Stop-motion animation is hard. Like, incredibly hard. When Laika released The Boxtrolls back in 2014, audiences were introduced to a subterranean world of trash-collecting creatures and a boy named Eggs in The Boxtrolls who thought he was one of them. It’s a weird premise. Honestly, it’s a little gross if you think about the hygiene of living in a sewer with monsters that eat lightbulbs and dragonflies. But it works. Eggs isn’t just some feral kid trope; he’s the emotional heartbeat of a film that tackles classism, identity, and the literal weight of the boxes we choose to wear.
People usually focus on the cheese. Lord Portley-Rind and his Red Hat cronies are obsessed with Brie and Camembert, but the real story is about the boy in the "Eggs" carton.
He's voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright. You probably know him as Bran Stark from Game of Thrones. It's a trip hearing that voice coming out of a scrappy, dirt-smudged kid instead of a mystical three-eyed raven. Eggs is the bridge between two worlds that absolutely hate each other. On one side, you have the town of Cheesebridge, terrified of "monsters" they’ve never actually met. On the other, you have the Boxtrolls, who are basically shy, mechanical geniuses that just happen to look like lumpy potatoes.
Who is Eggs in The Boxtrolls Exactly?
Eggs isn't a Boxtroll. Obviously.
He was born a human, the son of Herbert Trubshaw. Because of a pretty dark series of events involving the villainous Archibald Snatcher, Eggs ended up being raised underground. The Boxtrolls didn't kidnap him to eat him, despite what the town propaganda says. They took him in. They loved him. They gave him a box. In the world of Cheesebridge, your box defines you. Since his box had a picture of eggs on it, that became his name. It’s simple. It’s functional. It’s also kinda heartbreaking when you realize he spent a decade thinking his "family" was a group of creatures that communicate in clicks and groans.
The character design for Eggs is a masterclass in Laika's "ordered chaos" style. His hair is a mess. His skin is pale from lack of sunlight. He moves with a twitchy, nervous energy that mimics the Boxtrolls' own frantic behavior. When he finally tries to pass as a human at a high-society party, the physical comedy is gold. He doesn't know how to shake hands; he tries to bite people or hide under tables. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water scenario, but with much higher stakes because Snatcher is actively trying to commit genocide against his adoptive family.
The Connection Between Eggs and Fish
If Eggs is the heart, Fish is the soul. Fish is the Boxtroll who primarily raised him.
Their relationship is basically the emotional anchor of the whole movie. It’s wordless but incredibly deep. When Eggs sees Fish being captured by the Red Hats, his world shatters. This is where the movie shifts from a quirky fantasy into a real coming-of-age story. Eggs has to stop hiding in his box. He has to stand up.
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Most people don't realize how much technical work went into making Eggs look "human" while still fitting the exaggerated aesthetic of Cheesebridge. The puppet makers at Laika used 3D-printed faces—thousands of them—to give Eggs a range of emotions. According to behind-the-scenes features from the studio, the character of Eggs required a level of subtle "acting" that was unprecedented for stop-motion at the time. He had to look confused, hurt, and eventually, brave.
The Mystery of the Trubshaw Baby
For half the movie, the residents of Cheesebridge believe the "Trubshaw Baby" was murdered.
Archibald Snatcher, played with a disgusting level of excellence by Ben Kingsley, used this lie to gain power. He promised to get rid of the Boxtrolls in exchange for a Red Hat—the ultimate symbol of social status. Eggs is the living proof that Snatcher is a liar. But when Eggs finally finds his father, Herbert, it’s not a happy reunion. Herbert has been hanging upside down for years and is, frankly, a bit loopy.
This adds a layer of complexity. Eggs isn't just choosing between being a monster or a human. He’s choosing between a family that is "wrong" but loves him, and a "right" family that is broken and insane.
Why the Animation of Eggs Matters
You’ve gotta appreciate the craft here.
Laika didn't just make a movie; they built a clockwork universe. Every time Eggs in The Boxtrolls moves his hands, a rigger had to adjust a tiny wire frame inside the puppet. There are scenes where Eggs is running through the streets of Cheesebridge, and the sheer fluidity of the motion makes you forget you're looking at a silicon-and-wire doll.
- The Box: It's not just clothes. For Eggs, the box is a shield. It’s his identity. When he finally takes it off, it’s a massive metaphorical moment.
- The Hair: Stop-motion hair is a nightmare. Eggs has this wild, windswept look that had to be maintained frame by frame.
- The Eyes: They use glass beads. They catch the light in a way that makes the character feel alive.
It’s easy to dismiss animated movies as "for kids," but the themes Eggs deals with are pretty heavy. He's a refugee in his own city. He's a victim of a smear campaign. He’s a kid trying to figure out if he's defined by what he wears or what he does. That's some heavy lifting for a character who spends the first twenty minutes of the movie eating bugs.
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Breaking the "Hero" Mold
Eggs isn't your typical hero. He's not particularly strong. He's not a chosen one with magical powers. He’s just a kid who is really good at fixing mechanical stuff and happens to have a very strong moral compass.
His partnership with Winnie Portley-Rind is what really pushes the plot forward. Winnie is the opposite of Eggs. She's pampered, obsessed with the macabre (she’s actually disappointed the Boxtrolls aren't more violent), and deeply lonely. They’re two sides of the same coin. Winnie has all the social status Eggs lacks, but Eggs has the genuine family connection that Winnie craves from her cheese-obsessed father.
When Eggs tries to tell the town the truth about the Boxtrolls, nobody listens. It’s frustrating to watch. It mirrors real-world situations where people would rather believe a comfortable lie than an uncomfortable truth. Snatcher’s "Boxtroll extermination" is a blatant power grab, and Eggs is the only one who sees it for what it is because he knows the "monsters" personally.
The Climax and the Box Symbolism
The ending of the film—don't worry, I won't spoil every frame—hinges on the idea of the box.
Snatcher tries to crush the Boxtrolls while they are in their boxes. He thinks that if he destroys the box, he destroys the creature. But Eggs has already learned the lesson: you are not your box. He encourages the Boxtrolls to "jump out," to stop hiding, to be more than the label assigned to them.
It’s a powerful message. It applies to the Boxtrolls, but it applies to Eggs even more. He stops being the "Trubshaw Baby" and he stops being just a "Boxtroll." He becomes Eggs. A person who belongs to both worlds and neither at the same time.
What Most People Get Wrong About Eggs
There’s a common misconception that Eggs is "saved" from the Boxtrolls.
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That’s not really how the movie frames it. If anything, the Boxtrolls saved him. They saved him from a father who was being persecuted and a villain who wanted him gone. The movie doesn't end with Eggs becoming a "normal" boy who wears suits and eats cheese. It ends with a synthesis. The town changes to accommodate the Boxtrolls, not the other way around.
The grit and grime of the film might turn some people off, but that’s the point. Cheesebridge is a dirty, corrupt place. The underground world of Eggs and his friends is actually cleaner, emotionally speaking. They don't lie. They don't care about hats. They just want to build things and be left alone.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're looking at The Boxtrolls from a storytelling or filmmaking perspective, there are a few things you can actually take away from the character of Eggs.
First, identity is a choice. The movie screams this. Eggs could have stayed in the box and been safe, but he chose the harder path of being himself. If you're writing a character or even just navigating your own life, remember that the "box" people put you in is only as strong as you let it be.
Second, visual storytelling beats dialogue. Watch Eggs’ first few scenes. He barely speaks, yet you know exactly who he is by how he interacts with the environment. He touches things with curiosity. He mimics Fish’s movements. If you’re a creator, try to show who your character is through their habits before they ever open their mouth.
Lastly, don't be afraid of the "weird." The Boxtrolls is a weird movie. It's about a kid raised by boxes in a town obsessed with cheese. It shouldn't work. But because it leans into its own strangeness and focuses on the heart of the characters, it becomes memorable.
How to Revisit the World of Eggs
If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the film, it’s worth a rewatch on a high-definition screen. The level of detail in Eggs' world is insane.
- Watch the credits: There’s a famous post-credits scene where two of the henchmen (Mr. Trout and Mr. Pickles) have a meta-philosophical conversation about their existence as puppets. It’s one of the best moments in animation history.
- Read the book: The movie is based on Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow. It’s quite different from the film, with even more world-building and different characters.
- Check out the "Art of" book: If you're into the technical side, The Art of The Boxtrolls shows the evolution of Eggs' design from early sketches to the final puppet.
Eggs remains one of Laika's most grounded and relatable protagonists. He’s messy, he’s confused, and he’s remarkably brave in a very quiet way. He doesn't need a sword or a cape; he just needs his family and the courage to take off his box. That’s a story worth remembering.
When you look at the landscape of animated heroes, Eggs stands out because he’s so humanly flawed. He makes mistakes. He gets scared. He almost loses hope. But in the end, he proves that you don't have to fit into the world's categories to be a hero. You just have to be willing to stand up for the people—or monsters—who raised you.