Branch is the deuteragonist from the Trolls and Trolls 2. He is voiced by Justin Timberlake.
Background
Personality
Branch is the over-cautious paranoid survivalist in Troll Village, who lives in fear of invasion from the Bergens. The only Troll in the village who doesn't sing, dance or hug, Branch lives a disgruntled existence, constantly trying to prepare for the worst. Even though he has secret feelings for Poppy, he is constantly flummoxed by the over-the-top positivity of the other Trolls.
Over the course of the film, Branch is challenged to embrace his inner Troll, even if it includes a dreaded burst of singing and dancing.
Physical Appearance
He has straight, dark hair (almost black), and has greyish-blueish like skin. His eyes are a sky blue. His ears sort of stick out. He wears a dull colored, green leafy vest and brown shorts with green patches and stitches on it.
His true colors consists of having teal skin and royal blue hair, brighter clothes, and sparkly cheeks. His color turned grey after he lost his grandmother due to his singing. When all the trolls lost their hope and turned grey, Branch regained his original colors by singing their hopes up, including his own, too.
Branch-- His Story
Years before the events of the film, Branch was a happy Troll who lived with his grandmother in the Troll Tree. When singing one day he attracted the attention of a Bergen who tried to grab him to eat. However, his grandmother pushed him out of the way and was taken instead. A traumatized Branch blamed himself, refusing to sing after that, his colour turning grey in the process. Sometime after that, he escaped with the rest of the Trolls from Bergen Town.
Twenty years later, a paranoid Branch is invited to a party held by Princess Poppy and her friends the snack pack. He refuses, telling them that their party will attract the Bergens. His warnings are ignored, and he remains in his survival bunker throughout the party. His fears are realised when a banished Chef finds the village and snatches a number of Trolls. Poppy asks for his help to save her friends, but he refuses and chooses to stay in his bunker. However, he soon chooses to travel to Bergen Town with her after the other Trolls came to his bunker to hide (which became unbearable for him after the third Hug Time).
Upon arriving in Bergen Town, Branch agrees to help the other Trolls with getting scullery maid Bridget a date with King Gristle Jr.. At this point, he reveals to Poppy why he doesn't sing, to which Poppy comforts him. During the date, Branch feeds romantic lines to Bridget, presumably talking about Poppy at the same time. When the Trolls discover that one Troll named Creek (who was presumed to have been eaten by King Gristle) is alive, they steal the jewel that he is held in. However, they discover that it is empty, and are captured by Chef, where they discover that Creek has betrayed them to save himself. Creek returns to the village to lure the other Trolls out of hiding, where they are soon captured by Chef and her Bergen Cooks.
With all the Trolls captured and ready to be cooked, Branch watches as Poppy loses hope and turns grey along with the other Trolls. For the first time in twenty years, Branch sings, revealing to Poppy through song that he loves her, which she reciprocates. The song helps restore not only the colour of Poppy and the other Trolls, but also Branch himself. The Trolls are then rescued by Bridget and reveal to King Gristle that Bridget was Lady Glitter Sparkles and say that Bergens don't have to eat Trolls to be happy. The King agrees to this and now the trolls and the Bergens are no longer enemies. Branch, Poppy and the other Trolls lead them with a song. Bergen Town turns colorful and the Troll Tree blumes once more.
At the end of the film, Branch shares a romantic hug with Poppy, who is crowned as the Trolls' new queen. There is evidence that shows they are officially now boyfriend and girlfriend.
Trivia
- Branch's voice actor, Justin Timberlake, also voiced Arthur "Artie" Pendragon from Shrek the Third.
- Unlike most Trolls, at the beginning, Branch dislikes hugs and always tries to avoid Hug Time.
- Branch doesn't wear a Hug Time bracelet at any time in the film. But we can see that in the flashback of him as a kid he used to wear one. He must have gotten rid of it after he became grey to avoid Hug Time for himself.
- It is unknown what happened to Branch's parents, though it is theorized that they sacrificed themselves to save Branch and possibly Grandma Rosiepuff from being eaten.
- Branch was a child sometime before the Trolls escaped from Bergen town, which makes him in his early to mid twenties by the events of the film, meaning that he is a few years older than Poppy. His believed age in the events of the film is 26. Poppy is 23.
- It can be implied at various moments in the film before he regained his true colors, that he longed to be happy again and was quite lonely. For example, when he looked sadly at invitations he was given by Poppy that he keeps behind a curtain in his bunker, and when he looked sad when Poppy was leaving his bunker.
- Branch may suffer from manic depression.
- Considering that he became gray when he was a child, (around five or six) Branch has been without his true colors for most of his life.
- Branch's hair is shorter than the other Trolls for the majority of the film. When his true colors are restored, his hair grows longer and brighter.
- Branch has always had secret feelings towards Poppy. This can be concluded by the fact he has been keeping Poppy's cards for years. Also, when Branch was feeding Bridget romantic poetry to say on her date with King Gristle Jr., he was actually talking about Poppy, and smiled at her for a second before looking away. He later confirms this when he confesses his love/feelings for her by singing True Colors. She admits through song that she fell in love with him and now loves him back and then they sing True Colors together.
- Branch hates Creek. Probably because of Poppy's former crush on him. Since he liked her, he was possibly jealous of Poppy's crush on him, since Creek's a funny Zen master and Branch is a grumpy coward.
• Poppy flirtatiously said goodnight to Creek's picture, Branch angrily shouted, "And goodnight, Poppy!"-- like he was really annoyed and possibly angry at her for flirting with him, or his picture.
• He immediately chokes Creek using his hair, knowing he's going to sell them out, when Chef told them that Creek will be the one who will help her find the other Trolls. But after Creek confirmed that he WILL be selling them out, Branch is seen very glad and proud of Poppy for
- Branch hates Creek. Probably because of Poppy's former crush on him. Since he liked her, he was possibly jealous of Poppy's crush on him, since Creek's a funny Zen master and Branch is a grumpy coward.
- Branch disdains playful humor so much he chased Cloud Guy, who was just playfully teasing him, with two broken sticks, trying to attack him.
- Branch is similar to Kristoff from Disney's Frozen:
- Both are loners.
- Both go on a journey with an optimistic princess. (Anna and Poppy).
- In both movies they fell in love with that princess, but in Trolls it's different because Branch fell in love with Poppy a long time ago, long before their journey. Kristoff fell in love with Anna over the COURSE of their journey.
- Both were orphans since they were kids.
- Both were, and still are, survivalists.
- Both were sarcastic and self-absorbed before the princess changed their hearts.
