Nick

Early Life:

Nick came from a poor background living with his mother, Mrs. Wilde, and father, Mr. John Wilde. As a child, Nick had a dream to join the local Junior Ranger Scouts, as he always wanted to be part of a pack. When he was 8 or 9 years old, his mother scraped up enough money to buy a brand new scout uniform, giving him the opportunity to join a local troop.

Though he was the only predator and only fox in the local troop, Nick believed that would not matter and attended his initiation with confidence and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, his "initiation" turned out to be a cruel hazing prank where young Nick was ridiculed, knocked to the ground and held down while being muzzled by the other scouts for being a fox (as foxes are considered untrustworthy). After running outside to escape his tormentors, and having his desire of fitting in crushed, Nick tore off the muzzle and broke down in tears.

As a result of this treatment, Nick vowed to never let them see that they got to him and, from that moment forward, hides himself behind a mask of sly confidence. In addition, he declared that if the world viewed foxes as nothing more than sly, vile and untrustworthy scoundrels, he should not only accept it, but embrace it, subsequently doing so by becoming a successful con artist.

This unjust treatment continued well throughout his lifetime, apparent during his adulthood shown in the film, which would only heighten Nick's cynicism.

Physical Appearance:

Nick is a fox with a slim build. He's covered in red fur with a cream underbelly up to his muzzle. He has dark auburn fur on his feet, his hands, the tips of his ears, and at the tip of his tail. He has green eyes and a dark purple nose.

Nick's wardrobe consists of a light green Hawaiian shirt, a dark indigo necktie with red and blue stripes, and a pair of grayish-tan pants.

Personality:

The "Sly Fox"-

This is the primary image Nick presents during the film. This "Nick Wilde" is shifty, sly, and cunning, traits supposedly common to all foxes. He is easygoing and slick, easily conning and tricking others through his charm, quick-talking and friendly demeanor. He nearly always has a sly smile on his face with half-lidded eyes and appears unfazed throughout most of the film. He is very street smart and intelligent, and uses his vast knowledge and experience of Zootopia and its people to his advantage when carrying out his schemes.

This personality is Nick's response to being the shifty and untrustworthy fox that society expects of him as well as providing a mask that he can hide behind so they can never see that they got to him. As a result, he deals with prejudiced statements directed at him behind an easygoing facade and often delivers a snarky comeback in response.

The "Junior Ranger Scout"-

As a young kit, Nick had different qualities of his personality on display. Stories of his childhood like "Magical Mystery Nick" as well as the flashback in the movie itself show that he is kind, clever, mischievous and even a bit idealistic. Although he knew that Pack 914 was all prey and he was going to be the only fox, he truly believed it would not make a difference and entered their initiation with buoyant enthusiasm.

Although the Sly Fox mask is now prominently on display, it later becomes clear that underneath it all, Nick would still love to show he can be a trustworthy Junior Ranger Scout.

Home: 1955 Cypress Grove Lane, Zootopia

-This location appears to be an abandoned warehouse building on the outskirts of the main Zootopia city. The Warehouse holds the remains of a amusement park called "Wilde Times". Wilde Times was an amusement park operated by Nick in earlier versions of the story where predators were forced to wear electric "tame collars" to keep paranoid prey citizens content with a feeling of safety and control over their potentially savage neighbors. After becoming hospitalized, Nick's collar had to be removed to allow the doctor access to his neck. This was the first time Nick has had the collar removed since childhood, and the feeling of freedom provides him with an epiphany—a dream to open a park where predators all across Zootopia are given a chance at freedom. Not only would it be an action of goodwill, but also a massive money-making endeavor, being that the tame collars were universally hated by their hosts.