Clive Badger

Clive Badger, Esq. is a secondary character from the Roald Dahl book Fantastic Mr. Fox. He is Mr. Fox's best friend, despite the fact that he dislikes his reckless behavior, which endangers the lives of all the animals later on. Despite the frustation, he remains a loyal friend to Mr. Fox, if disagreeable in his ideals. In the film, he is voiced by Bill Murray.

Plot Involvement

Badger serves as Mr. Fox's lawyer, operating at the offices of Badger, Beaver & Beaver (Attorneys at Law). He is married to a pediatrician and they have a single son. When Mr. Fox plans to invest in a tree home, he visits Badger's office, whom the lawyer bluntly explains that the purchase is bad decision. His argument of the loan rate is only superceded by the fact that Mr. Fox is moving into the most dangerous region of the country for his species. When "Foxy" claims Badger is exaggerating, his friend descriptively briefs him on the individual infamy of farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Despite the facts, Mr. Fox decidedly ignores his advice. After a brief aggressive spat between them, Badger reluctantly agrees to the purchase.

"Are you cussing with me?"

His warning about the farmers proves true later on when Mr. Fox is ambushed and his tail shot off. To make matters worse, the farmers destroy the tree and the surrounding forest, forcing all the animals to flee underground. After Badger discovers Mr. Fox and his family in hiding, he's furious with his reckless behavior and the fact that his flint mine is full of refugees, including his wife and twenty-seven "starving animal brats."

With starvation upon everyone, Mr. Fox gets a plan to steal everything from the farmers, which Badger, after a heartfelt speech from Mr. Fox and seeing how hungry the children are, goes along with him. Upon successfully pillaging Boggis, Bunce and Bean's farms of all their livestock and produce, the animals celebrate with a feast. Badger's welcome speech is interrupted by Mr. Fox, who in turn is interrupted by a cider flood flushed into the mine, driving the animals into the sewers. Badger's disappointment in Mr. Fox's actions resurfaces, but he is later saddened by his friend's decision to surrender himself to the farmers in exchange for the animals' safety.

As Mr. Fox leaves, Badger is unsure of how to handle the de facto leadership position, but begins to start searching for Kristofferson, who has gone missing. He and the animals are met by Rat, who delivers a ransom note from the farmers. Mr. Fox returns and organizes a rescue mission for his nephew. Badger's skills with demolitions come as a surprise to Mr. Fox, but are used effectively during the operation to provide cover while Mr. Fox and his friend Kylie escape an ambush.

A few days later, Badger and his family join the other animals who are living in the sewers. His son is feeling ill, which Mrs. Badger identifies as swollen tonsils and the suggestion that they be surgically removed. Meanwhile, Mr. Fox stumbles across a Boggis, Bunce and Bean supermarket, thus assuring there will be food for everyone.

Trivia

• His species is given as Meles meles, making him a European badger. However, he speaks with an American accent.
• He is very loyal to Mr Fox, who considers him to be his best friend.
• In the original book, Badger is only known by his species name. His profession as a lawyer and skills with demolitions are not mentioned. His family includes a wife and three children. They meet up with Mr. Fox after the farmers have destroyed their homes. He is less displeased with Mr. Fox's provoking the farmers, though he questions Mr. Fox's stealing from them. Badger is considered "too respectable" by Mr. Fox, who justifies his actions as a means for survival and that he has no desire to kill Boggis, Bunce and Bean. His argument softens Badger's attitude, who loves Mr. Fox as a dear friend.
• In Badger's office, he has a picture of a group of badgers in soldier uniform. Badger's skills with explosives might come from this military heritage.
• Badger owns a flint mine, as one of the scenes takes place there. The mine is subsequently destroyed by an apple cider flood.
• Clive and Mr. Fox's fight greatly resembles the fight scene in Beatrix Potter's story: "Mr. Tod".
  • Mr. Tod is a fox and his opponent, Tommy Brock, is a badger, same as Clive.
    • In both scenes, the fight takes place in a house built out of sticks on a riverbank.
      • However, unlike the fight between Mr. Tod and Tommy Brock, Mr. Fox and Clive settle down before the fight could get out of hand.