From Hot Skatin' Barbie to Depression Barbie, the iconic doll goes by many names, professions,
and identities.
Here's every Barbie in the Barbie Movie explained.
Spoilers ahead!
The main Barbie who everyone knows and loves is played by Margot Robbie and her special
quality is literally in her name - Stereotypical Barbie.
As said by her, she's exactly what you'd expect when someone would ask you to imagine Barbie
— bleach blonde hair, a fun and upbeat attitude that never breaks, and a near-perfect physique.
She's literally seen as the ideal image of Barbie –- which is likely why Ryan Gosling's
stereotypical Ken wants to be with her.
She works alongside the other Barbies in Barbieland to maintain their ideals and sense of power
while also living in the iconic Barbie dreamhouse.
However, her ideal view of the world is broken when her former child Gloria starts to feel
depressed about her dwindling relationship with her daughter and unfulfilling life.
So, she sets out on an adventure with Ken to discover that all her beliefs about Barbies
inspiring women wasn't actually true in the real world.
In actuality, women are continually set back by the dominating patriarchy and struggle
to find positions of power as they do in Barbieland -– which crushes Barbie's spirit.
However, through her efforts to take back Barbieland and help the Barbies regain their
independence after the Kens take over in her absence, Barbie ends up making self-discoveries
that change her life and begins to lead a new life as a human.
Maybe now she can be the ordinary Barbie that Gloria dreams of.
With Barbieland having a functioning government run by the Barbies, there must be someone
at the top right?
Well, that Barbie is President Barbie -– who is played by Issa Rae.
President Barbie reminds everyone of her position by always having her presidential sash displayed
and being the head of all the big meetings that happen in Barbieland.
President Barbie's highly viewed stature and distinctive charm show why the Barbies love
and respect her as leader.
Believe it or not, there was actually "President Barbie" that was created for the 2012 election
called the Barbie I Can Be U.S.A.
President Doll.
While Rae's version of the doll iteration isn't heavily tied to that doll, there's actually
a new Barbie doll based on President Barbie in the film that's been created.
So, it seems like girls of a new generation can be inspired by this new President Barbie.
Despite her strengths as a leader though, President Barbie is also brainwashed by the
Kens into serving their needs.
Luckily, she snaps out of it like the rest of her Barbie cohorts and is rightfully reinstated
in her role as President by the end of the film.
"I'm weird Barbie.
I do the splits, I have a funky haircut, and I smell like a basement."
"Oh, my God.
I had a weird Barbie!"
"Yeah, you did."
While most of the Barbies in Barbieland are what fans would expect -– happy, near-flawless
looking, and thriving —Weird Barbie isn't as fortunate.
Weird Barbie is unfortunately the result of what happens when kids play with their Barbies
too hard.
She has colored drawings on her face.
Her hair has been cut apart and even burned a bit.
And worst of all, she's stuck doing the splits and forced to live in a twisted dream house
on a hill away from the rest of the Barbies.
Weird Barbie's eccentric personality is a result of her being twisted and contorted
by kids throughout the years.
Weird Barbie is truly treated like a leper in Barbieland and most of the Barbies only
go to see her to feel better about themselves.
However, Weird Barbie ends up being the reason that the Barbies reclaim Barbieland as she
helps put together a revolt.
Along with some discontinued Barbies and a couple of old Kens, Weird Barbie helps rally
together the Barbies and concoct a plan to save Barbieland from the Kens.
By the end, Weird Barbie gains the recognition and respect of the other Barbies and is now
seen as a true Barbie.
Not all Barbies work and live on land.
Some fly up into space or even exist as mermaids in the vast blue, plastic sea.
Mermaid Barbies — all played by Dua Lipa — are some of the most unique Barbies in
Barbieland and they make for some very fun surprises in the film.
Not only do they appear with their gorgeous colored hair and shining tails, but they generally
give off good vibes.
They're always seen saying hello to everyone on the beach and one of them even wishes Barbie
well before she goes off on her journey to the real world.
There's even a Mermaid Ken played by John Cena that swims alongside the Mermaid Barbies.
Mermaid versions of Barbie are an iconic staple of the Barbie doll legacy and feature some
of the most eye-catching designs.
From their incredible color palettes to their strong style variety, there's nothing more
visually memorable and mesmerizing than a Mermaid Barbie.
So, although Mermaid Barbies might be stuck in the sea, they are a key part to the different
ways that Barbies can be found throughout Barbieland.
The film's depiction of Barbie's history of varying looks and designs is incredibly deep
and even features some versions of the character that are rarely seen -– including ones with
physical disabilities.
Back in one of the trailers, fans could spot a Barbie that works alongside President Barbie
who has a prosthetic arm.
It gave some inkling that we could see more Barbies with disabilities in the movie somewhere
and luckily there's another that can be prominently seen in the film.
During a couple sequences –- including the film's extravagant early dance number –- there
can be a Barbie spotted dancing in her wheelchair.
"All of these women are Barbie, and Barbie is all of these women."
As mentioned by the Barbies, they're meant to represent everything that women can be
and inspire everyone to be their best selves.
So, the inclusion of Barbies with disabilities solidifies that ideology and it's a great
reminder of how Barbie has become a brand for everyone.
It's a great nod to both Barbies with prosthetic arms and legs as well as ones that come with
wheelchairs -– both of which actually exist -– and a meaningful inclusion that further
highlights the film's diverse depictions.
As we meet the wide variety of Barbies found throughout Barbieland, we come across a Barbie
making an impassioned speech in court with some powerful words and a strong conviction.
This is Lawyer Barbie, played by Sharon Rooney, and she's not someone you would want to face
in court.
She's incredibly skilled at convincing a jury to take her side and can easily win everyone
in the courtroom over through her strong line delivery.
Along with a noteworthy introduction, Rooney delivers the perfect kind of performance to
make Lawyer Barbie stand out.
Although she displays strong independence and a good ability to sway others, she ends
up falling under the same spell that all the other Barbies do when the Kens take over.
Thankfully, she's able to be snapped back to reality just in time to help the Barbie's
pull off their big plan.
In Barbieland, every Barbie could use a great lawyer and Lawyer Barbie should always be
their first call.
Among the core friend group of Stereotypical Barbie is Writer Barbie -– an incredibly
intellectual Barbie who has a sharp tongue and an incredible writing ability that's led
to a very successful career.
Played by Alexandra Shipp, Writer Barbie's work is so renowned that we see that it earned
her a Nobel Prize at the beginning of the film.
Given that she's the first person that Stereotypical Barbie waves hello to everyone morning, it's
safe to say that they're pretty close.
Although Writer Barbie is witty and incredibly capable of nearly anything she tries, she
still manages to be brainwashed by the Kens, though at least she's the first Barbie to
be converted back.
From there, she's shown to be one of the Barbies' best assets and is a key reason that they're
eventually able to turn the tables.
Another incredibly intelligent member of Stereotypical Barbie's core friendship group is Physicist
Barbie — a Barbie who's earned a Nobel Prize for her work in Physics.
This Barbie, played by Emma Mackey, doesn't get much screen time, but she does have some
aspects to her outside of her career that make her stand out.
Not only does she have some adorable freckles on her face, but she has a close friendship
with one of the Kens, played by Ncuti Gatwa.
However, that friendship takes an unfortunate turn when the Kens take over and Physicist
Barbie ends up trading out a lab coat for a maid's outfit.
Thankfully, when the Barbies reclaim Barbieland, Physicist Barbie is able to return to her
former life and even maintain her friendship with her favorite Ken.
While we don't get to know Physicist Barbie all that well, she still maintains her role
as a highly intelligent member of the Barbies and could maybe find a bigger role if a sequel
ever comes.
"Did you bring your rollerblades?"
"I literally go nowhere without them."
While it might not be a different Barbie altogether, there is a moment where we see Stereotypical
Barbie deliver a nod to another iconic Barbie figure when she comes to the real world.
As she and Ken enter the real world, they slide in on some sweet roller skates and wear
outfits that feel like a legit throwback.
The psychedelic style and bright colors are a total treat for the eyes and actually act
as a reference to a very memorable Barbie doll known as Hot Skatin' Barbie.
The doll debuted back in 1994 and featured the same type of clothes, style, and — of
course — roller skates that Barbie wears in the film.
For longtime fans, it's a fantastic reference to an all-time favorite doll variant and it's
easily a part of one of the most memorable sequences of the film.
Sure, it could've been cool to see someone representing Hot Skatin' Barbie back in Barbieland,
but Stereotypical Barbie and Ken putting on outfits in her honor is pretty rad too.
"Flat feet!
Bleh!"
There's a Barbie who might not win a ton of awards like her friends or be the most popular
around town, but instead saves lives — which is arguably more important.
Dr. Barbie, played by Hari Nef, is one of the most important Barbies around as she has
the skills to heal and save anyone who gets injured.
Whether it's a Ken who got hurt when trying to surf the plastic waves or a Barbie who
had a workplace accident, Dr. Barbie is always ready to answer the call.
But that doesn't mean that she can't party and have fun like the rest of the Barbies.
She too is tricked by the Kens into falling into their patriarchal ways but is saved by
her fellow Barbies.
The Dr. Barbie doll is an iconic variant who embodies what Barbie is all about — being
a symbol that showed that women were capable of being anything.
Just like her doll counterpart, Dr. Barbie shows her importance in this world and is
one of the notable standouts in the vast Barbie cast.
It seems like there are a lot of award winners in this crowd of Barbies as Journalist Barbie,
played by Ritu Arya, has made her own achievements in journalism.
She's not only a Pulitzer winner, but she's easily the top reporter in Barbieland.
She's not afraid to get to the bottom of some of the hardest-hitting stories and is a great
speaker in front of the camera.
When the Kens do take control of Barbieland, she isn't able to maintain her stature and
ends up being just another pawn in the Kens' game.
But she's able to earn back her credibility once the Barbies regain power and take back
her position of being the best reporter in town.
As Stereotypical Barbie becomes more gutted by her views of the world being dismantled,
she becomes consumed by depression.
With everything that happens in Barbieland influencing Mattel's output of the dolls,
it doesn't take long for a new version of the Barbie doll -- called Depression Barbie
-- to release, and audiences are treated with a hilarious commercial centered around the
dolls.
These dolls cry, struggle to see the brighter side of life, and are constantly having an
existential crisis about death.
They embody the dark and somewhat hilarious turn that Barbie has taken in the film and
the scene leaves such an impact, you can't help but wish that these dolls were real.
"Goodnight, Barbies!
I'm definitely not thinking about death anymore."
Depression Barbie is easily one of the funniest parts of the entire film and a darkly humorous
take on the usually empowering and positive feeling dolls.
Eventually with the help of the other Barbies and Gloria, Stereotypical Barbie is able to
get out of this mental funk and find her own path forward.
However, it's hard not to love what came out of Barbie's saddest moment since Depression
Barbie is probably the most unique Barbie of all.