The White Horse

If you'll recall, a white horse pulls the carriage carrying Scarlet Overkill to her coronation in MINIONS. That detail came to the forefront of my mind after a conversation with a friend about Peter S. Beagle's THE LAST UNICORN. In particular, I thought of the character Molly Gru, a woman past her prime who laments meeting a unicorn after having lost her innocence and youth long ago. That scene made me think the white horse might have significant meaning to Scarlet. Why did she pick a white horse in particular? What does it reveal about her personality? What is its role in the narrative as well as her character's journey? What might it symbolize regarding her dreams?

It's fascinating that Scarlet chose a white horse to draw her royal carriage instead of a black or "evil" looking horse. In order to more effectively consider possible interpretations of her choice, I re-familiarized myself with the symbolism associated with white horses and subsequently viewed them in the context of Scarlet's characterization. I came up with several possible conclusions about the significance of her white horse and would like to share them with you.

[Quick aside: I suspect a main and very practical reason the horse is white is because of the visual purpose it serves. Perhaps the animators chose white because it would make the horse pop against the surroundings, which it does. A black/brown horse wouldn't have provided as much contrast even though a dark horse would have been consistent with Scarlet's dark nature and character design. Also, a white horse continues the fairy tale theme in Scarlet's characterization. Beyond that, it's impossible to say whether the filmmakers intended for the white horse to signify anything else without firsthand information.]

Below you'll find a number of quotes upon which I'm basing my interpretations. All parts in bold are my emphasis.

Quote source #1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_horse_(mythology)

"There are also white horses which are divinatory, who prophesy or warn of danger."

Clearly, Scarlet is a danger to England because she's a supervillain. If she's fully aware of the threat she poses, she possibly chose the white horse to deliberately instill fear in her future subjects. Her intent may have been to become a powerful, yet terrifying queen and the white horse is meant to broadcast that message.

Another possibility is she unconsciously chose a white horse to warn England about her dangerous nature, which is rather intriguing considering her psychological make-up and ardent need to be loved. What if her choice of a white horse represents her unconscious wish to be challenged about her villainy because she seeks redemption? In other words, might the white horse be an unconscious plea for help? It might represent her pre-villainous self, hidden deep somewhere in the Void and a part of her that has limited expression, power, and influence within her personality. In other words, her pre-villainous self managed to send a warning to England via her choice of a white horse, but the warning failed because everything else about her was too dark and powerful.

"...a white horse typically bears the hero- or god-figure in ceremonial roles in triumph over negative forces."

Scarlet may have chosen the white horse because she felt triumphant after banishing the Minions—i.e., "negative forces". And no doubt she felt pretty goddess-like during her attempted coup! Plus, aspects of her coup, like the carriage, motorcade, hundreds of adoring fans, and the crowning are all ceremonial in nature.

"...the white horse...bursts into existence in a fantastic way..."

The white horse, along with details like her coronation rocket dress, the red "S" banners, and all the little red flags (how much did that expenditure cost, I wonder?!) demonstrate that Scarlet was all about pomp, circumstance, and making a grand entrance. She obviously wanted nothing less than what every other Queen of England had before her. Only the best for Queen Scarlet!