If You've Ever Wondered Why Goofy Can Talk But Pluto Can't, I Have 10 Very Important Theories For You

The "Sensational Six" refers to Disney's core original cast: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, G.G. "Goofy" Goof*, and Pluto.

*Goofy, originally named Dippy Dawg when he first appeared in 1932, is a confirmed dog — not a cow.

Credit: @thiswaschris, @SanJoseSharks, and @balajeeac on Twitter / Now You See It, SuperCarlinBrothers, and Animated Talk Studios (ATS) on YouTube / Scott Simon on NPR / Jena Pugh on BestofOrlando / Walt Disney Productions / Peter Bischoff on Getty / u/Soupmandog589 on Reddit

Why am I so obsessed with this theory? Well, the world is crumbling before our very eyes and I need a distraction to keep from spiraling. It's either Pluto or the Kennedy assassination, and nobody needs another frame-by-frame analysis of the Zapruder film.

Even beyond the human-sized Plutos walking two-leggedly up and down Disney World's Main Street, the veil has occasionally slipped over the years — like in this scene from Disney's Wonder Dog.

I have no evidence for this theory other than my very deep-held belief that something about roleplaying a pet dog comforts Pluto, because he seems to thrive as Mickey's furry four-legged friend.

Could puppy play explain his behavior? Yes, insofar as anything could technically answer the question "why doesn't Pluto walk and talk like his compatriots?" Until Disney explicitly clarifies Pluto's motivations and lifestyle choices, we won't know for certain what Pluto is thinking. But I think we all know this isn't the explanation.

Conclusion: DEBUNKED

This theory comes from David Mullich on Quora: "In the Disney cartoon universe, Goofy is not a dog. He is a person who is drawn to resemble a dog, just as Mickey Mouse is a person who is drawn to resemble a mouse and Donald Duck is a person who is drawn to resemble a duck. Despite their appearances to the audience, they are all people in their cartoon world. Only the audience sees them as looking like animals. Pluto, however, is an actual dog, which is why he can’t talk."

There is absolutely no evidence supporting this theory. In fact, we know it's wrong because Bill Farmer, the actor voicing Goofy since 1987, said in a 2020 interview: “Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is not a dog, but they also are in the canine family. I think Canis Goofus is the technical Latin term for what Goofy is.”

Conclusion: DEBUNKED

Reddit user u/Current_Poster theorized that because "Goofy wears pants, he gets to live the way he does. Pluto doesn't so he doesn't."

But this theory fails to take other pantsless characters into account. After all, Donald Duck famously dropped trou one day and never looked back, yet he still actively participates in the same civilized society as his fellow two-legged castmates.

While this theory could work if it only applies to canines, I just don't think it's a likely answer.

Conclusion: HIGHLY UNLIKELY

I think it's possible that Pluto originally auditioned to play the character of Goofy, but he wasn't a very strong actor. Nevertheless, his dazzling good looks and charismatic personality charmed the Disney casting director, so they created a role as Mickey's pet specifically so Pluto could join the main cast despite his subpar acting abilities.

Conclusion: POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY

You know that phenomenon where most people find it easy to walk and talk without thinking about it until they realize a lot of people are watching? Then all of a sudden they start walking and talking like they just learned how that morning?

Maybe that's what happens to Pluto when he's performing, so he requested a role that uses all four legs and doesn't have any lines. This way he can always bring his A-game.

Conclusion: POSSIBLE AND DEEPLY RELATABLE

Quora user Jon Mixon posited that "Goofy learned early that to beat the Man, you have to become the Man. Pluto never did learn this and he's now stuck in a dead-end job being Mickey's bitch."

But Goofy seems like a pretty easygoing goof. Plus, in A Goofy Movie, he's stuck at a dead-end, low-paying job. So if he betrayed his fellow canines just to get ahead, he didn't do a very good job.

Conclusion: POSSIBLE BUT GAWRSH, I SURE HOPE IT'S NOT TRUE (HYUCK!)

This theory essentially inverts the logic used in theory #4, but capitalism is still the root cause of the disparity: An Indonesian myth states that orangutans can actually talk but choose not to when people are around, because humans would force the orangutans to work. Perhaps Pluto followed similar logic.

Conclusion: POSSIBLE AND A VERY RELATABLE IMPULSE

Humans and monkeys share a common ancestor, but thanks to evolution, only humans consistently walk on two hind legs and talk. However, monkeys CAN communicate with humans through very limited sign language, and they also occasionally walk on two legs.

Similarly, Pluto can perform as an anthropomorphized dog cartoon when necessary, but it's just harder for him than it is for Goofy and the rest of the Sensational Six.

This theory is pretty straightforward, and Occam's razor exists for a reason...

Conclusion: HIGHLY LIKELY