If you’ve ever sat through a Despicable Me marathon with your kids—or just on your own, no judgment here—you’ve probably started doing the math. It seems simple at first. Gru looks like a guy in his late 40s or early 50s. He has the classic "dad" back pain, a mid-life career pivot from supervillainy to jam-making, and a bald head that he’s clearly embraced. But the moment you start looking at the actual dates in the movies, everything falls apart.
Honestly, trying to figure out how old is Gru is a one-way ticket to a headache. Illumination, the studio behind the franchise, has played fast and loose with the calendar. Depending on which movie you’re watching, Gru is either a spry 50-year-old or a man who should probably be collecting social security by now.
The Official Birthday (According to the "Paperwork")
Let’s start with the hard evidence—or what passes for it in a world where yellow tic-tacs serve a master. In the first Despicable Me (2010), there is a scene where Gru goes to adopt Margo, Edith, and Agnes. If you have eagle eyes and a pause button, you can see his profile on Miss Hattie’s computer.
That screen shows a very specific birth date: September 28, 1960.
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If we take that as gospel, the math is straightforward:
- In the first movie (set in 2010), Gru is 50 years old.
- By the time Despicable Me 4 rolled around in 2024, he would be 64.
- In "real time" (right now in 2026), he’d be 65.
That sounds about right, doesn't it? It fits his vibe. He’s old enough to have a massive underground lair and an established reputation, but young enough to go on high-octane secret agent missions with Lucy Wilde. But then, the prequels happened, and the timeline got weird.
The 1960s Problem: Was Gru a Toddler Supervillain?
The first Minions movie (2015) is set primarily in 1968. At the very end, we see a "young" Gru swoop in to steal the Imperial State Crown from Scarlet Overkill.
Here’s the thing: If Gru was born in 1960, he would be 8 years old in 1968. In the movie, he definitely looks like a kid, maybe a bit older than eight, but it’s within the realm of possibility.
However, Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) throws a wrench in the gears. That movie is set in 1976. In this film, Gru explicitly states that he is 11 and three-quarters years old.
Wait. What?
If he’s nearly 12 in 1976, that means he was born in 1964.
If he was born in 1964, then in the 1968 climax of the first Minions movie, he would have been... 4 years old. I don’t care how much "super" is in "supervillain," there is no way a four-year-old is operating a freeze ray and outmaneuvering the world's greatest villains. He’d still be struggling with Velcro shoes.
Despicable Me 4 and the "Simpsons" Effect
By the time we get to Despicable Me 4, the creators basically stopped trying to make the years add up. Director Chris Renaud has actually gone on record comparing the franchise to The Simpsons. Basically, the characters are "frozen in time."
This is why Margo, Edith, and Agnes haven't aged a day in over a decade. In the fourth movie, Gru and Lucy have a biological son, Gru Jr. Despite this huge life milestone, the girls are still the same age they were when Gru first adopted them in 2010.
If the movies followed a real-world timeline, Margo would be in her mid-20s by now. She’d be dealing with student loans and a LinkedIn profile, not selling cookies.
The "Karma Chameleon" Contradiction
There’s another clue in Despicable Me 4 that makes things even more confusing. We see a flashback of Gru in 9th grade performing "Karma Chameleon" at a talent show.
- "Karma Chameleon" was released in 1983.
- If Gru is in 9th grade (roughly 14 or 15 years old) in 1983, his birth year moves again to 1968 or 1969.
If that is true, Gru would only be about 41 or 42 during the events of the first Despicable Me in 2010. It’s a mess. Truly.
Why the Confusion Actually Works
Does any of this matter? Kinda, but mostly no. The beauty of animation is that we don't need a rigid biography of Felonius Gru to enjoy him freezing a line of people at a coffee shop.
The most consistent "feeling" for Gru's age is that he is a man in his early 50s. This allows him to be:
- Experienced: He’s been around long enough to know Dr. Nefario since the 70s.
- A Father Figure: He’s old enough to be a believable dad to three kids (and now a baby).
- Physically Capable: He can still do backflips and dodge missiles.
If you’re looking for a definitive answer to how old is Gru, the most "canon" answer comes from his first-ever appearance: He was born in 1960, making him 65 years old in 2026. Just don't tell the writers of Minions 3, or they'll probably change it again.
How to Track the Gru Timeline Yourself
If you want to dive deeper into the chaos of the Despicable Me lore, here is the best way to watch them to see the age gaps for yourself:
- Minions (2015): Set in 1968. Watch for "Kid Gru" at the end.
- Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022): Set in 1976. Gru is 11.75 years old.
- Despicable Me (2010): The starting point. Gru is roughly 50.
- Despicable Me 2 (2013): Gru meets Lucy.
- Despicable Me 3 (2017): Gru meets his twin brother, Dru.
- Despicable Me 4 (2024): The birth of Gru Jr.
The takeaway? Don't get bogged down in the math. Gru is as old as the plot needs him to be. If you’re planning a Despicable Me themed party or just settling a debate with a friend, sticking to the "Born in 1960" fact from the first movie is your safest bet for accuracy. Just be prepared for someone to bring up the 1983 talent show!
To get the most out of the franchise, focus on the character arc rather than the calendar—Gru's journey from a lonely villain to a dedicated family man is the only part of the timeline that actually stays consistent.