Arbutus (Aladdin)

Screen shot of Arbutus from "Garden of Evil".

Arbutus was a villain that appeared in only one episode of Disney's television show Aladdin. The episode is entitled "Garden of Evil" (episode 8). The episode name is a pun of "Garden of Eden", from Genesis of the Bible. The character of Arbutus is voiced by Ron Perlman, who is rarely credited online for his performance as Arbutus (including IMDB.)

Although his origins are never mentioned and the character itself is never explored too deeply, he appears to be an "intelligent plant", so to speak. His feet are curled roots, his arms and hands are like vines, and his hair seems to be a bushel of leaves. He wears a red and green robe, with a red "half-cape". Arbutus is also a name given to a genus of trees.

"I'm an artist"

Arbutus controls all forms of vegetation around him, he attacks with roots from underground, and uses vines and thorns to trap and pierce enemies (in the episode, he did so to Aladdin). A deep aspect of his character arises from the fact that he creates beautiful designs and structures with his control of plants; when asked what he is, Arbutus refers to himself as "an artist". Some of the things he created as art pieces include an extravagant looking harp made from vines, and a unique-looking lilac-covered tree. Another important note is that Arbutus not only spoke with perfect grammar, but his responses were clever and his diction was poetic. Such can be heard when Jasmine asks Arbutus, "What kind of artist has no heart?", and he replies, "A brilliant one!".

The Speech

Arbutus gives a speech to Princess Jasmine about how he despises humans for hurting his art (plants), he says: "Ah yes, human needs. Like you need to hack down my gorgeous trees and chop them into lumber." After Jasmine claims that humans don't purposely burn trees to block the sun with smoke, Arbutus replies, "Is it an accident when you rip and pluck my flowers, condemning them to a slow death in a vase?" To set the structure of the episode, and the line that possibly summarizes Arbutus' nature, is his final line of speech: "You treat my beautiful living creations as things. Why should I treat you any differently?"

Episode Plot Summary

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As back story, we are told that the Sultan had, years before, plucked Arbutus's favorite flower to woo Jasmine's mother, and the plant had sworn that years later he would take the Sultan's "greatest treasure." Initially believed to be his material wealth, Arbutus instead captures the Princess as part of the Sultan's debt to Arbutus for plucking his favorite flower years ago. He takes her to his magnificent living fortress, made entirely of plants. After Jasmine finally begins to understand the reason for Arbutus' anger, she starts convincing him that humans mostly appreciate his creations and don't purposely hurt flowers and trees. Before Arbutus finally decides to trust her, Aladdin breaks into his tree fortress to rescue Jasmine and ruins Arbutus' faith in her.

He fights Aladdin and no matter what Aladdin would attack with his sword, he's unable to harm Arbutus. This sparks Arbutus' final line: "Your sword may sever every limb, every branch, ...but my power will always bloom."

Aladdin's sword is accidentally thrown from his hand and it slices the flower where Arbutus' heart is. In agonizing pain, he crumbles into dust and with him fades his magnificent tree fortress.

Jasmine realizes and explains that Arbutus must have felt the same way about his favorite flower as Jasmine's family feels about her. Here the analogy arises that Jasmine is also the name of a flower, so Jasmine was like the Sultan's flower, where the flower that the Sultan killed was Arbutus' flower (which is why Arbutus came for the Sultan's "greatest treasure" years later as his way of repayment).

Jasmine explains to Aladdin a bit too late, and Arbutus is killed by Aladdin's blind anger towards "the villain." However, at the end of the episode, Jasmine plants the flower that was cut off of Arbutus. As Aladdin's group walks away, the flower straightens out as if to bloom and one can hear the flower take a breath.

External links

Arbutus: Agrabah's enemies