Finnick
Finnick is a fennec fox and Nick's former partner from his con artist days before Nick joined the ZPD. For most of the series he exists only in Nick's stories and in the junk Nick refuses to throw away; he is on the page exactly once, at the double wedding in the finale.
Background
Before becoming a ZPD officer, Nick ran various cons throughout Zootopia with Finnick as his partner. Despite his small stature, Finnick was known for his deep voice, tough demeanor, and willingness to play whatever role a con required — including dressing as a baby elephant for the "pawpsicle hustle."
Series History
Season 2
Finnick is referenced in "The Ask", where Nick entertains the table over dinner with a con the two of them ran near the Palm Hotel: a fake painting by an invented desert artist, sold to an out-of-town antelope. The mark came back three days later with two ZPD officers, and left having bought several more fakes, a rug, and some pottery Finnick had made in his van the night before.
Season 4
Finnick does not appear, but a gift of his survives the move to Pawthorne Mansion. Packing up the Acorn Heights apartment in "Charter", Pawbert turns up a taxidermied fish in one of the boxes: plaque-mounted, both eyes long gone, wearing an expression of permanent confusion. Nick defends it on the spot as a present from Finnick and therefore sentimental. Judy observes that it has no eyes. Nick reclassifies that as character.
In "The Chart", Judy asks what Nick used to do with a day off back when he was hustling with Finnick. He says he slept through them. A con never lets a mammal stand down, so time off was only the tiredness arriving.
Season 5
Finnick is on the page for the first time in the series at the double wedding in "Always". He arrives after everyone else and by himself, in a clean shirt and the jeans with the fewest holes in them, which is where his wardrobe tops out. He says "She hustled you, Wilde. She hustled you GOOD." to nobody in particular and makes directly for the open bar. He and Nick have stayed in contact over the years on calls and texts, with the occasional job that needed what he can do, but showing up in person for something like this is a different order of effort. As Nick walks up to the arch he catches Finnick's eye among the guests; Finnick lifts a paw, and Nick's grin gives up the performance.
Later he comes up on Nick beside the dancing and opens with an insult about the suit, which Nick parries by noting that Finnick is not wearing one. Then it goes plain. Judy is good for him, Finnick says, and asks "You happy?" Nick says he is. Finnick nods once, turns to leave, and turns back with an offer: another job sometime, nothing illegal, purely for the sport of it. Nick says he will think about it. Finnick tells him he won't, Nick concedes the point, and neither of them minds it. He goes off through the guests, and Nick stays where he is, watching.
Relationships
| Character | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Nick Wilde | Former partner; old friend |
Significance
Finnick is what remains of Nick's hustling years. Each time he comes up, the distance Nick has covered comes up with him: from selling invented desert art on the street to a detective's badge and a family.
Nick keeps that history rather than burying it, and at his own wedding he has it standing in the crowd.