Friendships: they’re at the heart of almost every Pixar story, and they play an important role in
the formula the acclaimed animation studio has perfected. From longtime friends to unlikely
allies, the friendships seen in Pixar films are among some of the most iconic relationships in
all of animation. But, while friendships play a vital role in Pixar’s story structure, not all of
them are created equal. Some are pretty healthy, while others can be a lot more toxic. But which
ones are which? Stay tuned, for that’s exactly what we’ll be getting to the bottom of today!
I’m Caleb with WickedBinge, and this is Pixar Friendships: Healthy to Toxic
As always, we’ll be looking at the healthiest relationships first,
and then work our way down to the most toxic ones. These friendships are healthy.
Up first, our Gold Medal of Healthiness goes to Luca’s own Alberto and Luca! Luca and Alberto
easily have the best and most healthy relationship out of Pixar’s entire filmography. Though they
come from two distinctly different backgrounds, Alberto from the surface and Luca from the sea,
they still manage to strike up an incredibly powerful friendship. Alberto is always helpful
to Luca, and it is through Alberto that he learns a lot about life on the surface. When
Luca’s true form is finally revealed to Alberto, though it does create tension in the friendship,
Alberto is ultimately able to look past that and remain the great friend he always was. In the end,
the two win the race that they promised to win, and Luca is even able to save Alberto from near
death at the hands of Ercole. Overall, Luca and Alberto are true friends to the end, and their
strong friendship is reason enough to crown them the most healthy Pixar friendship of them all!
In second place, we’re giving the Silver Medal of Healthiness to Mei Lee, Priya, Abby, and Miriam
from Turning Red! Another more recent entry on our list, and the biggest set of friends we’ll cover
today, the strength of this relationship comes from how comfortable each character is in talking
with the others. Take Mei Lee for instance. While she has trouble being herself around her mother or
the rest of her family, she feels more than safe being around her friends. This is most evident in
how the three of them can help Mei Lee control her panda form, which she is unable to do when
around her family. They bond over much of the same things, whether it be boybands or frustrations
over school work, and they’ll always have each other's backs. Even when Mei Lee’s friends
express frustration with her over her failure to defend them from her mom, it doesn’t take long for
them to patch things up. Her friends are also very helpful, a trait that’s best seen during
the film’s chaotic ending sequence. While none of us know what it’s like to become a giant red
panda, Mei Lee’s relationship with her friends is proof that sometimes, friends pull through
for you in a way that your family just can’t, and that’s why this quartet gets second place!
Our Bronze Medal of Healthiness goes to The Incredibles’ Mr. Incredible and Frozone! This
superhero duo has been friends for quite a long time, going back to the heyday of the superheroes.
But no matter the time, these two will always have the other covered. Lucius comes through for
whatever Bob needs, whether it be a babysitter or some help fighting off the Omnidroids. Likewise,
Bob sees Frozone as the greatest friend a super could ask for. Don’t forget that it was Frozone
who acted as Bob’s best man during his wedding! He’s also one of the few characters who is granted
access to the “Incredibile”, which proves invaluable in keeping the kids out of trouble
during the second film. If there is anything that we can say negatively about their friendship,
it’s that they sometimes encourage some not-so-great aspects of each other. This
is most evident during their late-night superhero escapades, where the pair risk
their lives trying to relive their glory days. Their wives know nothing of these adventures,
and even Lucius seems to be getting tired of it when we see them go on one of these journeys
in the first film. They might be saving the day, but they aren’t doing it for the best of reasons,
and especially not the smartest. Even so, when we think of great superhero duos,
few are better at saving the day than Mr. Incredible and Frozone!
Hailing from Paris is our next pair, Remy and Alfredo of Ratatouille! While “healthy”
isn’t really the word that comes to mind when we think of a rat and a human pair,
this unlikely duo manages to surprise and be one of the more positive friendships shown in a
Pixar film. Alfredo and Remy both share the same dream of wanting to become great chefs. Though
the two are from vastly different backgrounds, this shared desire helps them look past their
differences and work together to achieve that dream. While this strengthens their friendship,
Alfredo’s inheritance of the restaurant does anything but. When this happens, Alfredo starts
to ignore Remy, uninterested in giving him any credit for helping him get to where he is. Remy
also has his moments where he harms Alfredo. When he told Alfredo he could help with his cooking,
he said this only to get free. It was only after he saw how Alfredo reacted to this that he had a
change of heart. Although the two have their rough patches throughout the movie, they are ultimately
able to overcome these issues and achieve their dreams. So while they don’t have the most sanitary
relationship, few other friendships in Pixar are stronger than the bond between this man and mouse!
From France to Radiator Springs comes our next duo, Lightning McQueen and Mater! Like a lot
of other Pixar friendships, these two could not possibly be any more different. Lightning is a
fast car that loves the spotlight, while Mater is a rusted truck that lives a life that is anything
but lavish. They come from separate lives, yet they are still able to drum up a strong friendship
that lasts throughout the entire trilogy. Mater shows Lightning McQueen that there’s a lot more
to life than just speed and racing. He shows him a world beyond the racetracks, which gives
Lightning a whole new sense of perspective than at the beginning of the film. McQueen is also a good
friend to Mater, and just as he let him look at life beyond racing, he lets Mater explore
what life is like for him, which Mater is greatly excited by. Though the two usually get along well,
they have had their fallings out. In the second movie, Mater’s actions indirectly
lead to Lightning losing a race, which causes Mater to go back to Radiator Springs so that
he won’t be a bother any longer. Thankfully, Lightning soon realizes he was in the wrong,
and even Mater doesn’t stay gone for long when he learns that Lightning may be in danger.
You really do get the sense that these two are good friends, whether that be in Radiator
Springs or on the racetracks. In Pixar, unlikely pairs are always great friends in the making,
and this is easily one of the best examples of that idea in action!
Up next is quite possibly Pixar’s most iconic friendship, Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy
Story! As iconic as they are, Woody and Buzz’s relationship is…well, complicated, and that’s
putting it nicely. In the first film, Woody and Buzz are very confrontational with each other.
Woody is jealous of Buzz for becoming Andy’s new favorite toy. Buzz is rather polite to Woody,
but after he intentionally knocks him out of the house, Buzz also starts to hold a
grudge against Woody. It’s only through their extended stay at Sid’s house that the two are
able to bond and become friends. But, even after that, these two toys definitely have
their ups and downs. In the second film, Buzz risks life and limb to get Woody back to Andy’s,
only for Woody to initially reject the offer. The two again have trouble dealing with life after
Andy moves to college in the third film. Though they have a lot of arguments and disagreements,
it cannot be denied that Woody and Buzz both deeply care for each other. Whenever one of
them is in danger, the other will do anything in their power to save them. Don’t forget that
Buzz spends most of the sequels looking for Woody when he goes missing. If that isn’t dedication,
we don’t know what is! And, of course, the two are willing to let each other have their own
time and space, like when Buzz allows Woody to go off with Bo Peep at the end of the fourth film,
as he knows it’s what he really wants. While the two have their disagreements and conflicts, this
cowboy and space ranger combo has more than earned their place as Pixar’s most famous friendship!
Another classic Pixar pair, our next spot goes to Monsters Inc’s Mike and Sulley! When these
two first meet, as shown in the prequel Monsters University, they aren’t exactly friends at first
sight. The two take forever to get along, and just when it seems like things are going well,
Mike makes the discovery that Sulley toyed with the scare simulator during the games,
essentially cheating at it to make him feel better. The two both end up struggling at college,
and are even expelled at the end of the film, but it is through their struggles and failures that
they truly bond. By the time Monsters Inc. begins, Mike and Sulley are among the most
respected monsters in the business, and a big part of that is because of their friendship. However,
even though they’ve matured a lot since the prequel film, they still are at odds
many times throughout the movie. They both have different feelings in regards to how to
handle the child Boo. Sulley wants to keep her safe, and has the feeling that there something
dangerous is at play. Mike, on the other hand, just wants her out of his hair so he can get
back to the job. This friction between the two creates a lot of conflict in the movie,
but in the end, they overcome those issues and are able to make their world a better place.
Mike even has a change of heart regarding Boo when he rebuilds her door, done just for Sulley.
Mike and Sulley might not have the most healthy relationship, but we will say that theirs feels
a lot more real than a lot of other friendships depicted in these movies. Besides that, they’re
living proof that all you need to make work more interesting is to have a good friend at your side!
Rounding out this tier of the list is Finding Nemo’s own Marlin and Dory! We’ve repeatedly
discussed throughout this video that opposites attracting is a common theme in Pixar films,
but here, it might be at its most extreme. One fish is extremely serious and focused,
while the other is goofy and forgetful. It should come as no surprise to find out that these two
have their troubles. When Nemo goes missing, Dory accompanies Marlin on this journey to find
his son, but, rarely, she’s ever actually helpful. This leads to Marlin growing frustrated with her,
even more when he truly believes Nemo has perished. He leaves her on her own after
this point, wanting little to do with her. In the second one, though they have grown closer,
they still have their fair share of issues. Marlin initially rejects the idea of searching
for Dory’s family, and after Nemo is nearly eaten by a squid, he again wants little to do with her.
These two have lots of issues with the other, but they still manage to show an incredible
amount of compassion for the other. They both end up becoming integral parts of the search to
find Nemo and Dory’s family, and they are both genuinely worried for the others' well-being in
times of crisis. Both try their best to keep the others out of harm's way when they are in danger,
even if Marlin is often agitated by Dory’s antics. Overall, while these two definitely
have the most toxic tendencies of any relationship covered so far, their commitment to each other and
their families is more than enough for us to still call their relationship healthy!
That wraps things up for the healthy relationships! Now,
we discuss the friendships that could use a bit more work. These friendships are in the Grey Area.
Starting this area off are Carl and Russell from Up! When these two first meet,
Carl is about as nice to Russell as he is to most people. He quickly shuts him out and goes about
his day. After Carl’s house lifts into the air, Russell accidentally joins Carl on this voyage,
which angers Carl even more. Throughout the journey, Carl is frequently annoyed by Russell and
his actions. The opposite is even true at points in the film, most notably when Carl’s insistence
on keeping his house safe allows Muntz to capture Kevin. Ultimately, Carl has a change of heart and
helps not only save Kevin, but also Russell from the clutches of Muntz. Carl’s even able
to fulfill Russell’s need for a parental figure by bestowing him the Grape Soda pin. Overall,
Russell and Carl’s friendship has a happy ending, but it's a long and rough road to get there,
which is why we’re placing it here on the list. While most friendships we’ve covered
so far have their bad spots, Carl and Russell are really only on the same page during the
climax of the movie. Sure, Marlin and Dory were at odds in the films, but they still were very
clearly friends for most of the movie. Not only that, but they had two films to develop their
friendship. Carl and Russell unfortunately do not have that luxury, and since their friendship only
begins at the end of the movie, we have to give them our first spot in the grey area.
Next on the list is Joy and Sadness from Inside Out! To say these two have a rough relationship
would be a simple way of putting it! Joy and Sadness are, obviously, two very different
emotions, so it should come as no surprise to know that they come into conflict with one another. Joy
wants to make sure Riley is happy and only happy, failing to understand that she must also exhibit
emotions like anger, fear, and of course, sadness. Sadness herself wants to be respected like all of
the other emotions, but Joy constantly shoves her aside out of the belief that she is doing what is
best for Riley. Joy in particular gets upset when Sadness begins to influence some of Riley’s core
memories. As the film progresses, Joy becomes so focused on her mission that she even stops Sadness
from taking a tube back to their headquarters. This doesn’t go totally as planned, but it
does lead to Joy realizing that Sadness is an important emotion that has impacted Riley’s life,
and that she should be held at the same level of importance as the other emotions. Like Carl and
Russell from before, Joy and Sadness’ friendship is held back by both difficulty in getting along,
as well as the fact that they don’t truly become friends until the ending of the movie. Maybe an
Inside Out 2 would solve this problem if such a thing were to ever exist, but from what we
know of them in the one movie we have, Joy and Sadness definitely deserve this spot on our list!
That’s it for the grey area! Now,
we move towards the worst of the worst friendships. This relationship is toxic.
Rounding out the list, our Golden Medal of Toxicity goes to Helen Parr and Evelyn
Deavor from The Incredibles 2! This hero and villain friendship is the textbook definition
of a toxic friendship! In the movie, Evelyn and Elastigirl become friends after they both become
involved in the search for the villainous and ever so illusive Screenslaver. However,
when Elastigirl begins to find out where the Screenslaver’s technology is coming from,
Evelyn quickly forces a pair of hypnogoggles onto her and ties her to a chair. After this,
she begins to enact her plan, causing many of the superheroes to fall under her control. Elastigirl,
Mr. Incredible, and Frozone are just some of the heroes that are caught in her grip. Evelyn
is as crafty and manipulative as they come. She pretends to be a good friend to Helen,
and just when Elastigirl feels comfortable with her, Evelyn reveals her true colors.
Her plan of exploiting her ultimately works to her advantage, at least for a time. For that
reason and everything before, we have to call their friendship the most toxic in all of Pixar!
But let us know in the comment section if you agree with our ranking. And tell us what we should
cover next. Remember to hit that notification bell and binge our Good to Evil playlist,
where we break down the morality of the characters in your favorite cartoons,
shows, and movies. But most importantly, stay wicked.