Evan "Buck" Buckley
Evan "Buck" Buckley is a golden jackal and a firefighter at Station 118. He rescues an otter during the cold open and creates an unexpected connection with Pawbert at dinner by referencing his own traumatic past.
"Everyone's got something. You're not as special as you think." -- Buck Buckley
Background
Buck Buckley is one of Station 118's most capable and impulsive firefighters. His physical courage is matched by an emotional openness that catches mammals off guard — he is not afraid to acknowledge his own damage, and he uses that honesty as a bridge to connect with others who are struggling.
His reference to "the fire truck bomb" — a traumatic event from his own past — is delivered with the casual directness of someone who has processed his trauma enough to name it without flinching. This directness is what makes his connection with Pawbert land: he does not tiptoe around pain, he names it and moves forward.
Personality
Buck is impulsive, brave, and emotionally direct. He processes the world through action — running into buildings, pulling mammals from danger, saying the thing that everyone else is thinking but nobody will say. His bluntness is not cruelty; it is the absence of pretense.
His observation that "everyone's got something" is not dismissive — it is an invitation. By stripping away the isolation of trauma ("you're not as special as you think"), he offers Pawbert something rare: the normalization of damage.
History
Season 1: Station 118 (S01E10)
Buck rescues an otter during the cold open, establishing his firefighting competence immediately. Later, at dinner with the Station 118 crew, he approaches Pawbert and creates an unexpected moment of kinship.
Rather than offering sympathy or avoiding the subject of Pawbert's past, Buck references his own traumatic experience — "the fire truck bomb" — with the matter-of-fact tone of someone who has integrated his worst moments into his identity without letting them define him. His statement that "everyone's got something" reframes Pawbert's isolation: trauma is not unique, and carrying it does not make you special or separate. It makes you a mammal.
Season 2: Collateral (S02E07)
Buck returns with Station 118 when an explosion rocks the Tundratown-Sahara Power Substation. He and Eddie rescue Lorna Kresk, a possum substation technician trapped in the wreckage. Eight civilians are killed in what proves to be a reconnaissance attack testing emergency response times.
Season 5: Inferno (S05E16)
Buck returns with Station 118 during the Rainforest District arson attack. Working the evacuation transports when the pack arrives, he greets Luther with characteristic directness, asking if he still remembers how to run toward fire. When Pawbert emerges from Mika's burning studio, Buck reaches him first and takes Mika's weight. After Luther's breakdown at the staging area, Buck offers quiet support — subdued by the weight of the day. He volunteers alongside Eddie and Hen to cover the debrief so the pack can leave.
Season 5: Final Position (S05E21)
Buck and the Station 118 crew are staged at the rear during the assault on The Root — medical units ready for the casualties that are certain to come. He stands ready with Chimney, Eddie, and Hen as the assault begins.
Season 5: Complacency (S05E22)
Buck flanks the stretcher carrying Luther into Zootopia General Hospital, one paw on the rail to keep it steady as the team navigates corners at speed.
Season 5: Always (S05E24)
Buck bounds ahead toward the double wedding ceremony — the golden jackal's eager energy barely contained, tail wagging despite his best efforts at dignity. His presence at the celebration represents the Station 118 family honoring the pack's hard-won happiness.
Key Relationships
Pawbert Pawthorne
Buck's connection with Pawbert is built on shared understanding delivered without ceremony. Where other mammals approach Pawbert with caution or sympathy, Buck approaches with honesty. His willingness to name his own damage and refuse to treat Pawbert's as exceptional creates a moment of genuine connection that stands apart from the pack's more careful emotional dynamics.
Eddie Diaz
Buck and Eddie's partnership at Station 118 is one of the crew's core dynamics — two firefighters who operate with complementary energy: Buck's impulsiveness balanced by Eddie's quiet competence.
Bobby Nash
Buck served under Bobby's command at Station 118. Bobby's later death carries particular weight for Buck, who lost a captain who helped shape him.
Key Quotes
- "Everyone's got something. You're not as special as you think."
Trivia
- Buck is a golden jackal, a canid species distinct from wolves and foxes.
- His reference to "the fire truck bomb" is drawn from his source material's traumatic backstory.
- His blunt approach to connecting with Pawbert contrasts with the more careful emotional approaches of other characters.