You’ve seen them. Those characters with mouths so large they basically take up half their face. Sometimes it’s a stylistic flex, other times it’s a weirdly specific character trait. Honestly, big lip cartoon characters have been a staple of animation since the "rubber hose" days of the 1920s, but the reasons behind the design have changed more than you’d think.
Designers don't just slap a pair of giant lips on a character because they feel like it. Well, okay, sometimes they do. But usually, it’s about exaggeration—one of the "12 Basic Principles of Animation" established by Disney legends Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas.
The Evolution of the "Mouth-First" Design
In the early days, animators like Ub Iwerks and Max Fleischer were working with limited tech. Details were hard to see on grainy film. If you wanted a character to look surprised or happy, you had to go big. Really big.
Look at Betty Boop. Created by Grim Natwick in 1930, her design was originally a caricature of singer Helen Kane. Those tiny, puckered "bee-sting" lips weren't just for show; they defined her flapper-era persona. It was about visual shorthand. You look at her and instantly get the "vibe" of the 1930s jazz scene.
It’s Not Always Just About Style
Fast forward to the 90s and 2000s. Animation got weirder. Shows like Ren & Stimpy or Aaahh!!! Real Monsters used exaggerated features to create a "gross-out" aesthetic.
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Then you have someone like Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time. Her "lips" (if you can call them that) are part of her cloud-like, bratty teenager aesthetic. Or Amethyst from Steven Universe. Her slightly fuller lip design isn't just a random choice; it’s part of a broader push in modern animation for diverse, more "human" silhouettes that move away from the thin-line standards of the past.
Why Do Animators Over-Exaggerate Lips?
It usually boils down to three things:
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- Phonemes and Lip Sync: If a character has a lot of dialogue, a bigger mouth makes the "O" and "M" shapes (phonemes) way easier to read.
- Personality Shorthand: Full lips often signal a character is boisterous, talkative, or even a bit vain. Think of Lola Fish from Shark Tale.
- Breaking the Silhouette: A unique mouth shape helps a character stand out in a lineup. If everyone has a simple line for a mouth, the character with the "octopus lips" (a nickname often given to Alita from Battle Angel Alita) is the one you remember.
The Problematic History We Can't Ignore
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Not every big lip design was "just for fun." In the mid-20th century, many cartoons used "donut lips" as a racist caricature of Black people. It’s a dark chapter in animation history that shows up in old Looney Tunes or early Tom and Jerry shorts.
Even in anime, characters like Mr. Popo from Dragon Ball or Chocolove from Shaman King have faced massive backlash and censorship in the West. When Shaman King was re-released, many of these designs were tweaked because they relied on outdated, offensive stereotypes rather than genuine character design. It’s a reminder that while exaggeration is a tool, it carries a lot of historical weight.
Modern Favorites and Design Trends
Today, we see a much more intentional use of these features. It's less about caricature and more about shape language.
- Princess Peach: In newer Mario iterations and the movie, her lips have a subtle but distinct "heart" shape to emphasize her "kind but royal" trope.
- Big Mouth (the show): Let’s be real, the art style is... polarizing. The characters have massive, fleshy features to represent the awkwardness and "grossness" of puberty. It’s intentional. It’s supposed to make you a little uncomfortable.
- Shrinking Rae (Invincible): A great example of modern "plump" lip design that feels integrated into a hero's aesthetic without being the only thing you notice.
How to Draw Exaggerated Lips (Actionable Tips)
If you're a character designer or just a hobbyist, don't just draw two sausages. Think about the volume.
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- Start with the "M" and "U": The top lip usually has a "Cupid's bow" (the M-shape), while the bottom lip is a fuller U-shape.
- Check your silhouette: Turn your character completely black. Does the mouth still "read" from a distance? If not, you might need to exaggerate the corners.
- Tie it to the jaw: Remember that the lips move because the jaw moves. If the lips are huge but the jaw is tiny, the animation will look "floaty" and weird.
Animation is always evolving. What was a technical necessity in 1930 became a stylistic choice in 1990 and a conversation about representation in 2026. Whether it's for comedy, drama, or just to make a character more "meme-able," the way we draw mouths says a lot about what we want the audience to feel.
Check out your favorite current shows and look at the mouth shapes during a fast dialogue scene. You’ll start seeing the "smeared" frames and exaggerated poses that make those big-lipped characters feel so alive. To improve your own designs, try sketching 10 different mouth shapes for the same emotion—you'll be surprised how much the "size" of the lips changes the character's entire personality.