"We'll find him. Where ever he is, if he's alive, we'll find your dog."
X-214-33B, also known as Chief (チーフ Chīfu) is a former stray dog and is one of the main characters in the Isle of Dogs. He is a leader of a pack of dogs. And later in the movie, he was confirmed to be the brother of Spots; being the same breed as him and having the same coat pattern as well.
Background[]
Chief was born in a storm drain in central Megasaki City six years before the movie, one of a litter of nine, along with Spots. A lifelong stray, Chief has been dodging dog catchers almost as long as he can remember. He only has three captures to his record where he spent any time in a pound. The first two times, he escaped within 24 hours of his incarceration, but the third time, he was adopted by a family before he could finish his escape tunnel. It was a big family, two parents, five kids, two other dogs already. Chief was loaded into the back of a station wagon and driven out of Megasaki city and out into the countryside. Chief's new home was seemingly ideal for a dog; trees, a big lawn, swimming pool, anime on the TV almost all day.
About a week later, Chief was roused from his sleep by the family's youngest child, a little boy named Toshiro. It was about 6:15 in the morning and the boy was already wide awake, and looking to play with the new dog. Chief doesn't remember much of the incident, but apparently, he bit down hard enough to almost separate Toshiro's hand from his arm.
Locked in the tool shed in the backyard, Chief had time to think of what he'd done. It was a shock even to him. Toshiro had done nothing to deserve it. He'd only been friendly. Chief was almost certain Toshiro's affection had scared him and provoked the reaction. That night, an old woman, he thinks she was the grandmother, came to the shed and gave him a bowl of homemade Hibachi chili. While he's certain the chili was just leftovers, he still likes to think she made it just for him. Rather than face being sent back to the pound or outright shot, Chief dug his way out of the shed by morning, jumped onto the back of a dump truck and made his way back to the city.
Personality[]
Chief is quiet and reserved and stands out from the rest of the pack. Because he was a stray, Chief hated the idea of having a human owner and believed all of humans to be bad which most likely stems from his tragic past and how the people of Megasaki City banished all dogs to Trash Island when the Dog Flu pandemic hit the city. At first, he is aggressive, disobedient and cold towards Atari often tries to explain to Atari (who does not understand him) that he does not like him. He even refused to obey Atari, let him treat his wounds, or make an effort to bond with the boy. However, when separated from his pack, Chief eventually started to bond with Atari where he started seeing him as a kind, lonely boy in need of love and of a friend.[1]
Chief is also proven to be quite a strong leader amongst pack. Although he shares the possibility of not having a better future like his friends or any other dog on Trash Island, Chief is determined to keep his friends alive and well as he motivates them to keep surviving despite the outcomes. However, because he's the only stray dog in his pack, Chief gets frustrated when his friends disagree with him on any ideas they all propose. Yet, he does begrudgingly go along with his friends' plans and motives, even if he disagrees with him. Also, despite disagreeing with his friends on most things, Chief does care about them where he looked relieved to see them having made out of the trash compactor alive.
Appearances[]
Chief is a snow-white dog with black spots covered his fur, has long fur on his muzzle and a midnight black nose. He has a scar on his shoulder and half of his ear nipped off as well and has light, sky blue eyes.
For most of the movie, he was seen with dirty fur that gave the illusion that he had black fur with white spots.[1]
At the end of the movie, Chief's normal teeth were replaced with Exploding Military teeth and a little speaker in his right ear. While having a light gray collar with 'CHIEF' written on the tag, along with three stars above it.[1]
Appearance in the film[]
Chief was one of many stray dogs that were transferred from Megasaki City, Japan to Trash Island. There he befriended 4 house-pet dogs named Rex, King, Duke, and Boss.
Since he lived most of his life as a stray, Chief was used to the conditions, unlike his friends. 6 months passed and his friends were still unhappy about their current lives. Chief, who doesn't listen, thinks the dogs should stop complaining and get used to the island. The dogs first notice another dog named Nutmeg and rumor that she's with another dog named Felix. The dogs notice a plane with Atari piloting it. They help rescue Atari and find out that his dog, Spots, is missing. Everyone but Chief agrees to help.
The pack find a locked down cage with the bones of a dead dog, who is Sport, not Spots. Atari mourns over the dog and hosts a funeral, with Chief ignoring the moment. The dogs realize that the wrong dog died and warn Atari. Atari decides to stay a little longer until he finds where Spots truly is. Meanwhile Chief finds a robot dog and the Trash Island guards who captures Atari and the dogs, but they fight against them and escape. Chief and his friends hide in a glass bottle hideout where they can stay for the night. Chief leaves the hideout for a drink until he meets Nutmeg. She reveals to Chief that she has no mate and would never bring puppies to this world. She also tells him about her job for being a show dog by Tracy Walker. Nutmeg lastly convinces Chief to help Atari. Chief returns to the hideout and vows to help Atari rescue Spots.
The next morning Chief, Rex, Boss, Duke, and King follow Atari throughout the island and stop at the abandoned athlete club and recall their backstories(see Chief's backstory below). They head to a rusty boat where they can find more directions from Jupiter and Oracle. Jupiter tells them that the pack must cross the end of the Middle Fingers and head to a lab where "the cannibal dogs" live, and hopes they will find him. The pack leaves the boat and ride on a trash converter but the ride separates Chief and Atari from Boss, Duke, King, and Rex, but they plan to find a way to reunite. Meanwhile Atari and Chief take a stop at a forgotten theme park. After playing some fetch, Chief starts to become more caring towards Atari. He lets Atari bathe and groom his fur and is shocked to look as similar to Spots, except with different noses. Atari feeds him a puppy snap which becomes Chief's new favorite food. Chief watches Atari that night promising that they will find Spots.
The next morning, Atari and Chief find their friends all dirty in the trash convertor, but are ambushed again by the Kobayashi's guards and the robot dogs. The 6 friends, however, escape with the help of Spots in a water chute, while everyone assumes that Atari is dead. Spots recalls that he has been hoping to reunite with Atari and that he is Chief's older brother by five minutes, which upsets Chief. The water chute takes the pack to an abandoned lab where Spot's friends live, including his mate, Peppermint.
After hearing that all the dogs will be exterminated with Wasabi Poison gas, Atari plans that he will build boats for him and the other dogs and head back to Megasaki to stop Kobayashi. Spots relinquishes his role as a bodyguard to Chief. That night Atari, Chief, Spots, and the other dogs set sail to the city. They enter the re-election ceremony as Atari retells a Haiku to the citizens, including his uncle. Tracy helps out by giving Chief a dose of dog flu serum, which works successfully, reforming Kobayashi's cruelty. However his majordomo, Yoko, fights against Kobayashi to kill all the dogs, but the all the gas devices had been hacked after the red button was pressed. Atari and Spots are severely injured after the fight, but Chief kindly looks after them. After Kobayashi gives up his kidney for Atari, Atari is elected the new mayor of Megasaki with Chief as the new city bodyguard. Later, all the dogs were freed and peace and order was restored in the city.
Atari and Tracy become a couple along with Chief forming a relationship with Nutmeg. He confesses that he doesn't really like to fight because of stress and emotional issues, but feels happier after winning a friendship with Atari.
Quotes[]
- "You make me sick. I've seen cats with more balls then you dogs. STOP LICKING YOUR WOUNDS!!! You hungry? Kill something and eat it. You sick? Take a long nap. You cold? Dig a hole in the ground, crawl into it, and bury yourself. But nobody's giving up around here, and don't you forget it, ever."
- —Chief talking to Duke, Boss, King, and Rex about giving up.
Trivia[]
- Chief is five minutes younger than Spots.
- Chief recalls that all of his sisters were drowned, though it's unknown how many sisters he had.
- Presumably, it might be seven sisters, as he and Spots are the only confirmed males of the litter.
Gallery[]
