Penny and Arnold are a pangolin and armadillo couple as well as two of the main protagonists from The Just So Movie.
Background[]
Arnold and Penny are the seventh and eighth members of the Main Eleven since they had been born and raised in the Grover zoo and are good friends with Bigmouth, Humphrey, Wrinkles, Spot, Trunksworth, Joey, Clyde, Carl, Floyd, and Joe. Their home is in the rainforest enclosure with Wrinkles; and they like to get together with their friends at the aquarium when Joe's not around. Their ancestors are from "The Beginning of the Armadillos" and made them like all other armadillos. These two make a great pair.
Penny is a female brown ground pangolin while Arnold is a male three-banded armadillo with yellow-orange armor; both their faces are cream colored along with Arnold's legs and tail.
Appearances[]
In the movie, Penny and Arnold are seen as pups in the zoo along with his friends, having both grown up ever since Joe became the head zookeeper and before Marty died. When the zoo gets run down, the pangolin, the armadillo, and their friends refuse to leave the zoo like the other animals. Hearing the news about Julia wanting to buy the zoo unless Joe pays his debt within two days, Penny, Arnold, and their friends get together trying to think of how they can save their home when Mother Nature appears, telling the Main Eleven that she will take them back in time to see their ancestors.
While the Main Eleven keep talking and Humphrey wishes for the other animals to return, the others object as Arnold and Penny explain about the crocodile always being so snappy, the sloth being too slow to communicate with, the birds always showing off their feathers, and the jaguar always trying to pounce on them.
While the Main Eleven is asleep at night, Mother Nature, who is true to her word, takes them back in time to see their ancestors. Arnold and Penny watch their ancestors while the whole story of "The Beginning of the Armadillos" being acted out, though it rather surprises them a bit. Back at the zoo, the next day, the Main Eleven explains about what happened, realizing that their ancestors made them what they are and that they can save the zoo.
When Joe (who has lost all hope) comes to feed them for the last time and explain that he's going to sell, the animals try to tell him about meeting their ancestors, but he can't understand them since animals can't speak human language.
Having lost hope the next day, Arnold, Penny, and their friends decide to make the best of living out in the wild (though they don't know what Julia has in mind for them), when Joe, who finally came to his senses from seeing his own ancestors last night, tells his animals friends that they can save the zoo after all. The Main Eleven gets ready as the sing, "Got to Save the Zoo".
The moment Julia arrives and Mr. Grover stands up to her refusing to sell the zoo, the landlady gets attacked by the Main Eleven. Penny and Arnold roll up into balls to trip Julia. After Julia gets arrested, the police allow the zoo to remain open forever, and Sally quits working for the landlady, Joe thanks the Main Eleven for believing in him ever since they were young.
Penny and Arnold even compliment their friends and their ancestors, knowing that things are going to get much better. After the zoo is renovated, new animals come to live in the zoo, including a new male pangolin and a new female armadillo who Penny and Arnold each have a pup with.
Video Games[]
Penny and Arnold both appear in the Just So Game as playable characters both played as one with abilities to dig, swim, and roll up into balls. They eat zoo chow to restore their health. When visiting their ancestors, they have to fight off a maned wolf.
Trivia[]
- Penny and Arnold can both talk to their friends while they only click and grunt to humans, which is why Joe can't understand them.
- Pangolins live in Africa and Asia while armadillos live in North and South America, which is why they both live in one enclosure.
- Armadillos aren't really fighters, but Arnold and Penny do roll themselves like bowling balls to attack.