Top Ten Pixar Characters

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Top Ten Pixar Characters

Pixar is a terrific animation studio thanks in no small part to its unforgettable creations. The character development is easily one of the building blocks of any Pixar film as even the weaker ones have strongly realized, complex characters. So without further ado, here are my personal picks for ten best Pixar characters.

10. Mr. Incredible

Yes, The Incredibles does feature all four highly memorable, well developed family members, but I would personally pick Bob Parr as the best one. That’s because his middle age syndrome is so well explored in the first movie and he has a terrific relationship with his wife too. He is fun, capable and also quite grounded in reality.

9. Woody and Buzz Lightyear

Although not as amazing as most would say because I generally tend to find the Toy Story movies and the characters there overrated, these two still deserve a spot here as the best developed, most iconic characters of the bunch. Woody is more boring, but essential, and Buzz is a lot of fun. Their interactions are great plus Tom Hanks and Tim Allen excelled at playing them.

8. Joy and Sadness

So basically I am putting all the two characters together in one spot whom I deem as an inseparable duo. That’s certainly the case with these two emotions as literally the point of the film is that these two need to coexist in every person’s mind. Joy is exuberant and fun while Sadness is depressing and, well, sad. Their growing appreciation for one another is one of the best things about this great movie.

7. Anton Ego

This food critic does get very little screen time, but steals the show whenever he’s on screen. His devilish posture, his memorable cold voice and demeanor make him a terrific sort of villain, but the eventual conclusion for him I found deeply moving. He’s got one beautiful speech near the end and is the very best, most sophisticated thing in what is Pixar’s best film.

6. Edna Mode

Another character who’s only supporting and literally reduced to just a couple of scenes, but still ending up as the highlight of her movie is Edna Mode. Phenomenally voiced by director Brad Bird, so well designed and getting an immense amount of funny lines of dialogue, she’s easily the most hilarious, most purely entertaining Pixar creation.

5. Ian and Barley

Ian and Barley are the main two characters from the highly underrated Onward. This sibling duo is to me going to become iconic in the Pixar canon because they are so authentic. Ian is the more serious younger brother while Barley is the more goofy older brother. The two grow a wonderful bond throughout the film and are basically the heart of this endearing fantasy.

4. Dory

By being given short term memory loss, Dory instantly became the bravest, most mature ever sidekick in an animated feature film. She’s very funny, but also has a giant heart. Her interactions with everyone are priceless and she is the only reason to see her otherwise weak movie. Ellen DeGeneres in Nemo gave one of the best ever animated voice performances.

3. Carl Fredricksen

This is yet another character whom only Pixar could dare to create in the big budgeted animation business. Carl is an old grump and finally we get an animated film about an older man and not just any older man as he is an incredibly complex person. We get to see why he became so unhappy, but the relationship that he shares with Russell is simply beautiful.

2. WALL-E and EVE

Pixar’s power couple gets the second spot easily. Yes, these two robots are adorable together and their relationship makes the movie a wonderful, charming romance along with being a terrific SF tale. She’s tough and intriguing whereas he’s cute and endearing. They speak just a couple of words and yet they left a lasting impression as one of cinema’s finest robots.

1. Mike and Sully

And undoubtedly the best Pixar duo are Mike and Sully. I just had to put them in the first place as I honestly think that these two are the very best developed of all Pixar characters which speaks a lot. They’re very likable too, but I just love the fact that we got to see Sully’s story in the first movie and Mike’s in the second one. Individually, they are deep and complex, but of course as a duo, they are iconic with many funny interactions and sharing such a great friendship. They’re also so well voiced and animated. For all of those reasons, Mike and Sully are the best, most entertaining and most lovable characters ever created by Pixar.

Honorable Mentions:

Merida – Merida is Pixar’s version of a Disney Princess, but a more proactive, feminist one naturally. This fierce redhead gets a wonderful journey in the film, especially having a greatly complex relationship with her mother. Her looks and arrow abilities are iconic by now.

Hopper – Unfortunately not making the list as, unlike Disney, Pixar has better protagonists than villains, but Hopper is their very best one. He’s highly competent, smart and honestly even menacing in some scenes. He was a major threat in A Bug’s Life and the film’s best thing.

Boo – Undoubtedly one of the cutest, and possibly the very cutest, animated kids, Boo is the heart and soul of Monsters, Inc. She’s so endearing in her behavior, infectious in her smile and simply adorable. Sully’s relationship with her is indescribably endearing.

Lotso – The second best Pixar villain is this at first seemingly lovable bear from Toy Story 3. He is great because he’s very smart and never made a single mistake. He literally screwed the crew over a couple of times while also receiving a strong backstory for himself.

Randall Boggs – Randall definitely is another terrific villain from the studio and a genuine menace in the first Monsters film. I just loved his slimy movements and snake-like look. He’s very sneaky and creepy.

Dug – Pixar has lampooned dogs’ obsession with food in Inside Out, but in Up they made fun of their infinite loyalty in a hilarious way. Dug is the sweetest part of this otherwise serious movie. He is very funny and he has some iconic catchphrases.

Ken – By far the funniest Toy Story character ever created, Ken steals the show in the third movie. They perfectly made fun of his fashion obsession and his relationship with Barbie is honestly unexpectedly funny, amusing and simply brilliant.