The Great Owl

The Great Owl is a supporting character in The Secret of NIMH. He seems monstrous at first, but he's very wise. The Great Owl lives in the nearby woods. He is the one who tells Mrs. Brisby to visit a group of rats who live underneath a rose bush and ask for Nicodemus. John Carradine did his voice. In the sequel - The Great Owl was mentioned. But was only seen in the flashbacks in the beginning.

Personality[]

In spite of his rather frightening appearance, he is not evil and he means no harm to those who seek his wisdom, even killing a spider before it could harm Mrs. Brisby. He is a very wise and knowledgeable owl with an and/or solution to almost any problem. His knowledge also encompasses heroic acts and deeds, being able to point Mrs. Brisby to the Rats of NIMH after finding out that Jonathan Brisby, the saviour and close ally to the Rats, was Mrs. Brisby's husband. Likely due to his great age, he can be rather curmudgeonly as when Mrs. Brisby was working up the courage to enter his home, he stated 'Step inside or go away!', indicating his patience is easy tested. He is likely a very sedentary bird as when he first appears, he is covered in cobwebs just like his home, as well as his neck cricking when turning his head back around (a sign of great age also as younger owls' necks turn more smoothly.)

Physical Appearance[]

As suggested by his name, The Great Owl is a rather large elderly owl, with brown feathers all over with some white and grey on his face. His beak is yellow with what appears to be age lines, a further show of his advanced years. He also has large grey legs and feet (large enough to crush a spider as big as Mrs. Brisby under one of them) with long sharp talons on each toe. Probably his most striking feature are his bright, glowing yellow eyes, which can be very unsettling to those who meet him, Mrs. Brisby being an example.

Role in the film[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

Sean Connery, the late James Earl Jones, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton, the late Christopher Lee and the late Christopher Plummer were all considered for The Great Owl. Before John Carradine was cast to voice him
Ironically the late Christopher Plummer would later go on to play The Grand Duke of Owls nine years later in the 1991 film Rock-a-Doodle.
Don Bluth himself confirmed that both The Great Owl and Nicodemus were one in the same entity. He said the following-The Great Owl is more than a bird. He is the guardian of Mrs Brisby, and in literature, what is known as a “Shape Shifter.” We meet him again in the form of Nicodemus - still guiding her future. - Don ^[1]

The Secret of NIMH

Media: The Secret of NIMH | The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue ("Bluthless" sequel)

References[]

↑ He was my favorite character in the movie. There's a lot of speculation that he and Nicodemus were one in the same entity. Could you speak to that?[1]

[1] He was my favorite character in the movie. There's a lot of speculation that he and Nicodemus were one in the same entity. Could you speak to that?[1]

[1]