Arrow

Performer(s)	Christopher Gray (young) Matt Hill (teenager)
Appeared in	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie

Arrow is the secondary antagonist of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie. He is the son of Cupid and an unnamed doe, the nephew of Blitzen, Dasher and Comet and is Rudolph's cousin.

Role in the movie

Arrow is first seen as a yearling buck in Mrs. Prancer's class along with Rudolph and Zoey (who is Arrow's girlfriend doefriend) telling the class that his father Cupid told him that he was born to be a Flyer (nickname for Santa Claus's reindeer) just like him. When Rudolph expresses his wish to be a Flyer, Arrow tells him "Not with that nose" before he and the rest of the class (except Zoey and Mrs. Prancer) laugh at him causing Rudolph to leave the school.

Arrow is later seen on Christmas Eve with his mother watching his father, uncles, and the other Flyers guiding Santa's sleigh into the night, before catching Rudolph and Zoey together under the mistletoe. Zoey tells him that she and Rudolph were just talking, though Arrow says it looked more like kissing. Zoey then tells him not to get jealous and that she and Rudolph are just friends. Arrow denies being jealous of Rudolph before having Zoey leave with him and calls Rudolph a loser as he leaves.

Years later, a teenage Arrow is preparing to take part in the Junior Reindeer Games (where the winner is sometimes picked by Santa to be a flyer) with Zoey and Rudolph. At the starting line for the Sleigh Race, Arrow notices Rudolph wearing Zoey's pendant (which she gave to him for good luck) and reminds him that she is "his doe" to which Rudolph replies by saying that Zoey is not a trophy and shouldn't be treated like one.

During the race, Arrow, determined to be chosen to be a Flyer, starts cheating by knocking the other competitors off track. When he is neck-neck with Rudolph he tries to distract him by saying that Zoey is only nice to him because she feels sorry for him, but Rudolph doesn't believe him but Arrow says Zoey told him so. Angry at these taunts, Rudolph's nose lights up which blinds Arrow causing him to crash. Rudolph comes first in the race but is disqualified because his nose lighting up and causing the crash was considered cheating, so Arrow is made winner by default and is joined by his father Cupid and his uncle Comet. Angry at this, Zoey confronts Arrow for cheating but he replies that the point is he won and Santa is going to notice him. Zoey tells him that he's no Flyer, since Flyers are brave and have character and true hearts like Rudolph, but Arrow insists that Rudolph's red nose makes him unworthy. Angry at Arrow's attitude, Zoey breaks up with him, to which a dismayed Arrow turns his back on her.

Arrow later appears briefly in a nightmare Rudolph has after running away from home.

He is last seen briefly near the end of the film where he is seen singing along with Zoey, her parents, and the other villagers after Rudolph returns with Santa and the Flyers after helping them get through Stormella's storm by using his nose to light the way. This indicates that Arrow has ended his rivalry with his cousin and now respects him.

Trivia

• Arrow is possibly based on Fireball from the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special, as both have blond hair on their heads and both oppose Rudolph as children before coming to respect him when they're older (though in Fireball's case, he was initially Rudolph's friend before finding out about his red nose, and unlike Arrow, Fireball doesn't compete with Rudolph for Clarice's love). Arrow is also slightly similar to Clarice's father as the scene where he has Zoey leave with him is similar to when Clarice is told by her father to come home as he doesn't want her to be seen with "a red-nosed reindeer".
• His name is possibly a reference to the weapons used by his father's namesake, Cupid, the god of love, who shot arrows.
• Arrow is seen standing happily next to Zoey at the end of the film despite them breaking up on bad terms. Though it is possible that whilst Rudolph was away with Santa and the Flyers, the two reconciled and are now just friends.
• It is unknown why Arrow suddenly turned from disliking Rudolph throughout the film into liking him at the end. Though it is possible that after Zoey broke up with him, Cupid had a talk with Arrow over cheating in The Sleigh Race and for his behavior towards Rudolph and told him that it was wrong to treat his cousin like that and he should be nicer to him. Or perhaps after Rudolph ran away, he and the other reindeer and elves probably felt guilty for the way they treated Rudolph.

Gallery

Young Arrow

Arrow in Mrs. Prancer's class with Rudolph and Zoey

Arrow and his mother watching Santa and the Flyers take off.

Arrow catching Rudolph and Zoey together.

Teenage Arrow

Arrow racing Rudolph in the Sleigh Race.

Arrow being confronted by Zoey for cheating in the Sleigh Race.

Arrow with his father Cupid, his uncle Comet, and Zoey

Arrow with Zoey and her parents after Rudolph and the Flyers return