When you first see a tall, bald guy with a needle-sharp nose and a scarf that looks like it belongs in a 1920s spy novel, you don’t exactly think "Father of the Year." But that’s exactly where we are with Felonius Gru. Honestly, the Despicable Me movie characters have undergone a transformation that’s kinda wild when you look at the timeline from 2010 to the latest chaos in 2024 and 2025.
It’s not just about a guy who tried to steal the Moon anymore. It’s about a massive, sprawling family tree that includes secret agents, cockroach-obsessed rivals, and a baby who actually knows how to use a grappling hook.
The Man, The Myth, The Ex-Villain: Felonius Gru
Gru is the anchor. Voiced by Steve Carell with that unidentifiable European-ish accent—which, fun fact, Carell basically improvised until it "stuck"—Gru started as a sociopath. Let’s be real. He froze people in line at coffee shops just to get his latte faster.
But then came the girls. Margo, Edith, and Agnes didn’t just change his floor plan; they broke his brain in the best way possible. By the time we hit the events of the most recent films, Gru isn't just a dad; he’s an agent for the Anti-Villain League (AVL). He’s gone from stealing landmarks to protecting them.
The Next Generation: Gru Jr.
The newest addition that everyone’s talking about is Gru Jr. Introduced in Despicable Me 4, this kid is basically a mini-version of his dad, minus the cynicism. He’s got the same grumpy face, but he seems to enjoy causing mayhem specifically for Gru. It’s a hilarious dynamic because it forces Gru to handle a mirror version of his own difficult personality.
The Three Sisters: More Than Just "The Orphans"
It’s easy to lump the girls together, but they’ve grown up in real-time. Or, well, "movie time."
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- Margo: The eldest. She’s the brains. Voiced by Miranda Cosgrove, Margo is the one who kept the trio alive when they were stuck in Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls. She’s also the most skeptical. Remember how she was the only one who didn't trust Gru's "dentist" disguise? She’s the moral compass.
- Edith: The middle child and total chaos agent. She’s usually wearing that pink knit hat and trying to touch something that will probably explode. If Gru has a spiritual successor in the "I like weapons" department, it’s Edith.
- Agnes: The youngest. The unicorn enthusiast. She’s the heart of the franchise. While the voice actors have changed over the years—moving from Elsie Fisher to Madison Polan—the character’s pure, unadulterated optimism remains the same.
The Yellow Elephant in the Room: The Minions
You can't talk about Despicable Me movie characters without mentioning the Minions. Pierre Coffin, who also directs, voices all of them. Think about that. Thousands of characters, one guy’s vocal cords.
Most people think the Minions were created in a lab by Dr. Nefario using mashed bananas and mutated DNA. That was actually a theory for years! But the 2015 Minions movie set the record straight: they are an ancient, naturally occurring species that evolved from single-celled organisms with one goal: to serve the most despicable boss they can find.
The Mega Minions
In the 2024 storyline, we got the Mega Minions. Five specific Minions—Dave, Tim, Mel, Jerry, and Gus—were given powers that parody the Fantastic Four and the X-Men.
- Tim: Can stretch like Mr. Fantastic.
- Mel: Has a laser eye like Cyclops.
- Dave: Is basically a tiny, yellow Hulk.
- Jerry: Becomes a rock-hard version of The Thing.
- Gus: Can fly.
It’s a bizarre twist that adds a superhero layer to a franchise that started as a heist movie.
The Villains Who Make Gru Look Like a Saint
Every hero—or reformed villain—needs a foil. The franchise has a "Villain of the Week" vibe, but some of them are genuinely iconic.
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Maxime Le Mal is the latest big threat. Voiced by Will Ferrell, he’s a French-accented supervillain who has a weird obsession with cockroaches. Like, he turns himself into a human-cockroach hybrid. It’s gross. It’s over-the-top. And it’s exactly why people love these movies. He’s a childhood rival of Gru’s from their days at Lycée Pas Bon (the "Not Good" School).
Then you’ve got the classics:
- Vector (Victor Perkins): The guy in the orange tracksuit who actually managed to steal a pyramid. He’s still technically stuck on the Moon, though the lore gets a bit blurry there.
- El Macho: A guy so "macho" he supposedly died by riding a shark into a volcano with 250 pounds of dynamite strapped to his chest. Spoiler: He lived.
- Balthazar Bratt: A 1980s child star who went rogue. He uses keytars and expanding bubble gum as weapons.
The Anti-Villain League (AVL)
Since Gru "went straight," he’s been working with the AVL. This brought in Lucy Wilde, voiced by Kristen Wiig. Lucy is a high-energy agent who eventually became Gru’s wife. She’s essentially the glue that holds the family together when Gru gets too caught up in his old habits.
And then there’s Silas Ramsbottom. Yes, the Minions laugh at his name every single time it's mentioned. He’s the stuffy, British head of the AVL (voiced by Steve Coogan) who seems perpetually tired of Gru’s antics.
Why This Cast Actually Works
What most people get wrong about these characters is thinking they’re just for kids. If you look at the writing, there’s a lot of nuance in how Gru handles his mother, Marlena (voiced by the legendary Julie Andrews). Marlena was a terrible, unsupportive parent, which explains why Gru felt the need to steal the Moon just to get her attention.
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That’s a heavy backstory for a movie about yellow jellybeans.
The evolution of the Despicable Me movie characters reflects a change in how we view "bad guys." We’ve seen Gru go from a lonely man in a dark house to a father, a husband, a brother (meeting his twin Dru in the third film), and now a mentor to aspiring villains like Poppy Prescott.
What to Expect Next
The franchise isn't slowing down. With Minions 3 on the horizon and the continued expansion of the "Megaverse," the character roster is only getting bigger.
If you're looking to catch up, the best way is to watch them in release order rather than chronological. Seeing Gru’s heart melt in the first movie makes the chaos of the later sequels feel earned.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out the short films like Mooned to see what actually happened to Vector after he got stranded.
- Look for the "Megaverse" website, which contains hidden lore about the Mega Minions' origins.
- Pay attention to the background of the 2024 film; there are dozens of cameos from past villains like Scarlet Overkill and the Vicious 6.
The world of Gru is messy, loud, and frequently involves fart guns, but at its core, it’s one of the most consistent character studies in modern animation.