He was originally introduced as a cold and anti-social mammoth who just wanted to be by himself after an unsuccessful struggle to save his wife and son from human hunters. His life changed when he met a ground sloth named Sid and a Smilodon named Diego. When the trio "decided" to return a human baby to his people, his interaction with these seemingly unlikable friends changed him, and Manfred finally warmed up with everyone around him. He later became the husband to Ellie the female mammoth and tried to become a good but overprotective father to his daughter Peaches.