Yakko, Wakko, and Dot
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Image:Animaniacs.jpg Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, also known as "The Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister)", are three cartoon characters featured on the animated series Animaniacs. The trio of red-nosed Warner siblings were considered to be the stars of the ensemble of characters on the show. They all appear in the Animaniacs logo, and the show usually begins and ends with gags performed by them. Adding to their uniqueness is the fact that they aren't cartoon representatives of any actual animal.
As with other Animaniacs characters, the Warner siblings were part of a loosely-defined cast of players and often made appearances in other characters' segments, often as a literal running gag, as well as hosting occasional appearances by other characters in their segments. However, the Warners' bits are generally the most beloved and respected.
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History
The first episode of Animaniacs established a backstory for Yakko, Wakko and Dot. According to the show, they were created at the Warner Bros. Studios as part of the 1930s animation boom (their character design is intentionally similar to other animation stars of the time, such as Bosko and Honey). However, their films were so crazy and full of mayhem that studio executives decided to have the films locked in the studio vault, "never to be released." The trio themselves, which made even less sense, had a habit of causing mayhem throughout the studio, were locked away in the studio lot's water tower, "also never to be released." This move apparently worked well at first, but by the first episode (set in the present), Yakko, Wakko, and Dot were able to escape frequently and at will. Later episodes showed that they often escaped during various points in history, and were occasionally loaned out to other animation studios, particularly during the 70's.
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot's Age
The Warners' age is an issue that was almost completely avoided; although they routinely acted like pre-teen children (and were frequently referred to as children, particularly by Dr. Otto Scratchansniff), they had allegedly been locked inside the water tower for more than half a century. (Although it could be argued that cartoon characters don't age, this fails to explain the senior-citizen status of Slappy Squirrel. Bugs Bunny, in Tiny Toons, claims that cartoons only age if they are appreciated, so the fact that Slappy Squirrel got bad reviews from critics, while the Animaniacs were feared, could possibly be it. Especially considering how often they got out.)
Plotlines
The comedy that the trio performed can be described as an updated version of that of The Marx Brothers and early Bugs Bunny cartoons; each segment would usually involve them at odds with an authority-figure antagonist, defeating any attempts at control with a non-stop barrage of slapstick comedy and wit. However, one notable difference is that while Bugs was usually defending himself against an aggressor, it is characteristic for the Warners to wreak havoc only because they enjoy it. Although their initial havoc is generally good-natured, sometimes affectionate, and often merely annoying, a person who yells at them, tries to hurt them, or generally acts like a jerk will get labeled their "Special Friend". At which point the Warners go all out on him. The Warners were not complete anarchists, however: in an episode titled "The Sound of Warners", they wouldn't fight back against a Julie Andrews-esque nanny because she wasn't attacking them, only being excessively mothering and annoyingly saccharine—hence, establishing a sort of moral core for the Warners. Wanting her gone but seeing their hands were tied, they asked Slappy Squirrel to deal with her in her own explosive, violent manner.
Upon orders from Thaddeus Plotz, CEO of Warner Bros. (in the series), the security guard Ralph pursues the Warner siblings when they escape. Other recurring human characters include Dr. Otto Scratchansniff and Hello Nurse as the therapists who try (and inevitably fail) to civilize them and teach them manners.
Unique characteristics
Each of the trio has a different personality and role in the group:
Yakko Warner
Yakko (voiced by Rob Paulsen in the English version and by Ryūsei Nakao in the Japanese version) is the tallest, oldest and most verbal, he serves as the ringleader of the two younger siblings. He has the amazing abilities to talk an unsuspecting (yet deserving) person's ear off and stop his sibling's mayhem with a snap of the finger. Highly reminiscent of Groucho Marx, he wears brown slacks. Has a tendency to pounce on attractive women.
Wakko Warner
Wakko (voiced by Jess Harnell in the English version and by Yū Mizushima in the Japanese version) wears a red cap and blue shirt and speaks with a Scouse accent reminiscent of Ringo Starr. He's the middle child, and subsequently the most weird and absurdist of the bunch. Often pulls objects from his "Gag Bag" when situations call for it. He generally supplies the more crude humor sometimes featured on the show. He is the most physical of the three, and thus tends to lean towards physical humor, whereas Yakko (being a more talkative person) favors vocal humor. Wakko can walk backwards just as well as he can forwards, and is very flexible. Wakko has a voracious appetite, and will eat almost anything, including gum found under a seat and even rocks. He also has a phobic fear of clowns. According to the song "Hello Nurse" he is seven years old; this was the only reference ever made to their age. He is a big fan of Don Knotts and also likes women. His cap is trademark; when the Warners wear costumes, Wakko will keep his cap on.
Dot Warner
Dot (voiced by Tress MacNeille in the English version and by Ikue Ootani in the Japanese version): The only sister (and in Super Strong Warner Siblings, the only girl in the Power Rangers-like team), Dot wears a pink skirt and a flower tie in her hair. Also known as "Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca...the Third" or, to some fans "Princess Dot". Offensively cute and annoyingly aware of it, she is very confident. She is arguably the smartest one, and occasionally the most overtly aggressive. As she puts it, "Call me Dottie, and you die." She can't stand her brothers' reactions around women. However, she has reacted similarly to attractive men, including (especially) Mel Gibson. Dot also carries around a pet, contained within a tiny box, that is revealed to be a horrifying creature much too large to have fit inside the box. In one episode, one of her pets ends up marrying a Xenomorph.