From 1989 onwards, Pardoes has been a well-known figure in Dutch society, functioning as the mascot for one of the most visited theme parks in the Netherlands: The Efteling (“An Englishmen's Guide To The Efteling”, n.d.). Pardoes comes from the planet Symbolica and is known for his kind and playful personality. In 2017, the Efteling opened a new dark ride called Symbolica: Palace of Fantasy. This attraction celebrates Pardoes, his world and story. At first, Pardoes simply welcomed visitors to the park with his friendly expression and cheerful face. However, over time his role transformed. He evolved into a wizard and became a jester with magical powers, hence his full name Pardoes de Tovernar, meaning Pardoes the Wizard Jester. In the story of Pardoes’ arrival from Symbolica, a woman chosen to care for him named him Pardoes due to his sudden appearance in her life. In Dutch, "pardoes" literally means "head over heels" or "suddenly" (Van Dale, 2024, "Pardoes").
These logos show the changes in Pardoes' look overtime (Eftepedia)
When he was first developed, Pardoes and his appearance were inspired by jesters from the medieval times. Over the following years the design changed, now incorporating additional wizard features like a hat and cape. In this 3D model, which is inspired by an older toy, his outfit is very colorful, incorporating the typical jester colours yellow and red and traditional elements such as bells. Pardoes represents imagination, adventure and the magic that makes the Efteling so special. In this tour, you will get to know everything about Pardoes, his friends, their story and some history on medieval jesters.