10 Best Characters of ‘Finding Nemo,’ Ranked
Finding Nemo is one of Pixar‘s most classic stories about family and friendship. The movie follows Marlin (Albert Brooks), a clownfish living in an anemone, who has to travel the ocean to find his son Nemo (Alexander Gould), who is taken by an Australian dentist to be an aquarium fish. As Marlin finds himself well outside his comfort zone, he learns the value of letting go and allowing his son to develop the independence he craves while having more than a little fun himself.
In a movie filled with delightful and colorful creatures, it’s not easy to pin down the best characters. Some characters in Finding Nemo, like Crush (Andrew Stanton), are side characters who are essential to this epic quest to reunite father and son. Other characters, like Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), are central because they keep the story grounded. Each character in Finding Nemo brings something unique to this brilliant and heartwarming story about the importance of family.
10
Bubbles
Voiced by Stephen Root
Bubbles (Stephen Root) is one of the fish that Nemo meets after he is captured by Dr. Sherman (Bill Hunter) and put in his office tank. He is a yellow tang who is obsessed with the bubbles that are spit out of the aquarium’s pirate chest. Bubbles startles Nemo when he first arrives in the tank. While he may initially appear distrustful of Nemo, he eventually embraces him and becomes a key part of Nemo’s journey to reunite with his father. At the same time, despite everything going on around him, Bubbles never loses his focus on what’s important to him.
…Bubbles also sets himself apart by being so single-mindedly devoted to the bubbles he loves so much.
What makes Bubbles one of the best characters featured in Finding Nemo is how sweet and lovable he is. In a movie filled with such colorful and lovable characters, Bubbles also sets himself apart by being so single-mindedly devoted to the bubbles he loves so much. In addition to being a story about family, Finding Nemo is also about what happens to fish when they are taken out of their natural environment. Bubbles is easy to empathize with because he represents what captivity can do to an animal’s mind.
9
Bloat
Voiced by Brad Garrett
Bloat (Brad Garrett) is another aquarium fish that Nemo meets in Dr. Sherman’s office. As a porcupinefish, he inflates under stress. He is a deputy leader in the aquarium and welcomes Nemo immediately. Bloat provides a lot of the comedy in the aquarium, and often represents the stress of the other fish as they band together to plan Nemo’s escape and reunion with his father. Some of Finding Nemo‘s most iconic quotes, like “Now what?” and “Sharkbait! Hoo Ha Ha!” come from Bloat.
Bloat is also an encouraging presence and is willing to do whatever it takes to benefit his misfit family.
Bloat’s ability to grow is a physical manifestation of the stress that the fish in the aquarium face. This means that he’s a crucial member of the team, and his role is to represent where they are mentally as they plot their escape. Bloat is also an encouraging presence and is willing to do whatever it takes to benefit his misfit family. He is one of Finding Nemo‘s most important characters because he provides a physical gauge of the threats that he and his fellow fish face while planning their escape.
8
Peach
Voiced by Allison Janney
Peach (Allison Janney) is the tank’s starfish who keeps watch over everything happening in the dental office. She is the eyes and ears of the fish in the tank, and is their first point of contact with the outside world. She and Gil work closely together as the aquarium fish work to get Nemo back to the ocean. Peach may spend most of her time stuck to the glass of the aquarium, but this puts her in an important position to make Marlin and Nemo’s reunion a reality.
Peach is one of the most enthusiastic fish Nemo meets during his time in the aquarium.
What makes Peach one of Finding Nemo’s most charming characters is that she is easily excitable and reflects the emotions of the other fish. This makes her an important part of the story in that she acts as a guard to the inner world of the aquarium. Peach is one of the most enthusiastic fish Nemo meets during his time in the aquarium. She never hesitates to help her fellow tank mates as they work to make their dream of freedom a reality.
7
Nigel
Voiced by Geoffrey Rush
Nigel (Geoffrey Rush) is a pelican who meets both Marlin and Nemo. When he realizes that he has met both father and son, he sets to work getting them reunited. While his role in the story may be minor overall, Nigel is the one who makes Marlin and Nemo’s reunion possible. When he’s introduced, it’s clear he is quite happy living his life as a pelican flying across the ocean in search of his next meal. However, when he hears Marlin and Nemo’s story, he knows he has to get involved.
…Nigel is the one who makes Marlin and Nemo’s reunion possible.
Nigel is one of the best characters in Finding Nemo because he’s so passionate about his self-appointed mission to reunite father and son. His empathy also shines through when he brings Marlin thinks he has lost his son forever, when Nemo as part of the ultimate escape plan. This is a heartbreaking moment that makes Marlin and Nemo’s reunion that much sweeter. Without Nigel connecting the dots of the stories he had heard from animals everywhere, Marlin might never have found Nemo.
6
Bruce
Voiced by Barry Humphries
Bruce (Barry Humphries) is a great white shark that Marlin and Dory meet when they first set out across the ocean. He takes Marlin and Dory to an AA-style meeting of sharks who have pledged not to eat fish, and tries to live by the motto “fish are friends, not food”. It’s clear that Bruce is trying his best, even when he can’t keep his menacing nature hidden for long. He ultimately puts Marlin and Dory in danger when he gets a sniff of blood and proceeds to go on a rampage.
It’s clear that Bruce is trying his best, even when he can’t keep his menacing nature hidden for long.
Bruce is one of Finding Nemo’s most iconic characters because he represents the first real challenge Marlin faces after losing his son. The fact that he is such a nuanced character makes him one of the most compelling ones to follow. Even though Bruce terrorizes Marlin and Dory as they start their journey to find Nemo, he is able to acknowledge that he respects Marlin for stepping up as a father. Marlin and Dory would not have gotten to where they needed to be without Bruce.
5
Crush
Voiced by Andrew Stanton
Crush is a sea turtle Marlin and Dory meet when escaping from a group of deadly jellyfish. Crush embodies the chill surfer attitude and is instrumental in helping Marlin realize he needs to relax and let go. He introduces Marlin to a new way of life, and makes Marlin realize that it is possible to be a loving and involved father while also letting children develop their independence. Crush’s attitude and wise advice make him one of the most memorable characters Marlin and Dory meet on their travels.
Crush embodies the chill surfer attitude and is instrumental in helping Marlin realize he needs to relax and let go.
Crush is one of Finding Nemo’s best characters because he represents everything that Marlin needs to learn as a father. Although his chill vibes alone make him one of the best characters, his wise words are what truly set him apart. Through him, Marlin learns that there are many ways to be a good parent. The way Crush is able to love his own son deeply while letting him grow up on his own terms is what makes him so commendable.
4
Gill
Voiced by Willem Dafoe
Gill (Willem Dafoe) is the leader of the fish who live in Dr. Sherman’s aquarium. Nemo’s arrival reawakens Gill’s desire to return to the ocean himself. Having tried to escape before and failed, he is determined to succeed. Throughout the story, Gill has to reckon with the fact that his own ambition could put Nemo and the other fish in danger. Although he is the leader that they clearly need, he has to take a hard look at his methods and motivations for coming up with such a daring plan.
…Gill has to reckon with the fact that his own ambition could put Nemo and the other fish in danger.
Gill is one of Finding Nemo’s best characters because he has to confront his own flaws while leading the fish of the aquarium to freedom. He is one of the movie’s most complex characters in that he has to reckon with the fact that he has been willing to do absolutely anything to return to the ocean himself. Gill also presents a surprisingly mature exploration of the dangers of selfishness and the value of self-sacrifice for a greater cause.
3
Dory
Voiced by Ellen DeGeneres
Dory is one of Finding Nemo’s most lovable characters. Instantly recognizable as the striking blue fish with short-term memory issues, she is the first fish Marlin meets outside the anemone as he sets out to find his son. Dory immediately wants to help him, but it’s clear that she faces challenges of her own. Dory comes to consider Marlin like family and keeps encouraging him to keep going even when things look bleak.
Dory is a reminder to “just keep swimming”, even if the odds seem impossible.
Dory is one of Finding Nemo‘s best characters because of her optimistic outlook on life, regardless of her circumstances. Her determination, even in light of her own limitations, makes her an easy fish to cheer for throughout the story. She is also deeply relatable in the fact that all she desires in life is connection and friendship. Dory is a reminder to “just keep swimming”, even if the odds seem impossible.
2
Nemo
Voiced by Alexander Gould
Nemo (Alexander Gould) is the sweet clownfish who just wants a little more independence. After having his father overprotect him all his life, Nemo grows up to have a zest for life and a thirst for adventure. The first time he tests his independence, Nemo swims into open water and finds himself captured by a dentist looking for fish to add to his office’s aquarium. He has to quickly adjust to his new reality, and put his fate in the hands of fish who have spent years living in a glass box.
After having his father overprotect him all his life, Nemo grows up to have a zest for life and a thirst for adventure.
Nemo is the character around whom the entire movie revolves. He is one of Finding Nemo‘s most lovable characters because he is relatable in his quest to develop independence after being so over-protected. Nemo’s character arc is one of the most heartwarming, since he spends the movie realizing that his father only ever wanted what was best for him. The fact that Nemo recognizes how much he loves his father makes him one of the most lovable fish featured in the story.
1
Marlin
Voiced by Albert Brooks
When Marlin is first introduced, he is shown to be a carefree fish eagerly awaiting fatherhood and a new start in the anemone. However, after losing his entire family, except his son, he spends his life doing everything he can to shield Nemo from anything that could possibly harm him. This gives Marlin an unrealistic view of the world that is challenged the minute Nemo leaves their anenome. His journey is one of self-discovery as much as it is one to find his son.
Marlin is Finding Nemo‘s most important character because his journey is the most poignant one. After facing an unimaginable tragedy, he has to look inside himself and find the strength to let his son, his only surviving family, go. Marlin’s willingness to cross an ocean to find his son shows what a dedicated father he is, even when he is obviously still processing his own grief and trauma. Watching him go from an overprotective father who won’t listen to reason to one who supports Nemo unconditionally is endearing.
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