Though the Care Bears started out at American Greetings with just 10 bears, they’ve grown to include cousins and a ton of subsequent bears with new bears being added still with the vast majority being released in toy forms. The original Care Bears characters we saw over and over again on tv and in movies and toys in the 80s and their tummy symbols were:
Bedtime Bear – Sleeping moon w/ a nightcap and star
Birthday Bear – Cupcake with candle
Cheer Bear – Rainbow
Friend Bear – 2 smiling daisies
Funshine Bear** – Smiling sun
Good Luck Bear – 4 leafed clover
Grumpy Bear – Raincloud raining drops and hearts
Love-A-Lot Bear- Pink and red hearts
Tenderheart Bear – Single large heart
Wish Bear – Shooting star with rainbow tail and small stars
During the years of 1984-1986 the following new characters were added to Care-A-Lot:
Baby Hugs Bear** – Smiling star inside heart shaped box
Baby Tugs Bear** – Smiling star in a blue diaper
Champ Bear*- Gold trophy with red heart
Daydream Bear** – Rainbow heart balloons
Forest Friend Bear- Bear and rabbit hugging in front of trees.
Grams Bear – Pink rose with yellow bow.
Harmony Bear**- 3 rainbow-coloured musical notes
I Love You Bear** – Small heart “I love you” chest badge
Perfect Panda** – Gold star medal with ribbon
Polite Panda ** – Pink rose with bow.
Sea Friend Bear- Ocean wave and smiling sun
Secret Bear**- Heart shaped padlock
Share Bear**- Ice cream soda with 2 straws and heart sprinkles, later changed to
Surprise Bear** – Heart-stamped jack in the box with yellow star popping out.
Take Care Bear** – Smiling apple
True Heart Bear** – Heart with radiating rainbow coloured star.
Care Bear Cousins
Brave Heart Lion – Heart with a gold crown.
Bright Heart Raccoon** – Yellow hear shaped light bulb.
Cozy Heart Penguin – Heart with pink stocking cap.
Gentle Heart Lamb**- Heart shaped pillow.
Lotsa Heart Elephant** – Weight with heart shaped stamp.
Loyal Heart Dog – Heart shaped medal hanging from a bar.
Noble Heart Horse**- Heart with radiating rainbow coloured star.
Proud Heart Cat** – Pink star wth red heart inside.
Swift Heart Rabbit** – Red Heart with white or blue wings.
Treat Heart Pig** – Pink ice cream cone topped with a heart.
In the late 1990s more bears were added and continued to be added (current to 2017):
Shine Bright Bear – Sunrise inside a violet heart.
Oopsy Bear – Only bear with no tummy symbol. In the cartoon will draw a yellow shooting star on his belly sometimes. *In the plush version he has a smiling shooting star and heart symbol.
Wonderheart Bear – Niece of Tenderheart Bear, three -layered heart.
Bashful Bear – Heart behind a rainbow cloud
Best Friend Bear – Smiling heart and star linked by a rainbow
Do Your Best Bear – Kite
Laugh-A-Lot Bear – Laughing yellow star
Smart Heart Bear – Teachers apple and heart-shaped twinkle
Thanks-a-Lot Bear – Shooting star with rainbow tail and heart inside
Hopeful Heart Bear- Heart with coloured beams radiating outward
All My Heart Bear* – Red and white concentric heart
Amigo Bear – Aztec style sun surrounded by hearts
Heartsong Bear – Rainbow coloured music note and coloured hearts
Play-a-Lot Bear- Bouncing ball with heart, trailing a rainbow behind
Superstar Bear – Orange star with heart inside and 3 smaller stars.
Work of Heart Bear – Only multi-coloured bear. Heart shaped paint pallet and brush.
Sweet Dreams Bear – Pink sleeping moon on a cloud.
Always There Bear *- Two smiling intwined hearts.
Sweet Sakura Bear – Pink sakura (cherry) blossom w/ red heart in the middle.
Great Giving Bear – Heart popping out of a gift box.
Rainbow Heart Bear – Heart-shaped rainbow.
Pink Power Bear – Pink ribbon with small silver heart inside.
Christmas Wishes Bear -Christmas tree with heart in the middle, wears a red cap and scarf.
America Cares Bear – Red, white and blue shooting star
Post 1990 bears in animation only, not issued as toys:
Me Bear – Smiling hearr-shaped hand mirror
Messy Bear – Silly-face whirlwhind
Too Loud Bear – Yellow bullhorn with heart
Special Toy Releases
*All My Heart Bear was a Target exclusive release for Valentine’s Day.
*Work of Heart Bear was released as a special tutti frutti scented version.
*Always There Bear was released as a special raspberry scented version.
*Pink Power Bear was a Taret exclusive release for Breast Cancer Awareness.
*Harmony Bear was released as a special freesia scented version.
*Wish Bear was released as a special mint scented version.
*Sweet Sakura was originally released in the Japanese market.
*Christmas Wishes Bear was released for the 30th anniversary of the Care Bears in the Japan and Singapore markets.
**Bears who have had redesigns
Take Care Bear – honey coloured, changed to hot pink and symbol to smiling purple heart holding a smiling star.
Surprise Bear – light blue, changed to purple.
Champ Bear- orange coloured, later changed to blue and symbol to gold trophy with red star
Daydream Bear – pake pink, later changed to violet blue and symbol to pink heart planet with rings and stars.
Baby Hugs – symbol changed to smiling star inside pink heart
Baby Tugs- symbol changed to red heart inside yellow star
Harmony Bear- symbol changed to smiling flower with rainbow coloured petals; alternate symbol was large heart and 2 smaller overlaid hearts.
I Love You Bear- chest symbol was moved to belly
Share Bear – symbol changed to 2 pink and blue heart shaped lollipops.
True Heart Bear -toy issued as either multi-colour pastel or pastel yellow with multi-coloured tuft of hair, changed to pastel pink.
Secret Bear – tangerine coloured, was changed to magenta, began speaking in cartoons and changed from male to female.
Perfect Panda- nose changed from black to blue.
Polite Panda- fur changed to purple and white from black and white, nose changed from black to pink.
Funshine Bar – changed from female to male
Swift Hear Rabbit- shown as both male or female
Proud Heart Cat- tan-coloured, was changed to aqua, changed from male to female
Gentle Heart Lamb- originally considered male by American Greetings, changed to female
Lotsa Heart Elephant – changed from male to female
Treat Heart Pig- originally considered male by American Greetings, changed to female
Bright Heart Raccoon – Symbol changed to hot air balloon surrounded by radiating yellow beams
Noble Heart Horse – symbol simplified, changed from multi-colour pastel fur to purple fur.
Other Characters featured in books and media:
Friends of the Care Bears
The Cloudkeeper
Kim and Jason
John and Dawn
Sally and Sarah
SongFellow Strum
Star and Heart buddies
The Great Wishing Star (helped create the Kingdom of Caring)
Wingnut
Bumpity and Tweasel
Alice (in Wonderland)
Enemies of the Care Bears
No-Heart and Beastly
Shreeky
Professor Coldheart and Frostbite
Auntie Freeze
The Evil Spirit
Dark Heart
Wizard of Wonderland
Dim and Dumb
Sinister Shadows
Dr. Fright
Sour Sam
The Evil Vizier
The Rat King
Grizzle (formerly a Care Bear)
King Beastly
The Beasties