The Minions Who Stole The Franchise One Scene At A Time, Ranked

The biggest surprise about the Despicable Me franchise isn't that Gru ditched his villainous ways in favor of family life. It's that the Minions, the little yellow henchmen, who were there to support Gru's story and occasionally cause trouble when things got too serious, became the main attraction. That wasn't necessarily the plan when they debuted in 2010's Despicable Me.

But thanks to the antics of Dave, Jerry, Kevin and others, the Minions' star power became impossible to ignore. Minions & Monsters, which hits cinemas on July 1, 2026, will spotlight a new bunch of mischief makers. Before the newcomers have a chance to win audiences over, let's take a look at the Minions who got their buddies a third solo outing.

6. Otto – The Easily Distracted Minion

Introduced in 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru, Otto became instantly recognizable thanks to his lightly chubby appearance, braces, and complete inability to stay focused on the task in front of him. While the other Minions were usually trying to accomplish something for Gru, Otto was getting distracted by literally everything. Still, he is eventually entrusted with keeping a valuable zodiac stone safe.

But Otto gets sidetracked and trades it for a pet rock with googly eyes, setting off much of the film's plot. That could have made him frustrating, but Otto's endless enthusiasm keeps him likable even when he's messing up. The only reason Otto is in sixth place is that he simply hasn't had the same amount of time to build a legacy as the other Minions on this list.

5. Jerry – The Underused Minion

Jerry appeared most prominently in Despicable Me 2 (2013), where he was tasked with watching Margo, Edith, and Agnes. After singing them his iconic version of Brahms' Lullaby, Jerry and Kevin decide to play a round of golf. But in classic Minion fashion, that means doing it inside the house with Jerry holding the golf tee in his mouth. After investigating a noise outside, they are both kidnapped.

Sadly, that was the first and last time we got to see Jerry. So it often feels like Illumination missed an opportunity to expand on his antics. His short stature and spiky hair also made him pretty hard to miss, giving him a natural ability to pull attention away from everything happening around him. That's not a small achievement in a franchise filled with characters who often look nearly identical.

4. Stuart – The Wildcard Minion

Stuart, with his single eye and middle-parted hair, has been around since the very beginning. But it wasn't until the 2015 Minions movie, where he joined Kevin and Bob on a journey to find a new master, that he really got a chance to shine. Stuart spends much of the movie taking in the local food and music of whichever town they are in. But he's also the group's resident hothead.

Unlike Kevin, who usually thinks things over, Stuart is far more likely to act first and deal with the consequences later. That unpredictability is exactly what makes him so entertaining. Because you never quite know whether he's about to save the day or make an already bad situation even worse. Every trio needs a wildcard, and Stuart has filled that role better than any other Minion in the franchise.

3. Kevin – The Minion Leader

Kevin is the glue that holds the Minions together. That's an important role when your buddies are constantly treating every assignment like an opportunity to cause mayhem. Without Kevin, there's a good chance half the Minions would still be wandering around an ice cave wondering what to do next, after they accidentally killed all their masters in the Minions movie.

However, Kevin's defining moment comes in 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru, when he takes Stuart and Bob along to save a kidnapped Gru. That choice is essentially what made the Minions and Gru inseparable. Appearing in every film, our favorite tall Minion with a single tuft of hair is one of the few Minions who manage to carry out a mission without getting completely sidetracked.

2. Bob – The Cutest Minion

Bob may be the smallest Minion in the franchise, but he's easily one of its biggest scene stealers. First taking center stage in Minions before returning in Minions: The Rise of Gru, Bob quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his childlike innocence and his unwavering love for his teddy bear, Tim. While the other Minions are usually thinking about bananas, Bob is perfectly content hugging his bear.

That innocence is exactly what earns him second place on the list. Whether he's being crowned King of England or surviving situations that should be impossible, Bob somehow makes everything around him feel just a little less cynical. Plenty of animated movies try to create cute supporting characters, but very few manage to pull it off without feeling forced. Bob never has that problem.

1. Dave – The OG Minion

If there were a face of the Minions outside of Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, it would definitely be Dave. He's been there since Despicable Me and was one of the most prominent Minions throughout Despicable Me 2, where he was regularly Gru's first choice whenever he needed something done. While later movies pushed him into the background, Dave never really disappeared.

In fact, he became the star of many of the Minions short films, reminding audiences why he had become so popular in the first place. Part of Dave's appeal is that he isn't defined by one personality trait. He can be dependable one minute and a complete goofball the next, which makes him feel like the Minion who best represents the franchise as a whole.

Add his medium height, neat middle-parted hair, and permanently cheerful expression, and it's easy to see why he became one of the Minions audiences connected with first. Dave may not always get the biggest laughs anymore, but he's the original scene stealer who helped turn Gru's little yellow henchmen into the real stars.