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The Main Characters
Donald Duck
Tropes:
See his entry in the Classic Disney Shorts. José Carioca
Tropes:
- Ascended Extra: And how. He was only present for his debut in Saludos Amigos for maybe five minutes tops, but his popularity exploded, giving him a much greater role in this film, to say nothing of being given his own comics series.
- Camp Straight: He flamboyantly gets into his dancing, and he'll even crossdress without a moment's hesitation if the situation calls for it. Then again, he doesn't exactly push away Donald's erroneous kisses on his face.
- Cheated Angle: His beak typically blocks his further eye from view. His hat may or may not help the effect, depending on the shot.
- Cuddle Bug: One thing's for sure, José's a hugger.
- Happy Dance: You can count on him to bust out a samba at a moment's notice, and he also teaches Donald the cha-cha in "Two Happy Amigos".
- Iconic Outfit: He rarely sports anything but his tan jacket and black bowtie. When he does, it doesn't last long.
- Lovable Rogue: José is based upon the malandro, a romanticized ideal of a streetwise rogue or scoundrel who breaks womens' hearts with little regard for the law, a concept very much rooted in Brazilian national identity.
- Motor Mouth: Once he learns who Donald is in Saludos Amigos, he hastily babbles in Portuguese about where he'd like to take him to visit; Donald is left frantically consulting dictionaries trying to keep up. A lesser variant happens in Three Caballeros with his greetings.
- Running Gag: Getting excited upon meeting Donald and rapid-firing sentences in Portuguese, before going "Or, as you Americans say..." and summarizing what he just said in English so Donald can understand. Downplayed, though, as it only happens in Saludos Amigos and Three Caballeros.
- Signature Headgear: His trademark straw hat.
- Smoking Is Cool: Wasn't seen very far from his cigar until he cleaned up his act in more recent years.
Panchito Pistoles
Tropes:
- Alliterative Name: Panchito Pistoles.
- Cocky Rooster: While he's a good friend of Donald, he has a fierce temperament and is a Gun Nut.
- Dynamic Entry: He enters, guns blazing and cheering loudly in the most dynamic fashion possible.
- Gun Nut: He loves shooting around.
- Meaningful Name: His last name, "Pistoles", comes from "pistola", the Spanish word for a handgun, to indicate he's a Gun Nut.
- Sombrero Equals Mexican: Sports a broad sombrero, being a love letter to Mexico.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He's almost always hooting, hollering and shooting off bullets in excitement, but he respectfully doffs his hat and solemnly tells the story of La Posada.
- Reckless Gun Usage: Besides shooting his revolvers all over the place during the iconic "Tres Caballeros" song, he also presses them both against Donald's face during that same song, barrels first.
Other Animated Characters
Pablo the Penguin
Tropes:
- Peculiar Penguin: While the other penguins frolic in the cold, Pablo tries to stay next to his stove Smokey Joe, and most of the segment involves him trying to find ways to leave Antarctica, and eventually arrives at the Galapagos, as pictures in this page's image.note
- Thermal Dissident: While the other penguins frolic in the cold, Pablo tries to stay next to his stove Smokey Joe, and most of the segment involves him trying to find ways to leave Antarctica, and eventually arrives at the Galapagos, as pictures in this page's image.note
The Gauchito
Tropes:
- A Boy and His X: A little gaucho and his extraordinary winged burro.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": He is called solely by his job title and what he does, which is a diminutive version of "gaucho."
- Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: He dreams of winning a thousand pesos in a racing competition so Burrito and he can retire as kings. Of course, Burrito is no ordinary steed. Their clever ploy is inevitably uncovered by the angry crowd they tricked, so little gaucho's dream unravels.
- Pint-Sized Kid: He stands no higher than the adult gauchos crotches when he would realistically stand closer to the average adult human shoulder height.
- True Companions: At first he only cared about money, but ultimately becomes this with Burrito.
- Unreliable Narrator: He can't remember where he found the incredible winged donkey Burrito, while scouting for condors. When recounting how he tamed the wild fun-loving Burrito, he wasn't even sure who was the victor of their struggle.
Burrito
Tropes:
- Big Fun: He's an exceptionally inquisitive creature that loves to play tricks on Gauchito.
- Call of the Wild Blue Yonder: Whereas little Gauchito dreams of riches, Burrito only cares about exploring the world (and eating) with his human friend. When his human's clever ploy is uncovered by the angry crowd they tricked, Burrito happily carries the boy off. Both never to be seen again.
- Cloudcuckoolander: He is unlike any other animal, so is often friendly and fun-loving. Whistling like a bird one moment, the next braying like an ordinary donkey.
- Pegasus: A variety. Burrito is a fabled flying donkey and has no equal on land or air.
- Shoo the Dog: Burrito's a playful critter who knows when he's not welcome as the townsfolk are angry he made a farce of their race, so leaves forever taking Gauchito away with him.
- Super-Speed: No horse or rider, not even all the participants of a race put together, can hold a candle to him.
- True Companions: At first only cared about flying and eating, but ultimately becomes this with Gauchito.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: He's terrified of knives and sharp objects.
- Your Favorite: Burrito loves Gauchito's homemade traditional Mate Tea, often sharing a drink together.
Aracuan Bird
Tropes:
- Cartoon Creature: Doesn't particularly resemble any real species of bird.
