- “Oh, great. Now I'm getting etiquette lessons from a bilge rat.”
- ―Sinbad about Rat.
Rat is a supporting character in the DreamWorks film, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Rat is a tightrope walker who also serves as a watchman and topman aboard the Chimera.
Background[]
Little is known about Rat’s past, but he is implied to be Italian—likely from somewhere other than Syracuse—due to his distinct accent and his habit of muttering or exclaiming in Italian throughout the film. No other character shares this speech pattern, further highlighting his unique origin.
Personality[]
Though obedient to Sinbad, Rat occasionally grows frustrated with the captain’s decisions, grumbling under his breath or voicing concerns while ultimately following orders.
Rat displays a sympathetic, compassionate attitude toward Marina. Her presence brings out a more sensitive side of him—one he may not be accustomed to expressing as a pirate—making him more prone to physical affection and emotional reactions, including crying.
Physical Appearance[]
Rat is a thin but muscular pirate with an angular, chiseled jaw and olive-brown skin. He typically wears a cream-colored bandana and sash, along with blue shorts and matching blue bracelets. His black hair is straight, swoopy, and noticeably unevenly cut. He sports a narrow Dalí-style mustache, a faint beard shadow, and a distinctive gap between his front teeth. Rat is usually barefoot, revealing his large feet and prominent toes.
When he believes the crew is heading to Fiji, he accessorizes with a bright tropical necklace made of red and yellow flowers.
During the icy storm conjured by Eris, Rat briefly switches to cold-weather gear: a short dark-grey fur coat, a red sash, dark-grey shorts, and a red winter cap trimmed with grey fur. He also wears an improvised boot on his right foot made from green cloth and carries a pickaxe to help break the accumulating ice.
Abilities[]
Rat is highly skilled with ropes, acrobatics, climbing, balance, and general physical agility. He serves as Sinbad’s lookout and helps operate the sails, often using his agility to maneuver through the rigging with ease. He is also shown to be responsible for illuminating the Chimera at night, a task that relies on his nimbleness and rope-handling expertise.
He typically carries knives and is quick to offer a weapon to anyone aboard who needs one. When he believes the crew is setting off for Fiji, he is seen holding a mandolin, suggesting he may know how to play it.
Appearances[]
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas[]
Rat first appears aiding Sinbad in the attempted theft of the Book of Peace from Proteus, participating in the attack on the prince’s ship.
In Syracuse, during Proteus’s welcoming celebration, Rat is seen enthusiastically devouring the banquet—eager for anything that isn’t eggs and pickles—and eagerly grabbing whatever food he can reach. He is equally excited at the prospect of robbing the local nobility.
Rat initially supports Sinbad’s plan to sail to Fiji rather than journey to Tartarus to recover the Book of Peace and save Prince Proteus’s life. When Sinbad reverses his decision, Rat is visibly disappointed and mutters complaints in Italian.
On the voyage to Tartarus, he and the rest of the men aboard the Chimera fall under the spell of the sirens sent by Eris in the Dragon’s Teeth. Rat is the only crew member to fall overboard, but Marina—immune to the sirens’ lure—pulls him back to safety, briefly snapping him out of their influence. Afterward, he informs the crew of Marina’s heroism, prompting the pirates to urge Sinbad to acknowledge it.
Rat is among the crew who go ashore to gather logs and guide Marina around the terrain. He hands her a knife and teases Sinbad about being more “courteous,” earning a punch for the remark. When the island reveals itself to be a massive sea creature, Rat falls directly into its opening eye. He later assists Sinbad in tying the rope from the Chimera to the creature.
When Eris conjures a deadly cold front, Sinbad orders Rat to help break the accumulating ice. He is visibly relieved and emotional when Marina safely returns after being carried off by the Roc, and he celebrates when the collapsing ruins shatter the ice—freeing him from further labor.
Near Tartarus, Rat gives Sinbad a lookout point at the edge of the world. Though hesitant, he obeys the order to rig the main yard to the fore. After Sinbad fails to retrieve the Book of Peace, Rat returns with the crew to Syracuse, where he appears distressed at the sight of Sinbad preparing for execution.
Once the Book of Peace is restored and Proteus is saved, Rat is shown crying—comforted by Kale—at the thought of losing Marina to her arranged future and returning to his life at sea. He is delighted again when Marina chooses to follow her heart and join Sinbad aboard the Chimera.
Sinbad and the Cyclops Island[]
Rat appears in the six-minute interactive animated short Cyclops Island, included on the Sinbad DVD. When Marina is surrounded by hostile cyclopes, Rat rushes in to help her, but due to his limited combat skills he is quickly overpowered and ultimately rescued by Kale. After the island erupts, Rat returns safely to the Chimera with the rest of the crew.
Trivia[]
- While some of the film’s human characters are implied to be Italians from Syracuse, Rat is the only one with a distinct Italian accent, indicating he may originate from another part of Italy.
- Although Rat is portrayed with an Italian accent, his physical appearance more closely resembles that of a Hispanic man.
- Some fans theorize that Rat may be a Venetian Romani, based on his appearance, accent, and exceptional skill in climbing and maneuvering around ships.
- In the Italian dub, Rat is called “Lercio,” meaning “filthy” or “foul.” This has led fans to speculate that his real name could be Laercio (Italian) or Laertes (Greek).
- The animators seemingly modeled Rat’s movements on wild primates, as he is often shown climbing or moving in a squat rather than standing upright.
- In the recording booth, Adriano Giannini experimented with different voices and used real objects to help shape Rat’s performance.[1]
- Rat was originally meant to have his teeth knocked out by Sinbad, but co-director Tim Johnson felt sorry for him and decided against it.[2]
References[]
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