We are back with another battle. This week we are pitting two classics from Disney’s Silver Age of Animation against each other, “Peter Pan” and “The Jungle Book.” One is a classic story with many retellings. The other is the final feature film Walt Disney worked on personally. So, let’s compare them and see which one is better.

1. PROTAGONIST

The main character of “Peter Pan” is, of course, Peter Pan. He’s the boy that never grew up. He flies to London to help Wendy never grow up while expecting her to be mother to him and the lost boys. He helps rescue and return Tiger Lily and fights Captain Hook. Meanwhile, the main character of “The Jungle Book” is Mowgli. He’s the man-cub that is supposed to be in the city but is lost in the jungle. He needs help from Bagheera and Baloo to get back to safety before being killed by Shere Khan or Kaa. Peter Pan causes things to happen in his story. Mowgli has things happen to him. Peter Pan is the better protagonist. Point to “Peter Pan.”

Peter Pan 1 | The Jungle Book 0

2. ANTAGONIST

The villain of “Peter Pan” is Captain Hook. He’s a pirate who lost his hand when Peter Pan cut it off during a prank and replaced it with a hook. He’s seeking to get rid of Peter Pan in whatever way he can. “The Jungle Book” has two villains. The primary villain is Shere Khan. He’s a tiger who wants to kill Mowgli because he’s afraid of man. The secondary villain is Kaa. He’s a snake who wants to squeeze the life out of Mowgli because he’s a constrictor and they constrict airways. Given the fact that Mowgli starts a fire that burns part of the jungle, Shere Khan’s fears are justified, even if his goal is plain evil. This is tough but I think Captain Hook is a better villain. Point to “Peter Pan.”

Peter Pan 2 | The Jungle Book 0

3. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

These two films have some of the best supporting characters in the Disney canon. Tinkerbell is iconic. Mr. Smee is an excellent henchman. And the lost boys refuse to grow up. Plus, Wendy, Michael and John help advance the story wonderfully. Meanwhile, Bagheera serves as an excellent logical guide for Mowgli. Baloo is a great fun friend. And King Louie just wants to be like Mowgli. This is another tough category, but I think Baloo is the best supporting character of the bunch. Point to “The Jungle Book.”

Peter Pan 2 | The Jungle Book 1

4. MUSIC

“Peter Pan” has two songs that stand out for entirely different reasons. “You Can Fly!” is an iconic song that advances the story and helps you understand part of what makes Peter Pan so special as a character. Meanwhile, “What Makes the Red Man Red” is outdated, culturally insensitive, and downright cringy. It’s not a very good song. But, “The Jungle Book” has some iconic music written by the Sherman Brothers, as well as others. “Bare Necessities” is the clear standout. But “I Want to Be Like You” is also fun and exciting. Plus, “Jungle Beat” and “Monkey Chase” are great too. Point to “The Jungle Book.”

Peter Pan 2 | The Jungle Book 2

5. MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Here we are, once again, to the most subjective of all of these categories. The memorable parts of “Peter Pan” are Peter showing up to take away Wendy, Michael and John, Tinkerbell telling the lost boys to shoot down Wendy, Captain Hook capturing the lost boys and the Darlings with Tinkerbell’s help and the fight between Captain Hook and Peter Pan. The memorable parts of “The Jungle Book” are the elephant parade, King Louie singing “I Wanna Be Like You,” Baloo singing “Bare Necessities,” Mowgli starting the fire and Mowgli returning to the city. By my count, that’s five memorable moments to four in favor of “The Jungle Book.” Point to “The Jungle Book.”

Peter Pan 2 | The Jungle Book 3

“The Jungle Book” wins this battle, but it was a close one. These are two iconic films that I hope still bring you joy. But now I’m going to toss it over to you. Which film do you like better: “Peter Pan” or “The Jungle Book?”

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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