Neera

“That is what is called a Jerkasaurus.”

―Neera referring to Aladar

Neera is an Iguanodon and deuteroganist of Disney's 2000 animated feature film Dinosaur. She is the sister of Kron. She ends up falling in love with Aladar because of his compassionate ways.

Background

Personality

Neera is very different from her cold-hearted brother, but although their views are very different, they do love each other as evidenced by Neera's deep remorse upon Kron's death, Neera initially seemed to accept Kron's belief in survival of the strongest, but Aladar causes her to question whether she actually agrees with her brother's beliefs, after Aladar leaves the herd in order to look after his friends, Neera takes his place in helping the weak, being the only dinosaur who turns back to help two exhausted orphans. Neera is very brave, being the first dinosaur to join Aladar's attempt to stand up to a Carnotaur and shortly afterwards she attacked the same Carnotaur in order to defend her brother.

Aside from her bravery, her love for Aladar and her caring for the weak is shown when Neera protects Aladar from her brother Kron. Neera can be seen shaking a little and feels the guilt of leaving her brother behind. When Neera decides to go with Aladar, the sorrow, sadness, fear, and pain can be seen on her face. Although Neera knows her brother is wrong, she still cared for him when she becomes heartbroken after failing to save him from the Carnotaur.

Role in the film

Neera first appears when Aladar and his lemur family encounter the herd during a sandstorm in a migration to reach the Nesting Grounds. Aladar accidentally bumps into her while the herd is walking, and she tells him to watch where he's going. Aladar watches her walk off before getting pushed over by a Pachyrhinosaurus. Neera appears again when Aladar attempts to talk to Kron about slowing the herd down for Baylene, Eema and Url's sake. Neera is impressed by his compassion, but Kron rejects it and tells Aladar to let him do all the thinking. Before leaving, Neera says that's how Kron treats newcomers, even if they are charming.

The next morning, before the herd begins the migration to a faraway lake, Zini, Aladar's foster uncle, spots Neera and gives a little "help" in attracting her. Zini's "love" does get Neera's attention, but she in turn calls Aladar a "Jerkosaurus." Eventually, the herd reaches the lake, only to discover that it's dried up. When Kron orders the herd to keep moving, Neera tries to talk Kron out of it, saying that if they keep going without water, they'll lose half the herd. Kron in turn replies saying "then we save the half that deserves to live." Neera is frustrated by this comment, but before they go far, Aladar (who went into the lake bed to help old Eema and discovered water underneath the ground with Baylene's help) calls to the herd, saying they found water. Neera is impressed, but this turns into a frenzy when the herd rushes past Aladar and the old dinosaurs and pushes and shoves to drink. Neera stays out of this commotion and sees Aladar clearing a path for Eema out of the stampeding herd.

Later in the evening, Neera sees Aladar getting water for the two orphan Iguanodons she's been looking out for. Neera goes to introduce herself and apologizes to Aladar for calling him a "Jerkosaurus", though Aladar doesn't seem to mind. Neera asks why he helped Eema earlier and Aladar says he couldn't leave her behind. Neera tells Aladar what usually happens; you don't survive if you're not strong enough. Neera then reminds Aladar that she's not sure what to think, now that everything's so different. Aladar says that if they watch out for each other, they'd all stand a chance of getting to the Nesting Grounds. Aladar then gets Neera some water and they begin to bond. But as they drink, the herd is suddenly alerted by Bruton (who was earlier attacked by Carnotaurs after being sent by Kron with a scout to find water upon arrival at the lake). As the herd moves, Kron says that if the herd doesn't carry on, the Carnotaurs will catch up. Aladar tries to negotiate with Kron about the older dinosaurs not being able to make it, but Kron says they'll slow down the predators. After a brief brawl with Kron, Aladar is knocked down. Neera tries to help Aladar up, but Kron stops her. Aladar, enraged that Kron's refusing to listen to him, attempts to stop him, but Neera tells him to go back to the older dinosaurs, and that she'll be fine. She looks back and sees Aladar and the other dinosaurs falling behind and is unable to do anything about it.

As the herd continues to walk through the desert, several dinosaurs slow down and are exhausted, including the two orphaned Iguanodons. After one collapses, his companion cries for help, but no one responds until Neera appears. After reassurance that they'll make it, she helps the collapsed orphan to his feet, and they continue the journey. Neera looks back at the trail they've passed and hopes that Aladar is still alive.

Things get worse when the herd reaches the old entrance to the Nesting Grounds, only to discover that it's been blocked by a rockslide. Neera says they'll find a way around the wall, but Kron says they will climb it in the morning.

The next morning, Kron urges the exhausted herd to climb the rock wall, starting with the two orphan Iguanodons. Neera objects to this, but Kron says they're tough, and if they can make it, so can everyone else. Just as the herd begins to climb the wall, Aladar appears and warns the herd of an approaching Carnotaur but also saying that he knows a safer way to the valley and that they can't get over the wall, for there's a fatal drop on the other side. As Aladar tries to lead the herd out of the canyon, Kron gets enraged and attacks him. After a brawl, Kron knocks Aladar down and is about to kill him when Neera, having been fed up with her brother's ways, strikes him down and helps Aladar to his feet. Kron, shocked by this, yells to his sister, but she doesn't listen. The herd, also fed up with Kron, follows the two out of the canyon. But before they can leave, the Carnotaur appears, and the herd panics. After seeing Aladar bravely step forward and bellow at the predator, Neera is the first to join with him in doing so, and later the rest of the herd. As the Carnotaur backs off, it spots Kron climbing the rock wall alone and charges after him. Neera sees this and rushes to stop him, with Aladar not far behind. Neera reaches the Carnotaur after he severely injures Kron and tries to push him off the cliff. However, she is easily overpowered by the predator, but before it can hurt her, Aladar appears and fights the predator. After successfully defeating the Carnotaur, Neera rushes to her brother, but it's too late. Kron has died from his wounds. Even after all that Kron had done and trying to kill Aladar, Neera is heartbroken but is comforted by Aladar. Together, they lead the herd to the Nesting Grounds.

Neera is last seen with Aladar (now her husband), watching one of her and Aladar's eggs hatch with the older dinosaurs and lemurs. Neera then joins Aladar and the others in bellowing in triumph.

Trivia

Neera is similar to Kovu and John Smith, in that they are all on the villains' side at the beginning (Neera to Kron because she is his sister; Kovu to Zira because he is her son; Smith to Ratcliffe because he works for him) but ultimately rebel against said villain, as well as fall in love with the protagonist (for Neera, Aladar; for Kovu, Kiara; for Smith, Pocahontas). Unlike Neera and Kovu, however, Smith did not end up with Pocahontas, but remains as her official love interest.
- Neera is also similar to Kovu in that they both care deeply about their blood relations and show grief when their sibling/parent dies (for Kron, getting killed by a Carnotaur; for Nuka, getting crushed by logs and for Zira, falling off a cliff).