- “"I'm not a beaver, I'm a bea-I mean I'm not a bear, I'm a man.”
- ―Kenai
Kenai is main protagonist of the Brother Bear film series. He was a human who was turned into a bear after unjustly killing a female bear, who he originally blamed for his brother, Sitka's death. Now he journeys to where the light touches the Earth to have his brother turn himself back into a bear while befriending Koda, who, unknown to Kenai, is the son ofthe bear was Koda's mother.
Appearances[]
- Main article: Kenai/Synopsis
Brother Bear[]
Brother Bear 2[]
Personality[]
Being the youngest of three brothers, Kenai was a childish and impulsive hot-head. Unlike his more responsible brothers, Denahi and Sitka, Kenai enjoys goofing around and shirking his work to engage in daring and entertaining activities. One thing that never changes about Kenai is his hot-temper and his overgrown ego, being very easily angered when others tease him for fun, but that doesn’t stop him from doing the same even though his own mockery tends to be much more aggressive and insensitive than those he receives from others, but he did become more gentle after he matured and became more empathetic.
Kenai used to be too single-minded, focusing only on the things he preferred most without considering the other aspects of life. Seeing bravery, strength and determination as the most important virtues, Kenai didn’t pay any mind or give any consideration to morality, kindness or love, thinking that a heart wasn’t as important as real strength. It was for this very reason that Kenai though being a man meant to be a strong person who didn’t waver and faced challenges with bravery. And for the very same reason he expected that these were the values he would follow to become a man himself, and got very disappointed that his totem, which reflected his spirit‘s strength of character, was a symbol by love. He did try to give a new experience a chance to see where it led because of Sitka‘s encouragement even though he was doubtful, but when his anger and frustration consumed him, he easily gave up on that chance without consideration of the consequences. Even though he was not interested in love, his attachment to his family was very strong, which is why he became very vengeful when he lost Sitka and didn’t try to harm Denahi when he was trying to kill him.
Originally, Kenai was very prejudging, seeing all animals as only emotionless and unintelligent creatures, and especially bears as unfeeling and unthinking thieves and monsters, even though he knew almost nothing about them. This reflected on his views, how he only saw bravery and strength as central points of importance, which were mostly displayed by instinct and action, which are the things that average people think that animals are only capable of.
Because he was immature, Kenai was irresponsible and reckless, inconsiderate of a duty entrusted to him and the consequences if he messed up, and overestimating himself and his abilities, jumping carelessly into dangerous situations, such as going after a bear and provoking it, thus risking his life and those of his loved ones.
Kenai used to be very self-absorbed and selfish, lacking empathy of others feelings and troubles, be they children or deceased. Such as willing to kill a bear he blamed for his brother’s death, believing he was enacting justice by doing so, when in truth he was only doing this to ease his own intense rage. Another sign of his selfishness was when he didn’t keep his promise or pay his debt to a child that helped him, only when it suited his own agenda.
After he was transformed into a bear, not only did his physical appearance change, but his own heart and character developed for the better with the help of the small bear cub, Koda, who taught him so much about nature, which opened Kenai’s eyes to the many fascinating facts he never knew about the world of animals. It was thanks to this enlightenment that Kenai expanded his horizons, no longer being so single-minded and losing sight of everything else, understanding the world around him in his new perspective. But still his temper was something that required a lot of patience, but Kenai himself began to understand how much it can hurt the feelings of those who are kind to him, making him regret his actions. But even fun and adventure with a small bear cub and going through the dangers of being hunted down like a bear, still didn’t change Kenai’s belief that bears are killers. Only after the end of his journey with Koda and being shown the compassion of bears, proving that they are kind and gentle animals, Kenai’s prejudice and cruelty towards animals disappeared, realizing the error of his ways, being able to connect his heart to those of others by giving them a chance and understanding how they feel, accepting their feelings and friendship. But as compassion and empathy grows, so did Kenai’s remorse, as he was devastated when he realized the bear he killed was Koda's mother and was further saddened when Koda disowned him upon learning the truth. This great grief he was feeling made Kenai feel like a cruel monster who had made all the people around him suffer because of his own selfish and hateful actions. Even though he understood that he had made so many mistakes that he believed he would never be forgiven for, Kenai’s survival instincts still remained, refusing to die despite his sins. But his selflessness had become far stronger as he endangered himself to save Koda more than once.
The great adventure he went through had completely changed Kenai, finally understanding the values of love and how to earn and show it. Seeing through another’s eyes was the key to make Kenai unlock the gentleness of his soul and for this very reason he was able to understand Koda’s feelings knowing how much he loved him, despite not being able to talk to him after turning into a human, and gave up his life as a human to live with the small bear cub, whom he loved as a little brother. Even though becoming a man in the end wasn’t what he had first expected, he was still proud to become one by becoming a bear, understanding that love really is the most precious gift, being surrounded by so many who loved him.
6 months later, Kenai had become a responsible and caring older brother, no longer being so reckless and hot-headed, and enjoying fun with his family and friends. He had also become much braver and especially when it came to protecting Koda from hunters, even if he was outnumbered. Kenai also became more reasonable and strategic when it came to dealing with enemies, since he thought about waiting for the raccoons to fall an asleep than fight them head on. He’s empathy had also grown when he was determined to get the amulet back without resting for Nita and comforted her when she was scared and felt guilty, but he also became careless with his little brother’s feelings, which nearly tore them apart had he not realized his mistake and embraced him with compassion. Because of his consideration of others feelings, he had it hard to be honest with his loved ones, not wishing to hurt their feelings or put a them in a difficult position, wishing to hold the pain himself, but he wasn’t very good at hiding his feelings, causing those that cared about him to worry nonetheless. Kenai’s attachment and love he has for his loved ones can also be so strong that even if they encourage him to be happy, Kenai’s true happiness is to be with those he loves and to never abandon them no matter, understanding the true meaning of love and sacrifice.
Powers and Abilities[]
As a human, Kenai was a skilled tracker and hunter, managing to find Koda's mother and later kill her in order to avenge his brother. However, as a bear, Kenai is stronger and faster.
Relationships[]
Trivia[]
- You only see him as a human once in the sequel. Kenai is the third Disney protagonist to be an Inuit character, similar to Pocahontas and Kuzco. Kenai telling Rutt and Tuke "I'm not a beaver, I'm a bea-I mean I'm not a bear, I'm a man" is similar to Merlin muttering "I'm no ta boy I'm a squir-I mean I'm not a squirrel I'm a boy.
