Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos. It centers on a supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions. The franchise is produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company Universal Pictures.
Longtime supervillain Gru formulates a plan to steal the Moon after a younger villain named Vector steals the Great Pyramid of Giza. As part of his plan, he adopts three orphan girls, and eventually finds himself split on where his commitments lie.
Gru teams up with his long-lost twin brother Dru to stop Balthazar Bratt, a former child actor of the 1980s, from destroying Hollywood, Los Angeles, after his show was canceled years ago.
Despicable Me 3 debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 14, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 30.
Gru, who is now raising a baby, faces Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, two villains who seek revenge on Gru and his family, forcing the family to go on the run.
Despicable Me 4 debuted in New York City on June 9, 2024, and was released in the United States on July 3.
An eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6.
Minions: The Rise of Gru debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022, and was released in the United States on July 1.
Minions & Monsters debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 21, 2026, and was released in the United States on July 1, after initially being set for release on June 30, 2027.
Short films
A total of 20 short films have been released in the franchise. Three short films based on Despicable Me were released in December 2010 on the film's DVD and Blu-ray. The Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray, released in December 2013, included another three short films. Three short films were released in 2015 on the Blu-ray and DVD of Minions, while one short film was released in the Blu-ray and DVD of Despicable Me 3.
A short film titled Mower Minions was released in 2016 with The Secret Life of Pets, being the first short film to be released theatrically. A second theatrical short film was released in 2018 with The Grinch, while another one was released in The Grinch's DVD and Blu-ray. A third theatrical short film was released in 2023 with Migration. Two new shorts were released in Despicable Me 4 on digital HD release.
After the events of Despicable Me, the Minions help Margo, Edith, and Agnes renovate Gru's house so a social worker does not take the girls back to Miss Hattie's Home for Girls.
Three Minions now have jobs as bomb transporters, but things go wrong when the trio has an argument with two other Minions who carry a bomb bigger than theirs.
A Minion watches neighbors walking their dogs on the street, which leads him to search for a puppy of his own. After several failed attempts, he comes across a UFO that takes the role of a puppy for him.
Two Minions work sending parcels through the lab. When a package containing expired PX-41 (the serum that El Macho used to transform the Minions and himself in Despicable Me 2), gets jammed in the pneumatic delivery system, it transforms one of them into an evil Minion.
Agnes is unsatisfied with her toy bike after falling off it while attempting to catch up to an ice cream truck with Margo, Edith, and their friends. Three Minions then volunteer to modify the bike and help Agnes improve her skills.
The Nelsons' youngest son Binky, having lost his pacifier after a successful robbery at a museum, sets out on a mission to retrieve it. Notably, it is the first mini-movie to not star the Minions or feature them in any capacity.
Before they all make their big escape from prison in Despicable Me 3, a couple of lucky Minions get a taste of freedom as they break free with the help of one of their fellow human inmates.
When Margo, Agnes and Edith return from a scout camp, a group of Minions are entranced by the girls' merit badges and become scouts in an attempt to earn badges for themselves.
A trio of Minions will try anything to help Agnes overcome her fear of the dark, even if it involves going into outer space.
Game Over and Over (2024)
Released on the Despicable Me 4 digital platforms.
When Stuart accidentally destroys his controller in anger, he finds another controller in Gru's lab to replay his game. But instead he controls Kevin, so Stuart decides to play him as his game and try to beat his high score.
Benny's Birthday (2024)
Released on the Despicable Me 4 digital platforms.
It's Benny's birthday, and the Minions take him to his cake. Benny has a time loop of being injured and hurt on his birthday, from getting blown by TNT to being hit by a bat.
Other media
Television specials
Minions Holiday Special (2020)
The first TV special, Minions Holiday Special, is a half-hour compilation of Minions mini-movies, containing Santa's Little Helpers, Training Wheels, Puppy, and Minion Scouts. Additionally, the special includes holiday-themed interstitials featuring characters from Illumination's The Secret Life of Pets and Sing franchises. The special aired on NBC on November 27, 2020.
Miranda Cosgrove, who voices Margo in the films, provides narration between the short segments.
Digital series
Saturday Morning Minions is a comedy slapstick cartoon. It debuted in the United States on Illumination's social media on June 9, 2021, released weekly on Saturdays, and consists of 40 episodes. The series features a 2D animation style. Who's Who was released on TikTok and subsequently on YouTube.
The action video game, initially titled Despicable Me: Minion Rush, retitled in 2018 to simply Minion Rush, was released on June 13, 2013. The game, developed by Gameloft Barcelona and editing by the French group Gameloft, was adapted for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, and Windows Phone devices. Played as one of the Minions, it allows customization of the character, who must perform various tasks, including defeating Vector and a new villain created for the game, to earn the title of Minion of the Year. The game was downloaded more than 100 million times in the first three months after its release. The game won a British Academy Children's Award in the category BAFTA's Kids' Vote and a Kids' Choice Award for Favorite App. By June 2021, the game hit 1 billion downloads worldwide across iOS, Android, and other devices. On September 25, 2026, it was announced that the game would be removed from app stores on October 30, 2026, with the online servers shutting down on January 29, 2027. Offline features will remain accessible after this date for users who already have the game downloaded.
The free-to-play mobile game developed by Electronic Arts (otherwise known as EA), titled Minions Paradise, was released in the summer of 2015. Playing as Phil, players will help Minions design and build their own utopia set in a tropical environment. The game was removed from the App Store on May 22, 2017.
In addition to the Minion Mayhem attraction, Universal Studios Florida features an entire Minion Land with a moving-walkway shooter attraction titled Villain-Con: Minion Blast. The Minion Blast attraction is also featured at Universal Studios Japan.
In 2026, Universal Kids Resort features a themed land based on the Despicable Me franchise, known as Minions vs Minions: Bello Bay Club. The area contains a river rapids ride.
Characters
Main characters
Felonious Gru Sr. (voiced by Steve Carell): The protagonist in the Despicable Me series who speaks with an Eastern European accent. He is the son of Marlena and Robert, the twin brother of Dru, the adoptive father of Margo, Edith, and Agnes; the husband of Lucy, and the boss of the Minions. At the beginning of the first film, Gru is an ambitious supervillain who constantly seeks approval from his mother, until the adoption of his daughters convinces him that their happiness is important. In the second film, Gru leaves his villainous past behind to care for his daughters, but then soon joins forces – unwillingly – with secret agent Lucy Wilde, whom he later marries. In the third film, after he and Lucy are fired from their jobs at the Anti-Villain League, Gru learns that he has a twin brother, Dru. Along with Lucy and the girls, Gru meets Dru at his mansion in Freedonia, and they form a brotherly relationship throughout the film. In the fourth film, he raises a new child, Felonious Gru Jr. Felonious Gru was originally conceived as a Dracula-like character, but directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin later opted for a villain who would echo "the world of James Bond, thinking of characters like Goldfinger and the Bond-ian world of technology". Gru also bears some similarities with British comic-book character Grimly Feendish, and with the pre-Crisis version of Lex Luthor.
The Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin in all films and the theme park attraction, Chris Renaud in the first two films except spin-offs and attractions, James Arnold Taylor in the 2010 video game, and Jemaine Clement as Jerry the Minion in the first film): Gru's small, yellow, comical henchmen who have one or two eyes. The Minions speak a language that Coffin created by mixing gibberish with words from many languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Indonesian. Although seemingly nonsensical, the English-sounding words are dubbed for every country, in order to make them recognizable. It is shown in Minions that they have existed since the beginning of life on Earth, and desire above all else to serve the most terrible of villains. In the short film "Banana", the Minions are revealed to have an uncontrollable craving for fruits, especially bananas. Mentioned by name in the films and other media are Bob, Stuart, Kevin, Otto, Mel, Dave, Jerry, Tim, Gus, James, Henry, Ed, Dick, Ken, Mike, Carl, Lance, Tony, Tom, Phil, Mark, Brian, Chris, Jorge, Norbert, Ralph, Ron, and Benny.
The Girls: Three sisters, whom Gru adopts to further his scheme in the first film and gradually comes to love.
Margo (voiced by Miranda Cosgrove): The mature oldest sister. In the first film, among the trio, Margo was the most suspicious of Gru initially; but came to trust him at the end of the film. She is something of a protectress to her sisters. She later takes an interest in boys, which makes Gru overprotective, and freezes boys who break her heart.
Edith (voiced by Dana Gaier): The tomboyish middle sister; the first to enjoy Gru's eclectic possessions, when adopted by him. She practices martial arts in the second film and shown herself to be mischievous as she pulls pranks on Fritz, Dru's butler in the third film.
Agnes (voiced by Elsie Fisher in the first two films; Nev Scharrel in the third film, and Madison Polan in the fourth film): The happy-go-lucky youngest sister, and the quickest to trust Gru in the first film. She is presented as naive and innocent, against her more worldly sisters, and has a strong love for unicorns. In the third film, she "adopts" a one-horned goat whom she names Lucky after mistaking him for a unicorn. Even after learning he was a goat, Agnes continues to love Lucky.
Lucy Wilde (voiced by Kristen Wiig): A cunning secret agent who has teamed up with Gru to hunt down an extremely dangerous supervillain. She loves one-upping Gru with her quirky gadgets and has perfected her form of martial arts by combining jujitsu, krav maga, Aztec warfare, and krumping. After 147 dates, she marries Gru and becomes the girls' adoptive mother. She is now Mrs. Lucy Gru. In Despicable Me 4, it is revealed that she and Gru have a baby named Gru Jr.
Dr. Joseph Nefario (voiced by Russell Brand from 2010 to 2022, Romesh Ranganathan from 2024–present, and JB Blanc in the video game): Gru's hearing-impaired inventor and partner-in-crime who speaks with a British accent. He seems to have a romantic interest in Gru's mother, Marlena. In the second film, he misses being a villain so he goes to work for El Macho, but abandons him after he turns the Minions into monsters. He is absent in most of the third film, having accidentally frozen himself in carbonite, similar to that of Han Solo from Star Wars. In Minions: The Rise of Gru, it is revealed Nefario previously worked at a record shop called "Criminal Records", which the Vicious 6 used as a cover for their lair before going to work for Gru. He is seen again at the end of the fourth film, revealing that he is unfrozen and he returns Gru Jr. back to normal, as well as attending Gru's party.
Silas Ramsbottom (voiced by Steve Coogan): Director of the Anti-Villain League (AVL) in the second film. The Minions (and Gru) make fun of his surname. In the third film, he retires from the AVL and is replaced by Valerie Da Vinci as the new Director of the AVL, though he comes back to replace her at the end. He continues as AVL director in the fourth film, where he takes care of the minions.
Felonious Gru Jr. (voiced by Tara Strong): An infant biological son of Gru and Lucy and also an adoptive brother of the Girls who initially dislikes his father in the fourth film.
Poppy Prescott (voiced by Joey King): An aspiring supervillain who admires Gru's work as a villain.
Kyle: Is a pet dog-like monster of the Gru family, belonging to Gru, and then given to Agnes. Kyle was originally a vicious, aggressive, ferocious, and monstrous blue creature that even Gru had trouble controlling. At times he would attack Gru but despite this, he also seemed to be easily spooked and appeared frightened whenever Gru or anyone else opened the secret lair and also ran away from Agnes, unused to the fact that she thought he was cute instead of trying to avoid him. When Agnes, Edith, and Margo first arrive, Kyle greets them by snarling but he gradually warms up to the girls, especially Agnes, and starts sleeping with her at night. Although he seemed exasperated when the three girls dressed him up, he nevertheless developed an attachment towards them just like Gru did.
Lucky: Is a small one-horned white baby goat and a supporting character in the third film. Agnes first thought he was a real living unicorn, though Gru tells her that he is just a goat, Agnes still cherishes Lucky, and he becomes her new pet. Agnes discovers him in the Freedonia forest and enthusiastically mistakes him for a Unicorn. When the adorable Unigoat excitedly licks her face, Agnes giggles gleefully and declares that she will call him Lucky, become her pet, and come to live with her in Gru's house. In the fourth film Agnes has to leave Lucky behind and fears he will forget her. At the end they get reunited, and Agnes' fears prove unwarranted.
Marlena (voiced by Julie Andrews): Gru and Dru's mother. Her neglect of Gru's ambitions is identified among the main reasons why he became a supervillain. In the denouement of the first film, she admits to him that he is a better parent than her. Marlena later makes a silent cameo appearance in the second film at Gru and Lucy's wedding. In the third film, Marlena reveals to Gru that after she and Gru and Dru's father divorced, they promised to never see each other again and they each got to take one son with them, with Marlena saying that she got "second pick".
Dru Gru (voiced by Steve Carell): Gru's charming, happy-go-lucky long-lost twin brother, who is also in the supervillain business. Dru looks just like his brother, only he has blonde hair and wears white attire. He is Lucy's brother-in-law, Gru Jr.'s uncle, and the adoptive uncle of Margo, Edith, and Agnes.
Fritz (voiced by Steve Coogan): Dru's courteous, well-mannered butler who speaks with a British accent. He takes Gru, Lucy, and the girls to meet Dru at his mansion in Freedonia.
Valerie Da Vinci (voiced by Jenny Slate): A ruthless member of the Anti-Villain League (AVL) who replaces Silas Ramsbottom as Director in the third film. She fires Gru and Lucy due to their failure to capture Balthazar Bratt.
Wild Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin): The former leader of the Vicious 6 who was ousted because of his old age, and later becomes Gru's mentor.
Victor "Vector" Perkins (voiced by Jason Segel, Jason Harris in the video game): The villain in the first film, Gru's rival, and the son of Mr. Perkins, the President of the Bank of Evil. He was responsible for the theft of the Great Pyramid of Giza and competes against Gru to get ahold of a shrink ray and eventually of the Moon. However, after he takes the girls hostage to get the Moon, his plan backfires and he gets stuck on the Moon. In the short Mooned, Vector attempts to escape the Moon only to end up on Mars. In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison, revealing that he managed to return to Earth.
Mr. Perkins (voiced by Will Arnett): Vector's father and enormous and equally strong President of the Bank of Evil, responsible for giving out loans to villains in their schemes (formerly including Gru). In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison along with his son.
Miss Hattie (voiced by Kristen Wiig): The charismatic but cruel owner of the orphanage from which Gru adopts his daughters. She sends Margo, Edith, and Agnes out to sell cookies and makes them sleep in cardboard boxes if they fail to meet their quota.
Eduardo "El Macho" Pérez (voiced by Benjamin Bratt): A Mexican-accented supervillain in the second film. El Macho was believed to have died after strapping 250 pounds of dynamite on himself and riding a shark into an active volcano. However, it turns out that he faked his death, and he became the owner of a Mexican restaurant. He has a son named Antonio, with whom Margo is infatuated at first until Antonio abandons her. He planned to abduct most of Gru's Minions and turn them into indestructible, evil Minions with a chemical compound he stole called PX-41 and send the mutated Minions to major cities to take over the world. In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison.
Pollito: Is El Macho's pet chicken. Eduardo kept Pollito ever since he was a chick, as shown in the picture the restaurant owner keeps in the Salsa & Salsa kitchen, When Lucy and Gru break into the Salsa & Salsa restaurant, Gru accidentally trips a wire which causes Pollito to come out. But Lucy and Gru don't think that the chicken is much of a threat. As Gru starts insulting Pollito stating that the chicken is not so much of a guard dog, the chicken attacks and pecks Gru's face. Lucy stops Pollito by shooting him with epoxy.
Balthazar Bratt (voiced by Trey Parker): A supervillain in the third film. A former 1980s child star, he adopts the identity of his supervillain character after the onset of puberty leads to the cancellation of his television series. He is obsessed with 1980s pop culture and uses a giant robot armed with a laser and inflatable bubble gum to exact revenge on Hollywood. In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison.
Clive (voiced by Andy Nyman): A robot who acts as Balthazar Bratt's sidekick.
Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell): A supervillain and Gru's childhood rival who wants revenge on Gru and his family in the fourth film. Maxime has augmented himself with cockroach parts and temporarily turns Gru Jr. into a human-roach hybrid but is defeated when Gru Jr. turns on him. Later, he reconciles with Gru at the AVL prison.
Valentina (voiced by Sofia Vergara): Maxime's femme fatale girlfriend.
Principal Frau Übelschlecht (voiced by Chris Renaud): In Despicable Me 4, she is the principal of Lycée Pas Bon who tries to kill Gru for stealing the mascot of the school.
Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock): In Minions, she is the world's first female super-villain who is bent on becoming the Queen of England, and served as the Minions' boss before Gru. In the fourth film, she is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison alongside her husband Herb.
Herb Overkill (voiced by Jon Hamm): Scarlet's husband and an inventor. In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison along with his wife Scarlet.
The Vicious 6: A group of six supervillains who appear in Minions: The Rise of Gru. In the fourth film, the group is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison. Their members include:
Belle Bottom (voiced by Taraji P. Henson): A disco-themed villain and the newly appointed leader of the group after Wild Knuckles, who wants to take on the Anti-Villain League.
Jean Clawed (voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme): A member with a giant mechanical lobster claw for his right arm who speaks in a French accent.
↑Healy, Christopher (May 19, 2020). "Despicable Me: Minion Mania". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
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