Lost Boys (Peter Pan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lost Boys |
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The Lost Boys and Peter Pan after building a house for Wendy. Illustration by Alice B. Woodward.
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| First appearance | Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (1904) |
| Created by | J. M. Barrie |
| Information | |
| Home world | Neverland |
| Type | Puer aeternus |
| Distinctions | Male children |
The Lost Boys are a famous group of characters from J. M. Barrie's classic story, Peter Pan. They first appeared in his 1904 play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up.
These boys are described as children "who fall out of their prams (baby carriages) when their nurse isn't looking." If no one claims them within seven days, they are sent far away to Neverland. There, Peter Pan becomes their captain and leader. Peter explains that there are no "lost girls" because girls are too clever to fall out of their carriages!
Contents
The Original Lost Boys
In J. M. Barrie's first stories, there are five main Lost Boys, plus the Twins.
Tootles
Tootles is known as the most unlucky and humble of the group. Big adventures often happen when he's just stepped away. But this doesn't make him angry; it makes him sweeter! He accidentally shoots Wendy with a bow and arrow after Tinker Bell tricks him into thinking she's a bird. When he realizes his mistake, he feels terrible. Luckily, Wendy survives. Tootles is also the first to stand up for Wendy when she wants to go back to London. Later, when Peter takes over Captain Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger, Tootles becomes the new boatswain (a ship's officer). In the end, he returns to London with Wendy and the other Lost Boys. He grows up to become a judge.
Nibs
Nibs is described as a happy and brave Lost Boy. He is possibly the bravest of them all. The only thing he remembers about his mother is that she always wanted a cheque book. He says he would love to give her one, even though he doesn't know what it is! Nibs grows up to work in an office.
Slightly
Slightly thinks he remembers what life was like before he got lost. However, most of his "memories" are based on funny misunderstandings. For example, he thought his last name was "Soiled" because his baby clothes had "Slightly Soiled" written on the tag! Slightly isn't great at make-believe, but he's very musical. He loves to make whistles and flutes from tree branches and dance to his own tunes. He grows up to marry into a noble family and becomes a lord.
Curly
Curly is described by Barrie as a "pickle," meaning someone who often gets into tricky situations. He has curly hair, which is how he got his name. He might not be the smartest, but he is very lovable. Curly can be a little shy, but he has a kind heart. Curly grows up to work in an office.
The Twins
The Twins are known as First Twin and Second Twin. They don't know much about themselves because Peter Pan doesn't understand what twins are. And no Lost Boy is allowed to know anything that Peter doesn't! The Twins grow up to work in an office.
Lost Boys in Other Stories
Many writers and filmmakers have created new adventures for the Lost Boys.
In Books
Peter and the Starcatchers
In the Peter and the Starcatchers book series, some early Lost Boys are boys Peter knew from an orphanage. These boys eventually return to England. This is a bit different from Barrie's original story, where the Lost Boys were lost as babies, not orphans.
- Prentiss — A newer boy at the orphanage.
- James — He seems very close to Peter and acts as the leader when Peter isn't around.
- Tubby Ted — He is always hungry!
- Thomas — Another boy from the orphanage.
In Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, other boys from the orphanage join Peter in Neverland. They have the same names as Barrie's original Lost Boys. Eventually, Prentiss, James, Tubby Ted, and Thomas decide to go back to London. They realize they will grow up someday and can't stay with Peter forever. Peter and Tinker Bell then welcome the more familiar Lost Boys.
Peter Pan in Scarlet
In Peter Pan in Scarlet, the Lost Boys return to Neverland as adults, but they become children again.
- Tootles — He becomes a girl because he borrows clothes from his daughters to become a child again! He also finds his father, who is a judge.
- Nibs — He is the only Lost Boy who doesn't go back to Neverland. He can't bear to leave his own children. Because of this, he never meets his real parents and remains an orphan.
- Slightly — He plays the clarinet and uses his music to help save the day. He grows up to marry a noblewoman and becomes a lord. He is the only Lost Boy not to have children. He gets tricked by a new enemy in Neverland and grows up again, which makes Peter angry. Thanks to his love for music, he finds his real mother. After returning to London, he stays eighteen years old and lives with his mother.
- Curly — He becomes a doctor and owns one of Nana's (the Darling family dog) great-great-grandchildren. This dog travels with him to Neverland. Curly gives up his youth to save Peter's life.
- The Twins — Their names are revealed to be Marmaduke and Binky. They find their mother and take her back to their home in London.
In Movies
Disney's Peter Pan Films
In the Disney movies, the Lost Boys are often named after their animal costumes. These include Fox/Slightly, Rabbit/Nibs, Bear/Cubby, Skunk/Tootles, and the Raccoons/Twins. In Disney's first Peter Pan film (1953), the boys play smaller roles and act more as a group. In Return to Never Land, which takes place many years later, they are still with Peter and have remained children. Tootles is silent in both films.
Spielberg's Hook
In the 1991 movie Hook, there are many Lost Boys from different places and times. They live in a giant tree house in Neverland. The boys are led by Rufio (Dante Basco), who Peter chose as leader when he left Neverland to grow up.
At first, Rufio and most of the boys don't believe that Peter Banning (the grown-up Peter Pan) is their old leader. But Tinker Bell and a glimpse of Peter Pan in Banning's face convince them. They train Peter for a fight with Captain Hook. The Lost Boys start to believe in Peter, especially after he beats Rufio in a funny name-calling contest. When Peter finally learns to fly again, Rufio gives him the Pan sword as a sign of respect.
The Lost Boys follow Peter into a big battle with Captain Hook and his pirates. They use creative, childlike weapons. Rufio bravely fights Hook while Peter saves his daughter. Hook sadly stabs Rufio, who dies in Peter's arms. Rufio tells Peter he saw him as a father. Peter's son, Jack, sees Rufio die and decides he doesn't want to be a pirate anymore. Peter and Hook fight, and Hook is eaten by the crocodile that ate his hand long ago. Before leaving Neverland, Peter chooses Thud Butt (Raushan Hammond) to be the new leader.
Tootles appears as an old man in London. He lives with Wendy because she couldn't send him to a retirement home. He is the first to realize Hook has arrived and sees him kidnap Peter's children. He also knows that Peter Banning is Peter Pan. Tootles says he has "lost his marbles," which Peter Banning thinks means he's gone crazy. Later in Neverland, Thud Butt gives Peter a small bag of Tootles' marbles. These marbles were Tootles' happy thoughts, and he had literally lost them. When Peter returns home, he gives Tootles his marbles back. With some fairy dust that spills out, Tootles flies out the window to return to Neverland.
P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan
In the 2003 film Peter Pan, the Lost Boys have their original names. They are played by:
- Theodore Chester as Slightly
- Rupert Simonian as Tootles
- George MacKay as Curly
- Harry Eden as Nibs
- Patrick Gooch and Lachlan Gooch as the Twins.
In this movie, the boys keep their original personalities. In the end, all of them are adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Darling, just like in the original play. Slightly is adopted by Aunt Millicent.
Other Films
The 1987 film The Lost Boys is named after Peter Pan's Lost Boys. In this movie, the characters stay young and gain powers like flying by becoming vampires.
The Lost Boys also appear at the end of Pan (2015). Peter rescues Nibs and many other boys from an orphanage. They are pulled onto the flying Jolly Roger, and Hook calls them "Lost Boys."
Lost Boys in Other Media
Video Games
Two of the Lost Boys, Cubby and Slightly, appear with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell in the video game Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Before that, the Lost Boys appeared in the Kingdom Hearts manga. They were shown fighting Donald over treasure they found on Captain Hook's ship.
TV Shows
The Lost Boys appear in the TV series Once Upon a Time. They are the inhabitants of Neverland and serve Peter Pan, who is played by Robbie Kay. The death of Rufio is briefly mentioned by Captain Hook during a fight in the second episode.
- Lost Boys at Neverpedia
