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Tenderheart Bear is a loving and lovable bear who knows a lot about helping others share their feelings.  By helping people show they care, Tenderheart Bear spreads love and makes it grow.  He has the perfect belly badge for his job—a heart filled with love.
―Tenderheart Bear's Bio

Tenderheart Bear is one of the ten original Care Bears who first appeared as an illustration on American Greetings greeting cards in 1982. Ever since, he has appeared in nearly every incarnation of the series to date, including movies, books, and TV, and is generally thought of as the "face" of the entire franchise.

Profile[]

Appearance[]

Tenderheart is identified by his light brown fur and red heart Belly badge. In the Nelvana series, he's a dark reddish-brown and in the 2003 movie, Tenderheart's fur is almost orange.

Personality[]

Libra

Art taken from the official Care Bears Instagram.

Exemplifying the very best qualities of the Care Bears, Tenderheart is thought of the de facto leader of his fuzzy brethren, organizing their efforts to help spread love and care around the world, and keep their own home of Care-a-Lot in working shape. He is responsible for initiating new members into the Care Bear Family by bestowing their very own Belly Badges and has been directly involved in nearly every major event in their history. Kind, attentive, and (usually) level-headed, this cuddly commander will do everything he can to keep his compatriots in line and prove that "care" isn't just a four-letter word. He is a trustworthy leader and he invites children from Earth to Care-a-Lot for fun times or to get away from a problem they are having in their lives. His personality is fitting to his horoscope, which is Libra.

Abilities[]

His belly badge gives him the power to create tangible hearts, which can be used to help him solve any problems he may be facing, although this method is generally only used as a last resort.

Appearances[]

The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings[]

Land Without Feelings

Bedtime, Friend, and Tenderheart Bear in The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings.

Tenderheart Bear makes his animated debut in the very first Care Bears 1983 television special. After a boy named Kevin runs away from home, he ends up in the gloomy Land Without Feelings ruled by Professor Coldheart, who turns him into a Green Creature Slave. It's up to Tenderheart and the rest of the crew to defeat the mad professor and return the boy to normal.

The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine[]

In the follow-up to the original TV special, Tenderheart is among the bears who must once again stop as Professor Coldheart, and his new sidekick named Frostbite, from tricking a boy named Paul into helping him complete his "Careless Ray Contraption" that will freeze everyone's feelings.

The Care Bears Movie[]

Tenderheart makes his first film appearance in the inaugural Care Bears theatrical movie, where he and the other Bears try to stop a boy named Nicholas from falling under the spell of an enchanted book named The Spirit. When Nicholas begins to use the book's magic to make everyone in the world stop caring, it's up to Tenderheart and the rest to find a way to stop him while also searching for their lost friends, who became separated in a transporter accident. Traveling to the unknown Forest of Feelings, Tenderheart and his crew first encounter the Care Bear Cousins who help reunite them with the lost bears and two children named Kim and Jason.

DIC Series[]

Tenderheart is one of the many bears in the featured in the DIC’s-produced Care Bears TV animated series.

Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation[]

The second Care Bear feature film tells the story of how the Care Bear Family, including Tenderheart, first arrived in Care-a-Lot after they escaped and captured by the evil Dark Heart. When the villain later propositions a girl named Christy into helping him finally capture his fuzzy prey once and for all, Tenderheart is among the few remaining members not to be imprisoned and must formulate a plan along with two children named John and Dawn to rescue his friends.

The Care Bears Family[]

Tenderheart is one of the main Care Bears featured in the Nelvana's The Care Bears Family.

The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland[]

Tenderheart would later be the main one of the main characters in the third Care Bears feature film, Adventure in Wonderland. He and Lotsa Heart Elephant escort with a girl named Alice to the Wonderland Palace’s, and later, help her pass her princess test by protecting her from the Wizard of Wonderland's henchman.

Care Bears Nutcracker Suite[]

Tenderheart appears in the television movie Care Bears Nutcracker Suite.

Care Bears Care About the Environment[]

1991tenderheartbear

Tenderheart Bear's 1991 redesign, artwork and plush

Around 1991, Tenderheart Bear and several other Care Bears received temporary redesigns in both artwork and plush form in order to bring about environmental awareness. Despite appearing in several books and even stickers, this new line was relatively short-lived due to a lack of popularity and low sales.

Tenderheart Bear's appearance for this series featured him with reddish-orange fur with his usual heart tummy symbol updated to depict with the Starbuddies, the Heartbuddies, and the rainbows.

2000's series[]

Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot[]

Tenderheart makes his first appearance in the 2000's Care Bears series revival in the straight-to-video computer-animated film Care Bears Journey to Joke-a-Lot. He is one of the main Bears featured in this movie, as he, Grumpy, Cheer, Share and Wish venture to find Funshine Bear in the land of Joke-a-Lot.

Care Bears: Care Quest[]

Tenderheart is a playable character in the 2005 Game Boy Advance video game Care Bears: The Care Quests in the minigame "I Will Look After You", where he must throw hearts at Starbuddies while riding a skateboard.

The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie[]

In the second CG Care Bears video, Tenderheart is unusually not the leader of the Care Bears this time round, with Champ Bear being leader instead.

He is still among the residents of Care-a-Lot who welcome their new neighbors, Me Bear, Messy Bear, and Too Loud Bear to the community. Their wild antics begin to wear on the other Care Bear's patience, especially when they drive their buggy right over a picnic Tenderheart and others were having. Later in the film, when the new bears abuse the power of Wish Bear's wishing star Twinkers, their greed eventually becomes too severe and Care-a-Lot begins to fall apart at the seams. It's up to the Care Bears, including Tenderheart, to rebuild it in the aftermath. The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie

Care Bears: Oopsy Does It![]

Tenderheart appears in the Care Bears: Oopsy Does It! film as one of the citizens of Care-a-Lot whose Belly Badge is stolen by Grizzle Bear, and after but he tricks with Oopsy Bear into helping himself.

Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot[]

Tenderheart AICAL

Tenderheart Bear as he appears in Adventures in Care-a-Lot.

In Adventures in Care-a-Lot. Tenderheart was changed to a side-character status with his usual leader role being taken by Cheer Bear, but he still remained a constant presence. In this series, he has medium-length hair and was given a red heart-shaped backpack and his fur is more of a orangish-brown in this series.

Tenderheart's character in this series was changed to a daredevil, enjoying all sorts of energetic and fun activities, and mostly hangs out with Bears like Funshine.

Tenderheart has had major roles in a few episodes, often sharing the spotlight with Funshine Bear.

  • In Dare Bears, Tenderheart and Funshine try to one-up each other by daring the other to do a bigger and more dangerous activity. Unfortunately, this gets out of hand when Tenderheart dares Funshine to touch Grumpy's touch-activated invention. After they touch it, Funshine accidentally destroys the streets of Care-a-Lot. The two of them learn about how dares can make you do dangerous and terrible things for the wrong reasons.

2010's series[]

Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot[]

Tenderheart is one of the main characters in the Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot television series. In this series, Tenderheart is once again the leader of the Care Bears, and now has a niece, Wonderheart Bear, who lives with him.

Being the Leader, Tenderheart can send children from the real world into Care-a-Lot, and gives them special Care'n'Share Charms.

Beginning in the episode Holiday Hics, Tenderheart has the ability to teleport, which was given to him by the Great Giving Bear.

Care Bears & Cousins[]

In the sequel series to Welcome to Care-a-Lot, Tenderheart once again appears as the leader. in this series, he sent the Cousins on a mission to collect Care Hearts.

Unlock the Magic[]

In Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, Tenderheart is the leader of the Care Bears, although his role is reduced to an anchor in the Caring Tower, alongside Wish and Bedtime. Tenderheart instead made Cheer the leader of the Cloudseeker group.

He is very much like his previous incarnations. He is a kind, wise patriarch, former leader, and current anchor of the Care Bears' missions. He offers support to the main Care Bears while they travel through the Silver Lining.

Descriptions[]

2002-2006: Tenderheart Bear is a loving and lovable bear who knows lots about helping others share their feelings. By helping people show they care, Tenderheart Bear helps spread love and make it grow. He wears the perfect symbol for his job on his tummy - a heart.

​​​ 2002 Website Profile:

Caring Mission: Shows people how to care.
Symbol: His heart symbol represents his famous loving care.
Personality: Caring and kind.
Character Quirk: He's a real daredevil in any vehicle from a skateboard to a cloudmobile.
Color: Brown.
Best Friend: Grumpy Bear
Relationship Challenge: Helping Funshine Bear know when it's the wrong time to joke.
Motto: Nobody cares like a bear!

20th Anniversary: Tenderheart Bear's job is to help people share their good feelings for each other. He's very affectionate and not afraid to display his affection openly. By helping people show they care, Tenderheart Bear helps spread love and make it grow. The Heart on Tenderheart Bear's tummy symbolizes his caring and devotion to spreading human love and well being.

2020-present: Tenderheart Bear is a loving and lovable bear who knows a lot about helping others share their feelings.  By helping people show they care, Tenderheart Bear spreads love and makes it grow.  He has the perfect belly badge for his job—a heart filled with love.

The Bears Are Back in Town - The Ultimate Guidebook: There's no such thing as too much caring! As the team's anchor, Tenderheart Bear helps to guide the Care Bears on their mission in the Silver Lining. At times, he worries about the safety of his friends, but he knows each Care Bear has found their rightful place within the team. Kind and wise, Tenderheart is an excellent source of good advice and only wishes he could do even more to help his friends. After all, when it comes to Tenderheart, there's no such thing as too much caring!

Trivia[]

Tenderheart MAD

"In brightest day, in blackest night, I'll hug ya 'til you feel alright!"

  • He performs a Yo-Chi or Yoga & Tai-Chi
  • Tenderheart has had the most credited voice actors of any Care Bear character, with seven total.
  • In the original DIC television series, Tenderheart was frequently incorrectly drawn with two borders around his tummy symbol instead of one.
  • In direct contrast to No Heart who has a troublemaker niece, Tenderheart has a playful niece who is a Care Bear Cub.
  • According to Oopsy Bear in the Adventures in Care-a-Lot episode "Oopsy the Hero", Tenderheart is supposed to be a great soccer player, though this is never actually exhibited in any episode.
  • Tenderheart appears (pictured) in the 38th episode of Cartoon Network's Mad TV series, "Monkey Ball Z / The Green Care Bear", during a segment that parodies the 2011 film Green Lantern. He is seen training their new recruit, Hal Jordan, to help to take down Funshine Bear, who has apparently been corrupted by Parallax.
  • In the Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot series, he is the only main character alongside Harmony whose feelings are never changed in "Feelings Flu". This is because he already had it years prior and is now immune to it.
  • He's best friends with Love-a-Lot Bear.
  • Andrew Sabiston, Tenderheart Bear's voice actor in Journey to Joke-A-Lot and Big Wish Movie, is also known for being the voice of Yoshi in Dic's Super Mario World TV Show, as well as the voice of Cat in Little Bear.
  • Billie Mae Richards, Tenderheart Bear's voice actor in The Care Bears Movies I and II and in the DIC series, was also known for voicing Rudolph in the Rankin/Bass specials in the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer series.

In Various Languages[]

Croatian: Drago (from the name Dragutin, "the lovely one")
Danish: Blidebjørn ("Gentle Bear")
Dutch: Hartebeertje ("Heart Bear")
Finnish: Helläsydän ("Tender Heart")
French: Grosbisou ("Big Kiss")
French (Canadian): Dounours
German: Schmusebärchi ("Cuddle Bear")
Hebrew: דוב לב טוב ("Good Heart Bear")
Italian: Tenerorso ("Tender Bear")
Japanese: テンダーハートベア (Tendāhāto Bea, "Tenderheart Bear")
Mandarin (Taiwan): 溫柔心熊/Wēnróu xīn xióng ("Gentle Heart Bear")
Norwegian: Kosebamse ("Teddy Bear")
Polish: Miś Czułości ("Sensitive Bear")
Portuguese: Ternura ("Tenderness")
Spanish: Tiernosito ("Tender Bear")
Spanish (Arengtina): Corazón Tierno ("Tender Heart")
Spanish (Spain): Teneroso ("Tender Bear")
Swedish (Cartoon): Ädelhjärta ("Noble Heart")
Swedish (Comic): Hjärternalle ("Heart Bear")
Russian: Нежное Сердце ("Tenderheart Bear"), Добряк ('Someone who is very kind'; this name was used in the cartoon 'Journey to Joke-a-lot' and in the modern tv-series; it is the same as his Ukrainian name)

Gallery[]

Tenderheart 2

Click here to view the gallery

Evolution[]

Care Bears Family
Care Bears
Original Bears
Bedtime Bear (1982) - Birthday Bear (1982) - Cheer Bear (1982) - Friend Bear (1982) - Funshine Bear (1982) - Good Luck Bear (1982) - Grumpy Bear (1982) - Love-a-Lot Bear (1982) - Tenderheart Bear (1982) - Wish Bear (1982)
Introduced in 1980s/1990s
Forest Friend Bear (1980s) - Sea Friend Bear (1980s) - I Love You Bear (1980s) - Baby Hugs Bear (1983) - Baby Tugs Bear (1983) - Grams Bear (1983) - Secret Bear (1984) - Share Bear (1984) - Champ Bear (1984) - Harmony Bear (1985) - Surprise Bear (1985) - Daydream Bear (1985) - Prize Bear (1985) - True Heart Bear (1986) - Perfect Panda (1986) - Polite Panda (1986) - Gramps Bear (1986) - Take Care Bear (1987) - America Cares Bear (1991)
Introduced in 2000s
Laugh-a-Lot Bear (2003) - Bashful Heart Bear (2004) - Best Friend Bear (2004) - Thanks-a-Lot Bear (2004) - Do-Your-Best Bear (2004) - True North Bear (2005) - Sweet Dreams Bear (2005) - Hopeful Heart Bear (2005) - Smart Heart Bear (2005) - Me Bear (2005) - Messy Bear (2005) - Too Loud Bear (2005) - Amigo Bear (2006) - Always There Bear (2006) - Heartsong Bear (2006) - Play-a-Lot Bear (2006) - Shine Bright Bear (2006) - Superstar Bear (2006) - Work of Heart Bear (2006) - All My Heart Bear (2006) - Oopsy Bear (2007) - Pink Power Bear (2008) - Heart of Gold Bear (2008) - Sweet Sakura Bear (2009)
Introduced in 2010s
Wonderheart Bear (2012) - Shiver Me Timbear (2012) - Great Giving Bear (2012) - Trick-or-Sweet Bear (2013) - Christmas Wishes Bear (2014) - Rainbow Heart Bear (2017) - Piece of Heart Bear (2018) - Sparkle Heart Bear (2019) - Watchful Bear (2019)
Introduced in 2020s
Unity Bear (2020) - Togetherness Bear (2021) - Dream Bright Bear (2022) - I Care Bear (2022) - Care-a-Lot Bear (2022) - Sweet Message Bear (2022) - Sweet Celebrations Bear (2022) - Dare to Care Bear (2023) - Calming Heart Bear (2023) - Spooky Sparkle Bear (2023) - Destiny Bear (2023) - Be Me Bear (2023) - Always Here Bear (2023) - Good Vibes Bear (2023) - Flower Power Bear (2023) - Friends Forever Bear (2024) - True Friend Bear (2024) - Love Song Bear (2024) - Blissful Heart Bear (2024) - Peaceful Heart Bear (2024) - Kind to All Bear (2024) - Good Wishes Bear (2024) - Love to Care Bear (2024)
Peel & Reveal Bears
Best Secret Bear (2023) - Wishful Heart Bear (2023) - Lucky Star Bear (2023) - Dreamtime Bear (2023) - Always Heart Bear (2023) - Champ-Shine Bear (2023) - Love Song Bear (2023) - Charm Bear (2023) - Friend Share Bear (2023) - Grump-a-Lot Bear (2023)
Metaverse/NFT Bears
Hello Fren Bear (2022) - Self Care Bear (2022) - Warm Fuzzies Bear (2022) - ILY Bear (2022) - I Can Bear (2022) - Investor Bear (2022) - Enjoyer Bear (2022) - Collector Bear (2022) - Bad Crowd Bear (2022) - Cyborg Bear (2022) - Glitch Bear (2022) - Magic Sparkles Bear (2022) - Metaverse Bear (2022) - Zombie Bear (2022) - Pixie Bear (2022) - True Light Bear (2022) - Fun Dream Bear (2023) - Care Heart Bear (2023) - Always Grumpy Bear (2023) - Harmony Song Bear (2023) - Birthday Sparkle Bear (2023) - True Dreams Bear (2023) - Cheerheart Bear (2023) - Lucky Wish Bear (2023) - Super Love Bear (2023) - Best Heart Bear (2023) - Ocean Breeze Bear (2023)
Other Bears
Question Mark Bear (1980s) - Unnamed Pink Panda (1980s) - Unnamed Blue Panda (1980s) - Precious Heart Bear (1991) - Recycling Bear (1991) - Bo the Take Care Bear (2013) - International Day of the Girl Bears (2019) - Black Lives Matter Bear (2020)
Trademarked Bears
Dandy Bear (1990) - Fun Play Bear (1990) - Giving Bear (1990) - Munchie Bear (1991) - Melody Bear (1991) - Princess Heart Bear (1994) - Hollyheart Bear (1995) - Happyheart Bear (1995) - Peppermint Bear (1995) - Heart Shine Bear (2021) - Believe Bear (2021) - Caring Heart Bear (2022) - Warm Hug Bear (2023) - Lots-a-Pride Bear (2023) - Share Your Care Bear (2023)
Care Bear Cousins
Brave Heart Lion (1985) - Bright Heart Raccoon (1985) - Cozy Heart Penguin (1985) - Gentle Heart Lamb (1985) - Lotsa Heart Elephant (1985) - Loyal Heart Dog (1985) - Playful Heart Monkey (1985) - Proud Heart Cat (1985) - Swift Heart Rabbit (1985) - Treat Heart Pig (1985) - The Koala (1980s) - Noble Heart Horse (1986)
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