Koda (Brother Bear)
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Koda is a fictional character from the Disney movies Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2.
[edit] Brother Bear
The movie centers on Kenai, a young Eskimo who was on the verge of becoming a man. But after his brother Sitka died saving him from a bear, Kenai decided to kill the bear at all costs. He succeeded, but for acting out of hate, rather than out of love as he had been commanded, the spirits turned Kenai himself into a bear. The only way for him to become human again was to travel to a mountain peak called, "the place where the (Northern) lights touch the earth." Along the way Kenai met an orphaned bear cub named Koda. At first Kenai found Koda annoying, but eventually he became attached to him. Then Kenai learned that the bear he had mercilessly hunted and killed had been Koda's mother. When given the chance to be human again, Kenai chose instead to stay as a bear and help Koda, who needed him more than any of his own people. Ironically, for this act of love, Kenai was declared to have become a man.
[edit] Brother Bear 2
In Brother Bear 2, Kenai and Koda awaken from hibernation to find that spring has arrived. Even with snow on the ground and the trees still bare, love is decidedly in the air. Kenai and Koda scoff at the notion of romance, but an old bear cautions them (Kenai in particular) that "You can't run from love. It has a way of tracking you down." Kenai laughs, but later has a dream about Nita, a girl he used to know when he was young and a human.
Meanwhile, in her own village, Nita is preparing for her wedding to a man named Atka. But when the big moment arrives, it is revealed that Nita cannot marry Atka. The reason for this is that when they were children, Kenai gave Nita an amulet as a gift. What neither Kenai nor Nita realized was that the amulet bound them as one. The only way for Nita to marry Atka now is to go with Kenai to Hokani Falls, where he first gave her the amulet, and burn it.
Nita finds Kenai and manages to convince him to help her. Initially Koda gets along with her better than Kenai, relating a number of embarrassing stories about Kenai's early blunders. But during the course of their three-day journey, their old friendship sprouts anew and flourishes- with the ultimate result that Koda feels left out. After Kenai and Nita burn the amulet (despite their feelings for each other) and Nita returns to her village, Koda decides that Kenai's happiness is more important to him than having a brother. To that end, he asks his mom to tell the spirits to turn Kenai back into a man so he can be with Nita. Then he goes into the village, an act that is all but suicide.
When the spirits show up, Koda explains that he asked them to change Kenai back. Kenai decides, however, that he can't do that. But Nita decides that as long as the spirits are there, they can turn her into a bear. This they do, and shortly thereafter Kenai and Nita are married, effectively giving Koda a new mom.
[edit] Personality
Koda is essentially a younger version of Kenai. With a knack for getting into trouble and a constantly active mouth, it comes as little surprise that Kenai finds him annoying at times. But despite his chaotic behavior Koda has a heart of gold. When push comes to shove he is willing to put his life on the line and give up what means the most to him for the sake of his friends, even if the friend in question happens to be the person who killed his mom.
At the beginning of Brother Bear 2 (or at least at the beginning of Nita's part in it) Koda's role largely consists of simultaneously entertaining Nita and annoying Kenai by describing some of Kenai's most embarrassing moments, such as getting sprayed by a skunk (or the fact that Kenai had been dreaming about Nita- See the Wikiquote article). However, as he notices Nita and Kenai growing closer, he becomes irritated as Kenai begins to ignore him and focus his attention on Nita. He is used to having Kenai to himself. His grief at the situation is only solidified when Kenai mentions that he misses being human. After the landslide, he realizes that maybe Kenai would be happier as a human with Nita, so he asks the spirits to change Kenai back - he just wants Kenai to be happy. However, Kenai says that although he missed being human, he could never leave Koda. Fortunately for all concerned, Nita chooses life as a bear. Koda's benefit from this is that he not only keeps one friend, but gains another who, in a sense, acts as a replacement for his late mother.
