Animation : Which Animated Character Has Stayed With You the Most? by Ashley Renée Smith

For me it's definitely Utena, since in some ways I'm a lot like her but of course also not. She's got boundless courage, she has flaws, but ultimately she achieves the titular revolution.

Other than her, Kaworu Nagisa from Evangelion. He only shows up in one episode for about half of it and yet he leaves a huge impact, making you wonder what it means to love someone.

Batman!

https://youtu.be/lUWttg8aA9I?si=bADAVV97LSPQXptf

Shrek and the entire Shrek universe.

Yosemite Sam. He was the "rootin'-est, tootin'-est, shootin'-est, bobtail wild cat in the west". And, of course, Foghorn Leghorn.

Lots of characters have stayed with me over the years. I was at an age where the jokes in Animaniacs were great at both the kid and mature levels.

Ren & Stimpy were incredibly subversive and I loved the humor.

X-Men in the 90s were probably the superheroes with the cartoon with equal amounts of heart and action.

For me, since I am Genx gas been Derek Wild Star from StarBlazers, Rick Hunter Robotech, Priss from Bubvlegum Crisis and Leon from AD Police files & Bubblegum Crisis.

Spider-Man and static shock. Growing up with a lot of people around me saying it's okay to commit crimes or do drugs, those two heroes were always there to show me that it's okay to be a good person and do the right thing.

Static Shock, Osmosis Jones, Mrs Frizzle, Jack Skeleton, Kuzco- I'm sorry but he is so annoyingly fun. And G-Force- all of them. Mark, Princess, Keyop, Tiny, Jason, 7Zark7...

Wall - E for sure, Samurai Jack, Aang from the Last Air Bender. Jayce from Jayce and the Wheel Warriors. These characters all stand out for me. All of them had to go on a journey to discover themselves and find new purpose among the people they met along the way.

Dumbo was always the character that stayed with me. It’s arguably because it’s most children’s nightmare to be separated from their mother and as a very small boy, it affected me deeply, so much so that I actually find it hard to revisit a lot of the old Disney films without becoming overly emotional. It is extraordinary how much influence those early Disney classics had on my impressionable mind, and they arguably had the most iconic character designers working there.

From a story point of view, Dumbo had to contend with being different, then having the one person who loved them taken from them.

Emotional stakes that are utterly relatable to us, despite the fact the character is neither human, nor says a word. Brilliant.

SO many!! Love this question Ashley Renée Smith

Justice League Unlimited - all of them.

Starblazers

GForce - again...all.

Batman Beyond

The Iron Giant!

For me, the animated character who’s stayed with me the most is Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. There’s something unforgettable about a character who carries the weight of an entire world on his shoulders and still chooses compassion over power. His arc blends innocence, responsibility, spirituality, and emotional truth in a way that feels deeply human.

From a creator’s perspective, it’s the combination of writing, movement, and emotional clarity that makes him linger, the way his gentleness becomes strength, and how the world around him reflects his inner journey.

Woody from Toy Story. The story continues and I always love the next chapter. If you did not get teary eyed watching the Toy Story 3 ending....

The cat from "Fivel Goes West" always stuck with me. His movements across the screen were so interesting and comical and the casting of voice was perfect. Kent Mansley of "The Iron Giant" is one of my favorite animated villains. He's so flawed and sort of... yucky. And just grew on me over the years." Lastly, I will just say all of the characters (dinosaur and human) from "We're Back" there is this below-the-surface darkness to the movie that I get with no other animated family films. Really beautiful work.

Oh... and I'd be remise if I didn't mention my boy... Vegeta!!! Big inspiration.

CINDERELLA is the one word answer for this one!

btw, I love your j o b!

Po from Kung Fu Panda. For a long time I felt like my dreams are too ambitious. But if a Panda can be a Dragon Warrior just by believing in himself, I can definitely be a screenwriter.

Wile E. Coyote

Stan Pines from Gravity Falls.

He is literally the sleaziest charecter in the whole show yet we care for him because he cares about the kids and in the end he sacrifices himself.

Light Yagami and Lelouch Lamperouge. They had a heavy influence on my own writing style.

Mr. Magoo in "Magoo's Christmas Carol" - playing a lonely young boy, through the claiming of self-value through good work, through the golden healing of love, as a young man, through the middle-aged corrupting soul-tarnish and heart-hardening of gold the mineral, and the resultant loss of love, through the elderly self-recognition and the chance of atonement and the grace it brings, and the achieving of, hopefully, redemption. Magoo should have won a Tony .

Tigger

Foghorn Leghorn

Jessica Rabbit

Nicolas Cage

For years it was Happy Feet but the nameless cat in Flow has well surpassed him now. Flow is by far my favourite animated movie these days. So far ahead of all others. I also love the other characters in that story more than those in any other animated movie. I wish I had a dependable friend like the stoic capybara or even the nutty lemur whose human-like failings expose the silliness of our own human materialism. That lemur really woke me up.

I have tons of favorites.

Disney Characters

Mickey Mouse

Donald Duck

Goofy

Minnie Mouse

Daisy Duck

Pluto

Disney Movie Characters

Hiro (Big Hero 6)

Baymax (Big Hero 6)

Robin Hood (Robin Hood)

Maid Miriam (Robin Hood)

Judy Hopps (Zootopia)

Nick Wilde (Zootopia)

Disney TV Show Characters

Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

Amity Blight (The Owl House)

Anne Boonchuy (Amphibia)

Sasha Waybright (Amphibia)

Marcy Wu (Amphibia)

Sprig Plantar (Amphibia)

Phineas Flynn (Phineas & Ferb)

Ferb Fletcher (Phineas & Ferb)

Candace Flynn (Phineas & Ferb)

Isabella Garcia-Shapiro (Phineas & Ferb)

Baljeet Tjinder (Phineas & Ferb)

Buford Van Stomm (Phineas & Ferb)

Perry the Platypus (Phineas & Ferb)

Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Phineas & Ferb)

Cricket Green (Big City Greens)

Pixar Characters

Woody (Toy Story)

Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story)

Mike (Monsters Inc.)

Sulley (Monsters Inc.)

Dory (Finding Nemo)

Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (The Incredibles)

Helen Parr/Elastic Girl (The Incredible)

Dash Parr (The Incredibles)

Frozone (The Incredibles)

Syndrome (The Incredibles)

Lightning McQueen (Cars)

Mater (Cars)

Wall-E (Wall-E)

Eve (Wall-E)

Marvel Animation Characters

Captain America (Avengers: Assemble)

Iron Man (Avengers: Assemble)

Thor (Avengers: Assemble)

Hulk (Avengers: Assemble)

Black Widow (Avengers: Assemble)

Falcon (Avengers: Assemble)

Hawkeye (Avengers: Assemble)

The Simpsons Characters

Homer Simpson

Marge Simpson

Bart Simpson

Lisa Simpson

Maggie Simpson

Barney Gumble

Lenny Leonard

Krusty the Clown

Principal Skinner

Superintendent Chalmers

I could go on and on and on. But I have over 100 animation characters that I enjoy the most.

jack frost

I’d have to say the characters from 2 animated movies…Bolt…because I love dogs and the scene from the first HTTYD where Toothless dives into the flames to save Hiccup…that was so emotional I still get chills

A lot of great ones listed in the comments. So many...but I'll add just a few from my list:

Freakazoid!

Hades (Disney's Hercules)

Baby Doll (Batman the Animated Series)

Gambit from X-Men '97 (that episode!)

Flash (Justice League Unlimited)

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner

The cast of Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys

Wrecker (The Bad Batch)

Simba in The Lion King (1994); his character arc is very simple, yet unforgettable.

For me, Iron Man stands out. His journey from arrogance to sacrifice makes him unforgettable.

Superman, but the classic version, I love that he represents kind values, I literally wanted to be Superman as a kid, and I'd love to one day write something related to superman.

I agree — the classic Superman is inspiring because of the values he represents. That’s what makes him memorable.

Pocahontas has always stayed with me and a major contributing factor has been her rendition of 'Colours of the Wind'. As a singer/songwriter, I have really appreciated the calibre of music offered in many animated movies; for their ability to inspire, evoke emotions, and their sheer beauty.

Colours of the Wind is such a piece and Pocahontas performed it wonderfully!

For me it'd me Simba, Woody, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (Onward) and even Rapunzel.

For me, it's Miyu from the manga/anime Vampire Princess Miyu, especially the 1980s OAV version. She's a beautiful 14 year old (approximately) ethereal vampire who is caught between the human world and the world of Shinma (god-demons) that she must return to the darkness after they escape into the human realm. And while she protects humans from Shinma, it doesn't mean she cares about them. Even though she's technically a damphire (mother = vampire, father = human), she's somewhat detached from humanity. The most disturbing aspect of her vampirism is when she offers to drink the blood of someone suffering from a tragedy. Miyu promises in exchange for their blood, they'll live in a world of happiness. But that happiness leaves the person detached from reality. She's a morally gray character who's been referred to as an antihero.

That’s a really interesting take — I like how Miyu walks the line between protector and something more unsettling. Morally grey characters like that always stay with you

I have lived in Japan for quite a while now, so most of the animated characters are of Japanese origin. The one that 'stuck' with me the most, may have for different reasons. The character of Seita. the brother in "Grave of the Fireflies". His choices were those of a boy. a youth not yet knowing the cruelty of humans in desperate times. It was heart rippingly tragic. That stuck with me the most.

R2D2 and 3CPO from Star Wars

That’s a powerful choice — Seita’s story really shows how innocence struggles in harsh realities. It stays with you long after the film ends.

Bugs, Daffy and Sylvester too. I love to imagine that Bugs could show up at some point in any 'serious' animation film to pop the perennial question. If the animated work can 'accommodate' Bugs maybe it is worth watching, if not, then maybe it is too 'serious'. I am talking Princess Mononoke here etc. :)

WALL-E is a great pick, he immediately came to my mind as well! Those first 45 minutes of the film are magical--able to convey every subtle emotion with no English-language dialogue. Carl Fredricksen's arc of overcoming grief from Up has stuck with me since 2009...who didn't cry at the opening 10 minutes?!

More recently, I was also blown by David Bradley's vocal performance as Geppetto in Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio. Taking a well-worn character we already know through several different iterations of this beloved story and successfully putting a fresh, highly emotional spin on the relationship between Geppetto and Pinocchio is no easy task!

Karen in the 1969 Rankin-Bass Frosty the Snowman cartoon. She's the one who names him Frosty when one of the other kids wants to name him "Oatmeal." (Oatmeal the Snowman? No.) She is so unhesitatingly brave and smart and relentless. When she is obviously freezing (so Frosty won't melt), and Frosty asks her if she is freezing, she says, essentially, no, why do you ask? And when she is crying when Frosty is all melted... heartbreaking. She's awesome!

Completely agree — WALL-E proves how powerful visual storytelling can be without dialogue. And Carl’s arc in Up is one of the most emotionally effective openings ever written. That balance between simplicity and emotional depth is what really makes those characters unforgettable.

That’s a great choice — Karen’s quiet bravery really stands out. Characters like that feel simple on the surface but leave a lasting emotional impact.

I have 3:

1) I always wanted to take care of Bambi and his family when I was a kid. The fires, the hunters, all the stuff they had to go through. Wow. It helped give me a lifelong appreciation of nature and wildlife.

2) The Cat in the animated film Flow. I've watched it 4 times now and every time I see it I'm amazed at the rich layers and profoundness. There's so much to unpack - and it tackles life's big questions beautifully. I'm always in tears at the choice the cat and his friends make at the very end of the story. Not just the choice, but their actions that go along with the choice.

3) As a kid, Peter Pan really made believe I could fly (as did my Irish mother who told us that katydids were really fairies in disguise). There were a few harrowing moments for my parents when I tried to climb our TV antennae and jump off the roof to take flight.

I lied! I have a 4th one!

Baloo the Bear was such a fun character. I even had a little bath sponge shaped like Baloo the Bear when I was a kiddo.

That’s such a beautiful way to look at it — especially how those characters shaped your perspective growing up. It’s amazing how stories we connect with as kids stay with us and influence how we see the world later.

I also loved Baloo the Bear and the entire soundtrack to The Jungle Book. I had such fun dancing around the room as a child to Louis Prima singing "I Wanna Be Like You." It inspired me to write an animated musical "Persephone." Big YES to WALL-E and along those lines I loved the humanity in Roz from Wild Robot. Because I'm such a dragon lover and a fan of Awkwafina, shout out for Sisu from Raya. I'm looking to collaborate with animator for my short script "Agda of Dogon" and am impressed with the quality of Flow.

I love how music and character work together in animation — The Jungle Book is such a great example of that. And it’s really inspiring to hear how it led you to create your own animated musical. “Agda of Dogon” sounds intriguing — wishing you the best in finding the right collaborator for it!

Muttley and Mumbly

I could easily say Anna and Elsa from Frozen stayed with me the most, but if I were to pick a particular one from before, I would very much say, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, because she feels she spends so much time in her little fantasy world and/or imagination, like me. I also like Stitch from Disney's Lilo and Stitch, because of how much of a Disney icon he is.

Goodness! I love watching many—if not all—animated films that come out each year, but there are some that definitely stay with me. Right off the top of my head, I can’t get the Minions out of my mind. The way they’re designed is absolutely genius—from the bright yellow color to their denim overalls and those iconic goggles. I mean, such simple outfits for such big personalities, and every single one of them feels unique.

The language also captures my attention—it’s like a mix of Spanish and gibberish with a sprinkle of English. I love stories of loyalty—samurai, ninja, warrior-level loyalty to the death—and these little guys live to be loyal to their boss. No matter what animation I watch, if you throw a Minion in there, it just makes it cuter. I really love these characters.

I do wonder, though… why are there no female Minions? Hmm.

Minions are fun, but their loyalty is what really stands out. It almost feels like they don’t exist without someone to follow—that’s an interesting storytelling idea.

True. Imagination and belonging are two strong themes, and both characters represent them in very unique ways.

Personally, I really love Shrek. In many ways, I can relate to him. He has a hard time opening up to others, but once he lets someone in, he stands by them no matter what. I also appreciate how much he grows throughout the films. Even though he may not be conventionally attractive, he represents some of the most beautiful human values.

Shrek is a powerful example of how character growth matters more than appearance. His emotional journey and loyalty make him truly unforgettable

Yeah, I like Shrek as well.

Eric from The Little Mermaid is hot. I want She-Ra's outfit. And Carl Fredricksen from UP breaks my heart every time.

That’s such a great mix of characters!

For me, Carl Fredricksen from Up always stands out — not just because of the emotion, but because his entire journey is driven by loss, memory, and purpose. It really shows how powerful character writing can be, even in animation.

As a writer, I think those are the characters that stay with us the longest — the ones who feel real beyond the story.

Would love to hear what draws you most to them — design, personality, or emotional arc?

Ashley Renée Smith I am REALLY going to show my age here and it just goes to show how impactful a children's character can be - for life!! There is an animation from 1977 called The Rescuers about 2 mice that go the recue of a girl who has been abducted. Absolutely loved that. In one scene an Albatross flies them to their destination and it's like the two mice are in an airplane. That scene stood out the most and yeaaaaars later I got my pilot's license. Lol

That’s a great story — and honestly, that’s the power of animation.

It’s amazing how a single scene can stay with someone for years and even influence real-life choices like that. The Rescuers really had that sense of adventure and emotion that sticks with you.

As a writer, I find it fascinating how those early impressions shape the kind of stories we connect with later.

Congrats on the pilot’s license too — that’s a full-circle moment!

Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle is the one who never left me. The animators let her body shift fluidly between young and old based on her emotional state rather than plot beats — a staggering bit of character work hiding in plain sight, and the dub performances trade off without ever feeling like two people. That's the trick the greats share: animation, voice, design, and writing all pointing at the same emotional truth. When every craft layer agrees on who someone is, the character outlives the film.

That’s a really powerful observation. The way Sophie’s physical transformation reflects her emotional state makes her feel alive beyond just the plot.

I think what stands out is exactly what you mentioned — when every element of storytelling aligns with the character’s inner truth, it creates something that stays with the audience long after the film ends.

It’s a great reminder that character isn’t just written, it’s expressed through every layer of the craft.

Shizuku from the Whisper of the Heart, when I decided to dedicate my life to art many, many years ago, she was a relatable and comforting inspiration!

Woody from Toy Story.

What stayed with me wasn't just his loyalty—it was his growth. By the third movie, he realizes it's not really about Andy, it's about learning to let go. That shift from holding on to purpose to redefining it really got me.

That’s a powerful take. Woody’s shift from needing to be needed to accepting change is something a lot of stories struggle to portray honestly. Letting go is harder to write than holding on, but that’s where real character depth comes in.