Handy Smurf (original French name Schtroumpf Bricoleur) is one of the main characters of the Smurfs comic books and the Smurfs cartoon show, who has appeared on the show throughout its entire run.
Character
His role is that of the village mechanic, usually very resourceful and very creative in designing various types of inventions, some of which have proved useful in protecting or rescuing his fellow Smurfs. He is easily identifiable by his workman's overalls and a visored Smurf hat, and carries a pencil around on his ear. In the comics and the movie, Handy's workman overalls are navy blue in color. Unlike the TV series and the movie, his hat lacks the visor in the comics. Handy has a Wisconsin Accent.
Personality
Handy, as Jokey once remarked, is a very fanatical and driven person. He is often inventing something and is so enthusiastic about it that he fails to see how the others think of it. This has put him in a lot of trouble a couple of times. In the comics, when Handy invented a handheld powered drill, he began testing it on almost everything in the village, and in the process he ruined the bucket of the central well, ruined the barbells of Hefty (although Hefty then saw that the iron globes with the added holes could be used as bowling balls, so he didn't mind it that much), sunk Marco Smurf's boat when he drilled through the hull, and finally ruined the cake mold that Smurfette was planning to use to make the cake for Papa Smurf's birthday. After the dough was poured in and went right through the mold, the Smurfs were looking very angrily at Jokey, who defended himself with "It wasn't me, you guys, honest!" Handy walked in and asked if Smurfette liked the colander he made from that old cake mold and showcasing proudly how he did it using the handheld power drill he made. Realizing that Handy was the one behind all the mayhem had been going on in the village, the others chased after him, and at the party they had attached two wooden beams with shoes attached to the drill bit, turning it into a Handy Smurf butt-kicking machine.
Although he is friendly and open-minded, there are times when he would end up saying harsh things to his friends (and then he could end up regretting it later). For example, in one episode after kept on getting in trouble from his creation, Clockwork Smurfette, he told her, "I wish I never made you!", leaving her running out of his house crying. Quickly he felt bad for saying that. Also in "One Good Smurf Deserves Another", when Clumsy kept helping Handy, only to make things worse, he told Clumsy harshly to stop helping him, hurting Clumsy's feelings. This caused glares from the other Smurfs at Handy. He relents and ask Clumsy for some help.
Role In The Village
Handy is the one who builds all the houses and tools for the Smurfs. He plays a great part in the village, being one of the most needed Smurfs. Without him, the Smurfs wouldn't know how to fix things the right way.
Handy is always seen building a new thing in almost every episode.
These inventions include:
- Clockwork Smurf
- Clockwork Smurfette
- Window-Vision
- Smurfomatic picking machine
- Smurfomatic food processing complex
- Wheelsmurfer
- The Smurf Clock Tower
- Smurfmobiles
- Telesmurf
- Smurfomatic Smurfolator
- A Diving Smurf Suit
- Smurfmarine
- Smurf-Colored Glasses for Smurfette
- Bull-O-Matic
- Mostly Every Thing!
Sometimes, though, his inventions either last for one episode or are rarely seen.
He is one of the smart Smurfs and greatly despises Brainy's pestering and Jokey's jokes.
Relationships With Others
Because Handy invent things that are highly unusual in the medieval times, the other smurfs can tend to think of him as strange. For example, in "Foul Weather Smurf", when he said he's making a machine to change the weather, most of the smurfs(even Hefty and Smurfette) laughed at him. They were surprised though to see that his invention worked. They do know he is a big help and is needed in building and fixing things.
Handy's closest friend is Hefty Smurf. The two are always seen helping each other or hanging out around the village. They watch each others backs, but sometimes get into fights that just cause trouble. In "Romeo And Smurfette", their friendship is almost ruined when a hypnotized Smurfette manipulates them into fighting, but they reconcile later on. Big evidence of their friendship are seen in episodes like "Smurf The Other Cheek", where they both helped each other out of a small jam, and in the Smurf Special "The Smurfic Games", where Hefty and Handy competed against each other but in the end their friendship saves their lives.
For the first few seasons, Handy had a shy crush on Smurfette. In "Smurf-Colored Glasses", he made glasses for Smurfette that were supposed to make anything she sees beautiful, including him. His invention almost got her in trouble with Gargamel, but in the end she gave him a kiss as thanks for how he saved her.
His love for her dropped though, and his affections shifted toward a mermaid known as Marina, who he saved from dying. Marina has only been seen in three episodes, but it is clear that Handy loves her greatly, as shown when he vowed to leave the Smurfs and to live a life with her forever. He made two inventions so that he could live underwater with her, but they both ended with him nearly drowning. Handy and Marina soon decided that even though they love each other, they will have to wait until they could find a much easier way to be together.
He still might have some feelings for Smurfette, since he entered the Mr. Smurf Contest, which is a contest for the Smurfs who wanted a date with Smurfette and he was jealous of Wild Smurf with Smurfette.
Other smurfs he's seen frequently and very friendly with is Greedy. In "The Smurfwalk Cafe", they both accidentally invented Smurf cream (ice cream) with Handy's air conditioner and set up their own cafe. But then they ended up in an argument on who came up with the idea and parted. They tried to do their own versions but were unsuccessful. When they went to the mountain to get more snow, they got mixed up in a snowball with Greedy buried in the snow. Handy with Snowbeast's help manage to help free Greedy and the two made up.
Handy is also seen frequently and very friendly with Clumsy, though he can get frustrated with him. In "One Good Smurf Deserves Another", when Handy saved Clumsy from Gargamel, Clumsy wanted to repay Handy's kindness, accidentally causing trouble for him. Afterwards Handy harshly told Clumsy to stop helping him and forget what he done for him, hurting Clumsy's feelings. Seeing the other smurfs glare at him for that, Handy, asked Clumsy to collect wood for him, which Clumsy happily agrees. Handy and the other smurfs to solve this problem with Handy pretending to be in danger and Clumsy saving him, but it kept ending up with Handy saving Clumsy. The one of the plans ended up with Handy being caught by a real monster, which Clumsy manage to rescue him from making them both even.
Handy's relationship with Brainy varies. Like the other smurfs, he's not above arguing with Brainy or tossing him out of the village, but other times, he can be friendly with Brainy (possibly benefits of doubt). One example in "It's A Smurfy Life", Handy lets Brainy ride the Snow Rover with him (which may not been the best idea since one would figure Brainy would mess something up), then Brainy pulls the level handle and they both crash into a tree ending with them both arguing (and Handy probably wondering what he himself was trying to prove). In “Good Neighbor Smurf” Handy was the first to offer letting Brainy stay with him, but kicked him out when he ruined his invention. Interestingly, Handy said that "Brainy's never right/Brainy's ideas never work!", but he ended up saying he was right/agreeing with his ideas more then once, though he doesn't seem to admit it.
In The Movies
The Smurfs (2011)
In the 2011 Smurfs movie, Handy is seen working on a bridge in the Smurf Village that Clumsy crosses over, but in doing so he causes the ladder Handy is using to topple, also causing Handy to hang on for dear life. Clumsy offers a passing apology to Handy, but Handy simply says to Clumsy he's the reason that his skills are always needed. He also appears along with the other Smurfs from the village who went through the portal to help defeat Gargamel.
The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol
Handy appears in The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol as a minor character. He is one of the Smurfs shown opening their gifts (a new hat) and also puts out the Christmas tree fire in the vision the Smurf Of Christmas Present (Brainy) shows Grouchy.
The Smurfs 2
Handy makes a appearance in The Smurfs 2.
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Handy also makes an appearance in the CGI-animated film Smurfs: The Lost Village.
Smurf Videogames
The Smurfs: The TeleTransport Smurf
Handy is one of the playable characters in the PC game The TeleTransport Smurf.
Smurfs & Co. Spellbound 2
In the start of Facebook game Smurfs & Co: Spellbound 2, when most of the Smurfs are turned to stone, Handy is the very first Smurf you un-curse back to normal. It is most likely because you need his help starting to build houses and other items.
Trivia
- Handy has ranked as one of the Top 5 Favorite Smurfs, most of the time ranking at Number 3 - often being beaten by Smurfette and Papa Smurf.
- His character was voiced by Michael Bell in the cartoon show and Jeff Foxworthy in the 2011 movie.
- In the "non-canonical" Smurf story The Smurfs And The Magic Flute, Handy doesn't have overalls or a pencil, only a wrench. This is due to the movie being produced years before those elements were added to his design in the cartoon series and comics that followed.
- Handy's good at singing.
- As shown in the annual imitate festival, where all Smurfs are required to take over the role of another, Handy tried his hand at taking Baker Smurf's place but the cake he made left the eaters spitting it out.
- In the live-action movies, Handy has a southern accent, rather than Clumsy.
- In the live-action 2011 movie and The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol, Handy combines elements from both his comic book appearance (the blue overalls) and his cartoon show appearance (the visored hat).