Tale of the Brave

"Being brave isn't about not feeling scared. It's about what you do, even when you do feel scared."

- Gator

Tale of the Brave is a special released on September 16th, 2014 in the US on DVD and Blu-ray and September 1st in the UK.

Plot
Thomas is working at the Clay Pits when a storm closes in and the rain makes the clay cliffs unstable. A flash of lightning reveals what looks like giant footprints on the slope above, but a landslide has begun and Thomas cannot stay to investigate. Bill and Ben push Thomas to safety just in time.

Unable to go back and confirm what he saw, Thomas tells Percy about it, but Percy quickly becomes convinced that there is a monster on the island. He even becomes frightened of taking the mail train at night.

When an unusual engine with sloping boilers first appears, Percy thinks he must be the monster. James teases Percy and tries to scare him even more, but the new engine, who is called Gator, proves to be a good friend and ally, who helps Percy discover what it really means to be brave.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Bill and Ben
 * Emily
 * Porter
 * Gator
 * Timothy
 * Salty
 * Marion
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Cranky
 * Kevin
 * Reg
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Sir Robert Norramby
 * The Docks Manager
 * Some Workmen
 * A Shunter
 * Wellsworth Station Speaker
 * Duck (does not speak)
 * Oliver (cameo)
 * Rosie (cameo)
 * Stanley (cameo)
 * Stafford (cameo)
 * Rocky (cameo)
 * The Teacher (cameo)
 * The Bird Watcher (cameo)
 * Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameo)
 * Slip Coaches (Music video cameo)

A Knapford station worker, possibly the stationmaster, also speaks.

Locations

 * Shunting Yards
 * Sodor China Clay Company
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Brendam Docks
 * Crocks Scrap Yard
 * The Castle Tunnel
 * Knapford
 * Sodor Steamworks
 * Fenland Fields
 * Wellsworth
 * Town Hall
 * The Little Western (mentioned)
 * Animal Park (mentioned)
 * Great Waterton (mentioned)

UK/AUS

 * Mark Moraghan as the narrator
 * Ben Small as Thomas and the Troublesome Trucks
 * Keith Wickham as Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Salty and the Fat Controller
 * Matt Wilkinson as Kevin and Cranky
 * Teresa Gallagher as Emily, Annie, and Clarabel
 * Steven Kynman as Porter
 * Mike Grady as Sir Robert Norramby
 * Jonathan Broadbent as Bill and Ben
 * Clive Mantle as Gator
 * Tim Whitnall as Timothy and Reg
 * Olivia Colman as Marion

US

 * Mark Moraghan as the narrator
 * Martin Sherman as Thomas and Percy
 * Kerry Shale as Henry, Gordon, James, Kevin, and Sir Topham Hatt
 * Glenn Wrage as Cranky
 * Jules de Jongh as Emily
 * David Menkin as Porter
 * Ben Small as the Troublesome Trucks
 * Mike Grady as Sir Robert Norramby
 * Clive Mantle as Gator
 * Tim Whitnall as Timothy and Reg
 * Olivia Colman as Marion
 * Jonathan Broadbent as Bill and Ben
 * Keith Wickham as Salty
 * Teresa Gallagher as Annie and Clarabel
 * William Hope as Edward

US

 * Let's Be Brave sing-along
 * Monsters Everywhere sing-along
 * Guess Who! puzzles

Trivia

 * This special was initially called "Monster of Sodor".
 * This special marks Oliver's first appearance since the twelfth season and his first appearance in full CGI.
 * It was shown in Hoyts theatres in Australia and New Zealand during July 2014, and will be screened in Vue cinemas in late August 2014.
 * This is the first special where the credits show who voiced each character.
 * This is the first special in which Toby does not appear in any way.
 * References to Thomas in Trouble, Up, Up and Away!, and Percy Takes the Plunge are made. The beginning of the special is also similar to the Railway Series book, Thomas and the Twins.
 * The Troublesome Trucks have British voices in the UK version whereas they had American voices in King of the Railway.
 * The US release is slowed down to 24 frames a second and adds an extra two minutes to the special's length. However, unlike the previous two special releases, pitch adjustment has been added, meaning that the audio is not distorted.
 * The eighteenth season episode, Toad's Bright Idea, takes place during the events of this special.

Goofs

 * Gator uses the US term "cars" at one point in the UK version.
 * Edward is not shown in the UK end credits with the characters voiced by Keith Wickham.

Wooden Railway

 * Gator
 * Timothy
 * Marion
 * Scrap Monster
 * Thomas' Fossil Run
 * James' Roaring Delivery
 * Oliver's Fossil Freight
 * Reg and Percy at the Scrapyard

TrackMaster

 * Gator
 * Timothy
 * Treacherous Traps Set
 * Avalanche Escape Set

Take-n-Play

 * Timothy
 * Gator
 * Marion
 * Scrap Heap Monster
 * Gator and the Mysterious Cargo
 * Percy and the Break Open Boulder
 * Scrapyard Cleanup Team
 * Ben's Cement Mix-up

Books

 * Tale of the Brave
 * The Monster of Sodor
 * The Fearsome Footprints/Thomas the Brave
 * Thomas and the Monster
 * Brave Little Engines
 * Tale of the Brave: The Movie Storybook
 * Tale of the Brave: Sticker Activity Book