Many people do not know that the baby in Ice Age has a name: Roshan. Unfortunately, Roshan receives a poor reputation from the general public.
I spotted a petition on Change(dot)org to remove Roshan, and even a Facebook page called “I Hate the Baby in Ice Age.” Unlike others, I actually admire the baby, Roshan.
How could Roshan annoy people like crazy? He’s only a baby, after all. Not to mention that his mother, Nadia, died saving him.
When Diego tried to attack him, Nadia grabbed Roshan and ran away from the tribe grounds. She also jumped over a waterfall, presumably swam to the closest surface, which was where Sid and Manny found her, and left the baby with the two creatures as she perished.
While Manny and Diego resisted affection for the baby at first, Sid developed a bond with him. I believe Sid decided to return the infant to his people. So, Diego and Manny chose to go along with Sid to achieve that goal.
But why do so many dislike Roshan? Yes, he pulled Manny’s fur off his trunk, but he couldn’t know better as an infant. But he did show sympathy for Manny when Manny mourned the loss of his family, who got killed by Neanderthal hunters.
I could go on with all the great things Roshan has done for the animals that went to bring him back to his father, Runar, as well as the other humans in that tribe. Therefore, I think Roshan deserves more sympathy and popularity.
But have a lot of folks despised Roshan since 2002? If you look at the Ice Age DVD cover, you will notice Roshan’s absence. He also does not return in later Ice Age films.
Perhaps, his unpopularity did start a long time ago. Maybe people loathed him because of his silly choices, despite his age. However, I see no difference between Roshan and other babies, fictional or real, in terms of behavior.