Pixar’s 10 Greatest Female Characters, Ranked By Heroism

Pixar has created some amazing characters over the years, and that has included some strong and powerful girls and women. Whether they’re humans, toys, fish, or something else, Pixar has always been able to create characters that are worth investing in emotionally, and a lot of that is down to their heroic acts within their individual movies.

Whether it’s Dory swimming around the ocean or Elastigirl fighting against supervillains, there have been some excellent heroic acts by Pixar’s best female characters. But out of all these tremendous heroines, which of them has proven to be the most heroic within their individual movies?

10 Boo (Monsters, Inc.)

Boo is certainly an iconic character within the world of Pixar, and this toddler is certainly cute and hilarious. She shows tremendous bravery when she accidentally finds herself in the world of monsters, not being scared of Sulley or Mike and managing to find the humor in her situation.

However, when it comes to big heroic acts, Boo doesn’t actually do that much in comparison to some of Pixar’s other great female stars. While she is brave and doesn’t cause too many problems for Sulley and Mike, the adventure is ultimately about those two characters solving the dilemma, not Boo.

9 Dot (A Bug’s Life)

Much like Boo, there is a limit to what Dot can really do in terms of impact simply because of how young she is. However, that doesn’t mean she isn’t able to stand up for herself and the rest of her family, with Dot following in the same footsteps as Flik, by being an underdog who is happy to fight the odds.

She is able to stand up to Hopper within the movie, being part of the bird trap, and even when she’s at risk, Dot showcases bravery and heroism. Dot is the only one that believes in Flik, and that’s something that serves her entire family well in the end, with her humor helping to make Dot one of the most memorable Pixar characters of all time.

8 Bo Peep (Toy Story/2/4)

In the first two Toy Story movies, Bo Peep is shown as a caring and intelligent character, but she is one that stays behind in Andy’s room and doesn’t head out on the adventures, which doesn’t make her the most heroic of Pixar’s female characters.

However, when it comes to her return in Toy Story 4, she’s a totally different character. She is someone who has no problem getting involved in an adventure, and she proves herself to be very heroic, with her ability to help Woody being a great part of the movie.

7 Sadness (Inside Out)

Sadness doesn’t actually want to go on her heroic journey in Inside Out, as that’s not the type of personality she has. However, once is thrust upon her, Sadness steps up and proves what an amazing character she is, taking as many risks as Joy does to try and get back to Riley.

She’s not quite as adventurous as her fellow emotion, but she sacrifices herself plenty of times throughout the movie. Whether it’s walking through

6 Jessie (Toy Story 2/3/4)

Jessie is certainly one of Pixar’s greatest characters, being one of the leads in the Toy Story franchise from the moment she’s introduced. While she is at first happy to question Woody and his desire to be with an owner, she quickly comes around to the idea and shows her heroic side in helping Woody and the gang as much as possible.

Jessie is always happy to be called upon when needed to help others, showing great heroism, particularly in the third installment to the franchise. She goes above and beyond for her friends, and her heroic acts make her stand out amongst the rest of the toys.

5 EVE (WALL-E)

While a lot of the attention in this movie goes to WALL-E and the unlikely hero that he becomes, EVE is just as big of a part of that journey as her romantic lead counterpart. EVE takes plenty of risks within the movie, and while she initially tries to get rid of WALL-E, she quickly gets on board to try and help him.

The two of them work together in a bid to get the ship back to Earth, as they both know the importance of that taking place. She goes above and beyond in order to make that happen, proving herself to be a truly heroic character.

4 Joy (Inside Out)

Inside Out is full of amazing characters, and the best of the bunch is Joy. She is full of kindness and simply wants what is best for Riley throughout the movie. She knows the importance of the core memories, and Joy risks her own life to ensure that she brings them back.

When she and Sadness go on their journey together, they have a lot of close calls with death in order to make it happen, which is a sign of how caring she really is. Everything she does is with Riley in mind, but she also opens up and learns about Sadness at the same time, which leads to even more selfless and heroic acts.

3 Merida (Brave)

Merida is the lead character within her movie, which was Pixar’s first attempt at a princess story, and it showcased her as an incredible hero. While she can be grumpy, and it is ultimately her fault her mother is turned into a bear, that doesn’t stop her from doing everything she can to fix it.

She helps her mother out as much as possible, not showing any fear about the fact she is literally a huge bear. While she isn’t able to fight Mor’du, simply due to its power, she doesn’t back down either. Merida is heroic throughout the movie, even in standing up for herself and what she wants, which is what makes her such a great character.

2 Elastigirl (The Incredibles/The Incredibles 2)

Mrs. Incredible is certainly one of Pixar’s greatest characters, and she is someone who puts in a lot of heroic moments throughout both of The Incredibles movies. Firstly, everything she does in-terms of fighting is impressive as she is also juggling being a mother first and foremost, which is a heroic role within itself.

However, the fact she travels to try to find her husband in the original movie is a great heroic moment for her. But she then fights alongside her family bravely, and she then continues in that way in the sequel when she is thrust into the main position as the lead hero, and that is what makes her one of Pixar’s very best.

1 Dory (Finding Nemo)

When it comes to heroism, Dory truly takes the top spot in comparison to other female Pixar characters. She might not be the smartest character (largely becuase of her memory issues), but she is someone who has a huge heart and goes above and beyond to help Marlin, who is literally a stranger when they first meet.

Dory has no problem in traveling across the entire ocean to help him find Nemo, meeting any potential danger head-on. Whether it’s sharks, jellyfish, or being caught by a fishing net, Dory always gives her all, and without her, there is no doubt that Marlin would never have found his son.

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