Top 50 Most Popular Pixar Movie Characters Of All Time

Remy aka Little Chef is the protagonist of the animated feature, Ratatouille. He is a tiny bluish-grey rat belonging to Paris.

However, he isn't your regular rat, but one with a strong passion for all things food, and dreams of becoming a professional chef.

Remy's special ability to understand food enables him to identify different ingredients present in a dish while trying to prepare his own versions of dishes that are of the highest quality.

He eventually becomes close to Alfredo Linguini, who is unable to cook himself. The climax of the film sees Remy's lifelong dream of becoming a chef come true when he becomes the head chef at La Ratatouille bistro, in Paris.

Nemo's father is the next character is our list. While Pixar movies are all about looking back at childhood days with utmost nostalgia but with Marlin, the tables seem to turn.

Marlin is the father of Nemo and 399 unborn clownfish and the widower of Coral. An over-protective hyperactive clownfish father, his life turns upside down when his son gets fishnapped.

While his reactions and actions seem justified knowing his tragic life, it becomes uncomfortable for Nemo to take Eventually, the change and growth in his character do come, when he realizes that sometimes the best thing to do for your children is to stand by and watch them get hurt and learn from it.

Carl Fredricksen is an older man who became extremely bitter after losing his beloved wife, with whom he had shared a lifelong dream of moving to Paradise Falls.

Even though Carl was a rude man at the beginning of the movie, his hard exterior was a way to hide his true emotions.

The story of Up! his marriage with his childhood sweetheart and his subsequent loss of Ellie’s death was one of Pixar’s most emotional narratives, which is why people didn’t find it difficult to empathize with his loss.

Carl’s emotions coupled with his change of heart for Russell and Dug was what formed the crux of the narrative and etched a place in the hearts and minds of viewers.

WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth Class) is the protagonist of Disney Pixar's animated feature, WALL-E. He is a waste collector drone that was created by the 'Buy n Large' corporation and was initially programmed to haul all the garbage that would be plaguing the Earth in the distant future.

However, his years of loneliness (700 years!) coupled with never-ending work, enabled him to develop a consciousness of his own and hope for a different life to come.

WALL-E's world revolves around being obedient and following directives while also ensuring that everything that causes curiosity in him, is kept safe with him.

His character is such that you can't help but feel sorry for the state he is left in and his desire for a change, a sense of comfort, and a source of companionship is about to tug at your heartstrings.

Doc Hudson was the deuteragonist in the animated feature, Cars. He is one of the most famous and loved race cars in history, having won three Piston Cups in a row, and holds the record for most wins in a single season.

Life changes for Doc when he gets involved in a terrifying crash during the 1954 Piston Cup championship race, which sees him being put out for the rest of the season.

When he does return, he is accepted with little to no fanfare, with everyone almost having forgotten about him.

Doc is told that he’s been replaced by the next rookie there was and that his era was officially over.

As a reminder of the career and crash that had managed to almost kill him, he used to keep a newspaper article on the same, vowing to stay away from him, forever.

Monsters Inc. was known to give us quite a few unique-looking freaky creatures with mundane names and Mike Wazowski was one of the main characters among them.

He is a one-eyed apple-shaped monster with a more than ordinary life. However, he was looking forward to changing that.

He is happily self-deluded regarding the extent of fear he can inflict on humans and others, while also having the ability to ensure that he and his friends almost always managed to escape impossible situations.

Mike is a lovable character, especially for how he eventually manages to win the hearts of both friends and foes, along with viewers.

Luxo, Jr is Pixar's official mascot as well as the star of their short feature of the same name.

He is a small grey-colored desk lamp who enjoys playing with bouncy balls. After owning the same lightbulb for more than 20 years, WALL-E replaces him as he went out (which is seen in WALL-E's trailer, wherein the standard bulb is replaced with a compact fluorescent one).

Luxo is always seen in all of Pixar’s feature films and short films since Toy Story, during the introduction and end credits, as the I of the Pixar logo.

EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) was the deuteragonist of the animated feature, WALL-E. When she is first introduced in the film, she’s seen to be quite hostile while being dedicated to her work.

Upon meeting WALL-E, she seems wary of him and looks to have him out of her territory, but then eventually starts warming up to him when she learns of his curious personality.

When WALL-E becomes infatuated with her, she becomes closer to him and makes it her topmost priority to protect him at all costs.

Miguel Rivera, the vibrant protagonist of Pixar's "Coco," embodies passion, determination, and a deep love for music. Despite his family's generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming a renowned musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz.

His spirited and rebellious nature fuels his pursuit, leading him on a fantastical journey to the Land of the Dead.

He possesses unwavering determination, facing challenges and defying traditions to chase his passion. Miguel's compassion and love for his family shine throughout, showcasing the importance of honouring the past while embracing one's dreams.

With his infectious enthusiasm and unwavering spirit, Miguel reminds us to never let go of what truly ignites our soul.

Sir Tow Mater aka Mater or Tow Mater was the protagonist of Pixar's Cars 2 franchise. He is an adorable-looking rusty old tow truck who is also the best friend of Lightning McQueen as well as the boyfriend of Holley Shiftwell.

Mater is the ideal definition of a goofy lovable idiot with little knowledge of all things happening around him.

He has the biggest heart and is extremely sweet, looking to spread love and joy to everyone. He's not judgemental to anyone and though dim-witted, it is his sensitive nature, especially when it comes to those close to him, that makes him so loved by viewers.

Nemo is one of the two protagonists of Pixar’s Finding Nemo and he is an adorable and energetic young clownfish.

He is quite friendly by nature and is often seen being frustrated but his father's overprotectiveness, from which he tries to break free, but ends up getting captured by scuba divers, which leads his father to go on a crazy search to find him.

The film traces the bond shared by Nemo and his father, and his change of perception towards his father after being 'fishnapped' and being lost, to having his father find him again, is what pulls at the heartstrings of viewers.

In the Cars franchise, Lightning McQueen assumes the role of the primary character.

Initially, he is a celebrated racing car who undergoes a transformative realization that life holds greater significance than mere triumph on the race circuit.

McQueen experiences a notable evolution in his personality, shifting from an egocentric and excessively confident car solely focused on winning the Piston Cup, to a more mature and enlightened individual with a broader range of experiences that extend beyond the confines of victory and defeat.

This profound change occurs during a pivotal and life-altering period when McQueen becomes stranded in Radiator Springs, an unexpected encounter on his journey to California.

His personal voyage of growth strikes a chord with viewers, fostering a sense of relatability to their own life journeys and leaving a lasting impression.

Buzz Lightyear assumes the role of the deuteragonist in the beloved Toy Story franchise by Pixar.

He represents an action figure of an intergalactic spaceman who was once in the possession of Andy Davis.

Not only is Buzz the romantic partner of Jessie the cowgirl, but he is also the closest companion of Sheriff Woody.

His creation coincided with a period when children held a deep fascination with astronauts and space exploration.

Initially, Buzz and Sheriff Woody found themselves in a rivalry, each vying for Andy's undivided attention.

However, as time passed, they forged an unbreakable bond that endured throughout their lives.

Despite experiencing genuine emotions, Buzz often encountered difficulty in expressing them, which sometimes led others to perceive him as lacking in emotion.

Smokey was one of the secondary characters of Cars 3. He is the owner of a former Piston Cup team, and was also the pit crew chief of the Hudson Hornet, during his racing years.

He currently runs Smokey’s Automotive Services, at Thomasville which he has labeled as the ‘best dang garage in town.’Smokey provides Lightning McQueen with the guidance he was looking for but failed to get from Doc Hudson.

When Cruz and Lightning go to meet the legends who were with Doc during both his good and bad days, at the start and end of his career, Smokey is the one who guides him and helps him get better.

Dug is one of the main characters of Pixar’s animated feature, Up! He is an adorable chubby dog with a special collar which gave him a special ability to communicate all that he thought in his head.

He’s playful and optimistic by nature and is the ideal definition of a man’s best friend; always friendly and loving toward all he meets.

His former owner was Charles Muntz and later he begins to idolize Carl as his master. Dug is extremely social and carefree, often losing sight of things but it’s his goofy nature that makes you fall for him.

Sally Carrera is one of the protagonists of Pixar's Cars. She is a blue-colored 2002 Porsche 911, Carrera. Sally was the owner of the Cozy Cone Motel as well as the attorney for Radiator Springs.

She was Lightning McQueen's love interest, and she used to lovingly call him 'Stickers' (because of the absence of headlights; just stickers that appear as headlights).

She was initially living life as a Californian lawyer before choosing to arrive at Radiator Springs to slow down her life a little.

Sally loves her newfound friends and the peaceful life that the hustle of California failed to provide before.

Holley Shiftwell is one of the main characters of Cars 2. She is a secret agent assisting Finn McMissile to complete missions and has the help and support of Mater, as they work together to save the world from a group of lemon cars.

She's a beautiful young British desk agent turned spy, stationed in Tokyo. Holley is extremely well-educated and sharp and is well aware of every single trick in the spy manual.

She's also armed with all the latest state-of-the-art spy equipment and being fresh out of the academy relies on all that she's learned in school more than on real-life situations.

Toy Story has given us quite a few memorable characters that are grappling with abandonment and anxiety, and Jessie is one of them.

She’s a southern girl with a strong accent with a sunny disposition hiding the pain of abandonment; that her favorite human Emily had given, by growing up and discarding her.

Despite a happy demeanor and a bubbly persona, Jessie’s wounded heart cries at the loss of a happy bond that she’d expected to last forever.

It is in those subtle moments that you begin to look at Jessie as more than just a goofy cowgirl, and instead see the tragedy of loss and growing up and the growing out of childhood.

A chubby little Junior Wilderness Explorer, Russel can well be considered the light in the otherwise emotionally charged-up animated feature, Up!

He loves being a Wilderness Explorer and the badged he's earned, stands testament to that. He's extremely loud, anxious, and hyperactive while also being equally fun-loving.

Russel's spirit reminds Carl of his wife Ellie, and his determination to do the right thing while being extremely curious about all that's around enables the development of a grandfather-grandson bond between the two.

Dory was the deuteragonist in Pixar's Finding Nemo. She's a regal blue tang suffering from short-term memory loss and who tends to get dizzy often.

Dory is an optimistic little fish with a heart of gold and stands by Marlin even as he hopelessly tries to navigate and look for his son, Nemo (the name she barely manages to remember).

Dory is a selfless fish and doesn't mind risking her own life if it helps (albeit it often tends to create funny and critical situations wherein she messes up greatly and causes Marvin to lose his cool.)

Sheriff Woody, a pull-string cowboy, was one of Andy’s favorite toys, and one of the main protagonists, the other being Buzz Lightyear.

A Toy Story alumnus, he was sketched on a character from a fictional show that was based on the movie, called Woody's Roundup.

Voiced by the legend Tom Hanks, Woody is shown to be extremely loyal and brave and someone who'd do anything for his friends, albeit we have occasionally seen him being jealous or mean to Andy's other toys, he eventually does come around.

Sheriff Woody's sacrificial nature, character arc, and personality are what make him an absolute favorite to the viewers.

Helen Parr, (nee Truax) better known as Elastigirl was the deuteragonist in The Incredibles. She's a superheroine with an extremely dexterous and elastic body, having the ability to take on any shape and size and being able to stretch herself to great lengths.

She's the wife of Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr and mother to Violet, Jack-Jack, and Dash. Elastigirl is a hidden superhero (owning to the illegality of working as a Super) and ensuring that all her time and devotion goes into being a doting mother and wife.

Even though she chooses to denounce her career as Elastigirl, she does resort to using her powers occasionally in household chores and otherwise.

Buddy Pine, better known as Syndrome and formerly as Incrediboy is the antagonist of The Incredibles. He is a former fan of Mr. Incredible and Mirage's boss before she turned on him.

He was the creator of Omnidroids, with the intention of killing the Supers. Syndrome was a happy, naïve, and cheerful boy with huge admiration for Mr. Incredible but turns bitter and vengeful when Mr. Incredible refuses to have him as his sidekick.

He is often considered one of Pixar's best-sketched villains for his over-the-top fanboy sadism and obsession with attention.

Mama Coco, from "Coco," embodies the power of memory and the importance of family history. Though frail and seemingly forgetful, she holds the key to unlocking Miguel's past and understanding the family's complicated relationship with music.

Despite her fading memory, Mama Coco's loving spirit and gentle nature shine through.

When Miguel inadvertently severs her connection to the Land of the Dead, he desperately tries to rekindle her fading memories and remind her of her significance within the family.

Her eventual recognition of Miguel and the song "Remember Me" becomes a pivotal moment, signifying the strength of familial bonds and the enduring power of memories.

Mama Coco serves as a reminder to cherish family history and the stories that connect us across generations.

Stinky Pete aka the Prospector was one of the two antagonists (with Al McWhiggin) in Toy Story 2. He is a vintage prospector ragdoll belonging to the 50s, kept in mint condition along with his pickaxe and gold pan, inside his original box.

Having been ignored ever since he was brought up, he turned extremely bitter, selfish, and vengeful towards the other toys that found owners willing to play with them.

Even though he finds an owner in Al McWhiggin, he too refuses to play with him for unknown reasons, making him all the more frustrated and angrier.

While he initially comes across as a loving, kind, and well-spoken grandfather-like figure, he shows his sinister side a little later, to both Woody and Jessie.

The third emotion in our list from Inside Out is Joy. The emotional and spunky little heroine is always brimming with happiness, positivity, and love.

She's what guides Riley and gives viewers a glimpse into what goes on in the mind of a pre-teen.

What makes the character of Joy all the more special is how she's seen giving all an idea of how children too change, and why it is necessary to let bits and pieces die out in order to evolve.

A typical Pixar trope, wherein a fun and goofy character manages to get into the head of the audience and give them an idea of what it truly means to be human, with flaws and changes.

John Jackson aka Jack-Jack Parr is one of the main characters of The Incredibles. He is Bob and Helen Parr's youngest son and the youngest brother of Violet and Dash.

Even though he was born into a family of Supers, it was initially believed that he held no powers of his own.

However, a surprising turn of events leads the Parrs to realize that Jack-Jack does have powers; at least seventeen of them!

Despite being a toddler, he enjoys Mozart and gets stimulated by it being smart and intuitive is quick to recognize Syndrome as an enemy, identifying the exploding airplane as a danger.

He is responsible for making his father 'accidentally' kill Syndrome. He was also responsible for saving Elastigirl by removing the hypnotic mask that was making her evil.

Another emotion from Inside Out, Sadness is a feeling almost all of us have been through, even if once.

She's the ideal embodiment of melancholy, sorrow, and self-pity. She’s always moaning and groaning, within the hallowed minds of Riley.

The best bit about this tiny sack of sorrow is how she manages to change the perception of the audience of how unhappy bits of ourselves are what deserve the most love, rather than denial or repression.

Also, most importantly, she shows you how it is therapeutic and okay to have a good cry.

If you're short-tempered by nature then chances are that you'd relate to Anger quite a bit. He is one of the protagonists of Pixar's Inside Out and one of the five primary emotions that exist in the mind of Riley Anderson, making her feel angry and frustrated whenever the need arises.

Anger is extremely passionate by nature, holding the desire to ensure that things work fairly for Riley. Having a fiery spirit, he often explodes with anger and red fumes when things don't go according to plan.

He is also quite quick to react to situations and holds the least bit of patience with all the imperfections that life has to offer.

Another member of the Incredibles family, Violet Parr is one of the tritagonists (along with his brother Dash Parr).

She is a Super and the eldest child of Helen and Bob, and the sister of Dash and Jack-Jack.

She's initially seen to be quite shy, nervous, and gloomy but a pep talk from her mother turns her more daring.

While the initial look of Violet is of a recluse, by the end of the film, we see a whole different side to her, who's much more outgoing and confident.

She's also an ideal older sister, always looking out for her younger siblings.

King Fergus is the tritagonist of the animated feature, Brave. He was a resident of the kingdom of DunBroch in the Scottish Highlands, with his family.

He is the father to Merida as well as their three triplet sons; Harris, Hubert, and Hamish. He’s a heroic warrior with a broad sword, a majestic cape, and a knobbly peg leg.

Fergus is a loud and easy-going man with a contrasting characteristics of a roaring temper and humor that's always on point; both of which he'd managed to pass on to his favorite child, Merida.

Mary Gibbs better known as Boo was the tritagonist of the animated feature, Monsters, Inc. She was a toddler who refused to get scared of monsters (except on occasion by Randall, who was her monster).

Boo manages to venture through her closet and enter the world of monsters, wherein she develops a strong bond with Mike Wazowski and Sulley.

Boo is a naïve and curious little individual with a gibberish vocabulary with occasional bouts of maturity, in her ability to draw recognizable figures or ability to use the washroom alone with ease.

Rod is a supporting character in Pixar's animated feature, Cars 2. He is an American secret agent responsible for finding information on a mysterious mastermind leading a group of lemons and passing down all the responsibility to Mater before getting captured and dying by being turned to scrap.

Rod was a tough, cool and brave car, always committed to his mission, despite knowing the consequences of it were death.

He was also a master disguise, turning himself into a Gremlin car to easily and skilfully blend with the lemons.

Slinky aka Slink is one of the supporting characters in the Toy Story franchise. He’s a tiny wooden toy dachshund that speaks with a graveled Southern accent and is Woody’s loyal sidekick.

Slick is the ideal definition of a man's best friend. Along with being naughty and playful, he's always available for woody, who in turn returns the favor by reciprocating his feelings, comforting him, and playing checkers with him.

However, Slink’s loyalty does prevent him from pointing out to Woody when he’s wrong, even suggesting harsh punishments to be meted out to him, when necessary.

Flik is the protagonist of Pixar's A Bug's Life. He's nerdy and intuitive and is a bug in the ant colony who hopes to make a difference in the colony's way of life but ends up making things worse in the process.

He's also the inventor of a telescope, an automatic harvester as well as several traveler's gears. Flik is a great friend of Dot, Princess Atta the Circus Bug as well as the Blueberries.

His personality though quite timid, Flik’s desire to set things right and help those around him is what truly makes him a character worth remembering.

A pale-looking bald man with sharp features and a permanent scowl, Anton Ego was your classic example of a person's imagination of a critic.

A person who understands no joy and lives to suck the happiness out of the lives of creative beings.

However, hidden behind this annoying character is a side that manages to come to the fore courtesy of Remy the Rat, when he revives Gusteau's five-star restaurant.

Even though Anton is the villain of Ratatouille, the variations he served as a character and the authenticity of his reactions evoked the film’s innate message of how good food and good art are both equally fulfilling qualities.

Merida was Pixar's first female lead, making her quite memorable and worth remembering. Identifiable due to her strong Scottish accent and flame-colored hair, she was a character worth waiting for.

Her rebellion and indomitable spirit, fighting for independence, while also carrying the burden of huge repercussions is bound to hit home with many individuals in today's world.

Also, the fact that the film explored the theme of parent-child relationships is what makes her character all the more noteworthy.

A monster who takes entry at the Monsters University merely on the basis of his family name and privilege, so that he too can enter the prestigious business of scaring.

What follows is his quest of accepting and understanding the importance of accepting those around him and their talents as well.

This also eventually leads to a major change in his character wherein he seems caring and willing to protect those he loves (Boo, the little girl).

Sulley is your true ‘blue’ monster (pun intended!) and in all honesty, a very relatable hero.

Toy Story is known for quite a few iconic characters and action figures while touching on the topic of existential fear of obsolescence.

However, not many managed to do justice to this particular theme like Lotso, the strawberry-scented super-villain. He had been psychologically scarred by his owner when the child had thrown him away, leading him to create his own version of a fascist state at the daycare.

It is the bear's tragic backstory that makes you feel oddly sympathetic towards him, even though he makes the lives of all around him, a living nightmare.

Bing Bong was one of the four primary characters in Pixar's Inside Out. He was a fluffy purple-colored imaginary friend of Riley Anderson, existing only within her mind, created during her early childhood days.

Since he was a figment of Riley's imagination from when she was a toddler, he loved seeing his creator happy.

He was a friend who was willing to stick by, irrespective of the consequences it would bring. To help his friend Joy blast away from the Memory Dump, he chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice of existence, making him a character worth remembering.

One of the major characters in Pixar's Toy Story franchise, Rex is an anxiety-riddled Tyrannosaurus Rex toy figurine that initially belongs to Andy Davis and is later owned by Bonnie Anderson.

Rex is an extremely friendly dino, which seems really ironic, for a ferocious T-Rex. Instead, he's quite absent-minded, gentle, and kind and is the kind of friend you wouldn't mind having in life because he is also quite caring and loving towards his friends (he once got really angry and vengeful on hearing Woody callously admit to purposely throwing Buzz out the window).

It is his mellowed personality and innocence that stays with views for a long time to come.

Crush is the old and wise turtle from Pixar's Finding Nemo. He is extremely laid back, aged 150 years, and is responsible for helping Marlin by counteracting his ideas about fatherhood, while himself being apprehensive for his son, Squirt, even though he does assure him that he trusts him and feels proud of his independence.

Crush isn't the main character and has very few scenes, yet manages to leave an impact on his viewers.

He is your typical fatherly figure, with umpteen dad jokes and yet the warmth and emotion of a friend. Might just remind you of your old man.

Another character from the hit, The Incredibles, Edna Mode is an eccentric fashion designer. She’s a short woman with an unconventional fashion sense and has a strong feeling when it comes to super suits, often considering them to be a challenge that is worthy of her talents.

Even though a secondary character, Edna knows how to own the scene she is in, no matter how long or short it is. Also, she has an amazing sense of humor!

Hopper is a terrifying-looking leader of all the grasshoppers and the primary antagonist aka Flik's arch-nemesis in Pixar's 1998 feature, A Bug's Life.

Hopper is known for being extremely ruthless, cunning, and violent. He loves killing ants and considers their existence next to nothing, often comparing them with dirt.

He's strong-willed and mostly uses fear to maintain control of his gang as well as the puny ants (although we do see his soft side come to the fore once in a while, with them).

Hopper could well be depicted as a true predicament of human nature; good and bad cocooned into a single being.

Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr, head of the Parr family, has all the strength in the world but one thing he has difficulty dealing with is, combating the horrors that seep in with the existential crisis of middle age.

He detests the monotony that routine brings and though he prizes his quality of 'specialness' his crisis gets unsettling to anyone, who deals with a mid-life crisis, or even someone who tries to look for a familiar face at the mirror but finds a stranger looking back at them.

Finn is the tritagonist of Pixar's Cars 2. He essays the role of a British spy car who assumes Mater to be an American spy and ends up recruiting him in a mission to solve and simultaneously thwart a conspiracy that would sabotage the World Grand Prix.

Finn is extremely polite, respectful, and kind, while also being daring and brave; characteristics mandatory for a spy. He is always prepared for all possible situations and has solutions to everything.

He is also a master of martial arts, something that's necessary and helpful in car-to-car combat. It's his weaponry and additional gadgets that are fitted into him that makes him a standout among other cars.

Alec Azam is the small pet bunny rabbit of Presto DiGiotagione, from Pixar’s short feature, Presto. He has a really short screen time (4 minutes!) but that is more than enough for this tiny carrot-craving rabbit to cement his place as one of the best silent-film characters from Pixar.

Alec escalates between insanely cute and cunningly mischievous, often sabotaging his owner’s magic acts. However, that is only sometimes, because most other times he’s looking to save his life, whenever in danger, in the process giving the short and show, an amazing finale.

Finding Nemo is known for quite a few iconic characters, and one of those is the well-meaning, friendly, herbivores' great white shark named Bruce.

He and his friends have a support group wherein they live by the simple mantra; Fish are friends, not food.

Despite being a terrifying-looking beast, Bruce is a friend to all the fishes at sea. He stands by them and advocates for them, trying to convince his other brethren, against eating fish.

Another classic example of a friend who sticks by you, irrespective of traditional conventions.

Lucius Best aka Frozone is one of the main characters in both The Incredibles and The Incredibles 2, as well as the second lead in Mr. Incredible and Pals.

He is Mr. Incredible's best friend and a close ally to the Parr family. Frozone is extremely cool by nature and is always there to help his friends, come what may (he even offered his house to the Parrs after the Super Hero Relocation Program was shut down).

In other words, Frozone is the kind of person you’d want as a friend in your life; through both the good and bad times.

Elizabeth 'Ellie' Fredricksen was one of the characters whose role was primarily shown posthumously, throughout Pixar's animated feature, Up!

She was Carl Fredricksen's childhood friend turned wife. She is shown to pass away in the opening montage of the film, but you can tell by that small sequence itself, she's going to leave a mark on her viewers.

The opening sequence shows an enduring portrayal of love, commitment, and friendship, something that sets the tone of the film along with giving you light into how much that one person’s absence left a sense of hollow in Carl’s life.