Gopher (Winnie the Pooh)

Gopher is a fictional grey anthropomorphic gopher character who first appeared in the 1966 Disney animated film Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, introducing himself as Samuel J. Gopher. He has a habit of whistling out his sibilant consonants, one of various traits he has in common with the beaver in Lady and the Tramp, by whom he may have been inspired. While he never made appearances in any episodes of Welcome to Pooh Corner, Gopher was fleshed out a bit further in the television series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He is portrayed as generally hard-working, especially in his tunnels (which he inevitably falls into at least once). He does not appear in the original books Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne (a fact that is regularly pointed out in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, when he breaks the fourth wall by saying he's "not in the book, y'know", also trying to say that he would not be in a phone book). Gopher's voice was originally done by Howard Morris, who retired from the role and was replaced by Michael Gough.

Gopher's more recent appearances were in A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving and Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You. He also made minor appearances in A Very Merry Pooh Year, House of Mouse, Kingdom Hearts II, and appeared in Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh, which was included as part of Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie. This was Gopher's last appearance in any form of Winnie the Pooh-related media until the release of Kingdom Hearts III in January 2019 after nearly thirteen years of being absent.

Gopher was notably absent for the 2011 film, Winnie the Pooh. Gopher did not appear in the 2018 live action film Christopher Robin, either.