Tops

[Malte279]

I've for quite a while considered a story in which Tops has to take care of Littlefoot.
If there was a way to get his grandparents out of the Valley for some time or make it look like they were dying (I cannot possibly let them die for real) there could be a scene in which Littlefoot's grandfather would trust Tops with taking care of Littlefoot.
Now THAT would be an interesting situation. Littlefoot would probably dread his temporary surrogate father just as much as he would dread his surrogate son. Nevertheless I think that Tops (especially if he thinks Littlefoot's grandfather is dying) would try to do his best. Not only does Tops owe Littlefoot's grandfather, but I think he also respects him in some way and perhaps even like him though he would certainly break his horns rather than admitting this. When there are no hard times, when there is no reason for fear I think Tops comes across as more relaxed than in the other cases. He will never abandon his grumpy mask, but at hard he may be better than he would ever let on anyone (including even his daughter).
Do you think that Tops would refuse to take care of Littlefoot if Littlefoot's grandfather asked him to do this while he and his wife are going on a dangerous journey or are supposed to die soon?

[Kor]

He may, or suggest Ducky & Spike's mother take care of Littlefoot instead.  Things for Littlefoot would likely be worst then they were in the early part of the 8th movie between him and Mr. Thicknose.  He would do his best as he saw it, but he and Littlefoot would not agree on anything.  And Cera blindly going along with her father that would make things even worst for Littlefoot.  If his grandparents had gone on a trip he may sneak away one night to go and find them to help them.

[Malte279]

And Cera blindly going along with her father that would make things even worst for Littlefoot.

Same as she did in LBT 2, 3, 6, and 11 you mean?
I think it would be difficult to find a movie where Cera is REALLY following her father blindly and willingly beyond the degree of repeating some of his more stupid remarks.

[kjeldo]

and cera blindly going along with her father

i guess she don't have a choice...

[Cancerian Tiger]

and cera blindly going along with her father

i guess she don't have a choice...

I agree.  She's still young enough to where she still depends on her father for guidance, even though his idea of guidance is not always the best.

[Malte279]

What I actually meant to stress by naming the movies above was that in each and every one of them Cera acts willingly and knowingly against the wishes of her father, far blindly following his commands.
Also these are only the most direct examples where Cera defies direct orders from her father which are either uttered by himself on the screen, or quoted by Cera. Most of the other movies have Cera act against the likely wishes of her father too, but in a less obvious manner as we don't hear him actually give some order but can rest quite assured that he would not approve of Cera's actions.
Even in LBT 3, the movie so often quoted as an example of Cera following her father blindly because of that scene during the Great Valley fire, doesn't show Cera as his "follower". On the contrary, the movie includes some of the most direct quarrels with him.
As for the fire scene herself Cera did not go with her father enthusiastically or convinced that he was right. She was hesitating and questioning his decision. But what could she have done? Should she have waved goodbye to her father and let him go of into the fire? Even if she had tried to do that I doubt it would have been possible. He might have just carried her with him convinced (bare of any reason) that he was doing the best for her.

[Cancerian Tiger]

I know this may sound awfully strange, but recently I have developed a softer spot for Mr. Threehorn.  For as long as I've loved the series, I despised him altogether -_-.  However, my thoughts about him seem to be changing.  It was the latest chapter of LBTFan13's fanfic that gave me a revelation about him :blink:.  While he may come across as gruff and cold, he seems to love his family very much.  Given that Cera is most likely all he has left, aside from Tria and Tricia, I could understand why he is stern with his daughter.  He does not want anything to happen to her and wants her to be safe .  I'm not being delusional here.  I really mean what I'm saying.  This is a big surprise, but I finally have looked beyond his superficial behavior and saw what his true personality is like :^.^:.

[Kor]

I don't like the character and likely never will, though there would be folks like him in the great valley.  It makes more sense having him there instead of having everyone being nice and getting along.  I'm just glad he's not in scenes to much.  I also like how they've been softening him over the years, though he's still very much like he was in the early sequels and likely will never change to a large extent.   I"m mildly annoyed how everyone seems to be calling him Topsy in certain places.  Topsy seems more like a pet name to me then his name.  I'd guess his personal name to be Tops, with threehorn being his title due to his being leader of the threehorn herd in the great valley.

[Noname]

I've always viewed Tops as a somewhat more... accurate character. Although no real Triceratopses could talk, if they could have, the dialogue from the earlier movies would have been most accurate. While we don't know about dinosaur behavior with 100% accuracy, we do know that herding animals behave in certain patterns. If the Triceratopses in the land before time films were cows, Tops would be the biggest bull. This role is reinforced when he takes responsibility for safety in the third movie (and screws up badly), and when he explains that one of the reasons he's marrying (or whatever the equivalent of that is) Tria is that "she needs protection." And in the world of the films and in the real world, this would be the case; now Tops is the Alpha male needed to protect no fewer than three females (first daughter Cera, "wife" Tria, and new hatchling Tricia), and he has certainly proven to be a rather strong dinosaur (he is far stronger than Tria; he was shown as being able to throw a raptor a great distance with his head alone, while Tria could only knock one down for a short time using her entire body... after which she turned and ran.)

[Ptyra]

I can get to know Tops better, but when I was 8 watching the seventh movie, I hated him XD ! Whoo, 8-year-old with a Pterano obsession XDDD! Now I like him somewhat, especally in 12. He fell off the hill !!!

[Lillefot]

To me, Tops is one of the better characters in LBT.
His role is just perfect!
At first, I didn't know what to think about him.
It was first in LBT III when I started to get the first impression of what kind of guy he really is. Kinda got the feeling everytime he appeared: "What is it now that you just HAVE to argue/complain about?"  

Nowdays, I really like Tops. Since LBT 6 and onwards, he has given me alot of laughs! Especially in the later sequels!
Sooo like his panic scream in LBT XI, when the treesweets are gone! /peal of laughter!  

[Kor]

That was a funny scene, and Grandpa Longneck's reaction to it was as funny.  Though Threehorn was mean to Tria later, shouting and telling her off in front of those other adults.

[rosie]

He is too old fashioned and he probably isn't the only character that feels that way.Look at the reaction the flat teeth had for poor chomper. He is only baby. Just because is old fashioned doesn't mean they are bigots or being conservative doesn't mean one is hateful to other who are different.There are many liberals who are hateful.  :mad He probably thinks it is best for Cera to play with her own kind for her own good. Cera must learn to survive and defend herself from sharpteeth. By playing with other threehorns,she might learn those skills as Chomper would if he play fought another t-rex. Haven't any of one seen that the commerical for Jurassic Fight club?

[Kor]

Likely Threehorn feels that way since he was raised that way.  Some areas and folks in lbt are prejudiced and speciest.  Others are not.  When Ducky first meets Littlefoot she doesn't say "ew a longneck" and jump back into the water and swim away, nor does Petrie say "yuk walkers" and try to get away from Littlefoot & Ducky.  So it depends on where they were raised and how they were raised.  Ali was a bit also since she'd not been exposed to any non longnecks, Though it seems that Rhett & Shorty were not speciests, though Littlefoot's mother seemed to be, to an extent at least, and Littlefoot was at the very start, but it went away soon after he met Ducky.  I assume his grandparents likely lost it during their journey to the great valley.  Tria seems to not have any speciesm.  & the way she talks about Threehorn when they were kids, though she may be remembering through rose colored glasses as most folks remember their childhoods, it would seem that the young threehorn did not either, but acquired it from his father as he grew up.

[Noname]

That makes sense... keep in mind that when he was growing up, Tops likely lived in an environment with little food or water, and had to compete with other species for the same...

While his attitude towards other races is not the greatest, he IS someone you would want on your side in a fight, and he is, to his credit, an effective protector of and provider for his wife and daughters...

[Cancerian Tiger]

it would seem that the young threehorn did not either, but acquired it from his father as he grew up.

I recall Tria mentioning in LBT XI that he was never as angry back then as he is currently.  I had always assumed this anger developed after the loss of his first wife and other children, and that he is afraid of losing Cera.  However, if he does not clean up his act now, he may end up losing her anyway... <_<.

[Noname]

I'm sure he won't lose her... very sure... it would be too dangerous for her to split up, especially with a hatching to take care of. The last time she "split" from him, she was nearly attacked and killed by raptors; he had to save her... Let's face it... Tria NEEDS Tops for protection (this is explicitly made clear in the 11th film), she is too weak to keep herself and Tricia safe from predators. There's also no indication that any other male Triceratops would be any different than Tops, personality-wise... but we can assume that Tops is perhaps the strongest Triceratops in the valley since the others follow him as a leader (or at least, him and Littlefoot's grandfather appear to be the leaders whenever there is an issue...)

Besides, Tops IS kind to Tria and more occasions than not; he gets fruit for her in a tv episode, is shown that he is capable of protecting her, and she seems to have had no serious issues with him since the 11th movie incident at night... and that was cleared up easily enough...

[Kor]

She may be thinking that she may be able to change him a bit to be nicer then he usually is.  

As for Threehorn being a co leader, I'd guess part of it is due to his bullying others into following him, except for a few like Littlefoot's grandparents & maybe a few others, and his also being a needed plot device of if the adults are not arguing, but agree on what course of action to do, then the main characters would be doing far less then they do in the movies & tv series.  One of the elements of juvenile fiction, as I've said elsewhere.  

As for needing protection, it is fairly save in the Great Valley, and it is pretty large (in the tv episode the Spooky Nighttime Adventure Mr. Thicknose mentions the dark caves on the hill is about a 2 day walk), so she could leave Threehorn and go to another part of the Great Valley for a few days or longer till the reason for their argument and separation was resolved.   Though they are unlikely to have any story like like this happen.

[Noname]

Well, how many disasters have befallen the valley in the movies... a lot... while the valley is safer than the surrounding area, it is still not 100% safe... if Tria were to go to another part of the valley without Tops, there could still be a danger, and without him to protect her, it could be the last mistake she would make. Keep in mind that the Raptors in the 11th movie made it into the valley and she would have been in trouble without Tops...

[Kor]

Nowhere is totally safe.  Even with Threehorn at her side constantly, some danger could still befall her.