
  • Fatal Flaw: Greed. Rourke's desire for as much money as possible, even when he would have profited from just discovering Atlantis, causes him to take heinous actions that turn his own crew against him, allowing Milo to stop him from taking the Heart of Atlantis once and for all.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Even when he throws Helga off the platform, he calls out cheerfully, "Nothing personal!" after her. Notably, as they get closer to Atlantis, his demeanor becomes less "military commander" and more like a jovial uncle, always cracking jokes even when he's threatening Milo or the King.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • There were several hints earlier in the movie that foreshadowed Rourke's truly greedy nature, but probably the one that stands out the most among them is this quote of his:
      Rourke: "Yes, this journey should be enriching for all of us."
    • His downfall near the end of the climax has also been foreshadowed, as well, albeit not as much.
      • Helga used a flare gun to know the way out from that same city. After the Heart of Atlantis was successfully found and taken away out of greed, that was later reversed after Rourke betrayed her for no reason, since she took revenge on him by firing that same weapon of hers at the hot air balloon (which was carrying it), where it also indirectly helped the Atlanteans survive from extinction.
      • After Rourke stepped on Milo's self-carried image of the latter's grandfather Thaddeus Thatch, he first picked up a shard of glass before pulling out that picture. This foreshadows the former's Atlantean transformation once Milo slit Rourke's arm with another shard of glass, which contains the powers of the Heart of Atlantis.
      • When Rourke successfully threw Helga down rather carelessly, her literal fall onscreen looks like she was making physical contact with some of the hot air balloon's fans. Ironically, shortly thereafter, Rourke himself would then later make some contact with those same fans from that same balloon, where it has also sealed his fate.
  • Greed: Egregiously exaggerated. Who in the times of WWI would even be able to afford paying triple the profit that Rourke is desiring?
  • Hidden Villain: The fact that he is the film's main antagonist is not immediately obvious due to how the story presents him as a stern but kindly figure for the entire first half, leaving only the barest hint to his true nature. Even the marketing team made a conscious effort to keep Rourke's villainous role under wraps by always depicting him with a serious expression and sometimes striking a heroic pose in promotional images, giving the impression of a wise and dependable leader-type of character instead of the jovial, sadistic sociopath he actually turns out to be.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Tossing Helga off the gyro-balloon to lighten the load is what really messes up his plans. That's to say nothing of him trying to steal the Heart of Atlantis, ignoring all warnings about its seemingly limitless ability before it finally proves fatal for him in the final battle.
  • Humanoid Abomination: After he's cut and infected by the Mother Crystal, his horribly garbled roars, weird red energy coursing through him, the Crystal's sentience, and the mere fact that he's still moving imply there isn't much of Rourke left in the crystallized husk.
  • Humans Are the Real Monsters: Doesn't care, even in the slightest way, if his expedition to Atlantis would heavily affect its Atlantean beings.
  • Hypocrite: Rourke references the real-life P.T. Barnum, who is associated with the quote "there's a sucker born every minute", as a form of diss to the majority of his crew for turning back against him. Yet, Rourke himself has always been a sucker for wealth.
  • Jerkass: One of the biggest assholes ever put into a Disney film. It's not hard to see why every named character turns on him and betrays him.
  • Karmic Death: Willing to wipe out an innocent civilization just to profit off of their power crystal, while acting like they're just a relic from the past. Gets transformed into a mass of crystal himself, obliterated by a propeller and whatever possible fragments left behind eventually getting dissolved into molten magma, leaving nothing to bury.
  • Kick the Dog: Upon revealing his true nature, Rourke does this by punching King Kashekim in the stomach — which eventual kills him through internal bleeding — when the latter refused to reveal the location of the Heart. Then, upon gaining the Heart himself while having it contained inside a chamber to be transported to the surface, Rourke punches Milo in the face and breaks the frame containing a photo of Milo and his grandfather; taunting him of the irony of being the man discovered Atlantis, yet is about to become an old history relic. Fortunately, that last act is what drove most of the crew to turn against Rourke.
  • The Kingslayer: He fatally injures King Kashekim by punching him in the stomach.
  • Large and in Charge: The Big Bad, and also a mass mountain of muscle (detailed in Evil Is Bigger up above).
  • Lack of Empathy: This trope even reaches to him in the higher levels when he threw off Helga from the hot air balloon they're both standing on, and tried to kill Milo with an emergency axe, both for no apparent reason other than impulse.
  • The Leader: For the expedition crew for the purpose of visiting the "lost city" of Atlantis.
  • Lightning Bruiser: He outweighs Milo by a hundred pounds, easily, and he's faster. It's a Curb-Stomp Battle. Despite taking several brutal hits from the much faster and skilled Helga, he's quick enough to grab her foot mid-kick when she kept aiming for his head out of anger.
  • Literally Shattered Lives: His eventual fate is to be shredded to crystal dust by a propeller.
  • Made of Explodium: Evidently whatever he's turned into after being mutated by the crystal is highly volatile; when he meets his end at the hands of his zeppelin's own propellers (as mentioned above), it produces an explosion big enough to knock the entire aircraft out of the sky.
  • Meaningful Name: His name can be read as "Lyle T. Rourke", i.e. "loyal to Rourke".
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: During the final battle, he throws Helga off the airship to ensure his own escape when it begins losing altitude, even though she had been fiercely loyal to him. This proves to be a very bad move as Helga lives just long enough to destroy the airship with her flare gun, ensuring he can't escape with his prize.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: He is perfectly okay with the Atlanteans becoming extinct as collateral damage to his greed.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: The "Mean" to Milo's "Nice" and Helga's "In-between".
  • Only in It for the Money: To the point where he tries to steal the crystal to get even more money.
  • Painful Transformation: Rourke is clearly screaming in pain when the crystal energy overwhelms him.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: In the first half of the film. However, this is horrible subverted when his true colors are revealed.
  • Sanity Slippage: Seems to have it towards the end, when he starts showing increasingly deranged facial expressions.
  • Slasher Smile: Sports one in the climax when the Villainous Breakdown comes into play.
  • Smug Snake: Despite never being surprised and responding to the unexpected situations effectively, to say he's overconfident would be an understatement. Every action he takes, underestimating Milo, tossing Helga off the blimp, and just acting like a cruel dick to everyone when his true colors are revealed, really bite him in the ass. Killing off the people of Atlantis just to get slightly richer comes off as exceptionally petty, as just discovering Atlantis would've been rewarding enough.
  • The Sociopath: He seems like a rather grandfatherly if somewhat tough man, who holds a funeral for the men and women who were killed during the Leviathan attack. When he's revealed to be a mercenary however, he demonstrates a Lack of Empathy for the Atlanteans, proudly claiming that he'll triple the price for the Crystal knowing that it's their life force, keeps up his jovial facade even after fatally wounding the King, and demonstrates how much he really cares about his crew when he leaves the main characters to die with Atlantis and double-crosses Helga without hesitation.
  • Sociopathic Soldier: Rourke is an evil madman with no regard for anyone but himself. Worse, he clearly enjoys causing suffering—like fatally injuring the elderly king in the gut and punching Milo and smashing his grandfather's photo—and never shows the slightest bit of remorse for his heinous deeds despite knowing he was endangering thousands of innocent lives.
  • Soft-Spoken Sadist: Even during his Villainous Breakdown, he's jovial and doesn't raise his voice.
  • Stupid Evil:
    • Being part of the team which discovered friggin' Atlantis would already have made him rich and famous beyond his wildest dreams. Too bad Rourke wants more, even at the expense of quite literally everyone else, from his own team right down to the Atlanteans themselves.
    • Ironically, the team members that turn on him do end up fabulously rich. Turns out the Atlanteans had plenty of gold they didn't care much about. If he'd just considered if there was more than one way to profit off Atlantis, the entire third act could have been avoided.
    • Even if they didn't reach Atlantis, the discoveries made on the way there alone would be more than enough and turn humanity's understanding of the world along with the entire field of archaeology upside down to the extent that finding Atlantis itself is just frankly overkill. To list, they discovered the biggest and most varied ship graveyard in history (Leviathan's lair) which is also the lair of a giant mechanical kaiju that makes WW1 fleets look like rafts (the Leviathan itself) before discovering a man-made underwater highway buried in an underground air pocket filled to the brim with never before seen life like the fireflies.
  • Talk to the Fist: Milo tries convincing him to back down from his plan to rob the Atlanteans. Rourke ultimately replies by punching him in the face.
  • They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: What's especially unsettling about Rourke is that there's almost nothing particularly outlandish or odd about him, especially compared to his subordinates. Were it not for his heinous worldview and well-hidden greed, he might be someone you'd trust with your life.
  • Token Evil Teammate: Helga's sense of morality is pretty debatable when compared to Rourke's, who is shown to be the most malicious member of the expedition crew.
  • Tranquil Fury: Rourke never drops his jovial and unflappable facade with Milo, even when his escape is entirely cut off and he's going down in literal flames. He only loses it when Milo cuts him with a Atlantean crystal-infused piece of glass that destroys his mind.
  • Turbine Blender: What kills him. After he's turned into a crystal monster, he tries to go after Thatch again, but ends up getting shredded to pieces by the balloon's propellers.
  • Villainous Breakdown: As Milo proceeds to ruin his attempt to air-lift Kida to the surface, Rourke starts trying to cut him to ribbons with a fire axe. As per his previous personality description, he doesn't even react to it with surprise, he just accepts his plans have failed and he's going to gratify himself by taking it out on Milo for causing it.
    Rourke: I consider myself an even-tempered man; it takes a heck of a lot to get under my skin. But congratulations—you just won the solid gold kewpie doll!
    • And then he completely loses it when Helga shoots the balloon with her flare gun and starts swinging the fire axe against Milo, wildly like a mad man.
      Rourke: Tired, Mr. Thatch?! Ah, that's a darn shame.... CAUSE I'M JUST GETTING WARMED UP!!!
    • The worst part is when Thatch cuts him with a piece of crystal and turns him into a crystal monster. He's reduced to a screaming, roaring maniac right up until he's shredded to pieces by the balloon's propellers.
  • Villain Has a Point: The rest of the expedition sans Milo were perfectly okay with robbing the Atlanteans of their treasure at gunpoint up until the point Rourke actually started killing people. But they never once thought that what they were planning to do might end in violence.
  • Walking Spoiler: He's built up as the team's more grounded leader in both the marketing and the first half or so of the film. It's only in the last 20 minutes that it comes to light how utterly amoral he is, at which point he becomes the main antagonist.
  • Wise Old Folk Façade: Similarly to the much more benevolent Preston Whitmore, he develops a strong bond with Milo Thatch during the first phase of the expedition as if to soften the recent loss of the latter's grandfather (with whom he also successfully retrieved the Shepherd's Journal three years earlier) and uses his charisma and decennial experience in the military to act as a new grandfatherly figure and role model. This is ultimately exploited when he reveals to Milo his plan to steal the Crystal and sell it on the black market, even advising him to not follow his grandfather's steps and instead join the mercenaries. As soon as Milo refuses, things go very, very downhill. Even though he offers Milo a chance to side with him, the following scenes show that he didn't really care about him in the first place (e.g. punching him in the gut, nonchalantly stepping on his grandfather's picture, and finally attacking him with a freaking fire axe in the climax). This selfishness and lack of empathy appears much more evident when he decides to kill Helga.
    Rourke: You're an idealist, just like your grandfather. Do yourself a favor, Milo; don't be like him. For once, do the smart thing. [Milo stares at him defiantly] I really hate it when negotiations go sour. Let's try again.
    [Rourke orders his henchmen to take Kida hostage and blow up the throne room's entrance]
  • With Friends Like These...: Out of everyone from the entire expedition crew, Rourke has shown the least amount of loyalty to anyone he personally knows (even his right-handed woman Helga was loyal to him before).
  • Would Harm a Senior: After his true nature is revealed, he cements it even more by giving the thousands-of-years-old King Kashekim a fatal punch to the gut.
  • Would Hit a Girl: When he betrayed Helga simply out of his own impulsive will to do so.

    Helga Sinclair 

Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/helga_sinclair.jpg
"Nothing personal..."
Voiced by: Claudia Christian; Juliette Degenne (European French dub); Cecilia Toussaint (Latin Spanish dub); Maitê Proença (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

Rourke's German second-in-command.


  • Accidental Hero: While getting back to Rourke after his betrayal to her was primarily meant to be out of retribution, she has also indirectly contributed into saving the Atlanteans from being extinct.
  • Affably Evil: Her initial loyalty towards Rourke and the rest of the crew, as well as her regret for siding with him (especially in regards to their Atlantean journey), showcase that she may be more than just a cunning Femme Fatale.
  • Action Mom: While she has no children of her own, she acts as this to the troop. She makes sure they have the 4 basic food groups before they leave for their expedition (even talking to the much older Cookie like he's a disobedient child), personally fixes up Milo before he greets Whitmore, and generally guarantees their safety when danger is afoot.
  • Amazonian Beauty: For a character modeled on 1940s femme fatales, she's pretty muscular.
  • Braids of Action: She sports her hair in a single braid during the expedition. It comes loose during her final fight with Rourke.
  • Clark Kent Outfit: A female example. When she wears clothing that fully covers her upper body, she doesn't look particularly muscular. Later in the film, she wears a tank top, which highlights her broad shoulders and prominent muscles.
  • Dark Action Girl: She's eviler than the other named female characters and faster with the kicking.
  • Deadpan Snarker: "I came down the chimney. Ho, ho, ho" after Milo asks her how she got into his apartment.
  • Death Equals Redemption: Saves her last moments by firing a flare to prevent Rourke from escaping.
  • Disney Villain Death: Subverted. It wasn't the fall that killed her (although it quite possibly broke her back and/or caused quite a bit of internal bleeding), but having a flaming gantry crash down on top of you would certainly do the trick. And if THAT didn't do it, the ground erupted into a lava flow that inundated the cave.
  • The Dog Bites Back: It's Helga's igniting the hydrogen after Rourke betrays her that really foils the Evil Plan.
  • The Dragon: She's fully on board with Rourke's plan of stealing the Heart of Atlantis for a profit. That is, until he stabs her in the back by both trying to kill her and taking away her cut, prompting a Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal.
  • Easily Forgiven: Implied. When the rest of the expedition crew besides her and Rourke decide their cover-up fates (in order to keep the city of Atlantis from being nonchalantly invaded), they decided that her made-up fate is that she is just "missing" (which is actually a less severe one than Rourke's, whose made-up fate is him having a "nervous breakdown").
  • Et Tu, Brute?: She doesn't take Rourke's betrayal very well...
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Helga is seen quietly mourning the loss of her comrades during the Leviathan attack memorial event. Even when considering Rourke and Helga's true nature and goals in Atlantis, Helga's reaction in comparison to Rourke's may have been genuine.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Despite her greed to steal the Heart of Atlantis for profit, she is very concerned about the fact that people are still residing in Atlantis; she even pointed this out to Rourke, who nonchalantly ignored this as he is unconcerned with the consequences. In the end, even these standards go out the window: by the time she and her boss reveal their true colors, Helga is cracking cruel jokes about how the Heart's price could be doubled knowing that stealing it is dooming a civilization.
    Helga: (worried) Commander, there were not supposed to be people down here. This changes everything.
    Rourke: (sternly) This changes nothing.
  • Face Death with Dignity: Being fatally wounded by her fall caused by Rourke, Helga used her remaining energy to set Rourke's blimp on fire before accepting her fate succumbing to her injuries.
  • Females Are More Innocent: While it's Downplayed in her case, it's pretty easy to consider her as being much less malicious than Rourke, best evidenced during the climax, when he betrayed her for no reason. Alongside that, she has also displayed a genuinely sympathetic side, as well, ranging from her initial loyalty towards Rourke to her possible remorse for the Atlanteans.
  • Femme Fatale: Don't let her hotness fool you, she is a very strong, athletic and ruthless mercenary.
  • Flare Gun: Has one tucked away and uses it on Rourke's escape balloon in the climax. Also counts as a Chekhov's Gun. We see the gun early on when she shoots it to see how deep they're dropped into the volcano, then it plays an important role in the climax.
  • Heel–Face Door-Slam: Helga shows some remorse when she discovers that they will be stealing from living people and not a long-dead civilization and even questions Rourke about whether this will change their plans, but she is betrayed and mortally wounded by Rourke before she (possibly) switches sides.
  • Hidden Heart of Gold:
    • It is implied that even if travelling to the city Atlantis was out of greed, she has also shown possible signs of remorse for leaving the Atlanteans to die without the Heart of Atlantis.
    • Even before that same case above was shown, she has also shown a significant amount of loyalty towards her crew, mainly to Rourke, but unfortunately for her, he betrays her later on.
  • Impossible Hourglass Figure: Played with; Helga has this body type, but in an atypical way. She has a narrow waist and particularly wide, muscular shoulders, but hips that seem to be of reasonable proportions.
  • Ironic Echo: Doubling as her last words.
  • Kick Chick: She favors spinning kicks in the final fight with Rourke. Unfortunately for her, Rourke demonstrates the weakness of this fighting style, grabbing her foot and using it to toss her off the balloon.
  • Last Breath Bullet: Well flare actually, but it still fits since she fires it just before she died.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Her introduction almost speaks for itself, which sets her up as a classic Femme Fatale. Otherwise, she's actually pretty conservatively dressed for much of the movie.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: The "In-between" to Milo's "Nice" and Rourke's "Mean".
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: Helga's voice sounds eerily similar to Lauren Bacall.
  • Non-Standard Character Design: Helga's animation is considerably much more fluid than the rest of the cast.
  • Not Even Bothering with the Accent: She's German, but unlike the rest of the non-American characters, she has an American accent instead of an accent native to her home country.
  • Perpetual Frowner: She's almost always scowling.
  • Pretty in Mink: She is first introduced wearing a fur hat and shoulder coat.
  • Right-Hand Cat: The standard white Persian, and it makes her look sinister at first, although it's actually Milo's.
  • Sexophone: Heard when she makes her debut in Milo's apartment.
  • The Stoic: Helga is a cold, professional woman who early on in the movie plays at being a Femme Fatale to get Milo to her employer. She only loses the ice when Rourke betrays her, which brings her to fury.
  • Tank-Top Tomboy: Primarily seen in tanktops, and after her first scene she's rarely seen doing anything feminine. She's a mercenary who has no problems with killing people, such as when she shoots Rourke's escape balloon down with a flare to get her revenge on him and is possibly beyond caring that Milo is also on it.
  • Taking You with Me: Obviously badly injured, she fires a flare into the balloon that her murderer is using to escape.
  • Thrown from the Zeppelin: She is literally thrown off one—twice— in the climax so Rourke can lighten the load of his get-away vehicle. The second time proves to be fatal.
  • Uncertain Doom: She presumably dies offscreen after taking down Rourke's balloon, but her body isn't seen when it crashes, leaving her fate slightly open-ended. According to the Director, Helga was supposed to return in a proposed sequel as the main antagonist, but this idea fell through.
  • Waif-Fu: Tries to use this gymnastic, kick-heavy style on Rourke. It's effective to a point, but once he manages to grab her she gets thrown off again despite her efforts.

    Vinny Santorini 

Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vinny10_1734.jpg
"It was like a sign from God. I found myself that boom."
Voiced by: Don Novello; Jean Reno (European French dub); Pascuale Anselmo (original film), Esteban Silva (Milo's Return) (Latin Spanish dub); Márcio Simões (film), Renato Master (Activity Centre CD) (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

An Italian demolitions expert.


  • Adaptational Nationality: He becomes Vano the Georgian in the Russian dub.
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: "We done a lot of things we're not proud of. Robbing graves, plundering tombs, double parking..."
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He's good at what he does, even though he can be a prankster and rather apathetic in most situations.
  • Character Tics: He tends to go off on long, droning lists during conversation and generally counts on his fingers when doing so.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He and Mole pilot an attack minisub in the deep sea fight against the Leviathan alongside other minisubs. They were the only one out of at least thirty minisubs to survive intact.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Almost everything he says is with a deadpan expression and tone.
  • Demolitions Expert: To say that he's obsessed with explosives is an understatement. He's the team assigned expert in the use of high explosives to clear blockages and open paths, and he takes to this profession with relish.
  • Everyone Has Standards: A self-admitted example in that he doesn't care if he hurts people unknowingly but won't stand for it when it's rubbed in his face, even if it means wiping out an entire civilization.
    Vinny: We've done a lot of things we're not proud of: robbing graves and plundering tombs, double parking, but, nobody got hurt. Well... maybe somebody got hurt, but, nobody we knew.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Along with the rest of the group when Milo calls them out.
  • Heroic Comedic Sociopath: He has some of the most violent lines in the movie. They're also some of the funniest.
  • Mad Bomber: Subverted; despite being the demolitions expert on a team of eccentric and amoral mercenaries and loving his job, Vinny does everything with dead-eyed apathy. The exception is his sudden wide-eyed glee when he sets off the explosives at the base of the ancient carved pillar.
    Vinny: Hey, look. I made a bridge. Took me what, ten seconds? Eleven, tops.
  • Meaningful Name: His last name comes from the island of Santorini in the Greek islands, home to a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago that is thought to be part of the inspiration for the legend of Atlantis.
  • Moral Myopia: invokedPlayed for laughs. When he pulls a Heel–Face Turn, he says that in spite of all the things they've done, nobody ever got hurt. At least, nobody they knew.
  • Noodle Incident: Whitmore offhandedly claims to have freed him from a Turkish prison.
  • Only in It for the Money: Averted by the end. But he's rewarded handsomely anyway!
  • Rambunctious Italian: An Inversion of the trope, being Italian yet, at the same time, The Stoic and the quietest member of the team.
  • Real Men Wear Pink: Implied, as he announces his plans to work in his family's flower shop again after the adventure.
  • The Stoic: Most of the time, he has a very bored expression on his face. He only really smiles twice in the movie: after blowing up the pillar to make a bridge, and when he discovers the explosive capabilities of the Atlantean Aktirak's Wave Motion Guns. He also laughs heartily when he and Mole prank Milo early on.
  • Stuff Blowing Up: Vinny loves explosions, though not enough to be a Bomb Throwing Anarchist.
  • Troll: Enough of one to make Milo think the water in a canteen was explosive liquid for a laugh.
    Vinny: You didn't just drink that, did you?
    Milo: (Nods happily)
    Vinny: That's not good, that's nitroglycerin! Don't move, don't breathe, don't do anything. Except, uh... pray, maybe.

    Audrey Ramirez 

Audrey Rocio Ramirez

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/audrey_ramirez.jpg
"I'm saving up so my papi and I can open another shop."
Voiced by: Jacqueline Obradors; Ethel Houbiers (European French dub); Vanessa Garcel (original film) Cristina Hernández (Milo's Return) (Latin Spanish dub); Fernanda Crispim (film), Fernanda Bullara (Activity Centre CD) (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

A teenage Puerto Rican mechanic and the youngest member of the expedition.


  • Arbitrary Skepticism: In the sequel, she's skeptical about Milo's theory that the weather is being affected by gods. Vinny immediately lampshades that given all the strange stuff they've seen on their expeditions, she shouldn't be so quick to dismiss apparently absurd theories.
  • The Baby of the Bunch: Audrey is the youngest member of the team, being 18.
  • Brainy Brunette: She has dark hair and is knowledgeable in engineering.
  • The Bully: She claims that she used to take lunch money from guys like Milo. That said, Audrey is one of the first crew members (along with Sweet) to warm up to Milo, making her a Bully Turned Buddy by then.
  • But Not Too Foreign: She's a Stateside Puerto Rican, her birthplace being Dearborn in Michigan.
  • Chew Bubblegum: Although she doesn't directly utter the immortal line. The very act of her looking Milo in the eye while blowing and bursting a bubble during his initial presentation to the rest of the group seems to unnerve him even more than he already is.
  • Child Prodigy: She began working in her father's Automobile Repair Shop as a mechanic's assistant in 1901 at age 5. Showed an early aptitude for mechanical engines; was promoted to full apprentice at age 7. Began work at Henry Ford Automotive 1905 at age 9 as Journeyman Mechanic. She was given first supervisory position at age 11. Despite only being 18 at the time of the first movie, she is Whitmore's top pick as the team's engineer, taking the place of her father.
  • Daddy's Girl: Strongly implied; she wants to earn enough money from the expedition to improve and expand her father's business.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: She's rather abrasive to Milo at first, but once she warms up, she's quite a softie.
  • Everyone Has Standards: She clearly feels guilty about stealing the Heart of Atlantis (which would result in genocide of the Atlantean people) and is among the first to oppose Rourke.
  • Flare Gun: Audrey wields one as her ranged weapon in the PS1 game adaptation, being able to use it as a traditional firearm as well as for lighting up dark areas.
  • Gratuitous Spanish: During one of her first interactions with Milo, she says "no toques nada" ("don't touch anything") when she's trying to fix the drill.
  • Genius Sweet Tooth: On top of Audrey's fondness for bubblegum, it's noted in her backstory that one of the reasons she got so good at cracking locks by the age of three was so she could break into and steal sweets from her mother's pantry.
  • Hartman Hips: Audrey has a small bustline, indicating her relative youth compared to the other members of the expedition, but she has wide hips.
  • Heel–Face Turn: She's one of the first of the crew to turn against Rourke and support Milo.
  • Kindhearted Cat Lover: If the fact that she took in Milo's cat Fluffy after he stayed in Atlantis is any indication, then yes.
  • Little Miss Snarker: On top of being the youngest known member of the crew, Audrey is an abrasive tomboy who is prone to sarcastic remarks.
    Audrey: (while sawing) I thought you said this thing could cut through a femur in twenty-eight seconds!
  • Nice Girl: The first to take notice of Milo's admonishments and the first to fully support him after Rourke beats him down.
  • Never Bareheaded: She's almost never seen without her engineer's flat cap on, and temporarily swaps it for a more formal hat during the epilogue.
  • The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Amusingly, she is never actually seen repairing anything mechanical on-screen (the most technical work she is shown doing is turning a valve and tightening a nut, tasks anyone with a pair of functioning hands and a wrench can accomplish, and the one time her set of skills is directly needed, Milo ends up doing the job instead) meaning that her status as a great mechanic ends up being somewhat of an Informed Ability. Subverted in the video games however, where she gets to demonstrate her skills — such as repairing and piloting the Drill Tank and the guns on the Ulysses during the Leviathan attack — a lot more than in the film.
  • Signature Headgear: Her flat cap, which she's barely ever seen without and establishes her mechanical aptitude right off the bat.
  • Tank-Top Tomboy: Audrey is a tough, snarky and tomboyish engineer, and is frequently seen wearing a white vest top underneath her overalls.
  • Teen Genius: The youngest member of the team, and an ace mechanic.
  • Tomboy: She reveals in her backstory that her father wanted boys, one to become a boxer and the other to help as a mechanic. Her older sister is a middleweight title contender, and she's an expert engineer.
  • Tomboy with a Girly Streak: She's a rough and tumble mechanic who takes no crap from anyone, but she also is seen in an elegant dress when rehearsing the expedition’s cover-up story.
  • Rough Overalls: Audrey wears overalls, is a Wrench Wench engineer, and is a tough Tomboy who's been working on automobiles since she was a child and in charge of the repairs.
  • Wrench Wench: She's the one in charge of repairs and maintenance.
  • Wrong Side All Along: The audience gets to see foreshadowing of Rourke's greed and lack of respect. But the crew, Audrey in particular, seems horrified when Rourke starts kidnapping women, punching old men, and being a-okay with condemning hundreds if not thousands of people to death for his own personal profit.
    Audrey: This is wrong, and you know it!

    Mrs. Packard 

Wilhelmina Bertha Packard

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/packard01_3132.jpg
"You wanna do my job? Be my guest."
Voiced by: Florence Stanley; Laurence Badie (European French dub); María Santander (Latin Spanish dub); Ruth Gonçalves (films), Gessy Fonseca (Activity Centre CD) (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

An elderly, sarcastic, chain-smoking radio operator.


  • Brutal Honesty: Packard is often brutally honest in her sarcasm.
    "We're all gonna die."
  • Camera Fiend: She seems to be the expeditions de-facto documentarian, at least once most of the expedition dies. Or maybe she just really likes taking pictures. Notably, she does it during the final battle.
  • Casual Danger Dialogue: When the crew of the Ulysses are forced to evacuate the sub during the Leviathan fight, Mrs. Packard was still gossiping with her friend on the radio until Helga shouted at her to move it.
  • Cool Old Lady: It helps since she's the head of the team's communications.
  • Curious Qualms of Conscience: The last of the group's specialists to take Milo's side. For no other reason than perhaps... Meh.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Every other sentence that comes out of her mouth drips with snark. She's particularly sardonic when making announcements over the Ulysses tannoy.
  • Dissonant Serenity: (Gargantuan Leviathan Machine of War fires beam of energy through the Ulysses, crippling it and dousing the boilers with sea water.)
    Audrey: (Trying to hold it together) Get me the bridge!
    Mrs. Packard: (Opens 'Crime' magazine) Sir, it's engineering on four.
  • Ditzy Genius: She seems to be barely fazed by all the craziness happening around her, but despite this supposed senility, she does her job with a calm that can provide stability in trying times.
  • Dude Magnet: Bizarrely, she manages to get some very young Atlantean men to fight over her. And has been previously married to eleven husbands, although this is probably more a statement about her advanced age (and possible bad luck with her husbands).
  • Dull Surprise: She doesn't surprise easily. Heck, it takes colossal statue guardians coming to life to impress her!
  • Everyone Has Standards: The most apathetic and indifferent member of the supporting cast, even more than Vinny. Although, like the others (except the villains, of course), she draws the line at destroying an entire civilization to get more money.
  • Fan Disservice; Although we mercifully don't get to see if this is the truth, she apparently Sleeps in the Nude — and she sleep-walks (hence why Sweet highly recommended for everyone to wear sleep masks).
  • Fantastically Indifferent: This is where a lot of the humour around her character stems from. No matter how intense the danger, Packard responds to everything with unimpressed indifference and only minimal efforts to interrupt whatever casual task she's already doing. She spends the life-and-death aerial dogfight in the climax taking photographs.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Packard can be extremely sarcastic and indifferent towards others, but genuinely draws the moral lines in wiping out a civilization; even more than willing to keep the existence of Atlantis as a secret to prevent future incidents. This was shown when she slapped Cookie in the head with her umbrella when he nearly exposed Rourke and Helga's true fates.
  • Kavorka Man: Gender-flipped. Despite being an elderly woman, she still manages to get young Atlantean men to fight over her.
  • Unfazed Everyman: A prehistoric war machine has mortally crippled the sub and in five minutes the boiler is going to kill anybody left aboard! Mrs. Packard doesn't bother interrupting her phone call with her friend until the last moment.
    Packard: (into the radio) I gotta go Margie. No, no, I'll call you.
  • Who Writes This Crap?!: When she's doing public announcements aboard the Ulysses, she comments on the weirder wording choices.
    Packard: (reading from script) "Dinner tonight will be baked beans. Musical program to follow..." Who wrote this?

    Dr. Sweet 

Dr. Joshua Strongbear Sweet

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joshua_sweet.jpg
"It's my experience that when you hit bottom, the only place left to go is up."
Voiced by: Phil Morris; Mouss Diouf (original film), Bruno Dubernat (Milo's return) (European French dub); Martín Hernández (Latin Spanish dub); Maurício Berger (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

A medic of African American and Navajo descent.


  • Bizarre Taste in Food: Implied, as he wasn't hesitant at all about trying the alien cuisine of Atlantis. Justified, as being a combat medic meant that he had to get the most out of every meal, especially since he was on the front lines and had to keep everyone healthy.
    Sweet: Don't forget to eat the head! [proceeds to slurp the crustacean's head and all of its innards in one sitting] That's where all the nutrients are.
  • Chekhov's Gun: His saw, which he draws attention to at the beginning of the film and which he and Audrey later use to try and free the crystallized Kida. Maybe if he'd done the sawing instead, the plan might have worked.
  • Combat Medic: Sweet mentions he was drafted halfway through medical school and was on San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.
  • Dare to Be Badass: Even this is delivered to Milo as a touching reminder instead of a harsh rebuke.
    Sweet: Of course, it's been my experience, when you hit bottom, the only place left to go is up.
    Milo: (Dismissive) Huh. Who told you that?
    Sweet: A fella by the name of Thaddeus Thatch.
  • Dissonant Serenity: Concludes his check up of Milo by merrily telling him to entirely fill two large glass beakers with... something... for his medical tests.
  • Does Not Like Spam: Sweet admits that he hates fish. He hates the taste, the smell, and the bones. Though he seems fine with crustaceans as he showed no hesitation in eating the vaguely crustacean Atlantian food.
  • Dub Name Change: Renamed "Amadou Gentil" in the French dub, to keep the meaning of his name... which make it sound like he's French instead of American.
  • Everyone Has Standards: He joins the rest of the crew in storming the Atlantis palace until Rourke punches the king, at which point he turns against him.
    Sweet: (enraged towards Rourke for punching the King) Rourke, this was NOT part of the plan!
    Rourke: Plan's changed, doc.
  • Gentle Giant: A refreshing aversion from the Scary Black Man trope, he is a large and broad-shouldered black man who is as kind as his name implies (i.e., very).
  • Heel–Face Turn: The first of the crew besides Milo to turn against Rourke.
  • Hypocritical Humor: He claims to hate fish yet tucks into the Atlantean meal (consisting mostly of crustaceans) Kida serves to the group with particular zeal. Then again, he'd been on a lengthy journey with Cookie handling all the food, so he probably got over the fact that it was seafood. The crustaceans also don't have the things he hates about fish like the taste, smell, or the tiny bones. Also take into account he only said that he hates fish, not other seafood, which explains why he was enjoying himself on the meal.
  • Jerkass Ball: Despite being the nicest of the crew, and being the only crew member to be openly nice to Milo upon their first interaction, Sweet joins in the crew making Milo the butt of their jokes and, when Sweet helps members of the crew up a small ledge, one by one, Milo, being last in line, reaches out his hand when it's his turn, but Sweet already turns to leave. Subverted when Sweet is the first to realize the crew had been too hard on Milo, and he and Audrey encourage Milo to sit with them and welcome him in the group.
  • Last-Name Basis: He is often just called Sweet.
  • Meaningful Name: He is one of the friendliest and most decent members of the group, and the first to perform a Heel–Face Turn (after Rourke gut punches Kida's father).
  • Motor Mouth: He has a habit of talking at lightning speed. Particularly brought to attention during his initial checkup on Milo, where he keeps talking despite Milo having a thermometer in his mouth.
  • Names to Trust Immediately: If your doctor's name was "Sweet" wouldn't that put you at ease? Although his initial, ad hoc medical examination of Milo does happen to be a bit scary.
  • Nice Guy: Mentioned by Milo when he's attempting to teach Kida the names of his teammates. Milo has some trouble making a distinction for her between the names "Sweet" and "Cookie" and that cookies are sweet and that Sweet is a nice person.
  • Team Dad: He is the wisest and most compassionate member of the group. He is implied to have inherited the role from Milo's grandfather.
  • Token Good Teammate: While not all of the others are necessarily evil, they are a band of plundering mercenaries — but Sweet is as kind as his name implies, and is as dedicated to healing as his profession requires. Besides Milo, he's the first to implicitly change sides once Rourke goes from "exploring" to hurting people, leaving his side to tend to the chief and never abandoning that post until it's time to encourage Milo to fight back.
  • Twofer Token Minority: His dad's African-American, while his mother's Navajo. Truth in Television: African- and Native Americans have had a complex and close relationship through American history and Sweet's mixed ancestry would not at all have been considered rare in the 19th and early 20th century.

    Cookie 

Jebediah Allardyce "Cookie" Farnsworth

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cookie05_4501.jpg
"Saddle up, partners. Bring jerky and ammo!"
Voiced by: Jim Varney, Steven Barr (Milo's Return)note ; Gérard Hernandez (European French dub); Esteban Siller (Latin Spanish dub); Francisco José (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

A Western-style chuckwagon chef.


  • Americans Are Cowboys: Unsurprising, since he was a quartermaster, mule-skinner, rifle-man, scout, and fur-trapper in the US Army during the Civil War and the subsequent Sioux Wars.
  • Camp Cook: Unfortunately, he is also a Lethal Chef.
    Helga: The men need the four basic food groups.
    Cookie: I got your four basic food groups: Beans, bacon, whiskey, and lard!
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Cookie is less than sane.
    Cookie: (Surrounded by Atlantean warriors) I seen this in the Dakota! They can smell fear just by looking at ya. So keep quiet.
  • Cold Sniper: With a double-barreled musket, of all things. Though considering that he's on the side of the good guys in the climax, he's more of a Friendly Sniper.
  • Cool Old Guy: He's very friendly, but very bad at cooking.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: When working as a restauranteur in New York, a customer complained about his culinary skills. Cookie was subsequently fired for shooting him in the knee.
  • Everyone Has Standards: He joins Milo's side with the rest of the crew, showing that he draws the line at wiping out entire civilizations.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Along with the rest of the crew when Milo calls them out.
  • Informed Ability: Like most of the rest of the cast, Cookie was ostensibly selected for the expedition because of his expertise in a particular skill—in his case cooking. However, everything we see of his food suggests that it is neither appealing nor nutritious (he thinks that the four basic food groups are bacon, beans, whiskey, and lard). Though his specialty is actually being the Scrounger, being known for being able to feed an army on almost nothing.
  • Lethal Chef: His cooking, when thrown on the campfire, makes a little mushroom cloud at one point. Not surprising, considering the grease content. He's also horrified when presented with an ordinary head of lettuce.
  • Loose Lips: Played for comedy. When Whitmore is coaching the crew on what they should say about their expedition in search of Atlantis, Cookie bursts out what really happened to Helga and Rourke instead of saying they went missing. He’s corrected by Mrs. Packard, who hits him once with her parasol and almost hits him a second time.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: He's only known by his nickname "Cookie".

    Mole 

Gaetan "Mole" Molière

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mole_atlantis.jpg
"You have disturbed the dirt!"
Voiced by: Corey Burton; Patrick Timsit (original film), Michel Mella (Milo's Return) (European French dub); Arturo Mercado (Latin Spanish dub); Mauro Ramos (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

A French geologist who acts like a mole.


  • Ambiguously Human: Mole is short, rotund, and stout, has very unusual behaviour even by this cast's standards, chooses to dig himself a hole to lie down in with his bare hands many times, and finds soap a punishment worthy of hissing and fleeing at. All of this, not to mention his name, points to him being a Mole Man. Even when he tidies up at the end of the movie, he still wears dark glasses to protect his eyes from the light.
    • In the sequel, Audrey reveals he actually was raised by naked mole rats.
  • Animal Motifs: Moles, obviously, due to his Punny Name, obsession with dirt, and even physical resemblance to one. He even carries a plush mole that he presumably sleeps with.
  • Big Eater: One of the few who tucks into Cookie's meals with gusto. He also takes a bite out of the Atlantean crustaceans quite happily.
  • Bizarre Taste in Food: He quickly enjoys the Atlantean food with no problem whatsoever.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Even by the standards of the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits he's a part of, Mole stands out as an utter wackadoo - however, he is brilliant when it comes to Geology, dirt in particular, and has developed or invented 62 independent mining and excavation vehicles, tools, or related equipment.
  • Cheshire Cat Grin: Sports a rather mischievous smile on his face.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He and Vinny pilot an attack minisub in the deep sea-fight against the Leviathan alongside other minisubs. They were the only one out of at least thirty minisubs to survive intact. In the sequel, his moronic side is more emphasized, but he's still a valuable member of the team. When he has to dig a tunnel back to Hellstrom's castle, he complains about having to rescue the team once again when he has already saved Audrey from falling to her death, singlehandedly knocked out six hypnotized villagers blocking their path and quickly dug out a new entrance to the cave the sand coyotes sealed off.
  • Dirty Old Man: Quickly gets far too familiar with Kida, which leads to him getting punched. And, yes, he is very, physically dirty.
  • Drill Tank: His vehicle of choice because it digs and he is a digger.
  • Dub Name Change: While most dubs keep his name, in German he becomes Boudelaire, which sounds like "Buddler" (digger).
  • Everyone Has Standards: He may be a perverted lunatic, but he's still moral enough to join the rest of the crew in stopping Rourke from wiping out Atlantis.
  • Everything Sounds Sexier in French: Averted; Mole is by far the most disgusting member of the cast and speaking French does nothing to endear him to Kida, who punches him when he flirts with her.
  • Fat Bastard: Downplayed, in that he's a mild French Jerk with questionable social skills.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: Everybody in the group is disgusted by him, and it says quite a lot that in a group that includes Cookie, Vinny and Mrs. Packard that he is considered the biggest freak around.
  • Genius Ditz: He seems to be "out there" on everything other than geology, his specialty.
  • Genius Slob: The Mole, dirt is his job and his hobby. Brilliant geologist. Sleeps in a hole he digs out for himself.
  • Goofy Buckteeth: He is a comic-relief character that has rodent-like buck teeth to make him look more odd.
  • Gonk: He is a lot uglier and more disproportionately built than the other characters, along with those rather weird telescope-glasses.
  • Heart Is an Awesome Power: May very well be the most useful member of the team in the sequel, all because he knows dirt. He manages to spot a cliff (too late) in blinding fog based on the shape of the ground, is able to spot a secret door because of the misplaced rock it was hidden behind, and pulled apart Carnaby's scheme and located the hidden city in one go by identifying the clay his stolen pottery was made from down to the last detail. That's not even counting the numerous times he tunnels through the ground to save the group.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Along with the rest of the crew when Milo calls them out.
  • He Cleans Up Nicely: As the end of the film shows, he really doesn't look all that bad when he's properly cleaned and formally dressed. He's clearly uncomfortable with it, though, and buries himself in a large flowerpot at the first opportunity.
  • Jabba Table Manners: While having lunch with the Atlanteans, Sweet shows him how to eat the crustaceans they use as food, by biting off their heads first. Mole does it in a rather messy way and burps loudly, grossing out Sweet.
  • Manchild: Pig Pen tendencies aside, he's meant to be 39 at this point, but is the most immature of the crew, such as when they finally decide to cut Milo some slack, he still has to put a wet whoopie cushion on his seat.
  • Mole Men: He's meant to invoke one with his uncanny digging skills, filthy and rotund appearance, and large goggles. According to the sequel, he was raised by naked mole rats.
  • Motor Mouth: When analyzing a dirt sample, he talks very rapidly and very quietly to himself.
  • The Pig-Pen: To the degree where soap is a Cool and Unusual Punishment.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: It's "mole".
  • Punny Name: What do you expect, considering that he's an expert on digging and seems the most comfortable when burying himself in dirt?
  • Sherlock Scan: He ascertains all of Milo's profession and home life merely by examining the dirt under one of his fingernails.
    "Aha! There you are. Now tell me your story my little friend... Parchment fiber from the Nile Delta circa 500 B.C. Lead pencil, number two. Paint flecks of a type used in government buildings. You have a cat, short-haired Persian, two years old, third in a litter of seven. These are all the microscopic fingerprints of the mapmaker. (Tastes dirt) And - linguist."
  • Stout Strength: Despite being a fat little man, he singlehandedly takes down six hypnotized villagers simply by charging at them in the sequel.
  • Team Pet: Kida thinks he is this for the exploration team. Milo says she is "close enough".
  • When All You Have Is a Hammer…: His suggestion to solve every problem is to dig. When he's finally given the chance to drill through an ancient wall carving, he shivers in delight.
  • You Do NOT Want To Know: His Backstory, according to Dr. Sweet, is this. It's even the page quote!

Atlanteans

    In General 
An ancient human culture long lost below the waves. A small fragment of their empire still lives deep beneath the earth.
  • Advanced Ancient Humans: The Atlanteans have technology and science far more advanced than anything recorded in history including laser-shooting hovercrafts, floating monuments, crystals that grant healing and advanced longevity, the ability to rapidly pick up languages created millennia after their own, and massive machines. All this while still possessing tribalistic characteristics. In their case, they're a strange case of a proud warrior race and a proud scholar race.
  • Ambiguously Brown: They were designed to be the people from which all other cultures evolved from, and as such have a mid-brown skin tone and neutral somatic features that aren't clearly linked to any one area of Earth.
  • Dying Race: They're dying out, albeit slowly — while their society is still hanging on in the movie's time, they've lost most of their ancient knowledge and are reduced to a life of sustinence fishing. The ruins of their city are also clearly built to house many more people than currently inhabit, and most modern Atlanteans simply live in small huts and houses while the ancient buildings go unused.
  • The Fog of Ages: They have lost much of their culture over the centuries. None of the modern-day Atlanteans can even read their own writing. Kida even observes this and requests Milo's help in teaching them their old ways.
  • Inexplicable Language Fluency: The Atlanteans are able to fluently communicate with the explorers from the surface in English and French. This is handwaved as their own language being a precursor to all other languages.
  • Long-Lived: The Atlanteans' lifespan is finite — King Kashekim is visibly very advanced in age and nearing death — but incredibly long. Kida is around 8,800 years old, but looks like a regular human would in her twenties.
  • Mystical White Hair: Almost all of the Atlanteans have naturally white hair regardless of age.
  • Omniglot: The Atlanteans are implied to be fluent in every single language spoken in the world in addition to their own language. When the expedition first enters Atlantis, Milo and Kida converse in several different languages (including the Atlantean, Latin, Hebrew and French) before settling on English for the rest of the film.
  • Primordial Tongue: The Atlantean language is presented as the ancestor of all modern languages, and demonstrated when Kida and some other Atlanteans are able to learn several modern languages after just hearing snippets of them.
  • Really 700 Years Old: The Atlanteans are positively ancient due to the restorative powers of the Heart of Atlantis. Kida herself is over 8,800 years old and still appears in her early twenties.
  • Translation Convention: The Atlanteans, despite having their own Constructed Language, speak English amongst themselves for much of the film.

    Princess Kida 

Princess/Queen Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kida_of_atlantis.png
"Solesh mat-o-not, Maylo Thatsh-top. Kwam tered-se-nen." {All will be well, Milo Thatch. Be not afraid.}
Click here to see her when fused with the Heart of Atlantis
Voiced by: Cree Summer; Laura Blanc (European French dub); Nailea Norvind/Fernanda Robles (original film), Rosalba Sotelo (Milo's Return) (Latin Spanish dub); Camila Pitanga (original film), Gabriella Bicalho (Milo's Return) (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

The Princess (later Queen) of Atlantis.


  • Adaptational Modesty: Her rarely-seen face character at the Disney Theme Parks is depicted in her more modest-looking Queen dress from the epilogue, although without a tiara, as her main outfit in the film proper was too revealing.
  • All Thereinthe Manual: Two of Kida's alternate outfits, her armored appearance (at least after her mask is removed) during her introductory scene, and her coronation dress in the epilogue, seen only from the knees-up from the front and only fully visible briefly from behind are only fully visible in some promotional art for the former and in a rare piece of concept art the latter.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: As nice as she is, Kida isn't afraid to kill if someone threatens her loved ones or home.
  • Brutal Honesty: Is not afraid to say what's on her mind even when it contrasts with her father's beliefs. Also, this gem with Milo.
    Kida: [to Milo] You are a scholar, are you not? Judging by your diminished physique and large forehead, you are suited for nothing else!
  • Chastity Couple: With Milo. While they are clearly the movie's Official Couple, all they do on-screen is holding hands and hugging.
  • The Chief's Daughter: Her dad is the king.
  • Combat Pragmatist: She doesn't hesitate to knee men in the groin.
  • Color-Coded Eyes: Kida has blue eyes to reflect her kind personality and her mystical and otherworldly nature as Atlantis' Princess and eventual Queen.
  • Cool Crown: Her tiara at the end of the film.
  • Deadly Upgrade: The crystal, which preserves the life of Atlantis, will merge with a royal host if it senses danger. Since Rourke is threatening it, it merges with Kida, putting her into a vegetative state that will kill her if she is in it too long, as it did to her mother when Atlantis first sank.
  • Empowered Badass Normal: When joined with the Heart, Kida has the power to both levitate and telekinetically activate the engravings of the Kings and project bolts of energy into the Stone Sentinels that guard the perimeter of the city. She channels an ungodly amount of power that is enough to both halt and freeze an erupting pyroclastic flow and lava torrent from a powerful volcano within seconds and then break apart the resulting mantle. It's also quite safe to say that you don't want to lay a hand on her while she's in this form.
  • Establishing Character Moment: She's introduced leading a party of Atlantean warriors, but once she sees that Milo is wounded and not a threat, she uses her crystal to heal him. When Mole propositions her not long after, she promptly punches him in the face.
  • Give Geeks a Chance: Her dynamic with Milo, obviously. There are several other more traditionally attractive men in her kingdom but she wants Nice Guy Badass Bookworm Milo.
  • Groin Attack: Twice on the same poor schlub, within the span of ten seconds.
  • Healing Hands: Another power of the personal crystal necklaces, though Kida shows that its power may be virtually untapped if it can heal all physical ills save eventual old age and death. This ties back to the "advanced medicine" Milo claims the Atlanteans once (and still do) possess.
  • The High Queen: She is made Queen at the end of the film, and is the first Disney Princess to do so until Elsa was introduced.
  • I'll Kill You!: To Rourke, after he mortally wounds her father. She succeeds in carrying this out by proxy, providing Milo with the means.
    "Moh-it gwenog-lo-nik!" (I will kill you for that!)
  • In-Series Nickname: Milo calls her "Kida"note  because he finds her full name, Kidagakash, to be too much of a mouthful to repeatedly say.
  • Le Parkour: Is quite skilled in the art, climbing and vaulting around buildings and mountains alike.
  • MacGuffin Super-Person: She becomes fused with the crystal and Rourke tries to take her to the surface, which leads to the battle of the climax to bring her back to Atlantis.
  • Magical Barefooter: Both Kida and her father go barefoot, which is probably to signify their mystical connection to the Heart.
  • Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Masculine girl to Milo's feminine boy.
  • Mayfly–December Romance: With Milo, who has only lived a very small part of her lifetime.
  • Meaningful Name: Just because a name sounds bizarre doesn't mean it's made-up. Kidagakash is from Kiowa, a real Native American tribe inhabiting the Great Plains in the area of Oklahoma. It means "rising away darkness", and Cree Summer happens to be of partial Canadian First Nations descent on her mother's side.
  • Megaton Punch: To Mole after he whispers a rather lascivious proposition to her in French. Given Mole's physical build, he likely weighs close to 300 lbs.
  • Missing Mom: Kida's mother was exposed to the crystal's power for too long and died as a result. She is briefly seen in the intro.
  • Ms. Fanservice: She wears only a simple blue bikini with a sarong-type skirt throughout the movie, and removes her skirt, revealing her blue panties, in the swimming scene. In-Universe reactions to her beauty, including Milo being utterly flabbergasted and saying "pretty girl" as a Freudian Slip, are common.
  • Mystical White Hair: White hair seems to be a racial trait of all Atlanteans, suggestive of their longevity (but not their age—the children have white hair, too).
  • Nice Girl: She is kind hearted, and has a general respect for all creatures.
  • Nubile Savage: Even though she's thousands of years old.
  • Official Couple: With Milo. At the end of the movie, he stays in Atlantis to be with her and they become the new rulers of the kingdom.
  • Older Than They Look: Like all Atlanteans, she ages at a fraction of the rate of a normal human, having been present for the sinking of Atlantis over 8000 years ago. Despite her actual age, she retains the physical appearance of a young woman.
  • Omniglot: Because according to Milo, all modern languages in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres descend from Atlantean, so she can speak English perfectly, as well as Greek, Latin, French, Mandarin, Hebrew, Japanese, Norse, and of course; Atlantean.
  • Opposites Attract: With Milo. She's a Tomboy Princess, he's a dorky nerd.
  • Power Glows: When she merges, she's drawn entirely with white lines and luminous blue-white surfaces for a very eerie "supercharged" effect.
  • Proud Warrior Race Girl: She's shown to be this before and after she meets Milo. Her father even admits that 1000 years prior to the story, Kida would have slain any trespasser in Atlantean territory on sight and without remorse, having only not done so to Milo and his crew because she was desperate for a way to save her dwindling civilization.
  • Really 700 Years Old: She's anywhere from 8,500 to 8,800 years old, considering that she was a child at the time of the great flood.
    Milo: Oh, well. Hey. Looking good!
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: A princess who actively goes out of her way to help Milo and the search team with their research. Not to mention her status as a Living Macguffin, though Milo wasn't aware of this when they met. She also regularly patrols the perimeter of the city and is tasked with defending the city from intruders.
  • Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Kida falls in love with the intelligent, endearing, kind-hearted Milo Thatch.
  • Significant Wardrobe Shift: Changes into a more modest-looking formal dress after becoming a Queen at the end of the film. She also noticeably gains more tattoos on her face as well.
  • Some Call Me "Tim": Since her full name is hard to pronounce, she likes to be called simply "Kida".
  • Spock Speak: Her English speech is very sophisticated and lacks contractions.
  • Strong Family Resemblance: Kida looks exactly like her deceased mother.
  • Strong Girl, Smart Guy: With the linguist/explorer Milo. She's defended the borders of Atlantis for thousands of years, while he's the first person to accurately pinpoint the sunken city in centuries.
  • Super Not-Drowning Skills: She can't breathe underwater, but is still an amazing diver. Justified considering she's been practicing in a half-sunken city for a long time.
  • Tomboy Princess: Doesn't wear the traditional princess dress and most of her skills are those of an outdoorsman. She does however, eventually gain said dress after becoming a Queen, and still retains her free-spirited nature.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: Off-screen, but she was much less welcoming in the past due to her role as a protector of Atlantis from those who would try to exploit it. The fact that Atlantis is slowly decaying and dying is what gets Kida to let Milo and his group in.
    King Kashekim: Your heart has softened, Kida. A thousand years ago, you would have slain them on sight.
  • Tragic Keepsake: In a very brief moment near the beginning of the film, Kida's bracelet is pulled off by her mother as she's called into the Heart of Atlantis. When Kida herself returns from the crystal's possession near the end, she has the bracelet with her.
  • The Unpronounceable: Milo can't get his tongue around her full name, and he's a linguist.
  • Voice of the Legion: When under the possession of the Heart of Atlantis.
  • Walking Spoiler: She definitely qualifies due to her eventual bonding with the Crystal due to her Royal Blood and especially her eventually becoming a Queen in the epilogue.
  • Walk on Water: The first sign that the Atlantean crystal is investing her with powers.
  • Walking Swimsuit Scene: The scene where she takes Milo to see the ancient murals reveals that she was always walking around in a bikini — just take off the skirt so it won't get in the way while swimming and presto. She does away with this in the film's epilogue and the continuation, though.
  • Warrior Princess: It is implied that she has been patrolling Atlantean boarders with a team of fellow warriors and killed anyone that came too close, and that this is one of her duties as Atlantis's princess.

    King Kashekim Nedakh 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kashekim_nedakh.jpg
"I know what you seek and you will not find it here. Your journey has been in vain."
Voiced by: Leonard Nimoy; Robert Party (European French dub); Jorge Lapuente (Latin Spanish dub); Ênio Santos (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

The King of Atlantis and Kida's father.


  • The Atoner: In his youth, Nedakh was a warmonger that oversaw at least a part of Atlantis' bloody history of conquest. He lives in eternal regret after weaponizing a part of that Heart of Atlantis and causing the sinking of their civilization, so he isolates the city from visitors and hides the crystal underground.
  • Badass Boast: Understated, but still awesome in that it foreshadows Rourke's demise by the crystal.
    "Some obstacles cannot be removed by a mere show of force."
  • Barefoot Sage: An old wise man who goes barefoot, probably to signify his mystical connection to the Crystal.
  • Blind Seer: Metaphorical, after the great flood robs him of his vision by him staring into the Heart as his wife ascends and he shields Kida from the sight. His eyes are opened to the magnitude of his mistakes.
  • Cool Old Guy: He is voiced by Spock after all.
  • Excellent Judge of Character: As blind as he is thanks to his own arrogance, he correctly deduces that Rourke and his men have equipped themselves with weapons and a hidden agenda in their expedition; he even gives them only one night to rest and resupply as a warning that they must leave the city afterwards. He is also able to detect a sense of goodness within a few members of the expedition as he accepted Sweet's aid when the latter attempts to tend to his injuries inflicted by Rourke; he even willingly entrusts Milo with the knowledge about the crystal's power and the responsibility to take care of Kida and the city before he dies.
  • Face Death with Dignity: After being fatally punched by Rourke, the King explained about the origins of the Heart to Milo, and entrusted Milo with his crystal, telling him to stop Rourke and save Atlantis before accepting his fate and succumbing to his injuries.
  • Foil: To his daughter Kida.
    King Kashekim: Your heart has softened, Kida. A thousand years ago, you would've slain them all on sight.
    Kida: A thousand years ago, all of the streets were lit and we didn't have to scavenge for food at the edge of a crumbling city!
    King Kashehim: The people are content.
    Kida: They don't know any better! We were once a great people, but now we live in ruins. The Kings of our past would weep if they could see how far we have fallen.
    King Kashekim: Kida...
    Kida: If these outsiders can help us unlock the secrets of our past, perhaps we can save our future.
    King Kashehim: What they have to teach us, we have already learned.
    Kida: Our way of life is dying.
    King Kashekim: Our way of life is preserved! Kida, when you take the throne, you will understand.
  • Good Counterpart: To Rourke. While both of them have selfish motives for obtaining the power of the Heart of Atlantis (be it for war or greed), he is willing to protect it from the hands of evil and is remorseful of his actions while Rourke remained unrepentant to the end. Also, he deeply cares for his daughter while Rourke deeply hates Milo.
  • Grumpy Old Man: But is also a bit of this too. Though not without good reason.
  • Hyper-Awareness: He is blind, but he somehow gets anyway that the visitors are probably after the crystal and they have weapons too (although the latter could simply that he was warned by his non-blind aides beforehand).
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He is very stern and arrogant, but truly loves his subjects, especially his daughter, and is personally remorseful of his wrongdoing when he was much younger, leading to his own kingdom nearly being destroyed, as well as leading to the death of his wife, as best demonstrated when he's on his deathbed and has succumbed to the injuries he received from being attacked by Rourke.
  • Killed Off for Real: Dies of internal bleeding brought on by a punch to the gut from Rourke.
  • Magical Barefooter: He and his daughter both go barefoot, which is probably to signify their mystical connection to the Heart.
  • My Greatest Failure: He used the Atlantean's Crystal power as weapons of war, which caused the great flood in Hoist by His Own Petard.
  • Prophet Eyes: His eyes are solid white, thanks to the Heart of Atlantis in the prologue.
  • Sacrificial Lion: His death is what inspired Milo to finally take action and rally the team and several Atlantean warriors to fight against Rourke and his men to reclaim the Heart and save Atlantis.
  • Secret Legacy: Considers himself personally responsible for nearly destroying the Atlantean Empire. Because he weaponized the Heart Crystal to power massive engines of war and conquest and even developed a thermo-nuclear weapon / meson bomb of such might that it caused the tsunami that sank the city.
  • Spock Speak: Like his fellow Atlanteans, his English is very sophisticated and avoids contractions. Bonus points for being voiced by Spock himself.
  • Time Abyss: At least 27,000 years old, considering that for every 300 years that passes, an Atlantean of royal lineage ages just one. So physically, he's anywhere from being in his 90's but considering his age during the Mebel-mok, (30's-40's), he's probably closer to 40,000 years old and one hundred and thirty-ish physically; accounting for his frailty.
  • Victory Through Intimidation: By his sheer presence alone, he manages to get Rourke to back down from attempting to explore the city for the Heart of Atlantis and agree to leave by morning. Unfortunately, it only worked while Rourke was still pretending to be nothing more than a peaceful explorer.

     The Leviathan 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leviathan_13.png
"Jiminy Christmas! IT'S A MACHINE!!!"

A sea monster that guards the entrance to Atlantis.


  • Giant Flyer: Though it's not obvious, by virtue of all its scenes being underwater, the other Leviathans seen in the prologue are shown to be able to fly alongside the other Atlantean machines.
  • Humongous Mecha: Though it's a prime case of Your Size May Vary (see below), even in its smaller sizes are significantly larger than the submarine.
  • It Can Think: It appears to have some degree of autonomy, as it apparently isn't manually operated like the other Atlantean war machines. It also seems to have the cognizance to actually examine the Ulysses before destroying it. The sequel even elaborates that it's able to distinguish friend from foe on its own.
  • Killer Robot: Though it used to be an instrument of war, the Leviathan's only remaining purpose is to guard the entrance to Atlantis, and in that regard, it is extremely effective.
  • Kraken and Leviathan: Right there in the name. Though unlike more traditional depictions of the Leviathan, this creature is closer in appearance to a giant arthropod than a whale or sea serpent.
  • Real After All: Milo initially just dismisses the Leviathan as an exaggerated account of what was probably just a stone idol, though it's quickly revealed to be far from it.
  • The Remnant: It is really all that remains of the once vast Atlantean military; in the past, it's indicated Atlantis had entire fleets of these things.
  • Robotic Reveal: As it's examining the Ulysses, Milo gets a close up view of its eye, and realizes that it's mechanical in nature. This serves as Foreshadowing for what'll be revealed as the Atlanteans Lost Technology.
  • Wave-Motion Gun: Its primary weapon.
  • Your Size May Vary: The Leviathan's size seems to change wildly depending on the shot; in some shots it's only a few degrees larger than the Ulysses, while in others, it's so large it can hold the submarine in its mandibles.

    The Heart of Atlantis 
The ancient living crystal that serves as Atlantis power-source, protector, and god.
  • Heart of the Matter: The Heart of Atlantis is mentioned in the Shepherd's Journal, and is speculated to be some sort of power source. It turns out to be a living crystal that is keeping the entire city and its inhabitants alive after millennia beneath the bottom of the ocean. Rourke plans to take it and sell it above ground, not only dooming the Atlanteans but also risking it falling into the wrong hands and causing mass devastation; it was the King trying to harness it as a weapon that caused Atlantis to sink in the first place.
  • Mineral MacGuffin: It's the fabled power source that the expedition has searching for all along.
  • Power Crystal: It's a giant, living crystal that serves as the power source and deity of Atlantis.

Other characters

    Preston B. Whitmore 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/whitmore04_8124.jpg
"Your grandad had a saying. 'Our lives are remembered by the gifts we leave our children.' This journal is his gift to you, Milo. Atlantis is waiting."
Voiced by: John Mahoney; Marc Cassot (European French dub); Jesse Conde (Latin Spanish dub); Ednaldo Lucena (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

An eccentric millionaire who funds the expedition to Atlantis and an old friend of Milo's grandfather.


  • Collector of the Strange: His house is filled with a variety of artifacts from around the world, ranging from totems to weapons (including the Spear of Destiny according to the sequel). He even has a tank filled with Coelacanth, fish that were thought to be extinct until twenty four years after the events of the movie.
  • Cool Old Guy: By all appearances, he's incredibly chill and likeable.
  • Crazy-Prepared: Puts together all the equipment and convoy needed for the journey. Including a gyro-evac balloon, bi-planes, digger, trucks, sub-pods, submersible carriers and the SS Ulysses itself. He even takes care of all of Milo's prior living details before he even accepts the (admittedly awesome) deal.
  • Eccentric Millionaire: Milo meets his extremely rich benefactor by shaking his foot when the guy was doing yoga. Also, according to Helga, he doesn't bite often.
  • Fiction 500: The fact that he was able to build the Ulysses without bankrupting himself would put him well within this range.
  • Honest Corporate Executive: A tremendously successful businessman who is very proud of the fact that he's going to the afterlife with a clear conscience, by thunder! He also has has some minor (yet rightful) doubts towards Rourke as he is last seen crossing his fingers when the Ulysses was submerging, implying that he didn't take full trust for the expedition to be led by Rourke.
  • I Gave My Word: Once made a bet with Thaddeus that if he ever found the Shepherds' Journal that not only would Preston fund the expedition to find the lost city, but that he'll also kiss Thaddeus full on the mouth. Cue to Whitmore showing Milo the photograph of the pair after they had kissed.
    Whitemore: Imagine my embarrassment when he found the darn thing.
  • Lotus Position: While performing some ridiculously flexible yoga exercises. He even shakes Milo's hand with his foot, while inverted on his head.
  • Nice Guy: If every rich and powerful person in the world were like this guy, the world would be a much better place.
  • The Promise: Wishes to fulfill his life-long friend's desire to discover Atlantis posthumously by supporting Thaddeus's grandson in every way he possibly can.
  • Pursuing Parental Perils: Encourages Milo to follow in his guardian's footsteps and discover the unknown.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He completely trusts Milo and the expedition itself.
  • Retired Badass: Implied, as he strikes some Karate kata-looking stretches between doing yoga and dressing up. There are a lot of weapons and a samurai armor in his house after all.
  • Secret Test of Character: When he gives Milo the Shepard's Journal, he's at first very dismissive of the possibility of finding Atlantis and points out how Milo won't get any support. When Milo shows his conviction, Mr. Whitmore smirks and presents the full deal.
  • The Skeptic: Has shades of this, but gives Thaddeus and his grandson in turn every resource required to find the proof they need to uncover Atlantis. By the end, he is thrilled to see that they were right all along.
  • The Team Benefactor: There'd be no expedition without him. The Steampunk tech employed by the team is of his company's creation.
  • Uncle Pennybags: As rich as Scrooge McDuck and definitely not afraid to use his vast wealth for seemingly insane purposes. Having funded more than one trip to recover lost artifacts, including the Shepherd's Journal itself.
  • Wall of Weapons: Of the antique, collector variety.

    Fenton Q. Harcourt 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atlantis_the_lost_empire_harcourt.jpg
"You have a lot of potential, Milo. Don't throw it all away chasing fairy tales."
Voiced by: David Ogden Stiers; Michel Ruhl (European French dub); Arturo Casanova (Latin Spanish dub); Orlando Drummond (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

A board member of the Smithsonian Institution who dismisses Milo's belief in the existence of Atlantis.


  • Agent Scully: Doubts Milo's theories that Atlantis actually exists.
  • Mean Boss: In order to weasel his way out of having to listen to Milo's presentation to request funding for an expedition to find the Shepherd's Journal in Iceland, he and the board reschedule the meeting to a time that had already passed just to have a reason to reject his proposal and start the weekend early.
  • Pet the Dog: He has Milo buried in a lowly boiler caretaker role and is condescending about it, but he does not seem to actually consider him worthless in terms of career, only misguided. While he dismisses Milo's theories regarding Atlantis, he tells Milo begrudgingly that he has potential and encourages him to not let it go to waste researching a city that may or may-not exist.
  • Take a Third Option: Given to his doubt about the existence of Atlantis, Harcourt is given two options by Milo: (1) either he listens and accepts Milo's proposal to fund an expedition, (2) or accept Milo's resignation letter. However, Harcourt instead chews out Milo by pointing out that no one else will take his proposal seriously before driving away in his car, soaking Milo's resignation letter in the process.

From Atlantis: Milo's Return

    Edgar Volgud 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edgarvolgud.png
Do not cross Edgar Volgud, strangers...
Voiced by: Clancy Brown; Gérard Dessalles (European French dub); Miguel Ángel Ghigliazza (Latin Spanish dub); Pietro Mário (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

The first antagonist in the sequel, Edgar Volgud was a man who made a deal with the Kraken to save his village and become immortal, but has since suffered Sanity Slippage.


  • Age Without Youth: According to the villagers' rumors about him. He only looks somewhat decrepit, however, and is never shown to suffer from his great age.
  • Deal with the Devil: Or, in this case, with the Kraken... also known as the "Devil Fish".
  • Decoy Leader: Team Atlantis assumed that Volgud was the one controlling the Kraken to do his bidding though using mind-control powers. It isn't until they go to deal with the Kraken do they realize that Volgud wasn't the one calling the shots.
  • Ironic Name: His name seems a bastardization of the German voll gut ("all a-okay", "entirely good" or "just peachy"). Did we mention he's the Age Without Youth soul-bankrupt antagonist with hardly any redeeming qualities to his name?
  • No Immortal Inertia: Crumbles into a pile of dust after Vinny blows up the Kraken.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Made a deal with the Devil that turned his village into a gloomy Innsmouth-like hellhole, but apparently, he only did so to provide for his village when the inhabitants were starving.

    The Kraken 

A sea monster that plagues the Northern Atlantic waters near Scandinavia.


  • Ambiguous Situation: Just what the Kraken is is left vague. The group initially assumes it to be rogue Atlantean war machine, but it's quickly demonstrated to not be such a thing as it's completely organic. However as it's dissolving away; light blue Tron Lines similar to that of Atlantean constructs are shown forming across its' body as its' dying.
  • Brainwashed: It's apparently able to inflict this on the villagers.
  • The Dog Was the Mastermind: The group initially assumes that Volgud is the one controlling the Kraken, when it's the Kraken who is indicated to actually be calling the shots.
  • Fisher King: Its presence is implied to be what's causing the village to be covered in the oppressive fog.
  • Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action: A deleted scene shows that the child of Ingrid; the kindly if dissonant Innkeeper, is actually the spawn of the Kraken.
  • Kraken and Leviathan: Well obviously. Though rather than just being a giant-squid, it's essentially a giant head with an equally giant mouth and many eyes, with tentacles coming out of it.

    Chakashi 
Voiced by: Floyd Red Crow Westerman

A mysterious man who patrols the American Southwest, and a supporting character in the film's second act.


  • Angel Unaware: Though he appears as an unassuming man, he's actually a wind spirit, who leads the sand coyotes, and protects the lands surrounding the Crystal Guardian cave.
  • Magical Native American: Exaggerated; he's not even human, he's a spirit, and a pretty powerful one that.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: When his powers as a spirit are manifesting, his eyes glow a sinister red, though he's actually not a bad guy.
  • Secret Test of Character: As he's about to deal with the group, Kida insists that because they have their own secret to keep, they can keep his as well. Chakashi, in response, challenges them to prove it, though Milo admits they can't. Fortunately, Chakashi still spares them, noting that if they had shared their secret, it would've just proven he couldn't trust them with his (and at any rate, it's indicated he knew about Atlantis anyway). Audrey even annoyedly lampshades that it was a trick question.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: He's not evil, he just simply seeks to protect the secrets of the Crystal Guardian from those who would wish to exploit and abuse it.

    Erik Hellstrom 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/erik_hellstrom.jpg
My Asgard! My kingdom!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Voiced by: William Morgan Sheppard; Michel Barbey (European French dub); Sebastián Llapur (Latin Spanish dub); Waldy Sant'anna (Brazilian Portuguese dub)

The second antagonist in the sequel, Erik Hellstrom used to be a Citizen Kane-type arrogant businessman, and a friend of Whitmore. He went mad during The Great Depression however, and now believes himself to be Odin. To make matters worse, he's convinced that he needs to bring about Ragnarok, and even worse, a stolen Atlantean spear gives him the power to back this up…


  • A God Am I: Convinced that he is none other than Odin, King of the Norse Gods.
  • Artifact of Power: He is nothing without Gungnir/The Spear, the Atlantean spear that allows him to achieve fantastic feats worthy of Odin, from "merely" making a castle fly to giving life to his idea of the fire god Surtr ex nihilo.
  • Big "NO!": As his mad dream and Napoleon Delusion crumble along with his destroyed flying castle, he lets out an unusually heartbreaking example.
  • Casting Gag: William Morgan Sheppard had previously voiced the real Odin in the Gargoyles episode, Eye of the Storm.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Erik HELLstrom. Switching the letters around a bit, one can also read "Hell-storm" in his name, which… isn't exactly better… and is also quite close to his goal.
  • Napoleon Delusion: Combined with A God Am I in his certainty that he's Odin.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: Not only does he think he's Odin, he thinks it's his divine duty to bring about Ragnarok. And he comes damn close to succeeding, at that!

    Surtr 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atlantis_milos_return_surtr.png

A humongous fire elemental bent on destroying the planet together with the Ice Giant Ymir, Surtr is the terrifyingly powerful creation of Erik Hellstrom, given life and powers using the Spear.



Alternative Title(s): Atlantis Milos Return

Top