Bambi to Finding Nemo — we take a look at Disney’s grim death toll

WITH school half term upon us and lockdown dragging, many parents will be turning to animated movies to keep the kids amused. But beware, the body count can be worse than in adult films.

At least in Bambi there is just one death, heart-wrenching as that is. But elsewhere in the DVD box the toll is far grimmer. Characters are struck by lightning, picked over by vultures, fall off a cliff, die by fire and get blown up. SARAH ARNOLD looks at some kids’ favourites and how many of the cast meet their end . . .

Bambi (1942)

This film, about a baby deer who will one day be Great Prince Of The Forest, has the lowest body count in our gallery of gore.

But when Bambi’s mum is shot, off screen by a hunter, and left in a pool of blood in the snow, it is maybe the saddest Disney death ever.

Bodies: One

Mulan (1998)

As a Chinese woman disguises herself as a man to be a warrior, 30 horsemen, 200 raid victims, 11 nomads, 198 mountain riders and 1,048 soldiers end up no more.

One poor fella is blown to bits when he is blasted skyward by a firework rocket.

Bodies: 1,488

Finding Nemo (2003)

Pixar animation sees a greedy barracuda eat a mum clownfish and all but one of her 400 eggs, Nemo, who survives.

A goldfish is also shaken to death and left floating in a bag and a giant anglefish is devoured by a feisty smaller predator.

Bodies: 402

Watership Down (1978)

To the lyrics “Is it a kind of dream?” from Art Garfunkel’s hit Bright Eyes, 63 rabbits hop off this mortal coil in this film of bunnies who flee their doomed warren.

Despite the U rating, the deaths include being buried alive and caught in snares.  

Bodies: 63

The Animals Of Farthing Wood (1993)

Fourteen frogs, 12 squirrels, six rats, four adult foxes and a cub, a mouse and three baby mice, three newts, three deer, two pheasants, two voles, two hedgehogs and a hare, badger, stag and adder and owl all meet their maker.

Bodies: 58

Frozen (2013)

In this tale of a princess who tries to break an icy spell on her kingdom, her parents drown, plus some 30 other souls on a ship.

Four wolves are slaughtered when they attack Anna. One is killed with a guitar, one kicked to death and two go up in flames.  

Bodies: 36

Alice In Wonderland (1951)

In this movie about a girl in a magic kingdom, a walrus eats a load of baby oysters. He lures them from sea by playing a pipe before gobbling them for dinner.

He hiccups and says: “I enjoyed your company much more than you realised.”  

Bodies: 18