The 10 Best Pixar Duos Of All Time, Ranked

Pixar’s first film “Toy Story” established the norm for what kind of characters the studio’s output would focus on moving forward. While Walt Disney Animation Studios had its princess stories and grand musicals, Pixar specialized in comedies centered on mismatched duos eventually becoming pals in the vein of Buzz and Woody. Typically, these pairs go on a road trip adventure, ensuring both figures grow emotionally while getting into a barrage of hysterical scenarios. While the model has been eschewed by a number of Pixar entries (like “WALL-E” or “A Bug’s Life”), it remains a go-to framework for good reason. 

It’s endured into more modern Pixar movies, such as “The Good Dinosaur,” “Onward,” and “Luca.” With so many projects in this outfit’s history focusing on two drastically different characters initially sparring and then hugging, it’s no surprise that Pixar Animation Studios has produced some iconic silver screen duos. These twosomes come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny rats to lumbering monsters to crooning skeletons to super-powered humans and everything in between. More importantly, their journeys are so engrossing that you easily forget Pixar’s buddy comedy formula and become immersed in the story being told.

Ranking ten best duos in the studio’s history from “least best” to greatest crystallizes how often Pixar’s biggest movies hit that creative bullseye. With such great cinematic friendships, it’s no wonder the acclaimed animation house keeps returning to this narrative well.

Sibling rodents Remy (Patton Oswalt) and Emile (Peter Sohn) in “Ratatouille” both share a love for food. The trouble, though, is that Remy loves savoring every culinary creation that crosses his path. Emile would rather scarf it all at once to satisfy his undiscerning taste buds. Though they don’t share an immense amount of screen time, Remy and Emile’s time together informs some of the most entertaining moments in the film. An especially great touch is that Emile, despite being the less “refined” of the duo, often exhibits a bit more common sense than Remy.

As the pair tries cooking on a woman’s dangerous roof at the movie’s start, Emile is the one taking notice of perilous lightning drawing ever closer to their position. Emile is also immediately encouraging of his brother’s strong snout, declaring it “a gift.” Who wouldn’t want that kind of support? The believable sibling chemistry between Oswalt and Sohn’s voice work (the latter of which is riddled with everyday nonchalance) amplifies the pair’s charms, as do their adorable yet contrasting character designs.

In real life, rats are vermin that make people run for cover or call an exterminator. “Ratatouille” makes these creatures endlessly engaging, especially when it comes to the transfixing antics of oddball pair Remy and Emile.

“Turning Red’s” mother-daughter pair Meilin “Mei” (Rosalie Chiang) and Ming Lee (Sandra Oh) spend much of the film navigating a strained relationship. The latter often functions as an antagonist to her young daughter, who is grappling with puberty and a newly discovered ability to transform into a red panda. However, writer/director Domee Shi’s vision for “Turning Red” focuses on the two repairing their fractured connection and seeing the similarities that overlap. That alone makes this key character dynamic special in the pantheon of Pixar duos.

Shi and Julia Cho’s screenplay also finds visually imaginative ways of illustrating how Mei and Ming are way more alike than they think. Most notably, in the film’s finale, Mei encounters the younger form of her mother in the astral plane. Here, the 13-year-old realizes the woman “suffocating” her has been through the same emotional struggles with her own mother. 

Their subsequent healthy relationship isn’t just the result of a positive connection, but is rather built on a foundation of understanding that shatters the cyclical toxicity permeating the Lee family tree. The many fascinating complexities to Mei and Ming’s dynamic in “Turning Red” not only informs the feature’s richly moving heart, but make their bond compellingly distant from any other duo in the storied history of Pixar cinema.

Before Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the definitive cinematic incarnation of Barbie and Ken was in “Toy Story 3.” Portrayed by Jodi Benson and Michael Keaton respectively, the pair played the part of instantaneous star-crossed lovers at Sunnyside Daycare. After all, they were literally built for each other. Benson’s over-the-top portrayal of Barbie’s ceaselessly peppy personality complimented Keaton’s irony-free vision of Ken as a fashion icon. Pairing up these legendary toys brings out the best in each character, making them an absolute blast to watch on-screen.

Special mention must be made of Keaton’s voice-over performance. Comedy has always been the actor’s strong suit, as seen in his scene-stealing supporting turn in fellow 2010 comedy “The Other Guys.” Here is no exception, with Keaton portraying a Casanova, duplicitous villain, and fashion aficionado all rolled into one. Every new corner of Ken’s personality is exquisitely realized in Keaton’s vocal performance. The most hysterical edges in his work wouldn’t be nearly as fun, though, if his Ken wasn’t acting opposite (and often getting foiled by) Benson’s Barbie. 

Uncovering these comedic possibilities gave unexpected depth and character to “Toy Story 2’s” Barbie. Whether in real-world toy aisles, challenging the patriarchy in Greta Gerwig’s 2023 “Barbie,” or helping Woody and the gang plan a daring escape, there’s no end to the delightful charms of this plastic pair.

Initially, “Coco’s” central duo of Miguel (Anthony Gonzales) and Héctor (Gael García Bernal) seems to follow the classic mismatched Pixar pair dynamic. Miguel is a boy from the living world who ends up in the Land of the Dead, where the trickster Héctor lies in obscurity. Now, a skeleton is the only hope this flesh-and-blood youngster has of getting home. There’s fun in watching these characters navigate their unusual situation, especially when the shifty Héctor tries to instruct Miguel on how to look like a proper skeleton so he doesn’t draw attention to himself.

However, this pair takes on new levels of depth once it’s revealed that Héctor is actually Miguel’s great-great-grandfather who was slain by his former musical partner. His being murdered and deep connection to the protagonist gives greater emotional resonance to the Land of the Dead outcast. Meanwhile, the shared passion for music between Héctor and Miguel means that the latter character finally has a blood relative who shares his love for the art form. In a family of living relatives who only care about shoes, Miguel no longer feels so alone.

Miguel and Héctor work divinely well on the surface as just another couple of Pixar characters from different worlds. However, its the poignant specifics of their bond that ultimately inform “Coco’s” most moving segments.

Few famous cinematic duos see one member dangle the other high above the ground…and then accidentally let go. This darkly comedic dream sequence in “Up” illustrates just how frayed the dynamic between 78-year-old Carl Fredrickson (Ed Asner) and Russell (Jordan Nagai) is when they first meet. Fredrickson just wants to live out the final wish of his deceased wife, Ellie, and visit Paradise Falls in South America. Having to unexpectedly tow around an exuberant young child was not in his plans. While our cantankerous protagonist has no patience for the adolescent stowaway, the two eventually strike up an unexpected friendship.

Those early scenes of Carl absolutely dismissing Russell’s well-being make his gradual compassion for the kid extra moving. Watching Carl gradually come out of his shell and connect with Russell (particularly when he realizes the kid is growing up with divorced parents) is deeply moving. Better yet, the two characters have such hysterically contrasting personalities. Carl is the quintessential grouchy old man, while Russell is a never-ending source of energy. Everything from their demeanors to their character designs are from different planets. 

That makes “Up’s” chronicling of their friendship an absolute joy to witness. There’s amusing dark comedy in Carl and Russell’s antics but also poignant displays of how tight bonds can come from anywhere.

The personifications of Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith), anchoring the first “Inside Out” are the barest distillation of Pixar’s dual protagonists. After all, every single one of these characters is motivated by emotions like happiness and despair. With “Inside Out,” those feelings received physical forms and went on an unexpected road trip of their own through the mind of youngster Riley. Rather than being hollow pastiches of Buzz and Woody, though, Sadness and Joy’s dynamic was rife with specificity in that the exploits they navigate could only exist in a person’s chaotic mind.

More importantly, their evolving friendship involves Joy realizing the importance of nuanced emotions. At the start of “Inside Out,” Joy views Sadness as disposable, only for her to see the error of her ways as the narrative progresses. You need sadness to make happiness feel better. Anger cannot properly course through someone’s veins without prior brushes with contentment. This arc instills a unique and effective coming-of-age quality to the Joy and Sadness dynamic as the former realizes how existence requires a more intricate array of feelings than smiling all the time. 

Like the best real-life friendships, Joy and Sadness bonding uncovers new corners of each person. The moving portrayal of this phenomenon makes it easy to forget these are abstract constructions residing in a child’s head, giving the kinship between these “Inside Out” icons a captivating emotional (no pun intended) reality.

If there’s any Pixar duo that thrives on their voice actors, it’s “Finding Nemo” leads Marlin voiced by Albert Brooks and Dory voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. For starters, Brooks is the absolute king of playing the neurotic everyman in projects like “Lost in America,” “Broadcast News,” “Defending Your Life,” and many more. His recurring “Simpsons” guest spots, meanwhile, demonstrated his mastery of voice acting and nailing comedic punchlines. Those traits are sublime for playing paranoid clownfish father Marlin. Brooks makes his awkwardness and worrywart tendencies instantaneously believable.

DeGeneres, meanwhile, is absolutely hysterical as the carefree Dory. Playing opposite each other, DeGeneres makes the perfect outsized and optimistic contrast to the lived-in pessimism permeating Brooks’ Marlin. Hearing the two bounce off each other throughout “Finding Nemo” produces some of the funniest moments in Pixar history. Director Andrew Stanton nails the more emotional layers of their relationship by having Dory get Marlin to take on increasingly grander risks. Committing to a platonic bond (a rarity in mainstream movies focusing on a male and female character going on an adventure) accentuates the uniqueness of this connection.

Hilarious and deeply moving, “Finding Nemo’s” central mismatched duo truly comes alive, especially through the excellent vocal turns from Brooks and DeGeneres. There’s nothing “fishy” about these two critters and their dynamite dynamic.

“Monsters Inc.” is a rare Pixar title where the central mismatched duo are friends from the movie’s start. Whereas Mater and Lightning McQueen or Marlin and Dory spend their entire film becoming buddies, Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) are established as roommates from the get-go. This lends a lived-in quality to their rapport, accentuated by the intricacies in Crystal and Goodman’s vocal performances. It’s unspeakably pleasant to watch these two characters shoot the breeze, with decades of prior adventures informing every word they say. Along with creating an engaging dynamic, it immediately anchors the “Monsters Inc.” world in tangible humanity.

Both characters are fun even when they’re not acting wacky towards each other. Sully especially has lots of effective emotional depth to him, an intriguing contrast to his hulking figure. Everyone would want a friend like Sully, someone incredibly thoughtful whose always got his heart in the right place. Mike, meanwhile, is a motormouth schemer with an endearing sense of optimism. Even getting his face obscured in a Monsters Inc. commercial can’t deter his excitement over finally appearing on TV.

The principal beasts in “Monsters Inc.” have vibrant personalities that come to life while sharing adventures. The gloriousness of Mike and Sully’s dynamic is immediately apparent, making them an absolutely fantastic duo.

There’s a level of reality to Bob (Craig T. Nelson) and Helen Parr (Holly Hunter) from 2004’s “The Incredibles” absent from other Pixar pairings. Writer director Brad Bird lent the duo a great deal of authenticity, not shying away from depicting the nuances of a complicated marriage within the PG-rated family flick. A scene of Helen, for instance, uncovering potential evidence of Bob having an affair, and trying to talk to him before he drives away, is an intricate segment. Bob’s unveiling of his greatest fear — losing his wife and kids — in the film’s grand finale also hits hard as evidence of the profoundly intimate emotions guiding the super-humans.

What’s striking, though, is how these moments of insecurity make the triumphant moments between Bob and Helen so enthralling. Because they feel like a real married couple, watching them enjoy each other’s company on the battlefield is marvelous. Even just observing their respective super-powers is a hoot, especially with Bird’s willingness to take Helen’s stretchy skills to such absurd degrees.

Delivering a romantic duo that’s at once down-to-earth in their marital interactions and exhilarating as a superhero combo should be an impossible paradox. Bob and Helen Parr in “The Incredibles” achieve that deft balancing act in such style that they’re truly worthy of the term “incredible.”

Much like how the first “Toy Story” remains one of Pixar’s greatest triumphs, the studio’s very first mismatched duo, Buzz (Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks) have endured as one of cinema’s great double-acts. What’s especially fun about this pair is watching their dynamic evolve across the franchise. In the inaugural 1995 entry, Buzz and Woody are like opposing siblings who had to learn to work with and respect each other. By the time later installments “Toy Story 3” and “4” rolled around, they were old friends who knew each other like the back of their hands, making it hard to imagine them ever being rivals.

That development made their farewell in “Toy Story 4” so moving, but it was also fun to watch them bond across their many adventures. It didn’t hurt either that, even as their friendship remained intact, Buzz and Woody couldn’t have had more contrasting personalities. The more cautious Woody is a tremendous departure from Buzz’s gung-ho tendencies. The tremendous voice-over work of Tim Allen and Tom Hank makes these characters soar, amplifying each figure’s distinct disposition.

We naturally attach importance to the playthings that shaped us. Equal levels of that significance and power is found in every corner of Buzz and Woody’s friendship, handily making them the greatest duo in Pixar’s history.