Stitch, also known as Experiment 626 (pronounced "six two six"), is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
in
Disney's
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise. An illegally-made,
genetically engineered,
extraterrestrial life-form resembling a blue
koala
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...
, he is one of the franchise's two
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
s, alongside his human adopter and best friend
Lilo Pelekai
Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch'' is an American science fiction media franchise that began in 2002 with the animated film of the same name written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. The franchise, which consists of four animated films ...
, and its most prominent
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
.
Stitch was created by ''
Lilo & Stitch'' co-writer and co-director
Chris Sanders, who also voices him in all Western-produced media that he appears in.
Ben Diskin
Benjamin Isaac Diskin (born August 25, 1982) is an American actor who was affiliated in Studiopolis, Bang Zoom!, SDI Media, Funimation, VSI Los Angeles, and NYAV Post.
Early life
Diskin was born in Los Angeles County, California to a Jewish fami ...
voices the character in the English versions of the Eastern-produced television spin-offs ''
Stitch!'' and ''
Stitch & Ai
''Stitch & Ai'' () is an English-language-produced Chinese animated television series and a spin-off of Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise. It is the franchise's third TV series, after the Western animated '' Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' and ...
''.
Development
Sanders originally created the character in 1985 for an unsuccessful children's book pitch and developed a treatment for an animated feature featuring the character.
The idea for the character was shelved until around 1996 when then-President of
Walt Disney Feature Animation Thomas Schumacher approached Sanders and asked him if he wanted to pitch a story, giving Sanders the opportunity to use his character again.
When Sanders said that the alien character was going to crash-land in a forest filled with other animals, Schumacher told Sanders that the animal world was already "overly alien" to humans, and suggested that the character should end up in the human world to provide better contrast and juxtaposition for the story.
In later development for the film's story, the character was originally going to be the leader of an intergalactic gang of criminals, with
Jumba being one of his previous good friends summoned by the Intergalactic Council to capture him.
Test audience responses to early versions of the film resulted in the change of Stitch and Jumba's relationship to that of creation and creator, respectively.
The character was originally meant to be incapable of speaking intelligibly.
However, when the ''Lilo & Stitch'' production team realized that the film's story "hinged" on the character being able to explain himself
at the end of the film, Sanders provided vocals for Stitch during early animation.
The production team later established Sanders as the official voice of his own character after getting used to his vocalizations.
Physical appearance
Stitch is a blue, short,
koala
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...
-like alien. His large rabbit-like ears have asymmetrically-placed triangular notches on the outer rims of each ear; one near the tip of his right ear and another near the base of his left ear, although these notches are sometimes misplaced in some media, usually on their respective opposite ears. The back of the ear tips are colored
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
. He has a wide mouth, a round nose, black eyes, and a small, short, and stumpy tail. He has three tufts of fur on top of his head and another three on his chest. He has
aqua
Aqua is the Latin word for water. It is used in many words which relate to water, such as aquatic life. In English, it may also refer to:
Arts
* Aqua (color), a greenish-blue color
Business
* Aqua (skyscraper), an 82-story residential skysc ...
countershading
Countershading, or Thayer's law, is a method of camouflage in which an animal's coloration is darker on the top or upper side and lighter on the underside of the body. This pattern is found in many species of mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and ...
around his eyes and from his lower lip extending down to the bottom of his abdomen.
He has four arms (the lower pair of which are retractable), three retractable spines that run down his back, four sharp retractable claws on each of his front and back paws (hands and feet), and two retractable antennae on his head. There are abstract indigo markings on his back and
occiput
The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cereb ...
that vaguely look similar to
snow angels, with the back marking having two large "bulges" in the middle that allude to his four arms. He has a limited ability to change his physical appearance, as he can retract his lower pair of arms, his claws, his antennae, and the three back spines into his body. He is referred to as a
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
by Lilo throughout much of the franchise, as he was taken to a pound and disguised himself as one in order to escape his captors by being adopted by Lilo. He was initially believed by Lilo to be a collie that had been hit by a car, while Nani thought he was a koala of a sort before they found out he was an alien genetic experiment.
Sanders's initial design concepts for Stitch differ heavily from the final version. Stitch was originally going to have green fur, which was changed in early development to the now-familiar blue.
His black eyes were slightly smaller compared to his final version, his ears flared at their bases instead of close to their tips, and some early drawings placed his nose below the eye line instead of above.
The early drawings also showed him with white or silver claws instead of dark blue claws, and he wore a yellow-orange spacesuit with burnt orange pants instead of the more uniform red-orange spacesuit that he wears in the original film's first act.
History
''Lilo & Stitch'' (2002)
"Experiment 626" was created by "
evil genius" Dr. Jumba Jookiba to cause and create chaos around the galaxy. They were both captured and put on trial by the United Galactic Federation, who sentenced 626 to
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
on a desert
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere.
...
.
The Grand Councilwoman assigns
Captain Gantu
Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch'' is an American science fiction media franchise that began in 2002 with the animated film of the same name written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. The franchise, which consists of four animated film ...
to escort him. 626 escapes, crash-landing a spaceship in
Kauai
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. Disguising himself as a
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
to hide from his captors, 626 is adopted by a little girl named
Lilo, who names him "Stitch".
Lilo tries to teach Stitch to be good, using
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
as a model for his behavior. While these efforts prove to be fruitless at first, with Stitch unable to suppress his destructive programming, Lilo nevertheless enjoys having Stitch as her "puppy". Although he at first only wanted to use her as a
human shield
A human shield is a non-combatant (or a group of non-combatants) who either volunteers or is forced to shield a legitimate military target in order to deter the enemy from attacking it. The use of human shields as a resistance measure was popula ...
from Jumba and
Agent Pleakley
The Walt Disney Company, Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch (franchise), Lilo & Stitch'' is an American science fiction media franchise that began in 2002 with Lilo & Stitch, the animated film of the same name written and directed by Chris Sanders and D ...
, who were sent to capture him, Stitch slowly develops a strong love for Lilo, to the point where he saves her from Gantu. After his heroics, the Grand Councilwoman allows Stitch to serve his exile on Earth with Lilo as his warden, citing her dog adoption certificate (subsequently, Lilo seems to have become not only a best friend but also a
sister figure to Stitch).
''Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch'' (2005)
In this sequel film, set between the first film and ''Stitch! The Movie'', Stitch is living well, reasonably well-behaved (although still hot-tempered and mischievous) with the exiled Jumba and Pleakley in Lilo's (and her older sister Nani's) house, until he begins malfunctioning. Jumba reveals that since Stitch was not fully charged after his creation, he will experience periodic
glitches that revert to his original destructive programming, appearing to suffer from a "fit" or "
seizure
An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with los ...
". Seeing this, Jumba creates a new charging chamber for Stitch. Not wanting to hurt anyone, Stitch attempts to leave Earth for a remote planet, while Lilo, Jumba, and the others desperately try to have him return so they can recharge him. Although they are too late when they place him in the recharging pod, Stitch seems to be revived by Lilo's love, which goes in accordance with her belief that love is more powerful than death.
''Stitch! The Movie'' (2003)
After the events of ''Lilo & Stitch 2'', Stitch discovers the remaining 625 genetic experiments locked in a crate, in the form of
dehydrated pods. In order to rescue a kidnapped Jumba, a trade between
Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel
Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch'' is an American science fiction media franchise that began in 2002 with the animated film of the same name written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. The franchise, which consists of four animated films, ...
and Jumba for the experiments are organized, but it instead results in the freedom of the experiments and the capture of Lilo and Stitch. Hämsterviel then tries to clone Stitch but he was rescued by Experiment 221 ("
Sparky"). Stitch then rescued Lilo and landed Hämsterviel's
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
back in Kauai, where the Grand Councilwoman arrests him.
''Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' (2003–2006)
After the events of ''Stitch! The Movie'', Stitch and Lilo have to capture Jumba's other experiments and find them a home. Along the way, he meets his match: Experiment 627 who is tougher than him, but he eventually defeats with his greater intelligence. He also is affected by fifteen experiment powers: Amnesio wipes out his memory, being poked by Spike's spine makes him goofy, Babyfier turns him into a baby, Spooky turns into water and nearly drowns him, Lax makes him lazy, Dupe duplicates him into four (weakening his strength), Frenchfry serves him unhealthy junk food meals (along with Lilo and Pleakley) and fattens him up into a giant bowling ball, Yaarp sounds out his loud megaphone (deafening him), Snooty sucks out his mucus (effectively dehydrating him), Swirly hypnotizes him, Drowsy puts him to sleep, Houdini makes him invisible, Swapper switches him into Lilo's and then Pleakley's bodies, Bugby turns him into a bug, and Slushy freezes him. However, the powers wear off. He also meets Angel who is introduced as a love interest for Stitch, who becomes good out of love for Stitch.
''Leroy & Stitch'' (2006)
After successfully capturing all the remaining experiments in the preceding series, the Grand Councilwoman offers Stitch the chance to become the captain of the Galactic Armada and their new flagship, The BRB (Big Red Battleship) 9000. However, that would require Stitch to be separated from Lilo. Not wanting to make Lilo sad, he chooses to return to Kaua'i, but Lilo tells him he should go. Before he leaves with Jumba and Pleakley, Lilo gives him a necklace with the god Ku Tiki on it to give him strength. When Gantu breaks out Dr. Hämsterviel in an action of frustration, Stitch is sent on his first mission to capture the evil rodent once more. But when he arrives at Galactic Defense Industries, Stitch faces off against
Leroy
Leroy or Le Roy may refer to:
People
* Leroy (name), a given name and surname
* Leroy (musician), American musician
* Leroy (sailor), French sailor
Places United States
* Leroy, Alabama
* Le Roy, Illinois
* Le Roy, Iowa
* Le Roy, Kansas
* Le R ...
, an enhanced clone of Stitch. Stitch fights well and is about to beat Leroy when Pleakley shows up unexpectedly, allowing Leroy to take advantage of Stitch's lapse in concentration and beat him. He is placed in a cage and sent with Jumba and Pleakley heading towards a black hole, and Leroy heads off towards Earth to capture all of the other experiments for Hämsterviel. Later, Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley escape from the black hole and arrive on the planet Turo. There they rescue Lilo, 625 (now known as
Reuben
Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.
Variants include Rúben in European Portuguese; Rubens in Brazilian Portugue ...
), and Gantu, and fly Pleakley's carpool van back to Earth to assist the other experiments in the defeat of an army of Leroys. With Leroy defeated, Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley return to Earth with Lilo, realizing family is more important than spaceships, laboratories, and prestige.
''Stitch!'' (anime)
In the anime series ''
Stitch!'' (2008–12, 2015), Stitch seems to have reverted to his destructive nature and is first seen in the first episode being chased in a spaceship by Jumba and the authorities, ending up on an island in the
Okinawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city o ...
in Japan. On the island, Stitch gained a new human friend named
Yuna Kamihara. The original version (aired in Japan) initially left out what happened between Lilo and Stitch that caused them to be separated, although the heavily edited international version of the anime, which includes the English dub, had Jumba imply that Stitch ran away out of jealousy of Lilo having a boyfriend. Lilo herself did not appear in any way in the anime until episode 23 of ''~Best Friends Forever~'' (Season 3), where she, now a fully-grown woman, visits Okinawa's New Town with her daughter, Ani (who looks incredibly like her when she was a child and whom Stitch thought was Lilo in the beginning). Lilo and Stitch were able to reconcile upon reuniting, with Lilo explaining what happened on the day Stitch left her. They both have a happy reunion, she hugs him, promises to visit him again, and asks Stitch to take good care of his new family. She then gives Stitch his tiki necklace back before leaving to return to Hawaii.
''Stitch & Ai''
In the Chinese animated series ''
Stitch & Ai
''Stitch & Ai'' () is an English-language-produced Chinese animated television series and a spin-off of Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise. It is the franchise's third TV series, after the Western animated '' Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' and ...
'' (2017), Stitch was kidnapped from Lilo by an alien faction called the Jaboodies, who hold him captive in their battle cruiser spaceship as they desire to forcibly use him to with a space war against a rival faction called the Woolagongs, who also want to use Stitch to win the space war. When the Woolagongs attack the ship wanting Stitch for themselves, he uses the opportunity to escape back to Earth, jumping from the Jaboodie battle cruiser and re-entering
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
. He is protected during re-entry by—as explained in the
cold open
A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Ameri ...
of the sixth episode "The Lock"—"special ''
qi'' energy" that also caused him to lose part of his memories,
including his memory of Lilo (who only appears in recreated flashbacks in this series). He ends up in the
Huangshan
Huangshan (),Bernstein, pp. 125–127. literally meaning the Yellow Mountain(s), is a mountain range in southern Anhui Province in eastern China. It was originally called “Yishan”, and it was renamed because of a legend that Emperor Xuanyu ...
mountains and meets a young Chinese girl who lives there named Wang Ai Ling, who (similarly to Lilo) takes him into her family as her new pet "dog". He helps Ai in preventing her aunt Daiyu from forcibly moving her from the mountains to the city, while she (and later Jumba and Pleakley) help protect him from being taken by either the Jaboodies or the Woolagongs, as well as look for a shrine that's he seen in a vision he had.
Personality
Throughout the course of the entire ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise, Stitch is depicted as a character that is unlikeable to many people due to his destructive and temperamental behavior. The one and primary exception is Lilo, who only falls out with him in the rarest occasions, most notably in ''Lilo & Stitch 2'', where she was unaware that the glitches he was possessed by throughout most of the film were reverting him back to his original destructive behavior.
When Stitch is in his "evil" form, he is undeniably worrying as his somewhat botched physique underlines his at the time twisted behavior; in "good" form, however (the form that the audience most often sees), Stitch's display of emotion at being rejected due to his behavior and looks while trying to act good for Lilo is meant to make him seem more adorable to the audience. In any case, people who are averse to Stitch in any way, shape, or form, describe him as "ugly and deformed", while people with affection for him describe him as "cute and fluffy". This reflects the basic idea behind Stitch and also his cousins: in no manner do they correspond to many established criteria of good physical appearance.
Despite his surface destructiveness, which does not go away even after he has become "good", Stitch is a complex character; according to his creator Jumba, Stitch as a destructive machine was not given a higher purpose in life. Since Stitch is trapped on an island where there are relatively few things to destroy, he has many occasions to reflect on other occupations than evil. It is implied that Stitch destroys only because that is what he is programmed to do (In the original ''Lilo & Stitch'' film, Jumba claimed that Stitch's "destructive programming" was taking effect and that he would be irresistibly drawn to large cities to "''back up sewers, reverse street signs, and steal everyone's left shoe.''"
This is shown in the ''
Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' episode "Kixx", where Lilo and Stitch are watching
Keoni skateboard, then Stitch looks in Keoni's rucksack and eats Keoni's shoe, Keoni replies by saying "''Hey, my shoes!''" in which Lilo says, "''He only eats the left ones!''"
); but since he has a personality of his own (a fact that only Lilo truly understands), he also has the choice, even
will
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will
...
, not to do so.
Despite having superhuman strength and a high level of computer intelligence, Stitch is emotionally fragile and has a childlike personality beneath his "monster" appearance. Lilo believes that one reason why he originally pursued his destructiveness was for similar reasons to her own naughtiness: that it was because he was emotionally scarred (for having been made as a monster by Jumba) but received little understanding or sympathy from others. Stitch becomes much more well-meaning after his betterment but is frequently unable to control all of his impulses to antisocial actions. Fortunately for him, there are those who are always there to support him—most notably Lilo and, later, Angel and Reuben—to whom he returns the favor willingly.
Fictional character details
Stitch is created by
Dr. Jumba Jookiba
Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch'' is an American science fiction media franchise that began in 2002 with the animated film of the same name written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. The franchise, which consists of four animated films ...
to cause chaos across the
galaxy
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
. Stitch is marked by his
mischievous
Mischief or malicious mischief is the name for a criminal offenses that is defined differently in different legal jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism, there can be a legal differenti ...
behavior, which endeared him to Lilo, who adopts him as her "
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
". Through Lilo's beliefs in the
Hawaiian concept of ''
ohana'', meaning '
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
', Stitch
evolves from an
uncaring, destructive creature to a
loving, more
self-conscious
Self-consciousness is a heightened sense of awareness of oneself. It is not to be confused with consciousness in the sense of qualia. Historically, "self-consciousness" was synonymous with "self-awareness", referring to a state of awareness that o ...
being who enjoys the company of his adoptive family on
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. He becomes a firm believer of the ''ohana'' concept, and with the help of Lilo applies it to reform Jumba's 625 prior experiments, nearly all of whom Stitch treats as his "
cousins
Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, " ...
".
While explaining his creation to the Galactic Council early on in ''Lilo & Stitch'', Dr. Jumba gives the following rundown of Stitch's powers: "''He is bulletproof, fireproof, and can think faster than a super computer. He can see in the dark and can move objects at least 3,000 times his size. His only instinct — ''to destroy everything he touches''!''"
* While Stitch is never seen shot by a
bullet
A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...
, he can endure being shot by
plasma projectiles. He can even catch them in his hands before throwing it back to the shooter, as shown in the original film,
''
Stitch! The Movie'',
''
Leroy & Stitch
''Leroy & Stitch'' is a 2006 American animated science fiction comedy television film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It is the third and final sequel film of the 2002 animated feature film ''Lilo & Stitch'', serving as the series f ...
'',
and ''
Stitch & Ai
''Stitch & Ai'' () is an English-language-produced Chinese animated television series and a spin-off of Disney's ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise. It is the franchise's third TV series, after the Western animated '' Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' and ...
''.
Stitch was shown to be hit by one in the episode "Finder" when Hämsterviel, armed with a self-made plasma cannon, shot him with it, which only made Stitch unconscious (it is assumed that plasma projectiles are deadly to humans as Lilo occasionally is almost shot by one in the franchise).
As he dodges all other plasma projectiles, Jumba did claim that Stitch being hit by one would stun him long enough to be defeated by a foe.
He did survive the crash of his spaceship with only a scratch, is only briefly stunned by a fall of several thousand feet, and has to be run over by three tractor-trailers in succession to be knocked out.
* As for fireproof, in the original film he drives a
tanker truck
Tanker may refer to:
Transportation
* Tanker, a tank crewman (US)
* Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids
** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk
** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanke ...
full of
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
into a
volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
, which in the ensuing explosion he is propelled into the air, a move he uses to strike at Gantu's spaceship to thwart his capture of Lilo.
* Thinking faster than a supercomputer is harder to quantify, but he does escape from captivity fairly ingeniously, builds a model of
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
after only glancing at ''
Earth vs. the Spider
''Earth vs. the Spider'' (a.k.a. ''The Spider'') is an independently made 1958 American black-and-white science fiction horror film produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon, who also provided the plot upon which the screenplay by George Worthin ...
'';
grabs a
crossword puzzle
A crossword is a word puzzle that usually takes the form of a square or a rectangular grid of white- and black-shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answ ...
from the table and finishes it in about eight seconds; is often seen solving complex mathematical equations; builds a bomb out of a
plasma bolt, Lilo's
doll Scrump, and a
roller skate;
builds a
mechanical bull out of a toaster, a vacuum cleaner, and a lamp;
a DNA double helix from only coconuts, hollow sticks and a turntable; is able to understand he can use a human as a shield from Jumba, by Pleakley's presence;
and generally picks up quickly on what is happening around him. He is also fluent in playing string instruments like the guitar or the
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
, and is capable of driving any sort of vehicle, which can be as simple as riding a tricycle—which his strength allows him to speed one up to beyond the normal capabilities of a tricycle propelled by a human—or as complex as piloting intergalactic spaceships.
* His eyes can pick up various forms of light and he can filter out one or the other if necessary. Stitch can see in normal vision (during this mode, his eyes appear black in color),
night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night vi ...
(which is green),
infrared
Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
(red) and
X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
(bright green). Furthermore, he also can magnify his vision. However, his high sensitivity to light also causes
flash
Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional aliases
* Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed:
** Flash (Barry Allen)
** Flash (Jay Garrick)
** Wally West, the first Kid ...
lights to be very painful to him. In the original film, Stitch earns respect for performing Elvis Presley, but he then attacks his fans after the flashes from their cameras bother him.
* His ability to lift objects 3,000 times his own size and weight is seen several times throughout the franchise, including incidents where he picks up a descending blast door, hits Dr. Jumba with a thrown
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...
(shouting gleefully, "''Blue
punch buggy
Punch buggy (also called slug bug or punch dub) is a car game generally played by children in which participants violently punch each other on the arm upon first sight of the Volkswagen Beetle while calling out "Punch buggy!" in reference to th ...
! No punch back!''") and stops a tanker truck.
This ability is sometimes joked about in the later series; for example, in ''Stitch! The Movie'', Hämsterviel, while physically restraining Stitch for a cloning experiment, counters Stitch's strength with restraint devices, that are equal in strength themselves, as Hämsterviel loudly declares, to 3,001 times Stitch's own weight.
Another such example of the limitation of such strength was in the ''Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' "Swirly", where Stitch showed his strength off on a television show by holding up two bulldozers on a platform only to have it come crashing down on him when Gantu throws a backstage pass onto to one of the bulldozers, stating he can hold up to three thousand times his weight, but not an ounce more.
Like his "cousins", the pads on Stitch's hands and feet can secrete a sticky substance allowing him to adhere to almost any surface and scale buildings and walls; and his skeletal system is very flexible, allowing him to become a rolling ball and also to squeeze through tight spaces. Stitch's legs are small, but powerful enough to enable him to jump several feet into the air and he's shown to be very agile.
Stitch also can act as an
audio amplifier
An audio power amplifier (or power amp) is an electronic amplifier that amplifies low-power electronic audio signals, such as the signal from a radio receiver or an electric guitar pickup, to a level that is high enough for driving loudspea ...
,
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
, and/or
microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public ...
, illustrated in the original film when he uses a finger as the needle on a record player, and the music comes out of his open mouth,
then again in ''The Series'' episode "The Asteroid" when he uses his ears to overhear from a distance Cobra Bubbles talking to a scientist about the threat of an asteroid close to impacting the Earth, and the sound of the discussion comes out of Stitch's mouth to allow Lilo to listen to it.
He has an acute sense of smell and hearing (though the latter can lead to temporary deafness when exposed to sonic blasts) and is also dexterously skilled in hand-to-hand combat, using all four arms or just two.
Stitch can also be noted for his
immortality
Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality.
Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
. Although the ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise is set in the
current year, he is shown to have no signs of
aging
Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...
as seen in the episode "Skip" for 10–20 years, much to his chagrin (although suggested by an aged Lilo to grow a
goatee
A goatee is a style of facial hair incorporating hair on one's chin but not the cheeks. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture.
Description
Until the late 20th century, the term ''goatee'' was used to refer solel ...
to make him look older),
as well as in the ''
Stitch!'' anime series which is set years after ''Leroy & Stitch'' (as seen by Lilo's reappearance as an adult in this show).
Stitch is proven to be ticklish in ''Lilo & Stitch: The Series''. In "Shortstuff", Stitch is tickled by a ray used to make him bigger.
Stitch's greatest weakness is his inability to float or swim due to his dense
molecular structure
Molecular geometry is the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms that constitute a molecule. It includes the general shape of the molecule as well as bond lengths, bond angles, torsional angles and any other geometrical parameters that determ ...
, which causes him to sink in water. Stitch originally also had an instinctive
aquaphobia
Aquaphobia () is an irrational fear of water.
Aquaphobia is considered a specific phobia of natural environment type in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A specific phobia is an intense fear of something that poses lit ...
, but was able to overcome it because of Lilo: in ''The Series'' episode "Spooky", Experiment 300 (the titular "Spooky")—which has the ability to transform into a person's worst fear—was activated;
for Stitch, he transformed into water,
but Lilo showed Stitch her
coping mechanism
Coping refers to conscious strategies used to reduce unpleasant emotions. Coping strategies can be cognitions or behaviours and can be individual or social.
Theories of coping
Hundreds of coping strategies have been proposed in an attempt to ...
for when she gets scared (for her it's singing the chorus of "
Aloha ʻOe
"Aloha ʻOe" ("Farewell to Thee") is a Hawaiian folk song written circa 1878 by Liliʻuokalani, who was then Princess of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It is her most famous song and is a common cultural symbol for Hawaii.
Background
The story of th ...
"), which is how Stitch was able to save her later in the episode.
Also, as mentioned earlier, since Stitch's molecules were not fully charged upon creation as shown in ''Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch'', if his initial charging was not finished he would later suffer seizure-like glitches that would revert him to his original destructive programming before dying.
This issue was resolved by the film's end, and he no longer suffers these glitches.
Stitch also has different abilities in the Asian-produced spin-off shows ''Stitch!'' and ''Stitch & Ai'' that were not previously revealed in the 2002 to 2006 Western-produced continuity. In ''Stitch! ~Best Friends Forever~'' (the anime's third season), he has a hidden power cell within him that can supercharge his powers to greater levels. In ''Stitch & Ai'', he has metamorphosis abilities that change his appearance in some form and give him additional abilities, including being able to sprout quills around his neck, extend a
patagium
The patagium (plural: patagia) is a membranous body part that assists an animal in obtaining lift when gliding or flight. The structure is found in extant and extinct groups of flying and gliding animals including bats, birds, some dromaeosaurs ...
to glide through the air like a
flying squirrel
Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. Despite their name, they are not in fact capable of full flight in the same way as birds or bats, but they ar ...
, and most significantly, when his destructive programming is fully triggered, grow into a giant monster with four laser-firing tentacles that sprout forward from his back, further enhancing his destructive capabilities. (This particular ability contradicts a deleted version of the opening scene of the original ''Lilo & Stitch'' film, which shows the then-Experiment 626 having already caused destruction in an alien city in his smaller, familiar true form. The ability also contradicts the ''Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' episode "Shortstuff", which showed that Stitch is clumsier as a giant, and in which Jumba stated to the giant Stitch that he was designed to function most efficiently at his exact original size.)
In other media
''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'' series
Stitch appears as a summon in the video game, ''
Kingdom Hearts II
is a 2005 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game is a sequel to ''Kingdom Hearts (video game), King ...
'', making a minor influence at Hollow Bastion (in part being responsible for sending
Sora and the others into
Space Paranoids
''Space Paranoids'' is a first-person shooter arcade game appearing and featured in the 1982 movie ''Tron''. According to the plot, it was created by Kevin Flynn but the code was stolen and released by ENCOM and the villain Ed Dillinger. In th ...
). He also appears along with his homeworld, Deep Space, as a fighting partner to Ven and Aqua in the prequel ''
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios for the PlayStation Portable, serving as the sixth installment in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series. The game was relea ...
''. The world is set in space and revolves around on his escape from Gantu's custody, before arriving in Radiant Garden. Stitch appears in ''
Kingdom Hearts III
is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, and serves as a conclusion of the ...
'' as a summon much like in ''Kingdom Hearts II''.
''
Disney Infinity
''Disney Infinity'' is an action-adventure sandbox toys-to-life video game series developed by Avalanche Software. The setting of the series is a giant customizable universe of imagination, known as the Toy Box, populated with toy versions of i ...
''
Stitch was included in the Toy Box Starter Pack (alongside ''
Brave''s
Merida) for ''
Disney Infinity: 2.0 Edition''.
''
The Kingdom Keepers
''Kingdom Keepers'' is a series of children's novels written by American author Ridley Pearson. The ''New York Times'' Bestselling series is published through Disney Editions and Disney Hyperion, and the first book was released on August 29, 200 ...
''
Playing only a small role in the beginning of ''Disney in Shadow'', Stitch chased Finn accompanied by a crew of pirates. Thought to have come out of Stitch's Great Escape!, he apprehends Finn and Maybeck. In ''Power Play'', the keepers suspect that Stitch might have been put under a spell and may not have actually been an Overtaker (one of the Disney characters and
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
park attractions attempting to take over the park). In ''Shell Game'', this is seen to likely have been true as Stitch saves Finn at
Typhoon Lagoon
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon is a water theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida near Orlando, and is one of two operating water parks at the resort. It is the second water park to open at the resort, preceded ...
from CPR Dummies.
References in other Disney media
Stitch makes a cameo amongst the crowd of Disney characters coming in to watch the film ''
The Lion King 1½
''The Lion King 1½'' (also known as ''The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata'', or ''The Lion King III: Hakuna Matata'') is a 2004 American animation, animated direct-to-video musical film, musical comedy film produced by the Australian branch of Disney ...
'', appearing
silhouetted in his full form.
There is a Stitch doll off to the left corner on the lowest shelf in young Jim Hawkins' room in Disney's other 2002 intergalactic film ''
Treasure Planet''.
Stitch appears riding in his spaceship passing by Aladdin and the Magic Carpet briefly three times in the Virtual Magic Carpet Ride game included on Disc 2 of the 2004 ''
Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...
'' Platinum Edition DVD.
In ''
Brother Bear'', Stitch makes an appearance in the outtakes.
Stitch is referenced in the background twice in the 2014 film, ''
Big Hero 6''. While
Hiro Hamada
Hiro Takachiho is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in ''Sunfire & Big Hero 6'' #1 and was created by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau.
The character is known as Hiro H ...
is distracting Aunt Cass as she's making hot wings, there is a photo of Mochi the cat on the wall behind him on the stairs. In the photo, viewers can see that Mochi is dressed up as Stitch, in his red-orange alien spacesuit. Later, when in
Fred
Fred may refer to:
People
* Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
Mononym
* Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French
* Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...
's mansion bedroom, a Stitch pillow can be seen on Fred's bed along with a Splodyhead (Experiment 619) pillow.
Stitch appears in the 2011 motion-controlled video game ''
Kinect: Disneyland Adventures'' as a meet-and-greet character who appears in
the park's Tomorrowland area. He is also featured in the Nintendo 3DS life simulation games ''
Disney Magical World
is a life simulation video game developed by h.a.n.d. and Bandai Namco Games for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was released in Japan on August 1, 2013, in North America on April 11, 2014,Polygon.com"Disney Magical World heading to Nintendo 3DS on ...
'' and ''
Disney Magical World 2
is a life simulation video game and a sequel to ''Disney Magical World''. The game was released for the Nintendo 3DS on November 5, 2015 in Japan and in October 2016 in North America, Europe, and Australia. The popular life simulation game retur ...
'' as an interactive character that the player can speak to and assist in quests.
Reception and legacy
After the success of the original ''Lilo & Stitch'' film, Stitch quickly became one of Disney's most popular characters, especially in terms of merchandising.
''
The Verge
''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts.
The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
''s Kaitlyn Tiffany wrote in a May 2017 article arguing that the character remains popular fifteen years after ''Lilo & Stitch''s release due to his
flawed nature, which made him "endlessly
relatable",
and would outlast more recent characters who are similar in certain aspects to him such as the
Minions of
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
's
''Despicable Me'' franchise and Baby
Groot
Groot () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Tales to Astonish'' #13 (Nov. 1960). An extraterrestrial, sentien ...
of
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
's ''
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ' ...
'' as a result.
Not all reception towards the character has been positive; Scott Mendelson of ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' wrote an article released on the same day that a live-action ''Lilo & Stitch'' remake was reported to be in development stating that he preferred the human leads Lilo and Nani over Stitch, considering the alien to be a detriment to the film.
Mendelson stated that he hated the alien character because "he spent 99% of the movie making
ilo and Nani'slives even harder to the point of possible ruin and death" and that watching the character's mischief "was an exercise in frustration and concern for the sympathetic human leads."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stitch
Extraterrestrial superheroes
Adoptee characters in films
Fictional characters from Hawaii
Animated characters in film
Film characters introduced in 2002
Animated characters introduced in 2002
Disney animated characters
Fictional characters with superhuman strength
Fictional characters with superhuman senses
Fictional genetically engineered characters
Fictional fugitives
Fictional illeists
Fictional mammals
Fictional monsters
Lilo & Stitch (franchise) characters
Male characters in animation
Male characters in anime and manga
Science fiction film characters
Science fiction television characters