Originally written as a British farmer, Flynn was ultimately developed into a swashbuckling thief based on fictional characters Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Created by directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard because they felt that the incarcerated Rapunzel needed someone to escort her out of the tower, Flynn was conceived as a thief as opposed to a traditional prince in favor of having him resemble a funnier and edgier character. Blackmailed by Rapunzel into taking her to see the kingdom's floating lanterns in Time for her eighteenth birthday, Flynn undergoes a change of heart as he gradually begins to fall in love with Rapunzel.
Loosely based on the prince in the Brothers Grimm fairy tale 'Rapunzel', Flynn is a wanted thief who seeks refuge in Rapunzel's tower after stealing a crown.
