Sabu (サブさん) is a hamster who is often seen with a pigeon named Françoise (who is also his girlfriend). He appears in the series from time to time with different roles. Mainly, he's a seed vendor who feeds anyone he sees.
Character description
Sabu appears fairly infrequently in the show, but he has a bigger role in special episodes. He is always ready to lend a hand; if a Ham-Ham is in trouble, he will come to the rescue, teamed up with his special pigeons for help. Sabu also seems to be knowledgeable about Japanese culture, as seen in episodes like "Let's Dance, Ham-Hams!" (Obon Festival) and "Happy New Year, Ham-Hams!" (New Year's).
Relationships
Françoise
Sabu had a crush on Françoise long before she even noticed him. In order to get her attention, he made wings out of cardboard and attempted to fly alongside her, but failed each and every time. But one day, she noticed, and was impressed by his efforts and the two seemed to have become a couple.
Friendships
Boss
These two are quite close. Boss admires Sabu greatly, while Sabu acts as a sort of mentor to Boss, giving him advice. At first, Sabu thought Boss has no idea how to really "be a man", until convincing him that being a real man means showing your feelings and caring for your friends and family.
Hamtaro
Hamtaro and Sabu first met briefly in Hamtaro, Please Come Home!. Sabu offered to help Hamtaro make his way back home with the help of Françoise. They reunited in the Happy Birthday Hamtaro OVA, in which Sabu claims they're "very close friends". He is touched that Hamtaro is searching for his mother and begins to cry, then offers to help him once more.
Notable Episodes
- Hamtaro, Please Come Home! (#24)
- Laura's Valentine (#84)
- Boss Runs Away (#91)
- The Flying Carp (#96)
- Let's Dance, Ham-Hams! (#110)
- It's a Duel, Boss! (#121)
- Happy New Year, Ham-Hams! (#131)
- Bijou's Memorable Picture Book (#132)
- A Trip of Hunger (#154)
- Run, Pepper! (#179)
- Smell Strongly, Marron! (#255)
- Happy Birthday Hamtaro - 3000 Hammy Steps in Search of Mommy (OVA)
Trivia
- Despite being around birds most of the time, Sabu was afraid of owls (he fainted upon seeing Fukusuke). Owls are natural predators of rodents, so this is logical.
- Sabu keeps all of his seeds in a cold storage building so they stay fresh.
- In Hindi, Sabu means "a strong, loyal person". This may be coincidental, but it would certainly describe Sabu's character perfectly.
Gallery
- Main article: Sabu/Gallery