The animated adventure, Rise of the Guardians, is one of the more underrated gems. It follows a group of folklore characters, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, who form an ancient team of heroes. Together, with their newest member, Jack Frost, the Guardians try to save the world from the villainous Pitch Black.
The family-friendly ride is a lot of fun, especially seeing these heroic versions of iconic characters. The movie is quite interesting when it comes to playing around with the legacy of these magical beings, turning them into dynamic characters, some of whom are more likable than others.
Pitch
As the villain of the story, it's no surprise that Pitch (Jude Law) is the least likable of all the main characters. He makes for an effective villain as he is essentially the boogeyman who wants to see the world consumed by fear once again so that he can be remembered.
A bad guy who wants to scare children is a pretty easy character to hate. While some villains can be misunderstood, Pitch's motivations are purely selfish and he gains no sympathy from the audience at all.
Sophie
It might seem a little cruel to put a toddler character so low on this list. However, Sophie's placement has less to do with her likability and more to do with her role in the story. She is the younger sister of Jamie and is only featured in a few scenes to wander into situations and act cute.
In that regard, Sophie is likable, but she is just not as interesting or important as some of the other characters in the movie. When competing with the likes of Santa Claus, a smiling baby just won't cut it.
Baby Tooth
Baby Tooth is another young character who is also perfectly likable but just not all that memorable. She is one of the fairies who work with Tooth. After Pitch attacks Tooth's palace and steals all of the fairies, Baby Tooth is the only one who is able to escape.
While this shows how brave and resilient Baby Tooth is, she doesn't really do much else in the story. She basically just flies around while the Guardians are attempting to save the day. If she was given a little more to do, she would stand out more.
Jamie Bennett
Jamie is the main human character in the movie and suffers the same disadvantages of his sister Sophie. In this epic story of magical creatures, Jamie is just not very interesting.
However, unlike Sophie and Baby Tooth, Jamie does play an important role in the story. When Pitch's schemes cause most of the kids in the world to stop believing in the Guardians, Jamie is the one kid who refuses to give up his faith in them. His loyalty and child-like belief make him an endearing young man, who eventually helps the heroes save the day.
E.Aster Bunnymund
Voiced by Hugh Jackman, the Easter Bunny is one of the tougher members of the Guardians, and his stubborn attitude is a big part of the reason that he ranks lowest among the team. He is a heroic character who cares about making the kids happy, although he sometimes gets caught up in just being competitive with the others.
Bunny is not someone who likes to be told what to do, so he often pushes back against the other Guardians - even when they are just trying to help. When Jack is recruited on the team, Bunny refuses to acknowledge him as a true Guardian and is very combative with him until eventually seeing Jack as a worthy member of the team.
Jack Frost
While Bunny's reaction to Jack Frost (Chris Pine) is a little unfair, there is good reason for considering him a bit reckless. While Jack seems like he just wants to make the world more fun, icy roads and freezing weather isn't everyone's idea of a good time.
Jack can also be a bit selfish, prioritizing his own desires over the needs of all the children in the world and that attitude jeopardizes the mission at times. But in the end, he discovers how to truly be a hero and he is the one who ends up leading the Guardians against Pitch and saving the day.
Tooth
Toothiana (Isla Fisher) is the sweetest and most enthusiastic member of the Guardians, which makes her an easy character to like. Despite having the somewhat disgusting job of collecting all the teeth in the world, Tooth takes great pride in her role and seems to be genuinely proud of all the children she encounters as well.
As a member of the Guardians, Tooth is probably not the most powerful, but she is often the level-headed one they need to stay on track. She is a caring and thoughtful hero, who is always ready to step up and help those in need.
Sandy
Though Sandy the Sandman doesn't speak, he still manages to be one of the most likable heroes in the movie. He is a calm and smart member of the Guardians and seems like the heart of the team in many ways.
However, what makes Sandy so likable is when he shows how surprisingly powerful he is. When facing off with Pitch on his own, he easily bests the villain in a great fight sequence, which is fun to see from such a seemingly gentle and peaceful character like Sandy.
Nicholas St. North
North (Alec Baldwin) a hugely entertaining new take on Santa Claus. With his huge muscles and a jolly attitude, he is the most entertaining member of the Guardians. Given the fact that he is Santa, it's not surprising that North is sort of the leader of the team and is quite an effective one at that.
North cares greatly about the children and knows the seriousness of the situation they find themselves in. He also seems like the kind of guy who enjoys a good battle. He charges into any fight, laughing with glee and he can handle himself in a brawl better than most Santas.