The Gang of Five

The Land Before Time => General Land Before Time => Character Discussion => Topic started by: Malte279 on February 10, 2008, 10:01:39 AM

Title: Tops
Post by: Malte279 on February 10, 2008, 10:01:39 AM
Many of you listed him as a "most hated" character.
With all his mistakes I think that Cera's Dad is a most interesting character to examine. Looking at his attitude (and general threehorn attitude) in the original movie and his behavior in later sequels he may possibly be regarded (funny as it sounds) as a precursor of threehorn / non-threehorn relationships. I know this may sound stupid, but he came across as the worst racist in the original movie and he certainly had not abandoned his attitudes in LBT 2 and 3. There were later racist remarks in LBT 5 and 6 as well. Nevertheless he is learning. In LBT 7 he accepts (though he is very embarrassed by it) the opinion of the other dinosaurs as him being the one to delay everything. In LBT 8 we have him fool around with Littlefoot's grandpa. He won't ever ridden himself of all his prejudices, but he is learning and to some degree improving himself. This is something that cannot be said about many other characters. Most of them either don't change at all or else are so perfect already that there is no need for them to change.
What do we know about Tops' youth? It is very likely that he was raised in a racist manner. For somebody like that it would be extremely difficult to overcome prejudices. What tragedy befell him in the original movie? Where is his wife? Where are his other children? Whose children are Dinah and Dana (who by their looks don't seem to be the same species as Cera)? I think that there is a lot more to Tops than the "tough racist" as which perhaps he wants to be seen.
Title: Tops
Post by: kjeldo on February 10, 2008, 12:52:20 PM
so... you want to know some things about cera's father huh? i can tell you 1 thing, he was as child a heavy racist.
Title: Tops
Post by: Coyote_A on February 10, 2008, 01:25:45 PM
Cera's dad is one of the most bright examples of conservative character. One of the primary ideas of originaly LBT was, that different types of living beings can live together in harmony and friendship. There, Tops really looks like spokesman of old times, opposite to Littlefoot and his mother... Honestly, i never pretend him to be a good character. He looks like a bad person even in his relations with Cera(At least, until part 11, where he meets Tria again), shouting things like: "I'm your father, that means you must do everything my way!"
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on February 10, 2008, 02:32:29 PM
As I recall Littlefoot's mother was more along the lines of Cera's dad, though far nicer about it, agreeing with him about Litttlefoot should not be playing with Cera since threehorns and longnecks do not play together and things have always been that way.  Which I find odd considering her parents, at least I assume Littlefoot's grandparents are her parents, don't seem to have any of that.   I dislike the character and likely always will, though I do see his necessary existence as both a plot element in certain stories and episodes, and some dinosaurs would feel the way he does.    Cera likely gets a lot of her attitudes from him and will likely grow up to be a lot like him.  Though her little sister may be less like him due to other influences at her young age then when Cera was her age.
Title: Tops
Post by: DarkHououmon on February 10, 2008, 02:38:54 PM
Quote from: Coyote_A,Feb 10 2008 on  01:25 PM
He looks like a bad person even in his relations with Cera(At least, until part 11, where he meets Tria again), shouting things like: "I'm your father, that means you must do everything my way!"
I believe he only said that because he cared about Cera. At this time he is an only parent, and Cera is his only family he seems to have left, so it's logical he was just being overprotective.
Title: Tops
Post by: Coyote_A on February 10, 2008, 02:46:00 PM
Quote from: DarkHououmon,Feb 10 2008 on  01:38 PM
I believe he only said that because he cared about Cera.
Well, it's not only important to worry about your child, to be a good parent. With behavior like that he can easily hurt Cera's feelings, that obvious... But not to Tops, i'm afraid.
Title: Tops
Post by: DarkHououmon on February 10, 2008, 03:19:39 PM
Quote from: Coyote_A,Feb 10 2008 on  02:46 PM
Quote from: DarkHououmon,Feb 10 2008 on  01:38 PM
I believe he only said that because he cared about Cera.
Well, it's not only important to worry about your child, to be a good parent. With behavior like that he can easily hurt Cera's feelings, that obvious... But not to Tops, i'm afraid.
Yes I know. But still, Tops does love Cera and only wants her to be safe. If he ends up hurting Cera, it would be unintentional. Topsy is not a heartless character, far as I'm concerned.
Title: Tops
Post by: landbeforetimelover on February 10, 2008, 03:22:53 PM
Mr. Threehorn is a freaking SOB, but he does care and he's not heartless.  He just acts that way to everyone for some unknown reason.
Title: Tops
Post by: Coyote_A on February 10, 2008, 03:27:56 PM
Quote from: DarkHououmon,Feb 10 2008 on  02:19 PM
Yes I know. But still, Tops does love Cera and only wants her to be safe. If he ends up hurting Cera, it would be unintentional. Topsy is not a heartless character, far as I'm concerned.
Well, it's his way to do things. He's been treating Tria same way, when suspect that tinysaures have stolen his present from her.
Title: Tops
Post by: DarkHououmon on February 10, 2008, 03:33:30 PM
I just don't view Tops as a bad person.
Title: Tops
Post by: aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) on February 10, 2008, 04:35:34 PM
I love Topsy as a character. Without him, half the movies wouldn't have the urgency they do. Becasue of his stubbornness, and his hotheadedness, he can serve as a catalyst to get things moving, or the dissenter that grinds everything to a halt (focing the five kids to go out and get things done themselves).
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on February 10, 2008, 08:03:17 PM
That is likely one of his prime, if not THE prime function he has in the movies is plot device.
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on February 25, 2008, 11:28:57 PM
In all honesty, I have mixed feelings about Mr. Threehorn.  One day I see him as a father trying to do his best, the next I wanna kick him into the next galaxy :huh:.  I agree with DH on the fact that Cera was once his only daughter around and he is just protective of her.  However, his attitude towards her is too much for one to take.  He seems to not consider what her feelings are, is overbearing, and is too demanding of her.  It sucks to be a perfectionist, and I believe poor Cera is already headed in that direction :unsure:.  He also sends Cera mixed messages.  In the TV ep "The Great Logrunning Game," he tells an enlightened Cera one minute threehorns can do anything they set their minds to, but then turns around and tells her what her limitations are.  What a jerk :angry:!  I don't understand how Tria can have such feelings for him, but I guess that comes with her loving, compassionate nature.  With a kindhearted mentor like Tria around, along with little Tricia, perhaps there is hope Cera will not be entirely influenced by her father :yes.  As far as the twins are concerned, my theory is that Mr. Threehorn has an older daughter somewhere but she most likely has estranged herself from him.  I think he is so hard as a means to shield his vulnerability, and this could be where Cera picked up on that flaw.  In a nutshell, Mr. Threehorn is, like LBTL mentioned, an SOB.  Cera will end up paying for his shortcomings emotionally and possibly mentally, his marriage to Tria may go to the trenches, and Tricia may inherit her mother's personality and wind up becoming a jerk magnet.  Heaven forbid this ever happens, and Lord help them if it does :cry.
Title: Tops
Post by: F-14 Ace on February 26, 2008, 12:55:29 AM
Quote from: Kor,Feb 10 2008 on  01:32 PM
As I recall Littlefoot's mother was more along the lines of Cera's dad, though far nicer about it, agreeing with him about Litttlefoot should not be playing with Cera since threehorns and longnecks do not play together and things have always been that way.  Which I find odd considering her parents, at least I assume Littlefoot's grandparents are her parents, don't seem to have any of that.   I dislike the character and likely always will, though I do see his necessary existence as both a plot element in certain stories and episodes, and some dinosaurs would feel the way he does.    Cera likely gets a lot of her attitudes from him and will likely grow up to be a lot like him.  Though her little sister may be less like him due to other influences at her young age then when Cera was her age.
I'm guessing the reason Littlefoot's grandparents aren't racist is because on the way to the valley, they overcame it the same as Littlefoot did by working together with other species.
Title: Tops
Post by: Malte279 on February 26, 2008, 06:15:24 AM
I agree with this estimation of you F-14. I think that, with all the suffering it caused, the big earthquake in the first movie also is in part responsible for the uniting of the different kinds. According to LBT 7 the older dinosaurs did migrate to the Great Valley together, same as Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike did (something that was not suggested in the original movie). If they decided to stick together in spite of their earlier racism, the earthquake is likely to be the reason. Herds and families had been torn apart and in such a hostile country it may have been saver to wander in such large groups as to scare away sharpteeth from attacking them (on the other hand it remains a mystery how they found enough food to sustain such a large herd).
As for the racism of Littlefoot's mother, there is one important difference between her racism and that of Tops. While she accepts the racism because "it has always been that way" (so just like Ali she probably never knew anyone but other longnecks), Tops seems to adhere to that racism for conviction of the own superiority. He is less ready to learn than Littlefoot's grandparents are (and than his mother would have probably been).
When Littlefoot asks his mother for the reasons why the different kinds should stay apart from each other she evades the question she puts him of with the prospects of many longnecks to play with in the Great Valley.
If Cera had asked her Dad the same question she would have most likely been given a lecture about how much better threehorns are than any other kind.

As for Tops as a father he seems to be very much overstrained with the task. We know nothing about Cera's mother, but it is possible, even likely, that Cera's bringing up would have been very different if she had been around too. I am not suggesting that her mother would have been less racist than Tops, but I suppose there wouldn't have been so many scenes in which Tops was just perfectly helpless about what was the right thing to do.
We don't know about the past of Tops and Tria (they apparently had been very close friends before Tops met Cera's Mum) but maybe her kind and compassionate nature was one important point in her becoming the mate of Tops. Some people really fall in love with others as they feel they can help them. Maybe Tria felt a great appeal in the idea of helping to "heal" the torn up family of Tops.
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on March 03, 2008, 09:48:06 PM
I agree with Malte's statement on a possible reason why Tria would end up in the Threehorn family :yes.  However, I can't agree on Mr. Threehorn only being an SOB just because he's "overstrained."  Any parent who is selfless and has half a heart would raise their child in a safe, warm and loving environment, not an overcritical and perfectionistic one :angry:.  Especially when he took her into the wildfire for the sake of HIS pride.  That's inexcusable -_-.  One can certainly hope Cera grows to be the same as she is now.  I for one could not imagine her becoming insecure, passive or even a "people-pleaser."  I find Mr. Threehorn's attitude toward Cera inexcusable.  There's no justifying why he has to be such a *censored* to his own daughter, who like every little girl idolizes her father.
Title: Tops
Post by: Malte279 on March 31, 2008, 06:32:27 PM
Quote
Any parent who is selfless and has half a heart would raise their child in a safe, warm and loving environment, not an overcritical and perfectionistic one angry.gif. Especially when he took her into the wildfire for the sake of HIS pride. That's inexcusable sleep.gif
As for the safety, I think this is exactly what Mr. Threehorn is trying to do and this often leads to actions which we are criticizing as they seem to be unreasonable to us. As for warm and loving I think it would be nothing short of unfair to claim that he doesn't show any warmth and love to Cera. He is nothing like some of the reserved, cold hearted father figures of other stories. Mr. Threehorn shows his affection for Cera quite frequently. The two often nudge and if there are any doubts about Mr. Threehorn's love for his daughter there are a couple of scenes that could be named in which he is not shy to show that love even in front of other dinosaurs. Is he overcritical and perfectionist? To some degree he may be.
An example is his reaction to the children shaking leave from the trees in LBT 6. But he gave the reason for his criticism right away and he was not exactly shouting either. We never like him saying such things or being the mean strict guy when it comes to guarding the water etc. But aren't his actions often the result of his attempts to provide the safety we want him to provide for his daughter? Just today I watched the TV episode "Forbidden Friendship" and once again it was the story of a herd coming to the Great Valley in a time of sparse food. Littlefoot's grandpa was (of course) all in favor of sharing the food while Cera's dad (that "SOB" as you termed him) was not so ready to do that. But honestly, if it wasn't for the kids always finding the secret food supply when food is running out, wouldn't there be at least some point in the stand of Cera's father? Maybe he is just more of a supporter of "realpolitik" while Littlefoot's grandparents are more idealistic and always proven right by miraculous discoveries of food just in the nick of time. If it wasn't for the kids finding that food whenever it is needed, we might understand Tops' stand better. Wouldn't in the worst case scenario the Great Valley dinosaurs end up with a bunch of friends but starved to death if they were always ready to share when there is little left for them anyway? Egoistic as this point of view is, it is not bare of any rationality either.
As for the fire in LBT 3, I suppose we can be quite certain that he did not mean to go into the fire on purpose. He was no longer able to listen to any sensible arguments (this I think was his inexcusable mistake), but I don't think it was pride only. If he had been fully aware that his action meant risking the life of his daughter (and his own) he would have probably taken a different way, but I don't think he was listening any more at all. This was foolish, dangerous, unsensible, and over-selfconfident. But I would stop short at saying that it was a deliberate risking of his and his daughter's life committed in full awareness of what he was doing.
Most of the "nasty" traits of Tops turn up in times of danger. In times when he feels that he needs to do something to ensure the safety of his daughter and others. Perhaps Littlefoot's grandpa put it best in LBT 3:
"Oh, he is just confused Littlefoot. Sometimes fear makes grownups do strange things."
Title: Tops
Post by: DarkHououmon on March 31, 2008, 07:44:20 PM
I agree with Malte. He's not exactly my favorite character, and he has done things I get upset about. But when I look at things from a broader perspective (if that makes any sense) Topsy's actions usually seem reasonable. I've personally never seen Topsy do anything to deliberately bring harm to his own daughter or others. Have any of you? The only time I can see where it seemed to be the case is LBT 3 when he went the other way despite Grandpa Longneck's advise. But he didn't do this to deliberatley hurt himself or his daughter. He was only doing it to protect her. I have never seen Topsy mistreat his daughter in anyway. I've seen him be overprotective of her, and make irrational decisions, but he only does this because he cares about her. And if Topsy did mistreat Cera, then why does Cera still love him?
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on March 31, 2008, 09:17:19 PM
Malte, this is another example of how ya point out things that others don't notice.  Perhaps there are more positive traits to Mr. Threehorn than I can think of.  However, we all come from different walks of life, and I have my reasons for disliking him.  I never got along with my father, and I could be here all night explaining why, but that's not the issue here.  I let my personal feelings get in the way of my judgement toward Mr. Threehorn :slap  :bang.  I have noticed since becoming reunited with Tria and the arrival of Tricia, Mr. Threehorn has softened up a bit.  There's a start, and I hope I'll learn to like him more.
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on April 01, 2008, 04:00:28 PM
I could write a long post about Threehorn, but I'll refrain.  I dislike the character for the most part, but I have noticed, as likely many have, that he's been getting a bit less like he was in the first movie over the many sequels and tv series.  Though he'll never get to being a nice character.  

Part of it may be the change in writers, maybe some of them got to dislike writing Threehorn like he originally was so decided to soften him up a bit and make him less like he was.  Though if I had to pick between hanging out with him or Archie Bunker, I'd likely have to pick Archie Bunker (though likely no one's old enough to know who he is) he seems slightly nicer then Threehorn is, and I doubt Archie would punch you for not agreeing with him or just because,  I would not doubt Threehorn would do the equivalent just because.

Cera will be similar to him when he is an adult due to his heavy influence on her in the time before she traveled with Littlefoot, but I do wonder how Tricia will be since his influence is heavily diluted by her mother, and the others of the Great Valley.
Title: Tops
Post by: Malte279 on April 01, 2008, 06:44:03 PM
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?
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on April 01, 2008, 08:06:29 PM
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.
Title: Tops
Post by: Malte279 on April 01, 2008, 08:21:29 PM
Quote
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.
Title: Tops
Post by: kjeldo on April 05, 2008, 07:19:21 AM
Quote
and cera blindly going along with her father

i guess she don't have a choice...
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on April 05, 2008, 09:31:04 PM
Quote from: kjeldo,Apr 5 2008 on  06:19 AM
Quote
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.
Title: Tops
Post by: Malte279 on April 06, 2008, 11:15:37 AM
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.
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on July 14, 2008, 01:44:26 AM
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 :yes.  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 :^.^:.
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on July 14, 2008, 10:02:32 AM
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.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on July 14, 2008, 01:44:38 PM
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.)
Title: Tops
Post by: Ptyra on July 22, 2008, 02:44:45 PM
 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 :lol: !!!
Title: Tops
Post by: Lillefot on July 22, 2008, 05:25:33 PM
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?"  :lol:

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!  :lol
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on July 22, 2008, 07:56:44 PM
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.
Title: Tops
Post by: rosie on August 04, 2008, 11:28:09 PM
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?
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on August 04, 2008, 11:47:52 PM
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.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 05, 2008, 07:52:39 PM
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...
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on August 05, 2008, 11:41:46 PM
Quote from: Kor,Aug 4 2008 on  10:47 PM
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... <_<.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 06, 2008, 12:23:39 AM
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...
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on August 06, 2008, 04:35:52 AM
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.

Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 06, 2008, 01:49:06 PM
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...
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on August 06, 2008, 04:00:54 PM
Nowhere is totally safe.  Even with Threehorn at her side constantly, some danger could still befall her.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 06, 2008, 07:35:08 PM
True... but he IS capable of defending her from any predators... yes, if a meteor falls on them, they're both dead.
Title: Tops
Post by: Serris on August 08, 2008, 10:04:56 AM
He does care for Cera but he is rude to almost everyone else in the valley.

I have NO idea why he's like this. I don't know if it was the way he was brought up or something.

I do have to admit, his speciesist tendencies do decrease in the sequels, but they still crop up.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 08, 2008, 10:41:21 AM
Well, Tops does care for Cera, Tria, and Tricia... but that IS just about it... you're right...
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on August 08, 2008, 02:13:28 PM
I guess most of the way he acts is the way he was raised.  His parents likely raised him to think that threehorns are the best at everything and other dinos are dumb and not very good at what they do.  & also taught him to be tough & never back down.  Thinking about another person's idea and admitting you may be wrong may have been taught is showing weakness.    

Just a few ideas I have on it.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 08, 2008, 02:16:32 PM
Yes, that makes sense. Tops said in the third movie (in the song "staying tough"), that his father "made him what he was today."

EDIT: In a sense, Tops is the most important character in his family; while he doesn't put food on the table in a world where the leaf-eating dinosaurs can eat plants freely, he prevents them from BEING food on the predator's "table." After all, his defense of the valley from predators is far more valuable to the survival of everyone else than Tria's relaxing in warm mud... I can see a comparison of the two characters now in a conversation...

Tria: How was your day, dear?

Tops: Exciting.

Tria: Exciting?

Tops: Old man longneck and I went to seal a breach in the wall, when a bunch of fast-biters came out of nowhere! They were tough; I knocked down one, and two more came up to me! Old man longneck knocked a couple down, but then a whole bunch more came up from behind us! It looked bad, until I took a chance and charged the leader with everything I had! Once he was down, the rest fled back to the mysterious beyond. It then took Longneck and I several hours to find and push a boulder large enough to seal the hole in the wall, and then some more time to return.
How was your day?

Tria: I ate, went to the mudpool for a few hours, ate some more, picked up Tricia from her "hatchling-sitter", ate some more, rested, and then went out to meet you.

Tops: (mumbling) And she says we contribute equally to the valley...

Tria: What? I can't hear you?

Tops: Oh, uh, nothing dear...

Tria: Alright... Now, remember when we talked about giving Tricia another full sibling? Well, I know a good place to...

Tops:  :blink:  

Basically, outside of making new Triceratopses, Tria doesn't contribute much...
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on August 09, 2008, 12:22:08 PM
Not that we see.  She may be visiting other dinos, especially other females with offspring as well.  This may help to reinforce the working and living together thing as well if someone is having a problem helping them with the problem or knowing someone who is capable of helping with the problem.    Which is helping, but in a different way.   As well as teaching Tricia and perhaps Cera (when she isn't off with her friends).
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 09, 2008, 10:43:02 PM
Right, but until we see those things (or hear of them), we can't be sure of them. I'm only going with what we've seen and heard.
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on August 09, 2008, 11:15:04 PM
Keep in mind that someone has to watch over the baby while the other one is out taking care of business.  If Tria were to partake in the same duties as Mr. Threehorn, who would watch over Tricia and even be there for Cera when she needs advice?  Tria, from what my impression is of her, is a great female figure for Cera to be mentored by.  She does serve purposes other than reproduction, such as the ones Kor has pointed out.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 09, 2008, 11:48:50 PM
Once again, we don't know. Yes, Tria seems to spend time in the mud pools and collecting shiny stones... and eating... besides those things, I guess all she would have to do is to watch Tricia... I suppose it isn't a bad life for a female Triceratops... she gets to live in a green valley, be protected by her husband, get to raise a daughter, relax in the mud pools without fear of attack (mostly), and NOT have to defend the valley against threats... as long as the mountain wall has no openings and as long as Tops is around to protect her (and Cera and Tricia), things would look good for her...
Title: Tops
Post by: Malte279 on August 14, 2008, 06:42:41 PM
Quote
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.
I see where you are coming from and I do agree that the movie does depict her as weaker than Tops. I would not rate her dependency on protection too high, whatever else Tops may claim (he was the one who made it explicitly clear that Tria "needed protection", wasn't he?). She seems to have survived by herself (probably with a herd but not with an assigned "protector" for quite a while in places more dangerous than the Great Valley). Males and Females of much less defensible species than threehorns (e.g. Ducky's mother) seem to make do quite well without a stronger protector in the Great Valley. The place itself provides a lot of protection. Looking at the many "singles" in LBT I don't really see it as strongly advocating the conservative image of "each female needs a male protector". I realize that there are scenes which might support such a view (e.g. LBT 4), but I don't see it as a general attitude of the movies and don't really believe in Tria as being utterly dependent on Tops.
Title: Tops
Post by: DarkHououmon on August 14, 2008, 07:39:22 PM
Personally, I don't think Tria needs Topsy for protection. Just because she's female does not mean that she needs a male protector. There's nothing in the 11th movie, from what I recall, that suggests that she needed protection. Topsy chose to jump in protect her. She didn't call for his help.

Tria might have spent some time alone in the Mysterious Beyond before she ended up in the Great Valley. I highly doubt that she spent all that time without encountering sharpteeth and she seemed to manage on her own. Her being a female does not make her defenseless against a sharptooth attack. While having a stronger individual around would help, I do not think Tria requires Topsy for protection.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 14, 2008, 07:51:40 PM
Well, I never said she was so helpless that she would be unable to do anything without Tops, but she does need his help against those raptors... and in nature, female herd animals are decidedly weaker than the males; the rams HAVE to protect the ewes, just as bulls must protect the cows... this isn't conservatism, it is fact. In a modern society with laws, police, a military, and the fact that humans aren't easily preyed upon in most countries by wild animals, the weaker members of society can be expected to live better on their own... but that isn't The Land Before Time, is it? Basic assurances of security do not exist in nature...

And it is possible that the reason WHY Tops says that Tria needs protection is that either he observed that she did or she told him so. It could have been that Tria was living a dangerous life alone and needed a male to protect her and that she was simply lucky to have lived as long as she did...

And as for examples of other females who live in the valley without a male present... we only see two of them. Ducky's mother can simply run away to the water and swim (where many predators cannot follow) and Petrie's mother can simply fly away. In either case, they are probably too weak to fight, so they have to flee where predators cannot follow. Tria doesn't have that option. Being a land-based herd animal, she cannot fly or swim away, and the animals who would prey on her are also land-based.

Yes, there is a way to read too much into Tria needing protection; I'm sure that she is able to handle small predators or else chase them away, but a significant threat will see her dead, whereas it would not be such a mortal threat to Tops. A good example of this is to ask a shepherd how long a flock of sheep would live for if the rams were all killed; the wolves would be able to prey on the lambs and ewes with impunity... you see where I am going with this...
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on August 23, 2008, 12:50:44 PM
I watched "The Amazing Threehorn Girl" on Youtube the other night, and wow!  I never did realize how good of a fighter Mr. Threehorn really is :o.  Dang, he can kick some serious dino butt!  No wonder the sharpteeth don't come near the valley.  Maybe it's the stories of him that scare them away :p.  In the sharpteeth minds, instead of Chuck Norris giving Freddy Kruger nightmares, it would be Mr. Threehorn giving them nightmares :lol.  Sorry, just being my random self once again :p.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on August 24, 2008, 11:54:11 AM
Quote from: Cancerian Tiger,Aug 23 2008 on  11:50 AM
I watched "The Amazing Threehorn Girl" on Youtube the other night, and wow!  I never did realize how good of a fighter Mr. Threehorn really is :o.  Dang, he can kick some serious dino butt!  No wonder the sharpteeth don't come near the valley.  Maybe it's the stories of him that scare them away :p.  In the sharpteeth minds, instead of Chuck Norris giving Freddy Kruger nightmares, it would be Mr. Threehorn giving them nightmares :lol.  Sorry, just being my random self once again :p.
See what I mean... do you think Tria can defend herself like that? No, if those crocodiles attacked her, she would really not complain about needing Tops to protect her...
Title: Tops
Post by: NeoGenesis005 on March 13, 2009, 09:26:47 PM
Yeah...A real "Sharpteeth Slayer"... <_< But a Real Jerk if you ask me.
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on March 13, 2009, 09:39:58 PM
He is that, but he does get sorta kinda less of a big jerk, at least a little in my opinion, in the tv series, though he still has a lot of that.

Though everyone will disagree, I think he got off easy at the end of the 11th movie.  If I was Tria, considering how he treated me in front of those other dinos in public (attempting to not put out any spoilers) I'd have made him apologize in front of the dino group.
Title: Tops
Post by: action9000 on March 14, 2009, 01:22:03 AM
Quote
Though everyone will disagree, I think he got off easy at the end of the 11th movie.
I actually totally agree.  They could have taken some direction with that and have it affect their relationship, how Tria saw him, etc. but instead this event of Tops putting her down was completely ignored by the rest of the movie!  Bad writing in my personal opinion.
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on March 14, 2009, 01:29:28 AM
very bad writing, though its happened before in LBT so I wasn't surprised.  Though I was disappointed.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on March 14, 2009, 12:25:11 PM
Well, considering that Tops saved Tria's LIFE, I would imagine that she would be willing to get over that little incident...
Title: Tops
Post by: action9000 on March 14, 2009, 12:54:58 PM
I dunno, if some girl saved my life who I had completely different values from, I still wouldn't marry her. :p
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on March 14, 2009, 01:57:33 PM
I still will stick with my opinion, even though everyone else disagrees and I knew folks would.  

I do find him an annoying character but he's not in LBT to much.  I've quit shows I've enjoyed because to me they've had the 1 annoying character in to much for me, but I do like the fact that Threehorn is not in the lbt movies or episodes to much.   & Cera's not to annoying either, and they've added some extra dimensions to her character instead of leaving her as a 1 dimensional annoying character that some other animated or live action series would do.
Title: Tops
Post by: Littlefoot3897 on March 14, 2009, 11:33:41 PM
I haven't seen the 11th film yet so I don't know how Topsy is like there. But in he is sorta mean in a lot of movies.
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on March 15, 2009, 12:06:29 AM
He sure has been in the movies I've seen.
Title: Tops
Post by: NeoGenesis005 on April 01, 2009, 11:43:25 PM
I'm surprised that Cera still as his Back.  Only because topsey being the father that is bound to happen.  But after several incidents with Cera and her Father I'm amazed she didn't do nothing fatal.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on April 04, 2009, 01:35:53 PM
Fatal? You mean, you are amazed that Cera isn't dead?
Title: Tops
Post by: NeoGenesis005 on April 04, 2009, 04:15:51 PM
Quote from: Noname,Apr 4 2009 on  12:35 PM
Fatal? You mean, you are amazed that Cera isn't dead?
Fatal was the only word that was going through my head.  But here's an example of what I meant:  

Running away without returning
or
Wishing that Tops wasn't her father.
Title: Tops
Post by: Cancerian Tiger on April 05, 2009, 12:48:40 AM
Oh, my!  I thought maybe it was implied that Cera's not suicidal by now.  I'm glad ya cleared that up.  I think that she is too strong in spirit to do such a thing, and that her support system (the others) help her out a great deal.
Title: Tops
Post by: NeoGenesis005 on April 05, 2009, 01:28:55 AM
Quote from: Cancerian Tiger,Apr 4 2009 on  11:48 PM
Oh, my!  I thought maybe it was implied that Cera's not suicidal by now.  I'm glad ya cleared that up.  I think that she is too strong in spirit to do such a thing, and that her support system (the others) help her out a great deal.
Come Now...Thats my Girl.  Her Will is Thick as Steal.  No way she'll do something like that.
Title: Tops
Post by: Noname on April 05, 2009, 03:18:44 AM
Heh. Cera acts like her father, but whenever there is danger, she still screams and runs...
Title: Tops
Post by: NeoGenesis005 on April 14, 2009, 10:43:27 PM
Quote from: Noname,Apr 5 2009 on  02:18 AM
Heh. Cera acts like her father, but whenever there is danger, she still screams and runs...
thats why its such a bad Idea to boast about yourself when your the opposite of what you say.
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on April 15, 2009, 05:06:21 AM
Very true.  Maybe she'll learn someday. But with her dad I doubt it.
Title: Tops
Post by: Bruton the Iguanodon on November 20, 2011, 04:01:53 AM
Call me cruel, but I miss the old Topps of movies 2-4 (no, he wasn't in the cut of 4 we know, but I refuse to accept that a scene with him wasn't filmed that will someday make the shelves.) Not that I liked the racist Topps, I just miss him---he reminds me of a time when the movies were actually good. I'd even be happy with the pre-Tria/Tricia Topps of 5-9. But alas, they had to "soften" the character, which is a good thing but at the same time, I'm like Cera, and I hate it when things change (pun intended!) :)
Title: Tops
Post by: Sleeping-force's-inside on July 10, 2013, 11:33:26 AM
I had this revelation today in the train home from the Hospital (no, I am not hurt or the like, I just needed to be there today, in case you are wondering).

Threehorn is a racist to a certain extend, no argument about that. But that is only a piece of his problem with the other grown-ups. The MAIN part of said problem that causes the constant trouble is that he has trouble adjusting to no longer being in charge!!!
I always assumed that he had been the Leader of the Threehorn-herd, what with how he acted, but only today I realized what that meant: for almost his entire adulthood HE was the one that told them where to go, HE was the one that looked for new food, HE was the leader/protector/what-have-you.
Now, in the Great Valley, he is suddenly thrust in a position where he has to not only continuusly share that control over his herdmembers (indeed, there is no true Leadership-position anymore at all), but the main sort-of-Leadership-position has gone to someone else (Littlefoot's grandfather) to booth, who is not even a Threehorn.  (<= racism hello :p )
And so not only does he suddenly have to discuss everything with other dinosaurs he never really liked because of their species, but he also needs to get them to his side to get things done his way. And he sucks at that: what logically follows are arguments that go nowhere because he is unable to accept compromise. But another major problem is that he has to accept someone else telling him what to do at times.

His changes over the series are not so much him becoming nicer, but more him finally accepting that he is no longer the main-leader for those around him and learning to live with that.
Title: Tops
Post by: Dosu2Dinner on July 10, 2013, 02:17:04 PM
Sorry if I dropped into this a little late...

I personally find Topps misunderstood. What's good about him is that he shows that the world of LBT isn't black and white, as mentioned in LBT 7...one thing that I saw was brought up is him as a child. Well, in the third film he mentioned his father being very much like him - tough-talking and most likely proud and slightly racist. That's probably where he got it from, and unlike Cera, he didn't have the privilege of making friends of other species as a child.
Title: Tops
Post by: Petrie85 on July 10, 2013, 02:23:49 PM
I love Tops attitude a lot in this movie. He doesn't sugar coat things like the other adults do. He tells it how it is and when. I love characters that are like that. That is why I liked his character a lot. He didn't take no Bull from anyone. He was cut throat and that is what I liked about his personality. I'm like that and don't care if I am. And I also don't carer if people get offended if I tell people how it is. That is why I looked up to Cera's dad a lot in the movie series.
Title: Tops
Post by: Ducky123 on July 10, 2013, 02:38:33 PM
To any who hate Topsy: Think of LBT w/o him... You'll admit it'd be boring. Every movie/franchise/whatever needs a character like Tops/Topsy/Mr. Threehorn.
I don't really like him to be honest mainly due to his racism and him being mean to almost everyone but I'm far from disliking or even hating this character. He had some pretty funny scenes (I just say LBT 12 at night :lol) and I like his mate Tria (I used to dislike her in my childhood though) and his daughter Tricia (same) who'll make it into my Top 10 list, perhabs.
I must admit I like his softened version slightly more...
Title: Tops
Post by: StrutEggStealer on September 03, 2013, 11:40:09 AM
I love this character! Topps is definitely in my top ten (and if hes's not listed there for some reason, then shame on me!!) favorites list.
I admit, he's rough around the edges and he can be quite violent and too narrow minded at times, I really admire him - for all his bad qualities, he is a really brave and loyal guy. He'll stand up to anything to protect his family, which shows his heart's in the right place. He seems very decisive, too, as well as systematic. I agree with what most members say about his not being in charge as that would certainly be enough to frustrate a character (remember Pterano? O_o) and make them act out.
But I don't think I will ever dislike Mr. Threehorn, especially now that Tria's shown up and encouraged him to come out more. (Plus they make a super great couple!!)
Title: Tops
Post by: Kor on September 03, 2013, 04:58:57 PM
I do find him annoying often, but I do like how over the course of the movies he does change a bit instead of being always the same all the time.
Title: Tops
Post by: Daddytops2009 on September 05, 2013, 03:41:23 AM
I love this character too.
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Cloud5001 on September 17, 2019, 05:36:10 PM
Many of you listed him as a "most hated" character.
With all his mistakes I think that Cera's Dad is a most interesting character to examine. Looking at his attitude (and general threehorn attitude) in the original movie and his behavior in later sequels he may possibly be regarded (funny as it sounds) as a precursor of threehorn / non-threehorn relationships. I know this may sound stupid, but he came across as the worst racist in the original movie and he certainly had not abandoned his attitudes in LBT 2 and 3. There were later racist remarks in LBT 5 and 6 as well. Nevertheless he is learning. In LBT 7 he accepts (though he is very embarrassed by it) the opinion of the other dinosaurs as him being the one to delay everything. In LBT 8 we have him fool around with Littlefoot's grandpa. He won't ever ridden himself of all his prejudices, but he is learning and to some degree improving himself. This is something that cannot be said about many other characters. Most of them either don't change at all or else are so perfect already that there is no need for them to change.
What do we know about Tops' youth? It is very likely that he was raised in a racist manner. For somebody like that it would be extremely difficult to overcome prejudices. What tragedy befell him in the original movie? Where is his wife? Where are his other children? Whose children are Dinah and Dana (who by their looks don't seem to be the same species as Cera)? I think that there is a lot more to Tops than the "tough racist" as which perhaps he wants to be seen.

For myself Cera's Dad is just very hard to like, he frequently makes really bad decisions that end in either getting him or others killed. He blames Littlefoot for the kids always going off on their own, ignoring the outside circumstances that force them too,  3 of which are the direct result of his own stubbornness, and he's never properly called out for any of this. He does get more likeable once Tria comes around and he does soften up, but man is he far from my favorite charachter
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: StardustSoldier on September 18, 2019, 04:29:34 AM
Many of you listed him as a "most hated" character.
With all his mistakes I think that Cera's Dad is a most interesting character to examine. Looking at his attitude (and general threehorn attitude) in the original movie and his behavior in later sequels he may possibly be regarded (funny as it sounds) as a precursor of threehorn / non-threehorn relationships. I know this may sound stupid, but he came across as the worst racist in the original movie and he certainly had not abandoned his attitudes in LBT 2 and 3. There were later racist remarks in LBT 5 and 6 as well. Nevertheless he is learning. In LBT 7 he accepts (though he is very embarrassed by it) the opinion of the other dinosaurs as him being the one to delay everything. In LBT 8 we have him fool around with Littlefoot's grandpa. He won't ever ridden himself of all his prejudices, but he is learning and to some degree improving himself. This is something that cannot be said about many other characters. Most of them either don't change at all or else are so perfect already that there is no need for them to change.
What do we know about Tops' youth? It is very likely that he was raised in a racist manner. For somebody like that it would be extremely difficult to overcome prejudices. What tragedy befell him in the original movie? Where is his wife? Where are his other children? Whose children are Dinah and Dana (who by their looks don't seem to be the same species as Cera)? I think that there is a lot more to Tops than the "tough racist" as which perhaps he wants to be seen.

For myself Cera's Dad is just very hard to like, he frequently makes really bad decisions that end in either getting him or others killed. He blames Littlefoot for the kids always going off on their own, ignoring the outside circumstances that force them too,  3 of which are the direct result of his own stubbornness, and he's never properly called out for any of this. He does get more likeable once Tria comes around and he does soften up, but man is he far from my favorite charachter

I kinda agree with both of these viewpoints to an extent. I can acknowledge that Topsy is one of the more nuanced characters when you look at how he develops over the course of the films. However, I'm largely with Cloud here in that he's just difficult to like. A bit ironic considering that Cera is one of my favourite characters while Topsy is one of my least, but there you have it.

His first major scene in the series ("Come, Cera! Threehorns never play with longnecks!") doesn't paint him in a very flattering light, but it's a necessary moment in establishing how the dinosaur species are segmented and prejudiced against each other. Likewise, I enjoyed his character development in the third film when he comes to realize what a lousy father he's been and how much of a jerk he is in general.

But then, over the next several films, and he largely remains a racist jerkhead. Which is realistic in the sense that most people who are mean and/or prejudiced probably wouldn't outgrow those traits quickly, especially if they've been that way all their lives up to that point. All the same, it made Topsy hard to warm up to. I do appreciate some of his more subtle moments where you see that he's not so bad deep down, but even despite that, he seems a bit too much of the "stereotypical grumpy dinosaur" at times.
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Sneak on September 18, 2019, 09:17:33 AM
uh oh...
Please, don't make daddy Topps angry, somebody, rename thread name?  :sducky
Title: Re: Topsy
Post by: ImpracticalDino on September 18, 2019, 08:32:12 PM
Quote
Also, welcome to the forum, @Cloud5001!

I would make an official welcome thread for him, yep yep yep! :duckyhappy
I’ll wait a few days to see if he makes one for himself, however before doing so.


uh oh...
Please, don't make daddy Topps angry, somebody, rename thread name?  :sducky

Okay, the title of the thread will be renamed “Topsy” then. Is that fine with Mr. Threehorn?

Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Sneak on September 19, 2019, 03:54:06 AM
Oh, whoever rename it, would not be seen again. Cera will make sure... D:
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: StardustSoldier on September 20, 2019, 04:25:09 PM
If Cera or Topsy has a problem with the thread getting renamed, they can take it up with the mods. :P
Title: Re: Topsy
Post by: Cloud5001 on September 22, 2019, 04:50:55 PM
Quote
Also, welcome to the forum, @Cloud5001!

I would make an official welcome thread for him, yep yep yep! :duckyhappy
I’ll wait a few days to see if he makes one for himself, however before doing so.


uh oh...
Please, don't make daddy Topps angry, somebody, rename thread name?  :sducky

Okay, the title of the thread will be renamed “Topsy” then. Is that fine with Mr. Threehorn?

Hehe well thanks for the welcome you guys, and I appreciate you using the catchphrase of my favorite character to do it. As for Threehorn as I said he's a lot more likeable once Tria and Tricia come along, but even then he can have his jerk moments. At least two times he makes Chomper feel bad, and both times this almost ends up getting Chomper killed because Threehorn just has to troll him.
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Gentle Sharptooth on March 24, 2020, 05:11:59 PM
He’a never been most hated character for me. That goes to Yellowbelly Doofah. :p
I despise Tops’ racism, but I do like that he has made progress on that front. 
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Little Bro on May 14, 2020, 09:33:04 PM
Topsy eventually will spam, "3HORNS RULE" on this thread. :lol
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: RainbowFaceProtege on May 14, 2020, 10:03:24 PM
Topsy eventually will spam, "3HORNS RULE" on this thread. :lol

Most likely with help from Cera. :p

Seriously, though, as much of a pain as Topsy can be, he's too much of an integral character in LBT for me to imagine what it would be like not to have him around. He had a pretty good development arc over the series, and his grumpy personality lent itself well to several comedic moments. R.I.P. John Ingle, no one will ever be able to live up to your Topsy.
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Gentle Sharptooth on May 23, 2020, 01:10:00 AM
Topsy brings tension to the Great Valley. If it was all Grabdpa and Grandma longnecks it woukd be very dull. While I reiterate I despise Toops racist remarks and I am bot fond of his blame shifting, he is as @RainbowFaceProtege said, “an intergal character.” Without him every crises would be too calm.
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: RainbowFaceProtege on May 23, 2020, 05:43:42 PM
Topsy brings tension to the Great Valley. If it was all Grabdpa and Grandma longnecks it woukd be very dull. While I reiterate I despise Toops racist remarks and I am bot fond of his blame shifting, he is as @RainbowFaceProtege said, “an intergal character.” Without him every crises would be too calm.

My thoughts exactly. :yes Can't say I approve of Topsy's actions, either, but he's a necessary character to bring some conflict to the Valley now and then.
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Gentle Sharptooth on May 23, 2020, 06:12:27 PM
Topsy brings tension to the Great Valley. If it was all Grabdpa and Grandma longnecks it woukd be very dull. While I reiterate I despise Toops racist remarks and I am bot fond of his blame shifting, he is as @RainbowFaceProtege said, “an intergal character.” Without him every crises would be too calm.

My thoughts exactly. :yes Can't say I approve of Topsy's actions, either, but he's a necessary character to bring some conflict to the Valley now and then.

Just as Cera does with the Gang. Without her it would be all kindness and cutenss. She adds the rought and tough reality, saying what no one will or what everyone is thinking. ;)Cera
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: RainbowFaceProtege on May 23, 2020, 09:05:27 PM
Topsy brings tension to the Great Valley. If it was all Grabdpa and Grandma longnecks it woukd be very dull. While I reiterate I despise Toops racist remarks and I am bot fond of his blame shifting, he is as @RainbowFaceProtege said, “an intergal character.” Without him every crises would be too calm.

My thoughts exactly. :yes Can't say I approve of Topsy's actions, either, but he's a necessary character to bring some conflict to the Valley now and then.

Just as Cera does with the Gang. Without her it would be all kindness and cutenss. She adds the rought and tough reality, saying what no one will or what everyone is thinking. ;)Cera

Yeah, I feel the same way about her as I do about Topsy--she's not one of my favorites in the group, but her character type is necessary to be a foil to the others. (If Universal ever tried to sugar up her personality, as I've seen happen to feisty characters in other cartoons before, I'd be livid!)
Title: Re: Tops
Post by: Gentle Sharptooth on May 23, 2020, 10:26:44 PM
Cera’s crankiness is evidently passed down from her father. He groomed her with his “threehorns don’t play with longnecks.”