15 Animated Characters We All Had A Crush On
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Childhood crushes and idolization of animated characters were very normal things! Popular animated characters were designed to appeal to our taste — bringing life to great tropes that would keep our interests engaged and excited to see more!
Today, in order to reminisce a little, we'll be going through some of the more famous animated characters!
Although we initially promised only 15 animated characters, we've stepped up our game to include a couple of honorable mentions just to give you even more popular animated characters to reminisce about! We've also included some of the movies that these characters appear in (with clips included, even!). So, if you want, you can catch them in action!
01Mickey Mouse
Movie(s): Fantasia (1940), Fantasia 2000 (1999)
First Appearance: Steamboat Willie (1928)
Voiced by: Walt Disney, Jimmy MacDonald, Wayne Allwine
When it comes to admirable animated characters, Disney's Mickey Mouse is pretty memorable! Even now, you can still seem on the big screen during the previews, whistling an all too familiar tune! He merited the top spot simply for that fame, even though, in all honesty, his time on the big screen had been pretty limited (with his biggest performance having been from Fantasia).
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02Woody
Movie(s): Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), Toy Story 4 (2019)
First Appearance: Toy Story (1995)
Voiced by: Tom Hanks
We of course also cannot forget Toy Story's Woody in a discussion of famous animated characters. This cowboy toy comes equipped with a pull-string that just oozes personality (both good and bad), leading up to a very satisfying movie-watching experience as we watch him grow from the selfish toy that he had been in the beginning to the generous, and forgiving toy that he developed into by the fourth movie in the series!
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03Buzz Lightyear
Movie(s): Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), Toy Story 4 (2019)
First Appearance: Toy Story (1995)
Voiced by: Tim Allen
Of course, if one mentions Woody, one must not forget his best friend, the spacey space cadet, Buzz Lightyear! As far as animated characters go, Toy Story really had it made with their complex and emotionally-superior character development. Buzz Lightyear's growth from a delusional 'space-ranger-wannabe' into a toy was very heartening to watch, and it was played beautifully by the animators and his voice actor, Tim Allen!
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04Dory
Movie(s): Finding Nemo (2003), Finding Dory (2016)
First Appearance: Finding Nemo (2003)
Voiced by: Ellen DeGeneres
Dory was undoubtedly the underdog of the Finding Nemo franchise! This lovable fish, Voiced by the equally loveable Ellen DeGeneres, stole the show and earned herself her own feature film that all the animated movie lovers came to watch in 2016! Her ditzy character made for very amusing segments in what could have otherwise been a very grim story, one that many of the older watchers still come back to this day.
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05Totoro
Movie(s): My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
First Appearance: My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
Voiced by: Hitoshi Takagi
Speaking of cute characters, how can one forget about Totoro! Despite having been written in a different language, 'My Neighbor Totoro' has managed to burrow its way into the hearts of many a movie watcher. And of course, this is all things to the loveable animated character, Totoro — who is cuddly, gentle, and peaceful!
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06Genie
Movie(s): Aladdin (1992), The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996)
First Appearance: Aladdin (1992)
Voiced by: Robin Williams
When talking about animated characters, one must also not forget the phenomenal performance of Genie from the Aladdin franchise! Voiced by Robin Williams, Genie was brought to life in a way that changed the industry for good, bringing an influx of more lively voice acting in the future!
If you're the type to want to make your animated character, taking inspiration from Robin William's Genie would surely not lead you astray! In fact, you can get started on it today, if you wanted! All you have to do is pick up a good mic and a professional video editor like Wondershare Filmora Video Editor Pro that can help you in your quest to bring your characters to life!
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07Wall-E
Movie(s): Wall-E (2008)
First Appearance: Cameo in Cars (2006)
Voiced by: Ben Burtt
Wall-E broke the box office for its underlying message regarding how we humans treat our world, but also because of its loveable characters! Who can say that they did not fall in love with Wall-E and his darling Eve? Despite his almost-mute character, he was brought to life in a way that made him very easy to love and would be remembered for years to come.
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08Donkey
Movie(s): Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek 3, Shrek Forever After, a Christmas short
First Appearance: Shrek
Voiced by: Eddie Murphy
Shrek's Donkey is another one of those characters that you just cannot forget! Voiced by the hilarious Eddie Murphy, he added that constant spark of humor that kept the movie's tone light and exciting, fully encompassing the kind of tone that the film was going for.
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09Cruella de Vil
Movie(s): 101 Dalmatians
First Appearance: 101 Dalmatians
Voiced by: Betty Lou Gerson
When it comes to classic villain animated characters, one cannot forget about the illustrious Cruella de Vil! This character was pure evil in a feminine form! Designed to be the enemy of puppy lovers everywhere all while bringing a little spice into what would have otherwise been a sweet, slice of life film.
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10Boo
Movie(s): Monsters Inc.
First Appearance: Monsters Inc.
Voiced by: Mary Gibbs
Boo from Monsters Inc is one of the most popular animated characters on the big screen! She was loveable, sweet, and perfectly voice acted — bringing on some much-needed cute into the heart-warming story.
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11Mike Wasowski
Movie(s): Monsters Inc
First Appearance: Monsters Inc
Voiced by: Billy Crystal
Still on the Monster Inc train, we have Mike Wasowski! His refreshing character brought some levity into the story, bringing on some much-needed laughs and just, in general, providing a solid counterpart to Sulley!
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12Toothless
Movie(s): How To Train Your Dragon, How to Train your Dragon 2
First Appearance: How To Train Your Dragon
Voiced by: N/A
A more modern, but no-less loveable animated character that we all know and love is Toothless from 'How to Train Your Dragon!' Toothless, much like the almost-mute Wall-E, manages to charm the audience with nary a peep! Instead, everything about his character is portrayed in his emotions and his actions — which only speaks to the talent of the ones who had animated him into being.
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13Chihiro
Movie(s): Spirited Away (2001)
First Appearance: Spirited Away (2001)
Voiced by: Rumi Hiragi, Daveigh Chase
The story of Chihiro from 'Spirited Away' is another memorable performance that one cannot easily forget! This character, if you weren't aware, was also created by Miyazaki (the same creator of 'Totoro!') She's a part of a long line of greatly designed and developed characters whose journey you just can't look away from.
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14Lumiere
Movie(s): Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
First Appearance: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Voiced by: Jerry Orbach
'Beauty and the Beast' is a Disney classic! And, when it comes to beloved Disney Animated Characters, it certainly won with its own Lumiere (Voiced by Jerry Orbach!) This vivacious candelabra absolutely steals the show — bringing a little sass and musicality (after all, who cannot remember the 'Be Our Guest' track!) into the original inspiration for Belle and the Beast's love story.
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15Sophie
Movie(s): Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
First Appearance: Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Voiced by: Chieko Baisho; Emily Mortimer & Jean Simmons
To wrap up our main list, we have another Miyazaki character in the form of Sophie — from Howl's Moving Castle! Howl's Moving Castle is another beautiful classic that you just can't help but love, and a lot of that is all thanks to its complex and believable heroine, Sophie!
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● Honorable Mention #1: Baloo
Movie(s): The Jungle Book (1967), The Jungle Book 2 (2003)
First Appearance: The Jungle Book (1967)
Voiced by: Phil Harris; John Goodman
For the first of our honorable mentions, we have Baloo from 'The Jungle Book'! Baloo is soft and cuddly — perfectly loveable while providing sage advice for the main character! His performance in the film was certainly an unforgettable one (worth the repeat viewing!)
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● Honorable Mention #2: Maleficent
Movie(s): Sleeping Beauty (1959)
First Appearance: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Voiced by: Eleanor Audley
Maleficent from 'Sleeping Beauty' also deserves her own spot as an outstanding supervillain. One that, much like Cruella de Vil (who we introduced in the main list) inspired her own live-action film — or better yet, films! As Maleficent's LIVE action form merited a sequel.
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● Honorable Mention #3: Dumbo
Movie(s): Dumbo (1941)
First Appearance: Dumbo (1941)
Voiced by: N/A
Dumbo joins the cast of cute and cuddly characters that manage to make an impact with little to no words! His amazing animation managed to convey his entire story despite his muteness, speaking to the great talent of his animators!
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● Honorable Mention #4: Coraline
Movie(s): Coraline (2008)
First Appearance: Coraline (2008)
Voiced by: Dakota Fanning
Coraline's animation is certainly unique, but that's one of the reasons why she and her film stand out so much! In terms of animated characters, Coraline stands out with her unique design and equally unique story. She's certainly not a heroine that you should mess with!
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● Honorable Mention #5: Jack Skellington
Movie(s): The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
First Appearance: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Voiced by: Chris Sarandon, Henry Sellick (singing)
Although Jack Skellington's film, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' may not be as well known as others, those that do know of it speak well of his character! His complex personality gives way for a very interesting tale, one that has captivated many an audience and merited repeat viewings (perfect for the holiday season!)
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● Key Takeaways from This Episode →
● Looking to learn more about some of the best-animated films in recent history? There are plenty of classics that you can see right now. Included the much-beloved films that birthed characters such as Woody, Mickey Mouse, Genie, Donkey, Boo, and so much more!
● If you're searching for inspiration to make your own animated characters, then this list will work just as well! After all, what better place to source your inspiration from outside of the work of masters?
● There are, of course, many great animated characters that we didn't include in this list! Including some of the more modern stand-outs. But, there is no denying that these are the characters that people tend to think of when they hear the words 'animated character!'