Stu Hopps
Stu Hopps is a gray rabbit and the father of Judy Hopps in We Can Fix Pawbert. A carrot farmer from Bunnyburrow, Stu attends Judy and Nick's wedding alongside his wife Bonnie, witnessing his daughter marry the fox who changed both their lives.
In Zootopia
Stu and Bonnie Hopps run the Hopps family farm in Bunnyburrow, raising over 275 children and growing carrots and blueberries. When Judy announced her dream of becoming a police officer, Stu was initially resistant, concerned about the dangers his small daughter would face in a predator-dominated profession.
Despite his reservations, Stu ultimately supported Judy's ambitions. He and Bonnie later demonstrated genuine growth by accepting Gideon Grey, a fox who had bullied Judy as a child, as their business partner after he matured into a skilled baker. This acceptance of Gideon foreshadowed their eventual acceptance of Nick.
Series History
Season 5
Stu and Bonnie arrive at the World Celebration Gardens for their daughter's wedding to Nick Wilde in "Always", standing at the entrance looking slightly overwhelmed by the city. Stu says quietly that their little girl is getting married; when Bonnie adds that it is to a fox, he concedes that Nick is a good fox. He then announces he intends to give Nick the shovel talk again, and is unmoved by Bonnie's reminders that he already delivered one four years ago and refreshed it again last year. Fru Fru calls the two of them over from across the lawn, and Stu remarks that he still cannot believe the crime boss's daughter kept sending them cheese.
At the reception, Stu gives a speech about Judy that includes several embarrassing childhood stories, leaving all the rabbits present openly weeping. He shares that when Judy was three, she tried to arrest a carrot for being too orange. Growing more serious, he acknowledges his initial doubts about Nick as a fox but admits that Nick has been proving him wrong for years. He describes Nick as loyal, kind, and someone who makes his daughter laugh. Stu officially welcomes Nick to the family while delivering his traditional reminder about still owning a shovel.
W-Series
In "Bunnyburrow", Stu picks up the pack from the Bunnyburrow train station in his farm truck and brings them to the Hopps family farm for a full family reunion. He gives Pawbert a personal tour of the carrot fields, showing him the heritage carrots his grandfather planted sixty years ago and teaching him to read the soil by texture and color — treating him with the easy warmth of a father showing a new family member the farm. On the porch that evening, Stu has a quiet, deliberate conversation with Luther, telling him that both he and Bonnie have decided Pawbert is theirs now — Sunday dinners, birthdays, holidays, phone calls — the same commitment he once made to Nick regarding Judy years earlier. He produces rabbit-sized porch beers as tradition before offering Luther the proper-sized barn beers he stocks for larger visitors, having built a full-height side entrance to the burrow after Nick started visiting regularly.
In "Headcount", Stu makes the delivery. His van turns into the Pawthorne Mansion drive just after noon with a duffel of pajamas in one paw and a folding camp bed under his arm, and his greeting puts the whole arrangement on Bonnie's authority and Judy's supposed agreement to it. A second van follows him in, and then a third, which he identifies cheerfully as cousin Ellen's, carrying a few extra. The side doors open, kits spill across the lawn and the gravel path in every available direction, and Judy loses count twice before anyone on the porch has managed to close their mouth. Stu hugs his daughter quickly and expertly, presses the duffel into Nick's arms, gives the scene a satisfied once-over, calls out for everyone to be good for their Auntie Judy, and is gone in the lead van before the dust settles, without anyone getting a question in about numbers. He returns with Bonnie and all three vans on Wednesday morning, and once the goodbyes have been made in the driveway he starts the engine and takes the noise back to Bunnyburrow.
Key Relationships
Judy Hopps
His daughter. Stu's protective instincts initially made him wary of Judy's dangerous career choice and later her relationship with a fox. Over the years, he has come to accept both, recognizing that Judy's choices have made her happy and allowed her to make a real difference.
Nick Wilde
His son-in-law. Stu admits he was initially uncertain about Nick due to his fox prejudices, but years of watching Nick care for Judy have changed his mind. He now genuinely welcomes Nick into the Hopps family.
Bonnie Hopps
His wife and partner in running the Hopps family farm. They share the same journey from concern to acceptance regarding Judy's life in Zootopia.
Fru Fru
The Hopps are on warm terms with Mr. Big's daughter, who greets them by name at the wedding and has kept sending them cheese since Judy saved her life.
Trivia
- The Hopps family farm uses Night howlers as a natural pesticide.