Bear (Franklin)

Franklin's best friend who is a brown bear. Bear is considered to be gifted; he is gentle, loyal and sensitive. Bear is one of the more mature characters of the show, such as times where he and Franklin are in the middle of a problem, Bear will try to resolve it with the truth, whereas Franklin would try to hide it. He has a large appetite, which earned him the derisive nickname "Snacks" in one episode. Bear can be described as very loyal to those few he considers his friends. Honesty and trust are also paramount with him, as in one episode he stops talking to Franklin for an excruciating amount of time after Franklin breaks a promise and spoils a secret. Bear is the strongest of Franklin's friends, and enjoys sports, particularly basketball. Beginning with the third season, Bear is usually seen wearing a blue vest unless he's swimming. This is in contrast to the other characters, who usually do not wear any sort of clothing (with the exception of Franklin, who is rarely seen without his cap and neckerchief.) Bear was voiced by Cody Jones in the first season of the show. Luca Perlman assumed the role for the second-fifth seasons, his last time for the role as Bear being the television movie, "Back to School with Franklin". Marc McMulkin assumed the role for the sixth season.