Pixar movies have always been known for their happy, hilarious, heroic – and sometimes all three – characters. From the iconic duo Woody and Buzz to an endearing underdog like Nemo to all five, somehow lovable emotions from Inside Out, Pixar’s lead characters always have that spark that makes the audience fall in love a first sight.
But in typical Disneyfashion, Pixar Animation Studios follows suit with its sidekicks. Like the way Forky was the unexpected star of Toy Sory 4, or Sox became the fan-favorite of Lightyear, or in Dory’s case, her humor and charm scored her a starring role in her very own film.
Forky (‘Toy Story 4’)
When the Toy Story 4 trailer dropped and it starred a talking spork, it got fans wondering how exactly it would all tie into what was being called the final installment of the Toy Story saga. But Forky ultimately took the world by storm, becoming an immediate favorite for his self-deprecating sense of humor and longing not to be alive like the rest of his toy friends.
It was during Bonnie’s introduction to kindergarten that she put a unique spin on a craft project when she glued googly eyes and wrapped pipe cleaners around a spork. Bonnie’s love brought Forky to life, and allowed him to act as Woody’s sidekick throughout the film with random jokes and a lot of questions.
Dory (‘Finding Dory’)
Despite Nemo being the titular character and his dad Marlin remaining a lead, Dory essentially stole the show in Finding Nemo. Voiced by worldwide favorite Ellen Degeneres, Dory’s dry wit, kind heart, and endearing forgetfulness eventually led to her starring in the film’s sequel Finding Dory.
During his search for his missing son, Nemo’s overprotective dad Marlin runs smackdab into Dory, who tells him she can lead the way to his son before forgetting moments later she ever interacted with him. Dory’s short-term memory loss became a running joke from the movie, but it was her relatable mantra, “Just keep swimming,” that makes her a memorable and beloved sidekick.
Frozone (‘The Incredibles’)
While this side character’s name is Frozone, he is just as incredible. Best friend and superhero partner to Mr. Incredible, Frozone’s remains calm, cool and collected throughout The Incredibles. That is, until his wife refuses to help him find his super suit.
Frozone acts as a likeable side character whether he’s helping save the world with his superhero powers or remaining his luscious self charming Helen and going on stakeout with Bob. It’s his chill personality and commitment to both his wife and fighting crime that makes him a fan-favorite from the films.
Dot (‘A Bug’s Life’)
A Bug’s Life is certainly one of the more underrated Pixar films, debuting right between Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 1998, and its characters are just as forgotten. But there’s one bug in particular that is universally loved for her courage, her helping hand, and her adorable personality.
Dot, little sister to Atta, was voiced by a young Hayden Panettierre and became an inspiration to little girls everywhere for her determination to succeed in the Blueberry Scouts, learning to fly, and helping her best friend Flik save the ant colony.
Mater (‘Cars’)
After getting lost in Radiator Springs, Mater is the first car to befriend famous racecar Lightning McQueen in Cars. Despite being an old, rusty tow truck, Mater proves to be kind and caring toward everyone in town, including cocky newcomer Lightning.
Gullible but sweet, Mater turns into Lightning’s best friend and a fan-favorite side character not for his appearance, but for his lovable personality and moments of comedic relief throughout the Cars franchise.
Giulia (‘Luca’)
Luca may center around two young boys who turn into best friends after bonding over wanting to leave their sea monster lives behind for life on land, but one of the most memorable characters of the film is their unexpected friend and triathlon team member in their race to win the Portorosso Cup.
Giulia Marcovaldo befriends the two outsiders and is the first to accept them for being sea monsters while the rest of Portorosso wishes to shun them. But it’s Giulia’s confidence in who she is and what she does best that makes her an admirable sidekick.
Dug (‘Up’)
Up is full of some wacky characters – from Wilderness Explorer Russell to Kevin the bird to the eccentric explorer Charles Muntz – but everyone’s favorite since the movie premiered in 2009 has been the talking dog Dug.
When he’s not getting distracted by squirrels and searching for exotic birds, this golden retriever acts as comedic relief and one of the more positive characters in a film filled with negative vibes from main characters like Carl and Muntz.
Sox (‘Lightyear’)
Sox ended up being the unexpected breakout star of Lightyear for his witty remarks and ability to help save the day whenever Buzz needed him most. As Buzz’s emotional support animatronic cat, Sox became a major part of Buzz’s mission as a hilarious sidekick.
Whether he was shooting confetti, chasing lasers, or solving the equation that helps Buzz achieve his mission, Sox is without a doubt everyone’s favorite character from Lightyear, and most likely a must-have toy in Andy’s universe, too.
Bing Bong (‘Inside Out’)
Inside Out is full of plenty of lovable characters – even ones angry or disgusting – but none of them compare to Bing Bong. Acting as Riley’s imaginary friend when she was little, Bing Bong resided in Imagination Land in Riley’s mind long after Riley stopped believing in him.
But aside from smelling deliciously like cotton candy and going on rocket rides with Riley, Bing Bong’s most loveable attribute was the way he sacrificed himself in order to help both Joy and Riley, even if it meant being forever forgotten by his favorite person.
Slinky Dog (‘Toy Story’)
Toy Story has always been full of toys both Andy and the viewers love. And while Rex and Hamm and Bullseye are notable runners up, they on’t compare to Woody’s original sidekick, Slinky Dog. As one of Andy’s older toys, Slinky always stuck by Woody’s side, even when the other toys turned on him.
When Woody was accused of murdering Buzz, Slinky was the only one who gave him the benefit of the doubt. He was always up for playing a game of checkers and joined the search for Woody when he was stolen by Al McWhiggin, making him one of the most loyal sidekicks in the franchise.
