Pluto the Dog is perhaps the least important character of the Mickey Mouse gang; so much importance and prominence is put into a non-anthropomorphic character in a team of otherwise heavily-personified personalities. 

   Debuting in The Chain Gang (1930), Pluto was what he ought to be: a nameless bloodhound who featured in one – not over 100 – shorts and animations. It was only until The Picnic two months later that he was given the name Rover, and served as a pet to Minnie Mouse. Then, he was finally given the name Pluto in his third appearance, The Moose Hunt (1931). 

   While first appearing as a nameless character, then rising as simply a pet for the Mouse couple, Pluto the Dog was pushed into the limelight after his popularity and ease of animation appealed to children and animators. Yet his dynamic into the Mickey Mouse gang never came to fruition.

   Pluto’s character arcs rarely offer children lessons or morals on growth, in stark contrast to his co-stars; most of his feature films use Pluto as a lens or a plot device to view the actions and thoughts of the characters around him. Even in more emotionally-heavy scenes, Pluto is scarcely portrayed as a serious character with serious emotions, leading to a loss of empathy towards Pluto when all other modern Disney characters have these.

   To truly understand his lack of character vitality, one must look at the various other characters in the gang. The protagonist, and arguably the most important and vital character, Mickey Mouse plays the role of leader and empathizer perfectly. In recent iterations of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Mickey was not only featured in almost every episode of his namesake show, but character growth and development always involved his input. 

   Mickey’s flaws are also used for moral and lesson growth, where even his overbearing personality can sometimes lead to more trouble. But it is through these flaws that Mickey grows and builds his relationships.

   Pete, who plays an excellent villainous counterweight to Mickey and the gang’s antics, portrays the potential to grow and change when he interacts with Mickey and his friends. 

   Other side characters all also have their integral moments: Donald Duck’s pessimism gives room for other characters to develop their own views aside from Mickey’s persistent optimism, and Daisy Duck’s relationship with Minnie exemplifies an ideal of individualistic teamwork. 

   But Pluto, unlike Pete, has none of these character flaws or perfections. His entire existence is to play subservient to other intelligent animals, which causes controversy in the Disney realm where critics often emphasize real-world parallels to slavery or eugenics. 

   Though the impact of Pluto’s removal from the gang would be insignificant, that doesn’t mean it has to happen. Like the rest of the ensemble, Pluto has the narrative potential to become an integral part of the gang, where his name becomes as synonymous as Goofy or Clarabelle Cow. 

   But one thing is certain: these iterations of Pluto have to go.