Vanellope von Schweetz is the deuteragonist of Disney's 2012 animated feature film Wreck-It Ralph and its 2018 sequel. She is a young, sharp-tongued racer that originates from the candy-themed racing game Sugar Rush. Due to being a "glitch", Vanellope was forbidden to race by order of King Candy and was bullied and discriminated against by the other racers. She was nevertheless determined to become a real racer and sought to accomplish her goal by teaming up with fellow misfit Wreck-It Ralph. Over the course of their adventure, Vanellope would unmask the truth behind her glitch, while also learning to use it as a "superpower" to overcome adversity.
Background
Vanellope von Schweetz was the main character of Litwak's Arcade's kart racing game Sugar Rush, where she served as the kingdom's princess and top racer. She was amongst a line-up of fifteen distinct racers, who compete against each other on candy-themed tracks for the coveted winner's cup.
Shortly after Sugar Rush was first plugged in, a racer named Turbo from the game TurboTime snuck in and hijacked the game's code in an effort to seize Vanellope's throne and remain the most popular racer in the arcade. Under the guise of a kindly monarch known as King Candy, Turbo tried to kill Vanellope by deleting her code, but his efforts were unsuccessful and merely turned her into a glitch. Undeterred, King Candy locked away all memories of Princess Vanellope and posed as Sugar Rush's sovereign in her place. However, if Vanellope were to cross the finish line in an official race, her code would be restored and King Candy's machinations would be undone. To prevent this from occurring, King Candy forbade Vanellope from racing under the grounds that "glitches" are dangerous threats that could lead to a game's unplugging. As a result of King Candy's law, Vanellope became a pariah and was mercilessly ostracized and treated like a criminal by the game's citizens, most notably the other racers, led in their bullying by Taffyta Muttonfudge. Vanellope believed that becoming a real racer was the only way to earn the respect and friendship of the other racers, and thus dedicated her life to accomplishing this goal. Consequently, she was in constant pursuit of King Candy and his henchmen, rendering her a fugitive in the kingdom.
As glitches can never leave their games, Vanellope was unable to escape her tormentors. However, she managed to find sanctuary within Diet Cola Mountain, a volcano that towers over the land of Sugar Rush that carries an incomplete bonus level track. After discovering a secret passageway, she founded the mountain as her hideout and used it to evade her bullies and King Candy's fungeon.
Official Description
- Known as the "Glitch", Vanellope is a pixelating programming mistake in the candy-coated kart-racing game Sugar Rush. With a racer's spirit embedded in her coding, Vanellope is determined to earn her place in the starting lineup amongst the other racers. The only problem: the other racers don't want her or her glitching in the game. Years of rejection have left Vanellope with a wicked sense of humor and a razor-sharp tongue. However, somewhere beneath that hard shell is a sweet center just waiting to be revealed.
Personality
In line with her programmed age, Vanellope is extremely energetic, talkative, and childish. When excited, she zestfully zips and bounces around while repeatedly exclaiming the reasoning behind her excitement ("I'm gonna learn to drive, I'm gonna learn to drive!"), much like a normal child. She has a rather immature sense of humor (finding enjoyment in mimicking and toilet humor) and has the tendency to purposely annoy those around her as a means to amuse herself. This is seen through her friendship with Ralph, as the two are known to give each other puerile, condescending nicknames.
Unfortunately, years of bullying due to King Candy's propaganda against her left Vanellope with a sharp tongue and a somewhat sour disposition. When first greeted, she comes off as annoying, obnoxious, and rude, with a bit of concern for the feelings or ambitions of other people, in comparison to benefiting herself. However, these aspects of her character are merely a result of her tragic upbringing and were more so done for survival rather than pure pleasure. Before Ralph's arrival, Vanellope was a loner, and the only programs she had any contact with were her abusers. Therefore, she has not experienced friendship or any form of compassion.
Vanellope is an enthusiastic dreamer. In truth, she is sensitive and vulnerable beneath her rough exterior, wanting nothing more than to be accepted by the inhabitants of her game—despite said inhabitants constantly mistreating her, both physically and mentally. She is very forgiving in this regard and is evidently reluctant to hold grudges.
Vanellope is also crafty and intelligent. As an opportunistic quick-thinker, Vanellope is cunning enough to concoct elaborate schemes on the spot, which made her a threat to the criminal plan of King Candy. Strong-willed, independent, and filled with spunk, Vanellope refuses to stand down without a fight and shows efficiency in reaching her goals for the most part. Her lack of physical strength truly kept Vanellope from becoming a racer independently, as Candy and his henchmen were able to counter her intellect with their weaponry and brute force.
Interestingly, although years of being shunned have left her with negative traits, Vanellope is one of the few characters in the film with a lack of prejudice. After learning Ralph is classified as a video game "bad guy", Vanellope never criticizes him on his position; instead, she looked beyond Ralph's programmed occupation and understood that his label is only a job title and does not define who he is on the inside. Her kindness would heavily influence Ralph, and it was through their friendship that Ralph learned what it really means to be a hero.
By Ralph Breaks the Internet, through her friendship with Ralph and having developed a much better rapport with her fellow Sugar Rush racers, she has become more openly polite and friendly while not nearly as mouthy. However, when angered, she still shows the potential to lash out in an overly harsh manner and say mean things that she doesn't actually mean, as demonstrated when she practically declares her friendship with Ralph over after he unleashes a virus that gets out of hand in Slaughter Race over not wanting her to leave the arcade, and by extension, him, after she expressed that she felt more at home in that game. Despite Ralph admitting what he did was very wrong, he starts bringing up some valid points about Vanellope being no better herself that being irresponsible for abandoning her game especially when she ditched him and never told him, she gets defensive and even tosses his homemade medal signifying their friendship away. However, after she calms down, she's apologetic for going as far as throwing away the medal and clarifies that what she really meant was that she felt like he was being a bad friend, not that she didn't consider him one anymore.
Physical appearance
From left to right: Vanellope's regular outfit; Vanellope in her royal racing gear; Vanellope in her princess gown.
Vanellope is a young girl with a small stature. She has long, raven-black hair with candy sprinkled over it in a high ponytail. Her design was influenced by Japanese/anime artwork, notably the chibi style, with large, hazel eyes. She carries a slender body, has a noticeable overbite, large, round ears, and a small, pink button nose. In contrast to Ralph and the other main characters, she has four fingers on each hand instead of five.
Vanellope's signature "glitch" outfit is a mint green hoodie with a dark brown double-layered skirt that resembles the wrapping of a peanut butter cup, green, white, and purple-striped tights and small, black, shiny boots. Notably, her leggings are designed to resemble candy cane stripes and are mismatched, with her right one covered in broad mint green bands and the left one with thinner mint bands and purple lines inside each thick white band. Her hoodie laces and stitches are red and resemble licorice candies, such as Twizzlers. Underneath her hoodie is a violet shirt, only visible in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene in the video game's final cutscene. Her high ponytail is held by a Twizzler licorice tie. There are also pink squiggles under her boot soles that resemble icing. She owns red racing goggles she puts on during the Random Roster Race's coin-depositing scene.
On the Sugar Rush game cabinet, Vanellope can be seen in her royal racing attire, a mint green, orange, and white jumpsuit with brown gloves. Her racing attire comes with a white helmet with a golden crown insignia detailed onto it in the film's concept art.
As a princess, Vanellope wore a full-skirted glittery long-sleeved gown with lacy white gloves. Her gradient pink petticoat is noticeably covered in pink, white, and red gumdrops sprinkled everywhere like beads. However, chocolate sprinkles can be seen on the lower end of the petticoat. The skirt has many layers and opens in the front to show a deep pink underskirt.
Her gown was also given a pink flowing cloak and a large white lace heart collar, resembling Elizabethan royal attire. The collar is edged in a cut-out pattern of candy canes and lollipops. In addition, she wears another somewhat smaller, white ruffled collar. In this outfit, she wears a red tiara. Her hair is tied up in a bun and is covered in sprinkles that are different shades of pink. With the outfit, Vanellope owns a pink lollipop scepter with a noticeable crown emblem over it.
Powers and abilities
- Glitching: King Candy's tampering of Vanellope's code turned her into a glitch. As a result, there are times when her body will briefly spasm and deteriorate into the pixels and codes. These glitches are seemingly linked to Vanellope's emotions, as they are often triggered by passionate feelings like excitement or anger or when she's stressed out. Her glitch is manifested by blue pixelation.
- Teleportation: The nature of Vanellope's glitch allowed her to teleport herself from one nearby location, to another, in the blink of an eye. Upon learning to control this ability, Vanellope would use it as an in-game power-up that was simply titled "The Glitch" by gamers. The only known force that can prevent Vanellope's glitch are the "glitch proof" chains in King Candy's fungeon.
- Glitching Influence: Vanellope's glitching can also affect characters and objects that she makes physical contact with during one of her episodes. When Vanellope grabs onto Taffyta during a glitch, Taffyta's body also deteriorates into pixels, albeit briefly and less chaotically. Also, when Vanellope comes into contact with King Candy, her glitching causes his disguise to fade and briefly reveal him to be Turbo. Unlike Taffyta, however, Turbo's body continually deteriorated even after he and Vanellope no longer made physical contact. During the climax, Vanellope was also able to glitch both herself and her kart from one location to another. This would later be used as her character-specific power-up during in-game races.
- Skilled Racer: Vanellope was programmed with superb racing skills that evidently outshines all competition. Even after her code was damaged and her memory was wiped, Vanellope was able to regain a firm control of the wheel and reinvigorate her racing talents in record time, justified by her own line, "I told you [Ralph], racing's in my code!"
Appearances
Wreck-It Ralph
Vanellope meeting Ralph in the Candy Tree Forest.
On a normal day, Vanellope is lounging about in the candy tree forest when she encounters a Hulk-like man named Wreck-It Ralph, who is in pursuit of a "gold coin" atop a tree. Vanellope manages to grab it first, though Ralph pleads for its return as the "coin" is actually his medal. Ignoring Ralph, Vanellope runs off to the racetrack starting line, where the racers of Sugar Rush are prepared to pay their fees (one gold coin) to race in the Random Roster Race: a daily race that determines which racers will be featured in the game's roster on the following day. Vanellope rushes to the lineup, with Ralph trying to pursue her, to insert the medal as her fee. The medal is accepted, and Vanellope is officially in the race. This comes as a shock to King Candy, who orders his security doughnuts to arrest Vanellope. Before they can apprehend her, Ralph suddenly appears to reclaim his medal and pursues Vanellope.
Vanellope being bullied by Taffyta.
Ralph's arrival distracts the king and his guards, allowing Vanellope to escape. She heads to the junkyard to work on her homemade kart, but soon finds herself confronted by Taffyta Muttonfudge, Candlehead, Rancis Fluggerbutter, and the other racers. Claiming they're ostracizing her for her own safety, the racers ridicule Vanellope by calling her "an accident waiting to happen". They destroy Vanellope's kart while Taffyta pushes her into the mud, unaware that Wreck-It Ralph had been looking on in hiding. Furious with the racers' treatment of Vanellope, Ralph stands up to her by scaring the bullies away, saving Vanellope. Vanellope, however, is far too upset and embarrassed to even thank Ralph. Despite his empathy, Ralph chastises Vanellope for stealing his medal, but she claims that she planned to return it after she won the race. Without a kart, however, both she and Ralph are out of luck.
Vanellope in awe at her new kart.
In anger, Ralph begins to wreck things, including a jawbreaker. This gives Vanellope the idea to have Ralph break her into King Candy's kart factory, where she can make a real kart. She runs her plan by Ralph and promises to return his medal once the race is won. Ralph reluctantly agrees. At the factory, they work together to build the kart. Because of Ralph's destructive nature, though, it appears very different from its intended design. Disappointed, Ralph thinks the kart is broken, but Vanellope is more than happy to have a real kart in her possession, proving to Ralph that his wrecking can actually bring happiness to others. To finish their newfound "masterpiece", Vanellope and Ralph sign the kart. Just then, King Candy, alerted by the security about the break-in, arrives with his minions. Vanellope coyly confesses that she does not know how to drive a real kart, forcing Ralph to steer it by hand to escape the king and his goons. Vanellope directs Ralph to her hideout in Diet Cola Mountain.
Ralph teaches Vanellope how to drive.
Once safe, Ralph scolds Vanellope on her inability to drive, feeling it takes away any chance of getting his medal back. Vanellope sarcastically inquires why the medal is so important, and Ralph explains that it could give him a better life back in his game. Vanellope is surprisingly able to relate, but it does not ease Ralph's frustration. Upon calming down, Ralph takes a further look into the mountain and is introduced to Vanellope's hovel of a home. She explains that, because of her disability, she is bullied and tormented by everyone in the game. Not only that, she cannot leave the game because glitches lack the ability to do so, forcing her to endure her misery. Vanellope figures that if she wins the race, the others will stop treating her harshly. Ralph sympathizes with Vanellope, prompting him to teach her how to drive himself. After some extensive practice, Vanellope and Ralph prepare to forge off to the racetrack. Before they do, Vanellope runs back into the mountain to get something.
Vanellope after her kart's destruction.
During her absence, King Candy shows up to return Ralph's medal, in exchange for a chance to explain why Vanellope cannot race; according to the king, Vanellope's glitching would make the players think the game is broken. When Sugar Rush is unplugged, Vanellope would be unable to escape and die alongside the cabinet. King Candy asks for Ralph's help in protecting Vanellope from such a fate, to which the bad-guy solemnly accepts. When Vanellope returns, she surprises Ralph with a homemade medal that reads "You're my hero", in the event that they lose the race. Though touched by Vanellope's gesture, Ralph tries to talk her out of going to the race. Vanellope is initially confused, but quickly notices the Medal of Heroes around Ralph's neck and becomes suspicious. Ralph tries to explain that he and King Candy had a talk, but Vanellope assumes that the two are working together. Betrayed, Vanellope rebukes Ralph and tries to go to the race alone. Without any other choice, Ralph destroys Vanellope's kart against her protests. With any wish of a better life tarnished, Vanellope runs off in tears. A downhearted Ralph, meanwhile, returns to his game. Sometime after Ralph's departure, King Candy captures Vanellope and imprisons her in his "fungeon".
Vanellope's artwork on the side of the console.
Back at Fix-It Felix Jr., Ralph notices an image of Vanellope being prominently displayed on the Sugar Rush console, despite being a character that was "never meant to exist". Confused, Ralph returns to Sugar Rush and interrogates Sour Bill for answers. Sour Bill confesses that Vanellope was a real racer until King Candy tried to delete her code and turned her into a glitch. Should Vanellope cross the finish line in an official race, however, the game would reset and her code would be restored. After Vanellope's kart is fixed by Fix-It Felix Jr., Ralph breaks into Vanellope's fungeon cell, where the two reconcile. While rushing to the racetrack, Ralph informs Vanellope of the situation and explains that she only has to cross the finish line to be a real racer. Vanellope, angered by King Candy's villainy, declares that she's already a real racer and will win.
King Candy trying to ram Vanellope into a oncoming stalactite.
Due to her glitching, Vanellope manages to bypass the competition at an alarming rate. Soon enough, she is second only to King Candy. As the two near the finish line, Vanellope speeds past the king, who rams into Vanellope's kart in a fit of fury. Having lost all patience, King Candy physically attacks Vanellope with his kart's antenna, destroying fragments of her kart in the process. This leads to a tug-of-war between Vanellope and Candy, with their staggered movements triggering Vanellope's glitching and causing King Candy's disguise to fade. A shocked Vanellope pulls back in fear, just as Turbo ruthlessly admits his crime of re-programming the world. Claiming Sugar Rush as his possession, Turbo vows that he won't let Vanellope or Ralph foil his plans. Turbo then tries to kill Vanellope by ramming her onto an oncoming stalactite, but Vanellope saves herself by earning total control of her glitching and teleporting out of Turbo's grasp.
Vanellope races ahead in first place, but before she can reach Ralph and the finish line, a swarm of Cy-Bugs, creatures from the game Hero's Duty that have been breeding in the catacombs underneath Sugar Rush, explode from the ground and directly impact Vanellope, throwing her kart off the track. Ralph and Felix scurry to her side, but before Vanellope can continue the race, a swarm of Cy-Bugs surround the finish line and devour it. With no wish of crossing, Ralph grabs Vanellope to evacuate to Game Central Station. Unfortunately, Vanellope is unable to escape as she is still a glitch. With a heavy heart, she accepts her imminent death and tells Ralph to leave her. At that moment, luckily, Ralph formulates a plan to erupt Diet Cola Mountain, hoping to have the hot cola act as a beacon to attract and destroy the Cy-Bugs.
Vanellope rescuing Ralph.
With Vanellope being protected by Felix and Sergeant Calhoun, Ralph hurries to the top of Diet Cola Mountain and begins to smash the crater of Mentos. Unfortunately, he is attacked by Turbo (who had transformed into a Cy-Bug after being consumed by one). During their battle, a swarm of Cy-Bugs surround Vanellope, Felix, and Calhoun and prepare to kill them. Fortunately, Ralph is able to break free of Turbo's grasp and plummets down to the mountain. When Vanellope sees Ralph plummeting, she glitches to Diet Cola Mountain, where she is able to catch Ralph before he falls into the cola. Together, they escape the volcano just as massive amounts of Mentos plunge into the hot cola, causing the mountain to erupt. The eruption produces a beacon that attracts all the Cy-Bugs, including Turbo, vaporizing them for good.
Princess Vanellope regains her throne.
After Felix fixes the finish line, Ralph pushes Vanellope across, resetting the game. With her code restored, Vanellope magically transforms into a princess, revealing her to be the kingdom's rightful ruler. The racers beg for Vanellope's forgiveness, which she accepts (though not before playfully humiliating them by making them believe that she will execute them). Despite this revelation, Vanellope has no desire to be a princess, instead proclaiming herself as a racer with "the greatest superpower ever". She nevertheless still chooses to lead the kingdom as "President Vanellope von Schweetz". At this time, the arcade is about to open. As Ralph prepares to leave Sugar Rush, Vanellope offers a private wing in her castle. Ralph warmly turns down the offer as he is content with her friendship and has a job to do: playing the bad guy in his own game. Ralph and Vanellope bid farewell as the other Sugar Rush racers surround the latter in reconciliation.
Vanellope waving at Ralph during the film's finale.
During the finale, Vanellope, seen in her princess attire, serves as the maid of honor at the wedding of Felix and Calhoun. It is also shown that, due to her glitching abilities being used as her power-up, Vanellope has become a fan-favorite in Sugar Rush, winning the hearts of the gamers and eventually living her lifelong dream. Many times, Vanellope can see Ralph in Niceland from her cabinet and vice versa, causing the two to happily wave to each other often. This part of the gameplay is Ralph's favorite, as he enjoys watching Vanellope gain the love and admiration that she has always deserved. Ralph also notes his newfound acceptance for his job, claiming Vanellope's friendship is all the validation he needs to remind him that he's far from a bad person.
During the film's end credits, Vanellope, Ralph, Felix, and Calhoun are shown constantly enjoying each other's company after gaming hours, having numerous game-jumping adventures together.
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Vanellope in Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Vanellope appears in the sequel, along with Sarah Silverman reprising her role, taking place six years after the original film. When Sugar Rush breaks, putting it in danger of being unplugged, Vanellope and Ralph utilize the arcade's newly-installed Wi-Fi router to travel to the Internet, where they hope to find a part capable of saving her game. During their journey, which Vanellope is very excited about, they go straight to eBay, but they are forced to collect $27,001 after they naively outbid a user to obtain the steering wheel they need. To get the money, they accept a job to attempt to steal and sell a car from Slaughter Race. In the chaos that ensues, Shank, the game's leader, catches Vanellope off guard with her driving skills and foils her. Shank empathetically directs them both to helping Ralph become a viral star.
In order to help Ralph get more hearts, he will require more views. Vanellope decided to go to other websites and be a pop-up, and Ralph chooses Oh My Disney for her because it had a castle, and Vanellope was a princess. Yesss agreed to redirect her there; Vanellope subsequently meets and befriends the Disney Princesses, whom she joins (technically being a princess herself). During the meeting, Vanellope also gets the girls interested in her outfit, leading them all to start wearing similar outfits when not on duty. They inspire Vanellope to tap into her deepest desire and find her own song. When Vanellope attempts to do so, she expresses her desire to be part of a new and exciting world outside Sugar Rush and winds up in Slaughter Race, and comes to realize this game may be her destiny.
Vanellope talks with Shank, who encourages her to do what she thinks she should. Unbeknownst to either of them, Ralph overhears the entire conversation. Together, they engaged in their first race together, where Vanellope and Shank are once again evenly matched, but then the game begins glitching because an insecurity virus named Arthur, unleashed by Ralph to damage the game, has sensed her insecurity. After Vanellope realizes it is her glitch that is threatening the game and passes out following a car accident, Ralph finds her and Shank warns them to flee as the game reboots. When she woke up, she learns Ralph has carried her out and he, out of guilt, confesses he had previously put the virus in there, attempting to slow down the game but didn't go the way he wanted. Furious at Ralph for doing such a thing, she calls him out, but Ralph angrily points out that she is no better, that she was gonna leave him and everyone without telling him, especially after all the hard work he's done for her. During the heated argument, she takes Ralph's "You're My Hero" homemade medal and throws it down to the Older Net, which breaks in two. Then she tells Ralph that he will not follow her and leave her alone. Unbeknownst to Ralph, Arthur scans him as he's heading down to retrieve the medal, and launches his insecurities out all over the internet in the form of thousands of purplish Ralph clones.
The Ralph viruses evolve minutes later, and Vanellope tries to run away. Vanellope then goes to KnowsMore, and she helps him close down his site. The real Ralph appears. Vanellope and KnowsMore initially mistake him for a lone clone and assault him until Vanellope recognizes his sentience and sees it's the real Ralph. Ralph plans to have Yesss battle down the clones. Yesss picks up Vanellope and Ralph as KnowsMore's site is damaged.
Vanellope before she bids farewell to Ralph one last time.
When the clones form a giant Ralph, Yesss saves Vanellope, and both Ralph and Vanellope are trapped in the clutches of Kong Ralph. Vanellope helplessly listens as Ralph reasons with the monster and apologizes for upsetting her. The clones dissolve, causing Ralph to fall, but he is rescued by the Disney Princesses. After the battle, the netizens were saved, and Vanellope makes her decision to remain in Slaughter Race. Shank adds Vanellope's code to the game to ensure that she always re-generates, making her transition perfectly safe. With gaming about to start up Ralph gives her the necklace she broke, she apologizes for breaking it, but Ralph doesn't mind as he has the other half so they can both have one, Vanellope and Ralph share one last goodbye before separating; in during which, they profess their love for each other, solidifying that their friendship will still remain.
Despite Vanellope's absence, other Sugar Rush racers can win now, and players realize that even without Vanellope, the game is still fun to play. Vanellope, who enjoys herself, keeps in touch with Ralph and arranges to visit him on January 25, 2019.
In a mid-credits scene, she and Ralph fail at winning a game of Pancake Milkshake thanks to the former bringing in a huge tray of pancakes, something the bunny grimly anticipates.
Other appearances
In Once Upon a Studio, Vanellope first appears riding throughout the studio in her Candy Kart, along Dodger. She is later seen alongside the rest of the Wreck-It Ralph cast during the finale, in which they sing “When You Wish Upon a Star” before the group photo is taken.
Printed media
One Sweet Race
Vanellope in One Sweet Race.
Vanellope serves as a deuteragonist in the tie-in storybook One Sweet Race. In this storybook set after the events of the film, Rancis Fluggerbutter, one of Vanellope's former bullies and later friend, is always getting teased for not winning a race and has accidentally crashed the kart he was using to try and win the race. Vanellope decides to help him, and together they build a kart, which Rancis names RV1, after both of them. In the next race, Vanellope cheers Rancis on, and he wins the race. The story perfectly showcases Vanellope's kindness and generosity after the events of the film and after she regains her rightful throne. It also shows that she continues to wear her "glitch" outfit, as well as drive her Candy Kart (the kart made with the help of Ralph).
Tricky Treats
As part of the Disney 5-Minute Spooky Stories storybook, Vanellope and Ralph are featured in a Halloween tale set in Sugar Rush. On the night of Gloyd Orangeboar's Halloween party, Ralph and Vanellope accidentally come across an old Halloween-themed bonus level, ruled by the mischievous Boo Brattly, a ghost whose chaotic ways resulted in his banishment. Unfortunately, Ralph and Vanellope are unable to leave the stage unless they manage to catch Boo. When the level is bested, a portal to Sugar Rush is revealed, though Boo pleads for the two to stay awhile, suffering from loneliness. Sympathetic, Vanellope heads to Sugar Rush to bring Gloyd's party to Boo's castle, ending things well for everyone.
Comics
In The Donut Kart, Vanellope is visited by Wynchel and Duncan, who are in need of a vehicle to help keep order and peace in Sugar Rush, which has been corrupted by mischievously speedy racers. Vanellope obliges with her assistance, and the trio is able to conjure up a monstrous kart, too over-the-top for riding but just perfect for scaring the racers into following the game's speed limit laws.
Video games
Wreck-It Ralph
Vanellope with Ralph in the Wreck-It Ralph video game.
Not too long after the film, Vanellope is preparing for another race in Sugar Rush with Ralph, Felix, and Calhoun in the stands cheering her on. However, Ralph accidentally drops a Cy-Bug egg that rolls into the taffy lake. Later on, while in her castle, Vanellope witnesses the Cy-Bugs attacking Sugar Rush and heads to Game Central Station with the others while Ralph and Felix rid the arcade of the beasts. In the end, after the bugs are defeated, Vanellope celebrates Ralph's newfound success by creating a new holiday.
Throughout the playable levels in the game, Vanellope can also be heard making unknown comments, often commending Ralph and Felix (the two playable characters) on their constant victories.
Disney Infinity
Along with Wreck-It Ralph, Vanellope appears in the Disney Infinity video game as a playable character, however, she cannot be playable in Play Set Mode. In addition to this, she and Ralph make a cameo in the opening sequence of the game, riding the Candy Kart as they greet the player.
She also maintains her glitching in the game, acting as one of her special abilities during travel and combat. She's also equipped with the "Cherry Bomb" power-up (named after the weapon featured in the film by the same name), capable of causing mild pixelated explosions upon enemies whenever thrown. One of her Character Chests also includes her unlockable costume.
In addition, her signature adventure is a three-lap race known as "Vanellope's Sweet Race".
Disney Heroes: Battle Mode
Vanellope in Disney Heroes: Battle Mode.
Vanellope is a playable character and party member. She and Ralph kick off the story of the game, in which the two come across a blocked-off game in BETA mode. Vanellope uses a key to access the new world (called "the City") and gains some new attire and a blaster-Esque weapon. She and Ralph soon discover that an evil virus is corrupting the City and turning heroes into villains. With Vanellope falling victim, Ralph teams up with the Disney heroes of the game to save her and their fallen allies.
Vanellope is a Back-line Damage role hero. In this game Vanellope gained a complete new soda soaker which she always uses in battles. Vanellope uses her glitch to teleport and slams her candy hammer to deal damage in middle of enemies. Vanellope also uses her soda soaker to combine mint and soda to shoot spray soda at enemies and slow them down. Vanellope also can launch a minty cannon ball to deal damage to furthest enemy. Vanellope also has unique ability which makes all her attacks do splash damage, dealing damage to multiple enemies at once. Vanellope also gains bonus energy whenever she damages a slowed enemy.
Vanellope is a main hero in the main story of the Campaign together with Ralph, and many other heroes such as Judy Hopps, Elastigirl, Goliath, Kevin Flynn, Kim Possible, and others, trying to save the City from the creeps, MegaVirus, and interruptions from the villains.
Vanellope has friendship campaigns with Dash Parr and Merida. Vanellope also has friendship campaigns with Ralph, Elastigirl, and Shank.
Kingdom Hearts Union χ
Vanellope appears in the mobile game with the Candy Kingdom section of the Game Central Station world following the first movie's plot.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Vanellope joined the game in the July 19th, 2023 DreamSnaps update after being hinted at in the first 2023 roadmap for the game. Belle joined after Vanellope in the September 2023 update with Beast and her own realm in the Dream Castle.
Upon first returning to the game, a quest for Scrooge starts, and speaking to him reveals that he believes he saw a ghost in the Dream Castle and asks the player to investigate. Checking out where he saw the ghost, it is revealed to be Vanellope, who explains that her glitching caused her to end up there, and she's not able to control it at the moment. However, she has an idea, and asks the player to perform a DreamSnap challenge with their cellphone, figuring that would help her stabilize her glitching and fully get control of it again. After that, she needs her house placed in the Valley. Find a good spot, pay Scrooge to have the McDuck Construction Company build it, and Vanellope will be welcomed into the Valley.
Disney Parks
Vanellope as she appears at the Disney Parks.
Vanellope made her debut as a walkaround character in 2012, alongside Ralph. Her original design first appeared as a meetable character in Disney's Hollywood Studios. In 2018, with the release of Ralph Breaks the Internet, Vanellope's costume was redesigned and was made available for meet-and-greets in Epcot.
Disneyland Resort
Vanellope and Ralph appear in special renditions of World of Color at Disney California Adventure, including Winter Dreams and Celebrate!
Walt Disney World
In Florida, Vanellope was present at Disney's Hollywood Studios' Magic of Disney Animation attraction and greeted fans who walk through a making of exhibit in a Wreck-It Ralph-themed area, until being discontinued in October 2014. Vanellope was also seen driving the trams in Disney's Hollywood Studios during this time.
In 2016, Vanellope replaced Goofy with a Sugar Rush-themed unit in Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade. The 2018 rendition of the parade debuted an updated design for Vanellope's costume, giving her head a more screen accurate look. She also appears in Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, riding a gingerbread race kart.
Disneyland Paris
In France, Vanellope was among the characters featured during the park's 25th anniversary event in 2017. Later that same year, she was seen roaming about Disneyland as part of Guest Star Day.
Tokyo Disney Resort
Vanellope alongside Ralph made their debut at Tokyo Disneyland on April 2023 at the Disney Harmony in Color! Parade as part of the resort's 40th Anniversary Celebration.
Disney Cruise Line
Vanellope serves as the focal character in the Vanellope's Sweets and Treats shop, aboard the Disney Dream. The interior features a statue of Vanellope, a well as the Candy Kart. One of the many desserts available is called "Vanellope Chocolate Nougatine with Salted Pretzels".
Relationships
Gallery
Trivia
- According to Rich Moore and Sarah Silverman, Vanellope is 9 years old. However, according to John Lasseter, she is 12 years old.
- In the first film, Vanellope is the only main character that never called Ralph by his title "Wreck-it".
- Vanellope's hands only have four fingers, as opposed to Ralph's five.
- Vanellope's name is a portmanteau of "vanilla", a type of dessert flavoring, and "Penelope".
- Her title, "von", is actually German for "of", which is often used by German nobility.
- Her last name, "Schweetz", is a pun of the word "sweet" with a slightly German touch. (Schweetz).
- The first film has several hints toward Vanelope's true identity as a legitimate character and princess:
- During the time-lapse sequence at the beginning of the movie, Vanellope's picture can be seen on the Sugar Rush console long before her introduction, completely spoiling the fact she's not a glitch but an actual character who got glitched out of the code.
- When Vanellope first meets Ralph, she jokes about using the "royal we". Later after King Candy lies to Ralph to protect Vanellope, she has Ralph kneel down while she gives him her makeshift medal, calling him her "royal chump".
- When Ralph meets King Candy, he comments on the castle being ironically pink for a male ruler; King Candy insists it's salmon. The castle really belongs to Vanellope.
- When Ralph and Vanellope approach the kart factory, the back door has a doodle of Vanellope with a strikethrough, with a crown logo along the door's headboard. When Ralph punches the door open, the crown logo also falls, hinting that Vanellope is a fallen princess.
- Upon close inspection, Vanellope's skirt is made of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers (which would then be rightside-up when she hangs upside-down in the tree).
- When creating Vanellope, she was described as having "a hint of Sarah [Silverman], a hint of Cindy Lou Who, combined with this grubby little Pippi Longstocking moppet kid."
- Despite having hazel eyes in the movie, posters, etc., Vanellope can clearly be seen with bright green eyes when she is shown on the side of the cabinet after Ralph throws away his medal.
- Interestingly enough, Vanellope is never shown racing in her white tracksuit after she resets the game, nor is she seen racing in her original kart, which was stolen by King Candy.
- Vanellope is the only character in Sugar Rush who wears a hoodie, as the other characters wear jackets, and she is also the only one who does not wear a helmet or cap; instead, she wears red goggles.
- Vanellope's princess gown resembles the dresses worn by royal women during the 16th-17th century (Ex. Queen Elizabeth).
- Vanellope was initially designed with a grayish-green skin color so that she could stand out as the abused "glitch" of the story. Her animators decided on normal human skin tone so that viewers would find her more relatable.
- Vanellope is the only character from Sugar Rush to see King Candy's real identity as Turbo in-person.
- Throughout the whole first Wreck-It-Ralph movie, Ralph usually refers to Vanellope as "kid" instead of her real name. He refers to her as "Vanellope" only three times in the whole film (first when confronting Sour Bill after seeing her picture on the console, second when seeing her on the jumbotron before King Candy interferes, and third during the film's epilogue).
- In 2013, there were 63 babies named Vanellope in the United States, up from zero in previous years.[1]
- During renovations of the Walt Disney Animation Studios building, beginning in 2014, Vanellope was one of the character silhouettes featured on the wall mural.
- In July 2017, Vanellope was crowned Honorary Disney Princess at the D23 2017 Expo.
- According to Sarah Silverman, Vanellope is Jewish.[2]
- In Wreck-It-Ralph, not only did she get "glitched" by King Candy, but was also unable to get out of Sugar Rush. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, however, she was able to exit her own game of origin sometime after his ultimate demise. This showcases that not only did King Candy overthrow her from being that game's original ruler, but he was also trying to eliminate her in order to keep his position as its "ruler".
- Vanellope's presidency from the end of Wreck-It Ralph is completely ignored in Ralph Breaks the Internet, as it is neither referenced nor mentioned at any point in the movie. Instead, Vanellope is only referred to as a princess.
- Vanellope's Slaughter Race car is based off the Porsche 918 Spyder on the front and the Bugatti Chiron on the sides and rear. However, it is a full-on convertible, while the 918 has only a targa top and the Chiron is only a coupe.
- In Ralph Breaks the Internet, she could be seen as "going Turbo," as she abandoned her game of origin Sugar Rush for Slaughter Race.
- However, much like Ralph's attempt in the first movie at Hero's Duty, it wasn't necessarily done out of malice either, and her act didn't affect Sugar Rush that much as well (mostly due to the latter game's multiple selectable characters).
References
- ↑ Adler, Charlie Jane (May 15, 2014). "Popular New Baby Names Of 2013: Vanellope, Kaptain, Tuf, And Kyndle" (Article). Gizmodo.
- ↑ Silverman, Sarah (March 8, 2018). "Um you're missing a lil Jewish girl in a green hoodie & candy stuck2 her hair" (Tweet). Twitter.
External links
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