Gargamel

Gargamel
An illustration of Gargamel by Peyo in which he is seen taking a Smurf hostage. At bottom left is his cat, Azrael
Publication information
PublisherDupuis
First appearanceSpirou magazine, 1959
Created byPeyo
Voiced by
In-story information
PartnershipsAzrael
Smurfette (formerly)
Notable aliasesThe Great and Powerful Gargamel
AbilitiesCommand of magic

Gargamel is a fictional character and the main antagonist of The Smurfs media franchise created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo. He is depicted as a reclusive sorcerer who, alongside his cat Azrael (French: Azraël), frequently attempts to capture the Smurfs for various purposes. Although the character was intended to be retired after his first appearance, Peyo began incorporating Gargamel in future stories, allowing him to endure as the archenemy of the Smurfs.

In the 2011 motion picture The Smurfs, he is portrayed as wanting the Smurfs' "mystical essence" in order to power his magical wand.

Appearance and personality

Gargamel is depicted as a perpetually stooped man past his prime with rotten teeth and a balding head. He lives in a shack with his feline companion, Azrael, a brown cat that does not speak but exhibits many anthropomorphic personality traits and intelligence. Gargamel has a deep and strong hate for Smurfs, although he is not above pretending to befriend them when it serves his interests. He also frequently insults and mistreats Azrael, who typically responds in kind.[citation needed]

Gargamel made his debut in 'Le Voleur de schtroumpf' ('The Smurfnapper'), published in 1959. His aim is to capture a Smurf, which he intends to use to make a potion capable of transmuting base metals into gold (the Philosopher's Stone). This leads to a confrontation with the other Smurfs, who unite to rescue their kidnapped friend. In the ensuing struggle, the sorcerer is defeated, and vows revenge on the Smurfs.

Gargamel always wishes harm on the Smurfs, however his reasons for doing so differ in various portrayals. In earlier appearances, it is revealed that he wants to use their essence to create gold, to use them as a key ingredient for a recipe, or to annihilate them entirely. In the 2011 feature film, he wants to capture the Smurfs' essence to empower himself.

Gargamel is an inveterate bungler. Some of his schemes to catch Smurfs border on the bizarre (such as a "blue magnet" that attracted solely blue items). Gargamel has rare moments of genius, such as the creation of Smurfette, the sole female Smurf until the introduction of Sassette. Smurfette was intended to work for Gargamel, but betrayed him and joined the Smurfs.

Gargamel has a seemingly endless library of spellbooks ("grimoires"), potions, and gimmicks, including the Great Book of Spells: a sentient book bound by an arrangement requiring it to provide Gargamel with one requested spell per month, during the full moon. The book adheres to the letter of the agreement but often interprets Gargamel's wishes literally, leading him through humiliating rituals and ingredient-gathering tasks. In later appearances, it is suggested that the book's intentions may not be malicious, and it merely disapproves of selfish spellcasting, assisting the Smurfs in resolving magical crises.

Gargamel's design has been criticised for being an antisemitic caricature, featuring a roman nose and beady eyes. Nine Culliford, widow of Smurfs creator Peyo, claimed that the accusations are untrue, saying that he "never took any political or religious stance".

Actors

Cartoons

Actors who voiced Gargamel in different languages are:

Live-action films

Gargamel is played by Hank Azaria in the live-action/animated film series.

Animated film

Gargamel is voiced by Rainn Wilson in Smurfs: The Lost Village.

In other media

Outside of the comics, Gargamel has appeared in various media, such as in animated and live-action films and most notably in television series. The earliest adaptation of the character was in the 1961 television series, The Smurfs, voiced by an unidentified voice actor. He would then reappear in the 1980s animated television series of the same name (voiced by Paul Winchell) before going on to appear in the 2021 series (voiced by Emmanuel Curtil in the French dub and by Lenny Mark Irons in the English dub) and in the upcoming television special series The Smurfs Adventures.

Gargamel made his film debut in The Smurfs (2011) and in The Smurfs 2 (2013), during which he was portrayed by Hank Azaria, who also voiced the character in animated sequences in the spin-off direct-to-video specials The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol (2011) and The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow (2013).The character would go on to appear in the film Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017, voiced by Rainn Wilson) and in Smurfs (2025, voiced by J. P. Karliak, who also voiced Gargamel's brother Razamel).

Naming

Gargamel figure in Ankara Amusement Park

The name "Gargamel" resembles François Rabelais' classic Gargantua and Pantagruel, where the giantess Gargamelle is the mother of Gargantua. This is appropriate since Gargamel is a giant compared to the Smurfs. The word gargamelle in French is also a slang term for "throat".

Yvan Delporte suggested the name "Gargamel"; he also proposed the name "Azrael", considering "angel of death" an appropriate name for the would-be killer of Smurfs. He also liked the rhyme with Gargamel.

Names in other languages

In many languages, the name Gargamel is kept in the cartoon series:

However, in some languages, the character's name differs:

  • Arabic: شَرشَبيل (Sharshabeel)
  • Chinese: Ge Ge Wu 格格巫 (mainland China), Jia Bu Miao 賈不妙 (Taiwan). Both are phono-semantic adaptations.
  • Finnish: Velho, directly translated from English word "wizard"
  • German: Gurgelhals (literally "throat neck", implying strangling). From 1995 onward, the original name Gargamel is used in Smurf comics publications. In the TV series, Gargamel is used.
  • Greek: Δρακουμέλ (Drakoumel)
  • Hungarian: Hókuszpók, a wordplay on hocus pocus, with "pók" also meaning spider
  • Icelandic: Kjartan
  • Italian: Gargamella (phonetic adaptation of the original name)
  • Vietnamese: Lão Gà Mên (phonetic adaptation of the original name; "Lão" means old man)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Smurfen 21, De - Pas Op Voor Gargamel". dvdinfo.be (in Dutch). 20 May 2010.
  2. 1 2 Rovin, Jeff (1991). "Azrael". The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals. Prentice Hall Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-13-275561-0. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  3. ↑ Flood, Alison (2011-06-06). "Smurfs accused of antisemitism and racism". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
  4. ↑ "Antisemitism in Belgian Comics: "The Rich, Sneaky Jews"". Europe Comics. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
  5. ↑ "Gargamel". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  6. ↑ "Gargamel Voices (Smurfs)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-02-06.[non-primary source needed]
  8. ↑ "Smurfs Production Blog". Smurfsproductionblog.tumblr.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.