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Daddy Topps


"Come, Cera. Threehorns never play with Longnecks."

- Daddy Tops in the first movie.

Daddy Topps (also known as Cera's Dad in later films, Topsy, as he is called by Tria and Mr. Threehorn as he is called by the other characters in the Great Valley) is a character in the Land Before Time films and television series. He also served as the main antagonist of The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving and The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses. He is voiced by Burke Byrnes in the first film, the late John Ingle from the second film to the thirteenth film, and by George Ball in the fourteenth film. He is a Triceratops, and the father of main character Cera.

Name

He was credited as "Daddy Topps" in the first film and "Cera's Dad" in the first ten sequels. Most of his peers called him "Threehorn" or "Old Threehorn", while Grandma and Grandpa Longneck call him "my friend", "Mr. Threehorn" or "Old Mr. Threehorn". In the eleventh installment of the film series, The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses, the new character Tria, an old sweetheart of his, called him "Topsy". Since then, many assume that Topsy is his real name, although there has been argument over whether it is really his name or merely a pet name given to him by Tria. Cera was visibly angered when Ducky called her father Topsy, but it is possible that Cera didn't know her dad's name, and disliked it because she had learned it from Tria, whom she was envious of for taking most of her father's attention from her.

Personality

Threehorn

Screenshot of Topps, reflecting his short temper.

In the first film, Topps is shown to be xenophobic and wary of strangers, growling at Littlefoot and telling him and Cera that "Threehorns never play with Longnecks." In the sequels and TV series, he is often portrayed as pompous, self-righteous, and bigoted; the degree of his pride and perverse stubbornness is seen in The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving when he takes Cera straight into a wildfire rather than going with the other dinosaurs. He is shown to be very protective of his daughter, even to the point of calling Littlefoot a bad influence, which doesn't please Littlefoot's grandfather and also horrifying Littlefoot's grandmother and Littlefoot's friends. While he is aware and mostly honest about these shortcomings, he nonetheless insists he has a family to protect and he will do that by any means necessary. In a song from The Time of the Great Giving, he explains this attitude was taught by his own father, who told him to "stand and fight, don't run away."

According to Tria, he was not always as angry as he currently is. While he is still as stern and lacking in understanding as ever, his prejudice and bad attitude have gradually lessened over time.

Topps also appears to be one of the most fearless characters in the series. He isn't afraid of Red Claw when they fight each other, and even when he is outnumbered against a few Belly Draggers, he takes them all out without receiving a single scratch. Topps also manages to get the drop on other Sharpteeth he goes up against despite the odds not being in his favor.

He has been shown to be part of the Great Valley's leadership, sharing power with Littlefoot's grandfather. Though Topps' and Littlefoot's family met early in the first film, it is assumed that he and Grandpa Longneck were formally introduced to each other after they were separated from their children in the great earthquake. This was shown in a flashback in The Stone of Cold Fire.

Family

There is also the question of where Topps' wife is, especially with the film The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses showing him happily courting Tria; Littlefoot is shown asking if she will be Cera's new mother. While Topps' first wife (Cera's mother) is shown near at the beginning of The Land Before Time, as are their other children, and possibly makes cameos at the end of the movie and in The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure, albeit without any of the children but Cera, Threehorns that could safely be identified as Cera's biological mother do not appear at any point after the second movie. Given the fatalistic attitude of the first film (the narrator having stated that "Sharpteeth stalked the herds waiting to seize any who strayed"), several fans have suggested that his original mate and the rest of Cera's clutch died on the way to the Great Valley, or decided to follow Pterano away from the herds. However, the fact that Topps dives into his new relationship jubilantly and Cera takes no issue with this (merely the prospect of sharing her father's affections) suggests that the family parted on less grievous terms.

Topsy (or another Triceratops that looks like him) with a relative of his family

As seen by the presence of Topps' granddaughter and grandson, Dinah and Dana, in The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock, implying that Cera may have an older sister/brother. That means one of Topps' children is Dinah and Dana's mother and the son-in-law (Cera's brother-in-law) is their father or vice versa. After Invasion of the Tinysauruses, Topps and Tria have another daughter, Tricia.

Trivia

  • Topsy is the name of a circus elephant who lived from 1875 to 1/4/1903 (Aged 28).
  • In the movie We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Woog's natural prehistoric state bears a resemblance to Topps.
  • Triceratops Invicta

    Invicta's Triceratops

    Topps bears a stark resemblance to a Triceratops toy made by Invicta.
  • In the first ten movies, Topsy did not have a proper name (except for "Cera's Dad" and "Daddy Topps") until in The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses where Tria called him "Topsy".
  • The fourth Land Before Time movie is the only one where Topps doesn't have a speaking role, and is merely seen as a cameo. He can be seen receiving Ali's herd and is also seen sleeping when the kids sneak out of the Great Valley to find the Night Flowers.
  • During the ending of the original film, Topps is colored much brighter than his appearances earlier in the film, portraying him as a light, pinkish gray. The sequels and TV series reflect his coloration earlier in the movie.
  • He sometimes kicks his legs in his sleep.
  • He doesn't have any speaking roles in the fourth movie, but a Threehorn that looks like him appears standing beside a Swimmer and a Spiketail.
  • He sometimes roars and grunts, something which the main characters don't do.

Gallery


Main family members in The Land Before Time
Characters
Grandma and Grandpa Longneck | Ali | Bron | Littlefoot's Mother | Shorty | Old One | Ali's Mother | Daddy Topps | Cera's Mother | Dinah and Dana | Tria | Cera's Siblings | Tricia | Mama Swimmer | Papa Swimmer | Ducky and Spike's Siblings | Mama Flyer | Petrie's Siblings | Pterano | Papa Sharptooth | Mama Sharptooth | Ruby's Parents | Ruby's Siblings |
See Also
Main characters
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