Pacha is the deuteragonist of Disney's 2000 animated feature film The Emperor's New Groove. He is a wise villager from the countryside of pre-Columbian Peru.
Background[]
Pacha is the leader of a village in Emperor Kuzco's Kuzconian Empire. His hut is located at the very top of the village's hills where the sun hits perfectly. He resides there with his wife Chicha and his children, Chaca, Tipo, and Yupi. Pacha spends most of his time herding llamas and being with his family, which implies that his political responsibilities as a village leader were not too demanding and the villagers can overall look after themselves. However, his role as chieftain became greater when his village is targeted by Kuzco in order to level it for his "Kuzcotopia" summer palace, as all the people in Pacha's village would lose their homes, and as such Pacha needed somehow to convince Kuzco not to do this in order to spare the village.
Development[]
When the movie went by Kingdom of the Sun, Pacha was drastically changed during the production process and completely revamped the story. Originally, he was to be a younger man that was meant to be voiced by Owen Wilson, who looked identical to Kuzco, resulting in a "Prince and the Pauper" storyline. When Yzma discovered the switch, he was forced into acting as a puppet ruler by her. In the end, Kuzco and Pacha would work together to stop Yzma's plans to awaken the dark god Supai and restore the sun to its proper place. The original role in assisting emperor-turned-llama Kuzco in getting back to the royal city was to be Mata, a female llama herder, and a potential love interest for the selfish teen (aspects of the character that would later be used in Malina in the TV series). The major overhaul of the story made the film a buddy movie, with Pacha and Kuzco having to trust each other through the adventure.
Physical appearance[]
Pacha is an obese man with black hair. He sports a green poncho over a white shirt, brown loincloth, a brown cap, and sandals.
Personality[]
Pacha is very lovable and caring. He takes his position as village leader very seriously and attempts to do what's right for his people. He can be best described as a family man, spending most of his time with them. Upon meeting Kuzco, Pacha felt he was a spoiled brat, but learned to forget that in an attempt to change the emperor's attitude around.
Appearances[]
The Emperor's New Groove[]
Pacha in The Emperor's New Groove.
In the first film, Pacha is summoned to the palace by Kuzco so he can solve his problem. Pacha explains that he and his family lived on the hilltop for the last six generations and is told that his house on the hill will be destroyed to make room for Kuzco's summer home, as Pacha claimed that singing can be heard when the sun rises on his hill. Distraught and horrified that the emperor could be so callous, he sadly travels home to tell his wife (Chicha) and his two children (Chaca and Tipo) that they have to leave their ancestral home, much to Kuzco's tyranny. Kuzco, however, later pauses the movie, telling the audience that the film is about him as the one in the sack on Pacha's cart.
However, before Pacha can tell his family about this, he suddenly discovers that Kuzco has been transformed into a llama and dropped in the back of his cart, blaming him for turning him into a llama, (which gives him way too much credit). Arguing about this plan to build a utopia for Kuzco, Pacha refuses to let him continue this until he changes his mind just as Kuzco denies his advice because he doesn’t make deals with peasants and selfishly leaves the jungle, much to Pacha's warning that Kuzco could be lost in the jungle because of dangers far away from the village. Pacha yells “Go Ahead!” He thinks without Kuzco and Kuzcotopia, his problem would go away, but then he decides to go help Kuzco.
As Kuzco finds himself in the deep jungle surrounded and chased by a pack of jaguars, Pacha saves Kuzco from being eaten by the pack of jaguars via vine. Saving Kuzco, the two end up on a large tree hanging onto a cliff just as Kuzco and Pacha fall into a river followed by a huge waterfall. After surviving the fall, Kuzco devises a plan for Pacha to take Kuzco back to the palace, so he can have Yzma change him back and then build Kuzcotopia. Pacha thinks the duo got on the wrong foot. He reminds Kuzco about his decision to build his home on a different hilltop. He also tells Kuzco that one day he will be all alone and he’ll have no one to blame but himself. After accepting the advice he’ll log away, Kuzco demands Pacha to take him back to the kingdom to which Pacha denies, telling Kuzco to change his attitude, which is why he’s stuck out here. Kuzco, however, refuses to listen, much to Pacha's worry. Despite this, Pacha helps keep Kuzco warm during a cold night.
At the marsh, Kuzco thanks Pacha for keeping him warm last night, Pacha offers Kuzco to be sincere, even if he helps Kuzco. Kuzco, however, forgives him just as Pacha plans to take Kuzco back to the village. On their way to the kingdom, Pacha finds himself hanging under a suspension bridge just as Kuzco refuses to help at first. Kuzco and Pacha, however, find themselves hanging on ropes, arguing again explaining that Kuzco's behavior was insincere just as Kuzco and Pacha get into a fight under a suspension bridge. After a fight, the two fall into a ravine and notice a pool of crocodiles below them. Spying a branch on a cliff, Pacha and Kuzco manage to rescue themselves by reaching the branch to avoid the pool of crocodiles. Pacha offers Kuzco to trust him to which Pacha grabs the rope to help Kuzco. However, the plan ends up becoming more difficult due to scorpions and bats pestering the two while trying to escape from the pool of crocodiles. Kuzco and Pacha, however, manage to escape from falling off the cliff. Pacha thanks Kuzco for saving his life just as the two continue proceeding to the kingdom.
At Mudka's Meat Hut, Pacha disguises Kuzco as a woman peasant because of the policy prohibiting llamas from entering. Having lunch at Mudka's Meat Hut, Kuzco asks the chef complaining about the food the restaurant serves much to Pacha's warning just as Pacha overhears Yzma and Kronk's devious plan to kill the emperor. Pacha then tells Kuzco to stop talking just as Pacha sees Kronk approaching just as Pacha and Kuzco hide, warning Kuzco that the two need to escape. Humiliated through this plan, Pacha asks the waitress Mata to distract Yzma with a surprise party in order for Kuzco and Pacha to escape. Leaving the restaurant, Pacha explains the reason why the two must escape is because Yzma and Kronk are not trying to save Kuzco, but trying to kill him. Kuzco and Pacha argue with each other once again just as Kuzco refuses to trust him once again. After a disagreement between him and Kuzco who refuses to believe in Pacha's truth, Kuzco tries to search for Pacha, only to find out that Pacha is gone.
The next day, a sulking Kuzco overhears Pacha talking to some llamas about how Kuzco saved his life, seeing some good in him. After the conversation, Pacha asks Kuzco if he is tired of being a llama, to which Kuzco tearfully agrees. On their way to Yzma's lab, Pacha walks across two elders (Topo and Ipi) who talk to Pacha for a while. Later, Pacha overhears his wife talking to Yzma just as he meets his wife again, spending time with his family for a while. Escaping, as Kuzco expresses concern over Pacha leaving his family with Yzma and Kronk, Pacha reassures him that his family can take care of themselves while the two head to Yzma's lab. As Yzma sees Pacha and Kuzco escaping, Yzma orders Kronk to go after them. Running away from Yzma and Kronk, Pacha fires an arrow to help Kuzco reach the other side of the cliff while avoiding Yzma and Kronk who are slowed down by a thunderstorm.
At Yzma's lab, Pacha tries to find a vial that turns Kuzco back into a human to which Yzma is shown to be having it the whole time. Yzma orders Kronk to take out the two, but Kronk refuses to after listening to his conscience. Pacha takes the vial from Yzma just as the two have trouble finding the vial due to Yzma spilling many of them on the ground just as to stop the guards, the two launch potions onto the guards, transforming them into animals just as the two try to escape from the animal-transformed guards. While on the canal, Yzma orders the guards to drain the canal just as the guards fall off alongside Pacha and Kuzco. After surviving the fall, Pacha explains that there are only two vials left and one of the two remaining potions transforms Yzma into a cat. Noticing that Yzma has the potion that turns Kuzco back into a human, Pacha and Kronk go after the vial during a chase. Trying to get the vial, Kronk accidentally slams Yzma with the nearby window, stopping Yzma just as Pacha gives Kuzco the potion that turns him back into a human once again.
After the adventure and the defeat of Yzma, Kuzco claims that Pacha lied to him about singing being heard when the sun rises on his hill, claiming he was dragged all over the hill and heard no singing. Kuzco decided to build his summerhouse on a more magical hill, claiming that Pacha and his family were stuck in the tuneless hut forever. Pacha then claimed that he heard singing on the hill next to his just in case the emperor was interested, leading to Kuzco building a summer hut right next door to Pacha's. Pacha and his family welcome Kuzco into their lives and enjoy themselves in Kuzco's pool.
Kronk's New Groove[]
In the second film, Pacha is Kronk's friend. He disguises himself as Pachita, Kronk's mother-in-law (they initially planned for him to pretend to be his wife, but Pacha's wife, Chicha did that instead).
The Emperor's New School[]
In the TV series, he is like a father to Kuzco, and lets him live with him. He always gives Kuzco advice to help him out of any situation. For example, when Kuzco was transformed into a rabbit, he told Kuzco to "Make the best of what you've got," which in this case was speed.
In Cart Wash, when Kuzco is transformed into an elephant and laments how he is going to wash carts, Pacha tells him that elephants wash through their trunks and he could do the same with carts. After Kuzco graduates in Graduation Groove, Kuzco reveals during the credits that he had Pacha and his family move into the palace with him as he loved living with them and would miss them.
Other appearances[]
Pacha made cameo appearances as a guest in several episodes of House of Mouse.
In It's a Small World: The Animated Series, Pacha makes a brief, non-speaking cameo appearance alongside Kuzco in the animated mini-series episode Up and Down.
Disney Parks[]
Out of the four main characters in the film, Pacha is the least featured in Disney parks, so he is considered a super rare character.
Walt Disney World[]
Pacha makes a brief appearance alongside Kuzco in Wonderful World of Animation during the Action Segment.
Pacha also appears in the attraction Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!, alongside Tipo, Chaca, and Chicha.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the original film Kingdom of the Sun, Pacha would be voiced by Owen Wilson who would later voice Lightning McQueen in the Cars franchise by Pixar.
- In the documentary The Sweatbox, the animators revealed that Pacha is forty-five years old.
- In the trailer spots for the film, in the scene where Pacha, after rescuing Kuzco from a pack of jaguars, accidentally ties himself and Kuzco to a branch, he expresses confidence that they can get themselves out of the situation, only to promptly say "...or not." just as the branch starts breaking off. However, in the actual film, Pacha shows absolutely no loss of confidence in getting themselves out, and instead during the branch breaking off, Kuzco only responds by saying "I hate you" in a deadpan manner.
The famous "just right" meme.
- In addition to Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, George Wendt, Steve Martin, and Dan Aykroyd were all considered to voice Pacha in the final film.
- His last name is apparently kept secret as shown a few times in the TV series when Kuzco and Kronk wonder exactly what it is. In "Kuzco's Little Secret", he said, he'd be more surprised if Kuzco knew what it is.
- Sometime in January 2016, Pacha became the subject of a meme. During the scene where he tells Kuzco about his home and informs him about the position of his house in relation to the sun, he makes a rather humorous expression while holding his hands up. Since then, people online have taken this pose and photoshopped him to make him resemble various characters in pop culture; usually to emphasize the absolute top quality of something in relation to the subject being referenced or parodied.
- The meme was also recreated in the Chibi Tiny Tales short The Emperor's New Groove as Told by Chibi.
- In Disney Heroes: Battle Mode, Pacha's meme, When The Sun Hits That Ridge Just Right, appears in his White Skill animation The Special, he recreates the moment exactly like in the movie.
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