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Tyler "Blu" Gunderson is the main protagonist of the film, Rio, the novel, Rio 2, and other books based on the franchise.
Tulio speculated that Blu is the last male of his kind/species, shy, and socially awkward. He's definitely the opposite of his intended mate, Jewel. While he could log onto a computer, open bird cages and shred on a skateboard, he had one minor set-back:he can't fly nor make friends in Minnesota easily. In Rio, he finds it a lot easier with birds like himself. When he finds the girl of his dreams, he's forced to ignore his fears aside and find out if he really has what it takes to soar.
Blu is voiced Jesse Eisenberg in both films.
Bio
Rio
Blu is first seen as a chick, in an empty nest inside a tree. Awakened by the singing of his fellow birds, Blu, dances along with them. Watching some nearby chicks flying for the first time, Blu thinks of flying for himself right after he witnessed a mother and her off-spring fly out of their nest for the first time. Until smugglers start capturing the other birds. During the mayhem, Blu is knocked out of the tree by some escaping birds. He falls to the ground and is also captured. Alongside other birds, Blu is caged, put on a plane, and sold to an exotic bird store. On the way, the back of the truck carrying him is forced open due to the driver not paying attention to the traffic light, and the crate containing Blu falls onto the streets of Moose Lake, Minnesota. A young girl, named Linda Gunderson, finds the crate. Linda comforts the scared chick, and promises to take care of him, later naming him "Blu".
Over the next fifteen years, Blu and Linda become the best of friends, with Linda throwing him birthday parties, taking him to spelling bees (and she wins one at the age of fourteen), and even to her high school prom. As he gets older, he meets two Canada Geese named Alice and Chloe who mock him daily. One day, an ornithologist named Tulio comes to the book store where Blu and Linda live, informing them that Blu is the last male of his species, and that he must mate with the only remaining female for his species to live. Blu and Linda are reluctant at first, but agree to do it.
When they arrive in Rio, Blu meets Pedro and Nico, who give him some tips on how to attract a female. Once at Tulio's aviary, Blu is put off by the fact that his intended mate, Jewel, had badly scratched one of Tulio's assistants. When he sees her, however, he instantly falls in love. He tries to follow Pedro and Nico's advice, but Jewel, only interested in escaping, angrily rebuffs and attacks him because they "just met". Tulio, watching through the camera, activates a disco ball, and plays Lionel Richie’s Academy-Award-winning song "Say You, Say Me". Blu declares that he had nothing with that, then sings along with it. Jewel pounces on Blu and attacks him, and Linda and Tulio assume they are mating. Later, Blu and Jewel are captured by a boy, named Fernando, who brings them to a band of poachers, assisted by the head poacher's pet cockatoo, Nigel. Blu and Jewel are chained together and locked up with many other captured birds. Later, Nigel comes to them, and explains the reason of his evil nature, and the reason behind his hatred of "pretty birds". Afterwards, Jewel makes an escape (assisted by Blu, who unlocks the cage's latch). When Jewel attempts to fly, Blu is forced to admit that he can't fly, much to Jewel's dismay, and they are forced to escape Nigel and the smugglers on foot, making their way into the jungle, to Blu's displeasure. He does, however, get to sleep on a beam of the Vista Chinesa, as he reveals his tricks on how to get up there without flying. On the other hand, Jewel tells him that birds need flying (when he asks who needs it), and that it is freedom and not having to depend on anyone. Blu responds that it seems a little lonely. Jewel suggests that they get some sleep. Blu bids Jewel goodnight, then says the same to Linda, knowing that she is out there somewhere.
In the morning, Blu attempts to compromise a way to break the chain, but fails. They are then set upon by a flock of baby toucans, whose father, Rafael, offers to take them to his friend Luiz to get the chain off. Rafael also tries to get Blu to fly, telling him that he just needs to, "feel the rhythm" of his heart, but Blu, still scared, falls short at the last moment, causing himself and Jewel to land on a hang glider. Blu, enjoying the feeling of being in the air, opens his wings, causing himself and Jewel to be blown off the hang glider and onto the beach below. Rafael then leads them to a fruit truck, which takes them into the city. There, Blu once again meets Pedro and Nico, who inform the group that they had just missed the trolley that would take them to Luiz. While they wait, Pedro and Nico take the group to a bird's samba club. Once there, Blu, whose childhood memories stirred by the music, starts to dance. With a little nudge from Rafael, Blu dances with Jewel, culminating in her singing beautifully, which captivates him. Just as it seems like the two will kiss, the club is raided by a horde of mischievous marmosets, hired by Nigel to find them. A brief battle ensues, during which the trolley arrives, and Blu and Jewel are given a lift there by Kipo the Roseate Spoonbill.
While on their way to Luiz's, Blu, with help from the others, tries to tell Jewel how he feels about her, but is prevented by a stray flower petal getting stuck in his throat. When they finally arrive, they are surprised to learn that Luiz is a bulldog, and even more surprised that he intends to use a buzz saw in an attempt to cut the chain. In the ensuing chaos, Luiz catches the chain in his mouth, causing his drool to seep onto Blu and Jewel's legs, lubricating them enough to slip through the shackles. Blu, knowing he and Jewel will have to part ways, coldly tries to brush her off. Jewel retaliates by chiding him for not being able to fly. Blu responds by claiming that he never wanted to go to Rio in the first place, and that he hated samba, shocking his friends and walking away angrily. However, he is soon informed by Pedro and Nico that Nigel has captured Jewel, and decides to mount a rescue, using Luiz as a steed.
Blu and company follow Nigel to Carnival. Spotting Linda, Blu is briefly torn, but decides to focus on saving Jewel. Once he finds her, he tries to set her free, but is caged himself by Nigel, along with Rafael, Pedro and Nico. They are placed in the smugglers' plane, along with all the other captured birds.
During the flight, Blu rigs a fire extinguisher to bust open his cage, allowing the escape of the others. The plane's door is opened and the birds escape, except for Blu, who is still scared of flying. As Jewel tries to comfort him, Nigel attacks Blu, pins him down, and attempts to strangle him. Jewel tries to help Blu, but Nigel knocks her into the plane's side, causing a cage to fall on her wing, injuring it. This angers Blu, and as Nigel mocks them, he attaches the fire extinguisher onto the Nigel's leg and sets it off, blasting Nigel out of the plane and into one of its propellers, causing it to fall. Jewel falls out of the plane, and Blu, putting his fears aside, jumps after her. After telling her that he won't let her go, Blu is kissed by Jewel. Blu is then overcome by the beating of his heart, opens his wings, and flies, saving himself and Jewel. Flying down to Linda, Tulio and Fernando, Blu convinces Jewel to let Tulio tend to her wing. After Jewel's wing is healed, Blu joins her in the wild, sharing one last goodbye with Linda.
In the final scene, Blu, Jewel (now his mate), and their three chicks Carla, Bia, and Tiago fly and sing in their new home.
Rio 2
A few years after the first film, Blu, Jewel, and their three children, Carla, Bia, and Tiago, live the perfect domesticated life in the magical city that is Rio de Janeiro. Blu remains as domesticated as ever and he is reveling in the conveniences of modern life. A perfect day for him is making pancakes for Jewel and their three kids and plopping on the couch to watch a soccer game. He is definitely in his comfort zone, living large and like a human. However, Jewel is concerned that the children are becoming more like humans than birds, and that they may never know how to be birds. When Linda and Tulio discover there might be more Spix's macaws deep in the Amazon, Blu reluctantly agrees to go on a short trip to help find them. Blu tells his buddies of his travel plans, but Nico, Pedro, and Luiz warn him of the myriad dangers that could lie ahead in the wild. But the ever-positive Rafael encourages Blu, reminding him that “a happy wife means a happy life!"
Blu thought the city of Rio was wild, but he didn't experience the true meaning of wild until he traveled to the Amazon. He's a little reluctant to make the journey and not comfortable with it, but he’ll do it for the good of his family. After all, what could go wrong on a family vacation?
Before they can begin their journey, Blu has to prepare himself and his family for the journey. To do this, Blu enlists the help of a GPS device, much to Jewel's frustration, to help them navigate across Brazil. He packed other items in his fanny pack as well, such as bug spray, water purifier, band-aids, the All-in-one Adventurer's Knife, and several other kinds of equipment.
When they arrive in Manaus, they hitch a ride on a riverboat and take a much-needed break from flying. During the ride down the Amazon, Jewel notices Blu is still indecisive about the adventure. She decides to cheer him up by thanking him for coming along.
Upon their arrival at Blu's programmed destination, Blu and Jewel meet the locals at the Amazon sanctuary, where they discover, to everyone’s shock, especially Jewel’s, that the leader of the lost flock of Blue Macaws is Jewel’s dad, Eduardo.
Initially grateful that Blu has brought Jewel back into Eduardo’s life, the stern patriarch quickly becomes a disapproving father-in-law. Eduardo is very strict with Blu and is unhappy that he has so many ties to humans and human things, like his ever-present fanny pack and GPS system.
As the family settles into this exciting new world, Blu finds his learning curve to be a steep one. He is unable to handle even the most simple and important tasks, like building a nest and foraging for food. Blu not only feels out of place in the jungle, he feels out of place with this entire flock of birds who share his DNA, but none of his lifestyle choices.
If meeting a critical father-in-law weren’t enough, Blu must also contend with Jewel’s childhood friend Roberto. Blu feels not only threatened by Roberto, but is frustrated because Roberto seems like the perfect guy.
To Blu, the Amazon really feels like the most exotic or foreign place it could for a bird from Minnesota via Rio.
Meanwhile, unknown to Blu, Jewel and their friends, their old enemy Nigel (who actually survived the plane's destruction) is plotting revenge on them with his minions, Gabi the frog and Charlie the anteater.
After an arduous "training session" with Eduardo, Blu expresses his worries to Rafael, Pedro and Nico, who tell him to calm down. As they are talking, a masked Nigel walks past them. Due to him being in disguise, Blu does not recognize his old nemesis, and Nigel, right now a little too into his new act, passes Blu without acknowledging him.
Blu tries to make Jewel happy fearing that she's going to leave him, so he searches around the jungle for a Brazil nut (her favorite) for her. But he accidentally steps into the Red Macaw Tribe's territory. Not happy about this, Felipe, the head of the tribe, sets off a bet to decide who keeps the entire Brazil nut grove. Both tribes head to the Pit of Doom for a decisive soccer match. Blu ends up in the game and although he did quite well, trying to prove himself for the tribe, he ends up scoring for the other team, much to everyone's disappointment. Blu then tells Jewel he doesn't belong in the Amazon and wants to go home, but Jewel tries to reason with him that maybe the Amazon is home, not Rio. They both then have an argument, and Jewel then tells him that he has to figure what he wants to do and to start thinking about them instead of himself. He then leaves with his fanny pack and GPS heading towards Linda and Tulio's camp.
Blu flies to Linda and Tulio's camp in the jungle, but only to say goodbye, because he has decided to stay with his family in the Amazon. However, he is followed by Roberto, who now thinks he's a traitor. They're both surprised to see a logging harvester destroying the jungle. Blu saves Roberto, who is frozen in fear of the humans. After seeing Roberto panicking, Blu slaps him across the face, telling him to "snap out of it" and to warn the tribe while he finds Linda and Tulio. Blu manages to find Linda and Tulio and untie them from a tree before coming across the loggers and their destruction of the Jungle.
Blu later returns to the tribe to hear that Jewel won't leave without him, and he touches his beak with her's as they reunite. Blu then convinces the entire tribe that his knowledge of humans is, for once, useful to them, and together they decide to fight. Blu, Jewel, Eduardo, and all the other blue macaws then attack the loggers (Eduardo allowing Blu to take the lead), quickly gaining the upper hand. Eventually, the Scarlet Macaw tribe and the other animals come to help them fight the loggers. When all seems well, Blu spots Big Boss, the head logger, setting some dynamite to blow up the tress. Blu grabs the dynamite and flies it upwards. However, as he does so, a masked Nigel pursues and attacks him, revealing himself to Blu just as the dynamite explodes. However, both Blu and Nigel survive the explosion, and end up tangled in vines, upside down and unconscious. When they both regain consciousness, Nigel attacks Blu and they have a feather fight. Gabi tries to shoot Blu with a dart that has her poison on it, but it accidentally hits Nigel. Blu rejoins his family, and Nigel gives a death speech before seemingly dying. Gabi, saddened by Nigel's "death," drinks some her own poison and seemingly dies. However, it is revealed by Bia that Gabi is not poisonous at all. Nigel, still alive, charges toward Blu and his family in one last attempt for vengeance. Blu shields Bia and Tiago with his wings looking on with worry and fear, but Gabi grabs Nigel so they can be together. Blu then looks at Jewel before shrugging his shoulders and flying away with his family.
In the end, Blu, Jewel, and their family and friends all celebrate together and Blu decides he might feel at home in the Amazon after all, but they're going to spend summers back in Rio.
Appearance
Blu has blue feathers and brown eyes. Unlike Jewel, who's slender, he's slightly pudgy. He has white facial markings around his eyes with a ring of darker feathers around them. He has fluffy feathers on his sides and the back of his neck. Like Jewel, he sports a feather ruffle which lays on the back of his neck, several feathers flow. Also, Blu has short feathers on the back of his head. Tulio described Blu as a "perfect specimen", as he is physically fit and in good health.
Personality
Shy, socially awkward, and smart, he says things that are the last thing on his mind and even make you laugh. He can't even express himself and his feelings to the girl of his dreams, he tried so many times but still, failed. While he can use a fire extinguisher to get out of his cage and open a plane's cargo door, he can't fly. He often pertained himself to "one of the types of birds that can't fly". But if the girl of his dreams is in trouble, he will risk it all to save her, even if it costs his life (He jumped out of the cargo plane trying to save Jewel even though he didn't know how to fly). He's one-of-a-kind and proud of it. Despite being awkward, unable to express himself and even a bit clumsy with words, he is very softhearted, sweet, handsomely cute, super smart, and because of his colorful courage and bravery, Blu will never give up on anything. Even when Nigel digs his talons deep in Blu's throat he puts away his own pain to focus on Jewel's broken wing. Blu is always organized and well prepared for trips, and prefers the easiest option. He is hesitant to venture into the wild, but will do it for the sake of his family.
In Rio 2, it can be seen that fatherhood has had a profound effect on Blu's personality. He is a kind, caring father who cares deeply for his children, shown by his constant worry of their well-being (such as taking away the match Tiago had in the opening scenes). Nevertheless, he loves to have fun with his children, pretending to play soccer when Tiago throws a blueberry at him. He works his hardest to give his family the best, lovingly cooking pancakes for them and putting his own comfort aside to travel to the Amazon. He is also very sweet to Jewel, always protecting her and promising to do whatever it takes to help her.
Primary Relationships
Blu and Jewel
Blu has lived in Minnesota for 15 years under the care of Linda. After Tulio, an ornithologist tells that Blu is the last male of his kind, he travels to Rio and meets the girl of his dreams. Shy, and socially awkward, his impression and approach to Jewel was misunderstood. He completely blew it. But later on, he wins her heart during their adventure together. The two had three baby chicks, Bia, Carla, and Tiago, who appear at the end of Rio, and once again in Rio 2.
Additional Info
Blu falls in love with Jewel at first sight. Although she often acted hostile towards him, he would act in a friendly manner. After their dance duet, Blu nervously tried to admit his feelings toward her. After the chain was removed, he was unhappy at the fact they would have to part, spilling out into an argument, after which he angrily walks away. After hearing Jewel had been captured, however, he goes to rescue her, barely passing up the chance to be reunited with Linda to do so. When an injured Jewel falls out of the smugglers' plane, unable to fly, Blu puts his fears aside and jumps after her, not wanting to lose her. Finally winning her heart through his selfless sacrifice, Jewel realized that he did this because he loved her making her kiss him. After the kiss he was able to fly and save her and himself.
In Rio 2, Blu is a loving and devoted husband to Jewel. In spite of his own misgivings, he agrees to take the family to the Amazon, just to make her happy. He even admits he would do anything for her. Once they reach the Amazon, Blu starts to feel threatened by Jewel's childhood friend, Roberto, fearing that he may steal her away. On his friends' advice, he decides to "bird up" and get Jewel a Brazil nut as a surprise (Which results in the soccer match between the blue and red macaws). When Blu airs his grievances to Jewel about staying in the Amazon, they briefly argue, with Blu saying that the jungle isn't home. Blu leaves for Linda's position, but only to say goodbye, having decided that Jewel and the kids are more important. After encountering the loggers, he returns to Jewel, the two affectionately touching beaks, glad to see each other again. After the loggers are defeated, Blu assures Jewel that he is fully prepared to spend his life in the jungle. After a spider scares him, Jewel suggests they spend summers in Rio. Blu responds by saying "You're my one and only, Jewel."
Blu and Linda
Linda is Blu's best friend. Back in Minnesota, they would do everything together, hardly ever parting. When Blu joins Jewel to the jungle, he and Linda share one of their special "fist bumps" as a farewell to each other.
In Rio 2, they are shown to still be quite close; Linda waves to Blu when she is interviewed on TV, and gave him a fanny pack at some point. A image shown the news depicts Blu and Jewel at Linda and Tulio's wedding, Blu perched on Linda's arm. When they reach the Amazon, Blu suggests that they find Linda and Tulio, but is shot down by Jewel. After deciding to stay in the jungle, Blu goes to Linda and Tulio's camp to say goodbye. He later frees Linda and Tulio from being tied to a tree by the loggers (After Linda alerted him with a bird call). After the loggers are repelled, he and Linda share a fist bump. When Linda and Tulio are interviewed by a news reporter about making the Amazon a wildlife reserve, Blu perched on Linda's arm, and squawks in agreement when Linda declares they will protect the jungle and it's inhabitants together.
Secondary Relationships
Rafael
While still frightened of the toucan's twenty-one kids and mate, Blu often takes Rafael's advice, respecting his wisdom and intelligence. It is Rafael's words of encouragement that motivated Blu to go on the journey to the Amazon. Blu turns to Rafael (and Nico and Pedro) for advice, voicing his personal thoughts about the Amazon, Eduardo and Roberto. Rafael comforts Blu and is there for him, reminding him that 'a happy wife is a happy life!'.
It's shown in both the second movie and the Rio: Snakes Alive! novel that Blu and Jewel trust Rafael enough to let him babysit Carla, Bia, and Tiago.
Nico and Pedro
Nico and Pedro are the first friends Blu makes in Rio, and he treats them as such, even though their advice on courting Jewel failed miserably. Blu turns to the pair (along with Rafael) for advice on the Amazon, and considers them as close friends.
Despite their recklessness, Blu still trusts Nico and Pedro enough to let them babysit his kids, shown in the Rio: Snakes Alive! novel.
Tulio
When they first meet, Blu is Disturbed by Tulio's attempts to "communicate" with him, and doesn't take kindly to the good doctor throwing him across the room in an attempt to make him fly. Blu also doesn't care for Tulio's attempts to make him look "irresistible", quickly smoothing out his fluffed-up head feathers. Nevertheless, Blu admires Tulio for his work to protect the birds of Brazil, trusting him to heal Jewel's wing.
Nigel
Nigel is Blu's arch nemesis and when they first met, Nigel was posing as a sick bird, and responded to Blu's "Get well soon" with an evil glare. Blu later classifies Nigel's Pretty Bird song as "Scary, but not cool". Nigel hatefully despises Blu, and constantly tries to terrorize, humiliate, or injure Blu. When Nigel injures Jewel, Blu once again denounces him as "Not cool", before blasting him out of the plane, and into its engine. They are both still enemies and he (Nigel) is also an enemy of Jewel, Blu's wife. Blu still has nightmares about Nigel.
In the second film, Nigel seeks revenge on Blu, for defeating and humiliating him in the first film. Twice, Blu fails to recognize him in his leaf disguise, but when the disguise falls away, he instantly realizes who he is.
Luiz
Blu is initially terrified of Luiz, thinking he is a rabid dog. Once this is revealed to be a joke, Blu generally treats him with friendliness, though he is repulsed by the bulldog's drool.
In Rio 2, Blu and Jewel are shown to still not entirely trust Luiz, as Blu voiced his concerns when Rafael tells him and Jewel that he left Luiz baby-sitting the kids.
Bia, Carla, and Tiago
Blu has three children together with Jewel: Bia, Carla, and Tiago. He seems to have a very close relationship with them. He is a very responsible and loving father. He loves them so much that he would be have been prepared to leave the comforts of Rio forever, so that they and Jewel would be happy. He seems to have the closest relationship with Bia, possibly because she is most like him, personality-wise, though she is much less timid.
Eduardo
Eduardo and Blu do not get off to a good start when they meet each other. As Eduardo's son-in-law, Blu didn't make the best first impression to his father-in-law. It looks as if Eduardo is not really happy with the relationship between Blu and his daughter Jewel. Things get worse when Eduardo learns that Blu is a "pet". In private, Blu denounces Eduardo to his friends as a "total nut job" and was annoyed every time he would compare him with Roberto, though he still strives to earn his approval. Eventually, Blu earns Eduardo's respect after he leads the tribe in repelling the loggers.
Mimi
Blu's aunt-in-law, Mimi is the only member of Jewel's family who accepts Blu as her niece's mate. She welcomes Blu and Jewel into the Spix's macaw tribe with open wings, and smooths the conflict between Blu and Eduardo. Mimi reminds Eduardo that he must accept and honor Jewel's choice of mate, despite what he may think of his son-in-law.
Roberto
When Blu meets Jewel's childhood friend, he is uncomfortable at the past relationship between his mate and Roberto. It seems as though Roberto can do almost anything Blu can't, and he has a more beautiful singing voice. Roberto has more confidence and can easily charm females, making Blu feel incredibly inadequate. Blu is afraid that Jewel will fall for Roberto, and that got worse every time Eduardo compared the two. When Roberto becomes paralyzed with fear over the loggers, Blu slaps him and takes charge of the situation.
Skills
- Mimicking Sounds (Shown during the intro credits)
- He was seen mimicking a clock alarm, a ringtone, and a car alarm when waking Linda up. Shortly after, he mimicked the sound of a police car's siren while riding on his toy car.
- Later, he was seen mimicking a dog's bark while (along with Jewel) being chased by Nigel, Armando and Tipa.
- Typing (Shown during the intro credits)
- Reading (Shown during the intro credits)
- Dancing (Shown in the samba club)
- When Nico and Pedro sang Hot Wings(I Wanna Party), Blu got carried away, dancing to the music.
- Singing
- He sings along to one word to Lionel Richie’s Academy-award-winning "Say You, Say Me", along with it, caws in "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)", sings a verse in "Real in Rio", and sings a verse of "What Is Love" with Jewel during the New Year's Eve party.
- Skateboarding
- During Carnival, he jumps on a skateboard, enabling him to make his way through the parade, fast.
- He can also do skateboard tricks that professionals do.
- No other bird in Rio can use a skateboard (or know what a skateboard even is)
- Human Intelligence
- He worked with Linda in the bookstore. He was smarter than other birds shown which was revealed he read many books long ago.
- He can also open bird cages easily, at the smugglers hideout when Jewel is trying to get out the cage, he just opened it without trouble and said that it's just a standard slide bolt lock.
- Flying Straight with Jewel (Angry Birds Rio only)
- Without Jewel, he takes advantage of his inability, and flaps his wings around causing moderate damage to his foes.
- Flying
- He learns to fly when he comes to save Jewel near the end of the first movie.
- Brushing (Shown during the intro credits)
- He was putting toothpaste on his toothbrush and used it to brush his beak.
- Toasting
- Blu knows how to toast a bread by using a toaster, seen during the intro credits.
- Acrobatics
- He was showing mostly his agility and balance. Like doing some stunts to get around in Linda's house and climbing up to the tree fort.
- Talons
- He uses his Talons to hold and grab things, such as holding a cup of water to wash down the toothpaste, drinking hot chocolate (this is a factual error, as like it is for dogs, chocolate is toxic for macaws), and tying a rope to Nigel's leg to save Jewel.
- Fist Bump (Show during the intro and end credits)
- It's a handshake that he and Linda do, though he uses his foot; birds don't have hands, and can only use their feet for this kind of thing.
- Playing Dead
- He can act like he's dead, albeit with some overly-exaggerated death throes.
- Fire Extinguisher Mechanism
- Blu was seen using fire extinguisher to free himself from Nigel's grab, pulling out the safety pin from extinguisher and sent Nigel blasting off the plane.
- Riding Toy Car
- Blu was seen riding a toy police car in Blue Macaw Books.
- Cooking
- Blu can make pancakes for his children Bobby, Jasmine and Savannah.
- Strength
- Blu can carry Jewel, and two of his children without any difficulty. He can also carry Nigel and dynamite in the air (with some difficulty).
- Soccer
- He had shown to be great soccer player.
- GPS Operation
- Blu uses a GPS during the family's trip to the Amazon.
- Beak Strength
- Eduardo teaches Blu how to free himself from rope or vine using his beak. Blu finds this useful as he helps untie Linda and Tulio from the tree when the loggers capture them. Also, after Nigel was struck by Gabi's poison dart, Blu frees himself and Nigel by biting through the vines they were hanging from.
- Speed
- In Rio 2, Blu is shown to have considerable speed.
Trivia
- Blu is voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, a male actor of many films, such as Zombieland, 30 Minutes or Less, and The Social Network.
- Blu was originally supposed to be voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and other commitments outside production, and was replaced by Jesse Eisenberg. He was asked during the filming of The Social Network if he would do his voice recording on the weekends; he agreed after reading the script, saying: "It was the perfect antidote to get out of the mindset of my character in The Social Network who was so severe, and in some ways so joyless.".
- In many promotional ads for the movie, and on soundtrack, DVD, and Blu-ray covers, Blu is shown wearing several different outfits ranging from hats to a scarf though he was never meant to wear outfits in the film. This is mainly promotional purposes for Blu.
- It is likely that Blu is loosely based off a real-life Spix's macaw that lived with a Colorado family until 2002 when the Brazilian government ordered the family to transfer the animal to a zoo in Brazil for conservation purposes.
- He claims that once in a while, he pees in a birdbath, but birds can't technically urinate.
- Tyler Blu Gunderson is a real name from a person from Australia.
- In the second scene of the film, Blu jumps on the keyboard of Linda's computer, the password is known to be 92v]ia.
- Blu can sometimes be bad mannered, like when he was brushing his teeth with Linda: he drank a cup of water to wash down the toothpaste, but instead of spitting it out, he swallowed it and burped which Linda found disgusting.
- He was seen drinking a cup of hot chocolate and eating chocolate chip cookies off a plate (even dunking one in his chocolate). This is a factual error, as like it is for dogs, chocolate is toxic for macaws.
- He only drinks hot chocolate with 6 marshmallows and eats chocolate chip cookies with it.
- After the fight with the monkeys the birds were comparing two things; Blu's comparing was "Cheese & Sprinkles" he got that catchphrase from Linda, he says "it's a Minnesota thing".
- In the intro and ending, Blu and Linda were seen doing a fist bump (or secret handshake).
- He is a one-of-a-kind: he can do things that other birds can't do like shred on a skateboard, read books, type on computers. As if he was like a human.
- Even though Blu was born in Rio he didn't want to come maybe because he liked it in Moose Lake, forgot he lived there, or had no memory of being born in Rio. It is unknown which is which.
- Now he lives in Brazil he has to sleep in a tree with his wife and children due to the fact that birds sleep in trees.
- In fact, earlier, he learns why they sleep in trees instead of the ground.
- His name refers to his blue feathers, though in his name, the letter E is dropped.
- He and Linda lived together for 15 years.
- Blu has an image of his face on the Blu Bird Sanctuary (which was also named in his honor).
- When Blu arrived in Rio, Nico tells him he does not look like a tourist. This might be a play on the fact that Spix's Macaws are endemic to Brazil.
- When Blu is put in Jewel's cage with an afro-like hairstyle to try and impress her, it is actually accurate, macaws puff their head feathers and so their partners cannot resist preening them.
- He doesn't like taking his vitamins.
- He said that he picks his beak which is similar to nose-picking, but birds can't technically pick their beaks.
- The fate of Blu's parents remains unknown.
- Blu claims to know about the food chain by watching Animal Channel.
- In Rio 2, Blu meets Jewel's childhood friend, Roberto, and becomes jealous, fearing Jewel may wish to rekindle their relationship which got worse every time Eduardo would compare the two.
- In Rio 2, Blu also meets Jewel's father, Eduardo, who is the leader of the remaining Spix's Macaw clan who have been hiding in the Amazon Rainforest.
- In Rio 2, Blu also meets Eduardo's sister, Mimi.
- Currently, Blu can only open a Brazil nut with a Swiss army knife.
- In Rio 2, Blu carries around a fanny pack that keeps his belongings, such as a map.
- It's likely that Blu is loosely based off of Presley, a real-life Spix's macaw that lived with a Colorado family until 2002 when the Brazilian government ordered the family to transfer the animal to a zoo in Brazil for conservation purposes. Tragically, Presley died in 2014, leaving behind no offspring to help save the Spix's Macaw species.
- In Rio 2, Blu uses a GPS that utilizes voice recognition. It's never explained how this works, as no human in the movie can understand Blu when he talks.
- As of Rio 2, Blu is approximately nineteen years old.
- Blu doesn't like nuts, according to Jewel in Rio 2.
- In one of the original storyboards for the breakfast scene at the beginning of Rio 2, Blu was far more accepting of a trip to the Amazon, wholeheartedly agreeing after being persuaded by Jewel.
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