They’re loveable, adorable and sometimes down-right ditzy. They may have walked into our lives and hearts eating out of a giant honey pot or sliding down a colourful rainbow. If you haven’t guessed it yet, they’re the famous fictional bears in our lives! While all teddy bears are special and unique, these bears make up the A-list in the world of Hollywood fictional bears. We can bear-ly contain our excitement to break down our top ten famous fictional bears!
10 awesomely famous fictional bears
1. The loveable bear: Winnie the Pooh
At the very top of our list is none other than, the bear from East Sussex created in the twenties to amuse his son Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh! This October will mark the 93rd birthday of the most famous bear in the world. We can’t wait to wish Winnie the Pooh a happy 93rd birthday with a giant pot of honey but until then let’s recap all the ways we fell in love with him 93 years ago and continue to today. A.A. Milne was the creator of the most famous bear without a brain. In the sixties, Disney took over the licensing of Winnie the Pooh and all his friends from the Hundred Acre Woods. Winnie the Pooh is now a household name across the world and we can’t wait to see what adventures he will take us along on next.
2. The British bear: Paddington
The Paddington Bear could possibly be referred to as the Winnie the Pooh across the pond. A series of fortunate events brought about the creation of Paddington when creator Michael Bond was taking refuge from a storm and saw a bear for sale in the window. The bear was all alone and Bond decided to purchase him for his wife. Along with buying his wife a gift, Bond created a story to go with the bear thus the first Paddington Bear story was born. The rest, as they say, is history. That history includes twenty more books and most recently a major motion picture. No matter if Paddington is travelling from Peru to England or anywhere in between, we’re always going to follow along.
3. The jungle bear: Baloo
A jungle bear, or should we say “bhalu” (the hindi word for bear), takes the number three spot on our most famous fictional bears list. He comes from the Disney animated classic, The Jungle Book. Not only can this bear dance and act but he was the star in the Oscar nominated song, The Bare Necessities. That’s one pretty talented bear!
4. The feelings bear: Care Bears
We may have cheated with number four on the list because it’s not just one bear but ten. It’s a care bear! The care bear teddy bear is a group of fun loving and colourful bears that live in the Kingdom of Caring. Each of the bears displays a human emotion. A few of those happy bears include: Tenderheart Bear, Good Luck Bear, and Cheer Bear. They might represent ten different emotions but we know one emotion that we always feel with these bears and that’s happiness.
5. The stylish bear: Corduroy
The heroic little bear with an affinity for shopping (or should we say exploring) the aisles of a luxury department store falls into the number five position on the famous fictional bears list. Don Freeman was the creator and writer of Corduroy the cuddly bear, who just wanted to find his missing button and a home to call his own. Freeman’s book is still a staple on every child’s bookshelf to this day. The bear was named Corduroy after his son Roy who always wanted to wear corduroy overalls. The cutest story and an even cuter backstory make for a most loveable bear.
6. The activist bear: Smokey Bear
A bear with a powerful message is in the sixth spot for the most famous fictional bears and that is Smokey the Bear. He was once just an orphan escaping a forest fire and now he is the most prominent spokesperson for preventing wildfires. He was named by the fire-fighters who saved him from the roaring fire as he clung to life on a burned tree. Smokey became so popular and received so much fan mail that they had to create his own personal zip code! This tiny bear on a tree will always hold a huge place in our hearts.
7. The crazy bear: Yogi Bear
Number seven on the list of top ten famous fictional bears comes straight out of Yellowstone National Park. Yogi Bear found himself on the Saturday morning TV slot as the breakout star of The Huckleberry Hound Show in the fifties. He was created by Hanna-Barbera and viewers quickly fell in love with his crazy antics. We agree with those viewers!
8. The antagonist bear: Lots-o-Huggin Bear
Lots-O’ Huggin Bear, the villain from Disney’s Toy Story 3, has quickly gained a cult-like following since the movie originally aired in 2010. This strawberry-scented famous fictional bear ruled the Sunnyside Daycare in the film installing fear in the hearts of all the toys but not so much the viewers. Today, you can take home the actual scented bear yourself. He smells just like strawberry. Now that’s a next level teddy bear!
9. The panda bear: Master Po Ping
This bear is unlike any other, he’s a panda bear! Master Po Ping or Po high kicked his way into our hearts in 2008. He started out as a clumsy bear with only a dream to become one of Kung Fu’s best. A bear that never gives up on his dream is a message that everyone can get behind, including us. So you're never too old for one of these bears - perhaps pandas are the ultimate graduation bears.
10. The family bears: The Bernstain Bears
Cartoonist and husband and wife duo, Stanley, Jan, and later their son Mike Bernstain created a family of endearing bears also known as the Bernstain Bears. More than 200 Bernstain Bear books have gone to print topping two-hundred-and fifty million copies worldwide. The bears didn’t limit themselves just to print. They quickly hit the airways on NBC and then Saturday morning cartoons. They can now be bought as just about anything, including toys. Bears: they’re a family affair!
No matter where they fall on our list of top ten famous fictional bears, they each hold a special place in our hearts. The Soft Toy Shop also has a variety of adorable soft plush bears, including giant teddy bears, which make the perfect gift. Proudly 100% Australian owned, we invite you to browse our selection of bears. Just think: one of them might just spark the imagination of its owner to create another famous fictional bear!