Ron Stoppable

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Ron
Ron Stoppable
Publisher Disney Channel First appearance "Crush" Created by Mark McCorkle Bob Schooley
Characteristics Alter ego Ronald "Ron" Stoppable Affiliations Team Possible Notable aliases The Middleton Mad Dog, The Fearless Ferret, Zorpox The Conqueror (Evil alter ego) Abilities Stereotype hero/sidekick abilities, "The Ron Factor" Mystical Monkey Powers Highly developed running and evasion skills, High stamina, Occasional demonstration of genius level intellect

Ronald "Ron" Stoppable is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Kim Possible.

He debuted in the series opening episode in June 2002 ^[1], starred in all 65 episodes of Season 1-3, and made his Season 4 debut in an episode broadcast exclusively over the Disney Channel website in February 2007, and returned to Disney Channel on February 10.^[2]

Ron is a high school student with an eccentric personality who serves as a “bumbling sidekick” to the shows titular protagonist Kim Possible. He was Kim's best friend from Seasons 1-3 and eventually progressed to the level of boyfriend during the Season 3 finale. He provides much of the franchise's Comic relief, but also serves as an anchor to Kim's competitive/image conscious personality.

His first and last name is a take on “Unstoppable”, and he is voiced by Will Friedle.

Contents 1 History 2 Personality 2.1 Type B Personality 2.2 Bumbling Sidekick 2.3 High School Underdog 2.4 Contrast 3 The Ron Factor 4 Mystical Monkey Powers 5 Religion 6 Love Interests 7 Trivia 8 See also 9 Notes and references

[edit] History

Ron is an only child from an observant Jewish family (See also Ron's Religion).^[3] He met Kim during their first day at pre-school and they have been firm friends ever since.^[4]

In the TV movie "A Sitch in Time", Ron is depicted as having been an articulate, observant child; able to comprehend complex concepts, and having a strong social conscience, but also underdeveloped social skills which set him apart from other children.^[4] He had an imaginary friend named Rufus ^[4](a consequence of being set apart from other children) and has slept with a night light since the age of four.^[5]

Many aspects of Ron's current personality can be traced back to various traumatic events from his childhood that have been shown in a variety of flashbacks throughout seasons 1-3. The event which is referenced most often in the series was a summer that he spent in a rundown sleep away camp named Camp Wannaweep during which time he called home so many times, asking to leave the camp, that his mother eventually refused to accept his calls.^[6][7] While at Wannaweep Ron was bullied by other campers and forced to share an insect infested cabin with the camp's overactive chimpanzee mascot “Bobo”, the latter of which lead him to develop a pathological fear of monkeys and apes that has been frequently mentioned throughout the series.

It was also during this summer at Wannaweep that Ron encountered fellow camper Gil Moss - with whom he traded his slot on the swim schedule for a second slot in arts and crafts – Gil later returned as a villain seeking revenge on Ron, whom he blamed for causing him to mutate (a result of swimming in the lake's polluted water).^[7]

During Season 2, it was learned that Ron was first introduced to the Freelance Hero business when reclusive Upperton millionaire Mr. Paisley became trapped in his own vault. His associate, Mr. McHenry, attempted to contact “Team Impossible”, a group of heroes-for-hire, but accidentally contacted Kim Possible instead.^[4][8] Based on the period in which Kim wore braces, this event was some 2 years prior to the start of season 1. ^[9]

Ron's feelings for Kim have been addressed several times during seasons 1-3, most notable when Kim came under the influence of a mood altering device that caused her to pursue him romantically, ^[10] and were finally resolved during the last installment of the Season 3 finale (originally intended to be the final episode of the franchise). As of Season 4, he and Kim are officially a couple. Senior year also sees Ron join the High School football team as its star running back, using the running and dodging skills he honed as Kim's sidekick.

Ron's status as an only child is set to end during season 4, when his parents adopt a baby girl named Hana.^[11]

[edit] Personality

Personality wise, Ron is the polar opposite of Kim. He reacts differently in almost every situation, excels at things that she has difficulties with (and vice versa), and sees the world in a different way. He is probably also the most diverse character in the franchise, and is the character whom has displayed the most contradictions/contrasts in terms of personality and capability throughout the franchise (See Contrasts).

For most of the franchise, Ron's character consists of three primary teen comedy/drama stereotypes:

• A "Type B personality" friend to a type A character
• A “bumbling sidekick”
• A “high school underdog”.

[edit] Type B Personality

As a type B, Ron is primarily cheerful and upbeat, is highly resistant to most forms of peer pressure, and is largely unconcerned with appearance and fads; which he considers to be shallow and transitory.^[12] Because of this, Ron frequently serves as a counterbalance to Kim's type A personality; often encouraging her to take a step back in episodes where her competitive nature goes into overdrive, and helping her to get things in perspective when she frets over “teen issues” such as the “Popularity food chain” and how others think of her.^{[13][14][15][12]} Equally, Kim often performs a similar function for Ron, motivating him, encouraging him to participate in some areas, and attempting to dampen down his enthusiasm in others.^[7]

Ron's personality is defined by ego but not in such an obvious way as Type A Kim. He tends to become fixated with ideas, objects and concepts that cannot be dislodged from his mind, even after they have proven to be flawed. During early episodes this usually took the form of Ron disagreeing with Kim over the intentions of a villain: for example, believing that Drakken wants to "steal Christmas", ^[1] or that Senor Senior Senior intended to create a global shortage of miniature Corn dogs, ^[16] and primarily served as dialog during "covert entry" scenes. However, as Ron's personality developed with the franchise, this tendency became more pronounced. It was most evident in later episodes such as Mad Dogs and Aliens, and Grande Size Me.

In the former, Ron obsesses over the fact that Jim and Tim have replaced him as team mascot. He doesn't think they can live up to his legacy and takes it too personal, to the point that he tries to become their coach. In the latter Ron refuses to believe that eating junk food can cause health and fitness problems. He tries to disprove it by eating nothing but Bueno Nacho meals (a play on the real world documentary "Super Size Me"). As a result, when his clothes start becoming tight he attributes it to shrinkage in the laundry and he attributes his shortness of breath to lack of clean air. However when he grows in height he says it's the diet he's on, not knowing his falling into Henchco's Titan vat was the reason.

[edit] Bumbling Sidekick

As a “bumbling sidekick", Ron is typically portrayed as being extremely loyal, but also clumsy and lacking in bravery. He tends to “trip over his own feet” in most episodes - often in comical or socially embarrassing ways – and during missions it is common for him to comically fail to do something that Kim has done flawlessly (For example, he might ski backwards down a mountain and collide with a tree just after Kim has successfully negotiated the slope).

Ron's clumsiness was very pronounced in early episodes, often resulting in him endangering himself or the mission, and forcing Kim to stop whatever she was currently doing to save him. However, as the series has progressed, his skills have become more proficient and he has required rescuing much less frequently. In later episodes, much of his clumsiness primarily serves as comic relief and is portrayed as awkwardness rather than incompetence; he is often shown performing feats of physical skill and dexterity alongside Kim, albeit in an awkward and slightly panicked manner in contrast to Kim's usually graceful and deliberate performance. The show's creators have stated that Ron's performance during action sequences was originally supposed to be based on Jackie Chan, performing physical feats in an uncertain and improvised, but ultimately effective, manner.^{[citation needed]}

Although Ron's clumsiness has caused problems (for example, allowing villains to escape ^[17]) it also often works in his favor, allowing him to accomplish things through clumsiness that neither he nor Kim were able to do through pure skill (See The Ron Factor). According to Wade, this may be a quantifiable ability that Ron possesses.^[18]

Another long-running trait of Ron's is his list of phobias. His fear of monkeys is frequently mentioned, and he has also been shown to be pathologically fearful of insects, mechanical horses (triggered by an accident with a coin operated horse ride in which he lost 2 baby teeth)^[19], garden gnomes (triggered by a gnome related tricycle accident) ^[20], and many other things. Often, episodes show him panicking on missions when confronted by anything threatening or dangerous. He also had a tendency to be paranoid in some cases, an end result of his childhood phobias and bad experiences.

Despite his fears, Ron usually manages to come through in the end; at one point, a character remarks that Ron's actions in loyally following Kim into danger despite being afraid of practically everything is a mark of true bravery.^[19]

It is a running gag for Ron to lose his pants or even get unwittingly stripped down to his boxer shorts in some comical way. In Season 2, he states that this has happened so often that he is no longer embarrassed about it.^[21]. Though, in season 4, he admits that he is still perturbed by the fact that this continues to happen even when he is a high school senior.

[edit] High School Underdog

Alongside his general clumsiness, Ron does not excel in school and often appears to have difficulty grasping simple facts or concepts - even if they are spelled out to him - either because he has a limited understanding of the topic or the way in which it is being discussed, or because he is not paying attention.^[22][23] (Due to the nature of Ron's role within the series, it is not always clear when this is part of his permanent persona, and when it is intended purely as comic relief). Ron's problems are accentuated by his overall lack of focus, and by a tendency towards a laziness which, at its most extreme, included expecting his lab partner to do all of the work on the grounds that their natural motivation to succeed would compel them to pick up his slack.^[24]

Ironically, while it is a common gag for Ron to fail to understand everyday words or euphemisms (such as the phrase "fraternal twins"), Ron demonstrates a slightly more advanced vocabulary than other characters on the franchise; often using longer words than a person of his age might otherwise use, and maintaining more controlled style of speech throughout the series as well as reflecting complex and unusual lines of thought that slip other character's attention, including comments on Kim's own statements and behavior. However, such observations by Ron only serve to further give other characters the impression that he is odd and weird. These characteristics were particularly evident when Ron was younger, ^[4][7]; currently they are less prevalent, but still reasonably frequent.

Ron also has a tendency to hold onto childhood habits and customs, often stubbornly refusing to change despite the negative reactions of others. For example, in October 31 he goes out trick-or-treating at a time when most people his age would have long ceased. In the Season 4 episode Grande Size Me he does not appreciate that eating nothing but Bueno Nacho food would cause him to decline in health and physique. In The Big Job when Monique hints that he should get a job, he doesn't understand even when Monique tells him that he'd have "mad money."

As is common for a fictional underdog, Ron has a tendency to have low expectations of his performance and to set low standards for himself, both academically and socially. He lacks focus and often appears to fair poorly due to either a lack of effort and a lack of belief in his own abilities ^[17], or through trying too hard and coming across as a clown.^[25]

His efforts to fit in are often hampered by the fact that he is moderately hyperactive and has a tendency to act with a pronounced level of immaturity, which has earned him a reputation as a loser among his peers ^[25][26]. However, for the most part, Ron's type B personality means that he either does not notice this - and thus tends to embarrass those around him more than himself ^[27][7], or that he passes his quirks off as part of his intrinsic “Ronness” and ignores what others think. This was most evidenced when he was first introduced in the pilot episode "Crush", when he declared his motto to be "Never be normal!".

Though Ron appears to become accustomed to the idea that others see him as being uncool, and usually shrugs it off, he has been known to seek acceptance from peers on several occasions (usually in an attempt to be noticed by girls), with varying levels of success. Two notable occasions were when he attempted to reinvent himself during a Spring Break trip to Florida ^[25] and when he tried out for school mascot the “Middleton Mad dog”.^[7] In the case of the former, Ron was branded a loser within a day of arriving. In the case of the latter, Ron won the crowd's acceptance, but managed to upset the entire cheer squad in the process. On the occasions that Ron has achieved a level of acceptance from his peers, he usually revels in it, ^[28][23] and sometimes allows it to go to his head.^[20][29] Though never directly stereotyped as being a nerd/geek, he has been referred to as one on several occasions, and has many typical geek/nerd traits. As evidenced by his love of “cult” computer games, ^[30], his occasional fascination with the science fiction and fantasy genres, and by his ability to get along with Kim's nerdish cousin Larry. ^[6]

Ron's personality traits were most clearly demonstrated when his school was hit by a fictional personality-guide fad known as animology, under which he is classified as being a pink sloth: a socially inept outcast and follower, who smells of over ripe fruit.^[16] During the school career fair Ron was drawn toward food service.^[31]

[edit] Contrast

Despite usually being portrayed as being awkward, childish, distracted, and an underachiever, Ron's character has been been shown to have hidden depths and abilities which the franchise occasionally explored as plot devices or McGuffins.

Among Ron's hidden talents are demonstrable creative and intellectual streaks. He wrote the song that Kim sung at the school talent contest and wrote the "Naked Mole Rap," ^[5] is a talented cook, ^[32], and enjoys success in many craft-related activities (including constructing his own custom made Mad Dog head). He also often makes profound observations on life and society that belie his normal portrayal a having an “uncomplicated mind”, and displayed all of the qualities needed to be rapidly promoted to a management grade during his very short lived career as the Middleton Bueno Nacho manager.^[33] He also has a lot of other talents, as seen in the talent show. Although this might not count as a skill, he did invent the Naco.

In addition to these talents, Ron sometimes undergoes periods of extreme focus or clarity, during which in time his personality, skills and abilities undergo dramatic changes that allow him to perform feats that he is not usually depicted as being capable of preforming. Most of these changes that are in line with his role as a hero “who always comes through when the chips are down”. They include:

Bravery. During “Sink or Swim” and “Return to Camp Wannaweep”, Ron was able to overcome his fears in order to take on the villain Gill singlehandedly. In Exchange Ron overcame his sense of self doubt, and his fear of monkeys, in order to rescue Yori from Monkey Fist.

Agility and Sports. During Sick Day Ron was able to master several different extreme sport related skills that he had previously been unable to master, in order to infiltrate Drakken's lair and escape with Ray X (suffering only a single trademark pants related incident). In “The Twin Factor” Ron successfully evaded both Shego and a mind controlled Kim - even maneuvering himself so that the pair would cut his bonds - and in “Exchange” he defeated experienced Yamanouchi ( 山ノ内) ninja Fukushima in single combat. Most recently, in the Season 4 premiere, "Ill Suited", Ron tried out for the Middleton High Football Team and it was discovered that his so called "mad running away skills" made him a natural running back. In fact, he earned Middleton High's all-time rushing record (running the entire opposing team into exhaustion after just one play), which has actually earned him the nickname "Unstoppable".

Flashes of inspiration/brilliance. In Sink or Swin, Ron used misdirection to lure Gill into a trap. In "Sick Day" he successfully charted a way into Drakken's lair that enabled him to avoid detection, and in Bad Boy, he showed a high level of forethought in his world domination plans.

Perhaps the most pronounced of the changes/contrasts displayed by Ron was in “ Bad Boy" when the stereotypical "mad scientist" elements of Drakken's personality were accidentally transferred into him, causing him to temporarily became a costumed "Mad scientist/Evil genius" type super villain named Zorpox The Conqueror. As Zorpox, Ron created a series of increasingly sophisticated weapons, ranging from a mechanical device to fling mashed potatoes to an all terrain plasma catapult.

Although these changes/depth appear regularly throughout the franchise, they do not appear in every episode, and are not always consistent between episodes.

[edit] The Ron Factor

The Ron factor is an intangible talent/element that Ron was hypothesized to possess. It supposedly allowed him to achieve results through a series of apparently random mishaps that would otherwise require great skill to accomplish. According to Wade, The Ron Factor may be a product of non-linear mathematical concepts (also known as Chaos Theory).^[18]

Initially, Global Justice believed The Ron Factor was the secret to Team Possible's success and they researched it heavily for a short period, hoping to be able to harness it themselves. However since they were unable to isolate it, GJ eventually concluded that it did not exist.^[18]

Independently of the conclusion from GJ, the Ron Factor was later revisited as a plot element during the Kim Possible movie: "A Sitch in Time". Shego realized that Kim was most effective as an adversary when working side by side with Ron. She then hatches a plan to separate them, thus severally hampering Kim's ability to thwart her adversaries. This separation weakened Team Possible sufficiently for Shego to be able to take over the world.^[4]

[edit] Mystical Monkey Powers

During the Season 1 episode “Monkey Fist Strikes”, Ron was exposed to magical energy from 4 jade monkey statues which embued him with “mystical monkey powers”, including an instinctive knowledge of the martial art “Tai Shing Pek Kwar” (大圣劈挂) as well as superhuman speed and strength.^[6]

It was initially implied that Ron lost these powers when the jade monkey statues were destroyed and they played no further part in Season 1 (even during other Monkey Fist related episodes).^[6] However, they were revisited half way through Season 2, during the episode “Exchange ”, when Ron was temporarily transferred to the Yamanouchi ninja school in Japan.^[34]

While at Yamanouchi, Ron was trained as a ninja and displayed several “bursts” of monkey power throughout the episode but was unable to control them most of the time. He was also introduced to the Lotus Blade; a shape changing sword created by the founder of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, which was kept at the Yamanouchi ninja school. Although Ron was shown to be able to control the blade, his usual clumsiness was still shown as well as several comical moments such as losing his clothes when successfully calling the blade to him.^[34]

In a separate incident, Ron was prophesied to be "The Supreme Monkey Master". Though no story development concerning this was done so far, yet, it has been announced the Mystical Monkey Power storyline was to be concluded right before the end of season 4.^[35]

As of the end of “Exchange ” Ron's monkey powers have not been explicitly shown again in the cartoon. The show even makes a self-referential comment about this; during a fight, Ron's opponent is surprised by his terrible performance, believing Ron is supposed to possess some sort of mystical superpower. Ron sheepishly replies that "it comes and it goes, y'know".^[8]

Ron's Monkey powers are more regular and more reliable in the franchises game adaptations, including Team Possible, where Ron gains access to monkey power after defeating Monkey Fist.

[edit] Religion

As a Jew, Ron is the only Kim Possible character whose religious background is specifically mentioned in the series.^[3] This is handled in a similar way to that of fellow fictional Jew Willow Rosenberg - it forms part of his character's background and mannerisms, but is not an issue addressed directly by the series.

As such, Ron does not openly partake in religious activities or discuss his religion on screen, instead his background is usually referenced through stereotypes and cultural references associated with Judaism in modern day America (for example, requesting Kosher meals in the school cafeteria).

As of the end of season 3, the only time that his background was referenced directly was during season 1, when teacher Steve Barkin noticed that Ron's Rabbi (Rabbi Katz) had given him a bar mitzvah certificate, but had forgotten to sign it.^[3] Afterwards, he is seen consulting with a Rabbi and makes several reference to different aspects of Jewish culture. However, the reference primarily serves as a mcguffin designed to lead up to a sub-plot which explored traditional teenage insecurities. After Barkin's discovery, Ron is sent into a spiral of self doubt and resorts to using technology from supervillain supplier Jack Hench to give himself huge muscles, before discovering that manhood comes from within, not from what you look like on the outside, or from a piece of paper (which Rabbi Katz eventually signs). ^[3]

Despite his upbringing, Ron is an active participant in the secular aspects of Christmas, which he usually spends with the Possible Family.^[36]

According to creator Steve Loter, Ron's Jewish heritage will not be featured again during season 4.^[37]

[edit] Love Interests

Ron has had a variety of love interests and crushes throughout the show, more than any of the show's other characters:

• Zita Flores: Ron's crush in early season 2. She might have been his first girlfriend.

• Amelia: Addressed in The New Ron, Animal Attraction, and Ron Millionaire. Amelia crushed on Ron because of his new hairdo. When he lost the haircut, he lost Amelia's interest. Ron got excited in Animal Attraction when he found out that Animology said that Amelia was his soul mate. Ron was also seen flirting with Amelia in Ron Millionaire.

• Tara: Tara is the most well-known of Ron's love interests, with the exception of Kim. Tara is one of the many girls that gazed at Ron in The New Ron. Unlike the others, she saw Ron's true self afterwards, and she liked what she saw. She even kissed him (on the cheek) in Sink or Swim after he rescued the cheerleading squad from Gill the mutant. That was the first kiss seen on the show. Unfortunately, Ron never realized her interest until long after it had ended.

• Yori: Yori, a student of the Yamanouchi ninja school in Japan, who had a crush on Ron. By the start of Season 4 they had met only twice and Ron was not aware of her affection for him until she was leaving at the end of their second meeting. She returned during Season 4 and Ron told her of his relationship with Kim, which she accepted with good grace.

• Kim Possible: The star of the show and best friend to Ron Stoppable; over time they became boyfriend and girlfriend. The directors of the show, as stated in an interview, had chosen to couple Kim and Ron so as to impart the moral, "give geeks a chance". Kim and Ron had a very durable friendship before their romantic involvement in So the Drama. This is suspected by some fans to be a type of maxim communicating the idea a strong friendship should first precede romance. According to the series' directors, Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle, Kim and Ron will be dating in the upcoming fourth season. It is believed by some fans the addition of the element of romance will be a positive thing, while some others are opposed to it (they believe it may cause the show to jump the shark. During the episode Ill Suited the show makes reference to this when Ron asks Kim if she had ever water skied over a shark, as in a dream he had). Schooley and McCorkle have noted the potential risk, admitting that while Kim and Ron's blossoming love has given them a chance to do something new with the characters, the relationship has to be handled delicately to avoid turning the series stale.^[38]

[edit] Trivia

• The episode "The Fearless Ferret", a parody of the original Batman TV series, features Ron becoming the apprentice of an aging crime fighter (voiced by Adam West, the actor who played Batman in the TV series). This is also a parody of the setup for the animated series Batman Beyond. Will Friedle voices both Terry McGinnis (Batman's apprentice in Batman Beyond), and Ron.
• Despite having previously failed to make the football team, Ron breaks the Middleton rushing record in “Ill Suited” and becomes the team's star running back (although in other episodes he appears to be operating as a receiver).
• Ron's team number is 7, which historically has been considered a lucky number.

[edit] See also

• Booya
• Naked Mole Rat

[edit] Notes and references

Kim Possible
Team Possible:	Kim Possible | Ron Stoppable | Rufus | Wade | Monique
Villains:	Dr. Drakken | Shego | Monkey Fist | Duff Killigan | The Seniors | Dementor | DNAmy | Bebes | Gill | Motor Ed | Camille Leon | Adrena Lynn | Warmonga | Zorpox | Other minor villains
Family:	Mr. Dr. P. | Mrs. Dr. P. | Jim and Tim | Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable | Hana | Joss Possible | Slim Possible | Other family members
Supporting:	Bonnie Rockwaller | Steve Barkin | Bobo | Other minor allies | Other supporting characters
Locations:	Middleton | Bueno Nacho | Club Banana | Smarty Mart | Camp Wannaweep
Other:	Cuddle Buddies
Episodes & films:	List of episodes | A Sitch In Time | So The Drama
	Other Media
Soundtrack	Kim Possible soundtrack
Video games:	Revenge of Monkey Fist | Drakken's Demise | Team Possible | Kimmunicator | What's The Switch | Global Gemini
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