Hazel

NOTE: This page is only about his novel, film and miniseries versions, as his 1999 television series version is not voted as Pure Good; thus, only his novel and film versions' actions can be put on this page.

Pure Good
Full Name	Hazel
Alias	Hazel-rah
Origin	Watership Down (1972)
Powers/Skills	Sharp claws and teeth
Family	Fiver (brother)
Allies	Fiver Bigwig Blackberry Pipkin Captain Holly Kehaar
Enemies	General Woundwort Cowslip Captain Holly (formerly) Captain Campion (formerly) Efrafa (formerly)
Goals	To get to Watership Down and form Honeycomb Warren (succeeded) To find does to introduce into Honeycomb (succeeded) To protect Honeycomb from Efrafa (succeeded)
Goodness Zone	Evacuating members of Sandleford Warren to avoid a danger Distracting the Nuthanger farmers for the rabbits to escape Sending a dog to Honeycomb to defend it from Efrafa
Type of Hero	Brilliant leader

“	Lord Frith, I know you've looked after us well and it's wrong to ask even more of you, but my people are in terrible danger! So I would like to make a bargain with you... my life in return for theirs.	„
	~ Hazel praying to Frith

Hazel is the main protagonist of the Watership Down, a 1972 epic adventure novel, along with the 1978 film adaptation and the 1996 sequel short story cycle, Tales From Watership Down. He is the Chief Rabbit of Honeycomb Warren, which was founded after Hazel evacuated members of Sandleford Warren and, guided by the visions of his brother, Fiver, led them to Watership Down.

He was voiced by the late John Hurt in the film adaptation, who also voiced Aragorn in Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings.

History

Following a vision Hazel's brother, Fiver, has about a great danger coming to Honeycomb (later revealed to be humans suffocating the rabbits through blocking off the burrows), Hazel evacuates willing Sandleford members from the warren and venture through the forest. They make their way to Cowslip's warren, which they initially join, to Fiver's chagrin, until finding out that it is ensnared. They eventually make their way to Watership Down, where Hazel creates Honeycomb Warren and becomes Chief Rabbit. After realizing they don't have any does in the warren, Hazel sends a few warren members to scout out a nearby warren for does before raiding a nearby farm called Nuthanger Farm, at which he would be severely injured.

After healing and returning with the help of Fiver and Blackberry, Hazel finds out that the nearby warren, called Efrafa, is authoritarian and won't allow any does from leaving. Afterwards, Hazel has Bigwig "join" Efrafa and convince does to escape, which ends up going successfully, though at the expense at making enemies with Efrafa. The Efrafans, led by General Woundwort, track Honeycomb down and attack it. Hazel gathers everyone into the burrow before getting the idea from an implanted vision by Fiver to go to Nuthanger Farm and send a dog to Honeycomb. The plan goes successfully and General Woundwort goes missing. Afterwards, Honeycomb and Efrafa, now under the leadership of Campion, start an alliance and Hazel becomes a renown leader who eventually dies peacefully of old age.

What Makes Him Pure Good?

Watership Down

• Warns Sandleford about Fiver's vision and then evacuates those that believe him and Fiver.
• Upon being tracked by a dog, follows Blackberry's plan of crossing a river while utilizing a floating woodpiece for the exhausted.
• Adopts a benevolent, loyal, and level-headed leadership style during his adventure and quickly gains the trust of the rabbits.
• After witnessing Bigwig survive a snare, has the group of rabbits escape from Cowslip's Warren.
• Even after escaping, he bears no disdain towards Cowslip's Warren as he allows a member, Strawberry, to join and uses the design of their burrow for Honeycomb Warren.
• Forms Honeycomb on Watership Down, a peaceful place where the rabbits don't have to worry about predators.
• Accepts Captain Holly and Bluebell into warren after the destruction of Honeycomb, even after Holly's attempts to kill Hazel and the defectors when they tried to escape back at Sandleford.
• Befriends the other animals in Watership Down for greater advantage in the place, eventually befriending the bird, Kehaar.
• After realizing the warren does not have female rabbits (does), he starts a search for them in order for the warren to not die out.
• Releases some of the does from the hutches in Nuthanger Farm.
• Distracts Mr. and Mrs. Case, the owners of Nuthanger Farm, to let the does and a few Honeycomb rabbits escape, getting shot in the process.
• Though he was initially skeptical of Fiver's visions during Cowslip's Warren and before the Nuthanger Farm raid, Hazel would become trusting of Fiver following the raid.
• Enacts a plan involving Bigwig, Kehaar, and escaping with a boat that allowed some does to escape from the authoritarian warren, Efrafa.
• Was the first to jump from the boat into the water current underneath the river bridge to make sure it led to a coast.
• Was saddened by the deaths of one of the does, Thrayonlosa, the next day.
• Spared Captain Campion of Efrafa during his encounter with him on the way back to Honeycomb.
• After hearing that the Efrafa has set up a settlement near Honeycomb, decides to stay at the warren to protect and allows anyone who wants to leave to leave.
• Attempts to persuade General Woundwort, the leader of Efrafa, to start an alliance with Honeycomb before the attack.
• Releases Bob, the dog from Nuthanger Farm, and has it chase Dandelion and Blackberry, with their consent, towards Honeycomb to chase off the Efrafa during the attack.
  • Though it did result in the deaths and disappearances of a few Efrafans, including General Woundwort, it was the only way to save Honeycomb.
• Gains a new appreciation for humans after being saved by Lucy Case from being attacked by the farm cat, Tab.
• Starts an alliance with Campion, the new leader of Honeycomb.
• Becomes well-renown among the rabbits and dies peacefully of old age.

Tales From Watership Down

• Creates a new warren called Vlefain in conjunction with Campion between Efrafa and Honeycomb in order to prevent overpopulation.
• Accepts Flyairth into the warren after she left the position of Chief Rabbit in her warren, Thinial, and exiled herself.
• Allows Flyairth to take some rabbits from Honeycomb and start a new warren to protect them from the White Blindness.
• Inspired by Flyairth, sets up a matriarchal Chief Rabbit position in Honeycomb, which is given to Hyzenthlay.
• Felt remorse for being forced to leave Sandwort in a well to die slowly after not being to save him.
• Did give credit to Tindra for saving Sandwort even after scolding her for going to the well.
• Saves the stranger rabbit, Stonecrop, from being killed by Honeycomb members despite it being instinctual of rabbits to kill anyone who smells like humans.
• At the expense of his credibility, protects Stonecrop from being killed in the burrows.
• Sends Stonecrop to Vlefain upon request by Fiver, where he becomes hailed as a hero for scaring off weasels with his stench.
• Allows Campion to take Honeycomb members on Wide Patrols to solve a dispute between him and Vlefain's leader, Groundsel.

Trivia

• Hazel is the only character created by Richard Adams to be Pure Good.
  • This makes him the only character from Watership Down to be Pure Good.
• The version from the animated television series that aired from 1999-2001 does not count due to his arrogance.
• His 2018 counterpart is near pure good.

External Link

• Hazel on the Heroes Wiki
• Hazel on the Watership Down Wiki
• Hazel on the Near Pure Good Hero Wiki