The animated world of entertainment has some intense competition with DreamWorks, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation Studios in the lineup but Illumination is coming in hot with some amazing movies and characters. After the success of Despicable Me, Illumination has gone on to give us Minions, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing.
With some big names on its roster, we're taking a look at 10 of Illumination's greatest characters. Keep scrolling to see if your favorite made the cut!
Buster Moon: Sing
Buster Moon is the friendly koala we meet in Sing. He's incredibly optimistic and believes that things can only go up after he falls on hard financial times with his theater.
Buster loves the theater and creates a local competition to find the next big star, but after his assistant added one too many zeros to the cash prize, his little idea becomes a huge deal, catching national attention. Even when things fall apart for sweet Buster, he doesn't lose hope and gets a happy ending.
Ted: The Lorax
In 2012, Illumination released The Lorax from Dr. Seuss. In the movie, we meet a young boy named Ted who is on a mission to find a real tree for his crush Audrey. Living in a city that's completely artificial, Ted goes above and beyond to find the truth and beauty of where the real trees are.
Ted is sweet and sticks to his convictions. He's honest and warm and becomes a town hero in The Lorax. His bravery was inspiring for young viewers.
Gunter: Sing
When Buster Moon's theater struggles financially in Sing, he puts on a singing competition where the winner would leave with a cash prize.
One of the contestants, Gunter, is an enthusiastic pig who wants to become a star. He's definitely the comedic break in the movie and makes the audience giggle with his accent and dance movies. It's because of his compassion for Ash and Rosita that makes him such a lovable character.
Grammy Norma: The Lorax
Also in The Lorax is Grammy Norma. Grammy Norma is a champion for her grandson Ted and pushes him to go on adventures and follow his intuition.
Without her help, Ted would have never found the Once-ler or where to find the trees. She may be old and without teeth but she is filled with knowledge that she lends to Ted. Thanks to Grammy's eccentric personality, she's unlike other grandmothers we see in film and it makes viewers love her even more.
Cindy-Lou Who: Grinch
Cindy-Lou Who is the adorable little girl we meet in The Grinch. Like other renditions of The Grinch, Cindy-Lou loves Christmas and would do anything to bring happiness to her family and town.
Cindy-Lou Who's family tree changes a bit from other Grinch tales but her charm remains the same. Without knowing that Grinch dressed up as Santa, Cindy tries to capture Santa to talk to him but to her surprise, she captures the Grinch. No matter how many times this adorable tale is told, Cindy-Lou Who's bright character remains the same.
Gru: Despicable Me
Gru becomes an unlikely fan-favorite in the Despicable Me franchise. As the film's main character, he starts as an antagonist who seeks world domination.
But after a competitor comes into the picture and takes his villainous shine away, Gru has a change of heart. He slowly transforms from a bad guy to a hero who loves his kids. He becomes a great dad and a friend to the Minions. His mannerisms, accent, and wonderous mind have all the makings of a fantastic character.
Daisy: The Secret Life Of Pets 2
After the cuteness that ensued from The Secret Life of Pets, a sequel released in 2019 and introduced us to Daisy. She's a brave Shih Tzu who's on a quest to release Hu from a circus cage. She gets some much-needed help from Snowball and Max and was a welcomed addition to the franchise. Like actual Shih Tzus, Daisy has long hair around her face so she uses a cute hair-tie to keep her long hair out of her eyes as she defeated Sergei and his evil companions.
Agnes: Despicable Me
Agnes is Gru's youngest daughter in Despicable Me. She and her two sisters were adopted as a ploy by Gru but because of their cuteness, Gru decides to follow through with being their father.
Thanks to Agnes's adorable voice and love of unicorns, she became a quick fan favorite in the movie. Unsurprisingly, she gets along famously with Gru's Minions and she loves candy almost as much as she loves unicorns.
Snowball: The Secret Life Of Pets
Snowball may have been the antagonist in the first Secret Life of Pets but he's one of the heroes in the sequel. He's shown as an adorable bunny with a loving owner after years of being abandoned.
Now that he's cared and loved for by Molly, Snowball is a new bunny who tries to be the superhero Molly dresses him as. His confident and loud personality makes him fun to watch and we can't ignore how adorable he is.
The Minions: The Minions
Ah ha! We have a winner! The Minions are by far the most loved and popular characters from Illumination. After first appearing in the Despicable Me franchise, they got their own movie in 2015 and have made pop-up appearances via Easter eggs in other Illumination films.
Thanks to their humorous shape and childlike personality, Minions are favorited by both adults and children alike. It's hard not to laugh when a Minion appears on screen.