Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos. It centers on a supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions. The franchise is produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company Universal Pictures.
The franchise began with the 2010 film of the same name, which was followed by three sequels, Despicable Me 2 (2013), Despicable Me 3 (2017), and Despicable Me 4 (2024). Three spin-off prequels based on the Minions have also been released, including the 2015 film of the same name, Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), and Minions & Monsters (2026). The films have received mixed reviews from critics. As of 2026, the franchise is the thirteenth highest-grossing media franchise and, with a total global box-office revenue of over US$6 billion, the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time, surpassing Shrek in 2017. The films have set numerous box-office records, with Despicable Me 3 and Minions each grossing over $1 billion and being among the highest-grossing films at the time of their release.
The franchise also includes short films, a television special, several video games, and a theme park attraction.
Contents
Feature films
Main series
Longtime supervillain Gru formulates a plan to steal the Moon after a younger villain named Vector steals the Great Pyramid of Giza. As part of his plan, he adopts three orphan girls, and eventually finds himself split on where his commitments lie.
Despicable Me debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 9, 2010, and was released in the United States on July 9.
Secret agent Lucy Wilde recruits Gru to investigate the theft of a powerful mutagen by El Macho, a supervillain who pursues world domination.
Despicable Me 2 debuted in Australia on June 5, 2013, and was released in the United States on July 3.
Gru teams up with his long-lost twin brother Dru to stop Balthazar Bratt, a former child actor of the 1980s, from destroying Hollywood, Los Angeles, after his show was canceled years ago.
Despicable Me 3 debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 14, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 30.
Gru, who is now raising a baby, faces Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, two villains who seek revenge on Gru and his family, forcing the family to go on the run.
Despicable Me 4 debuted in New York City on June 9, 2024, and was released in the United States on July 3.
Prequel series
The Minions search for their replaceable evil master after, one-by-one, accidentally killing all their past leaders throughout history.
Minions debuted in London on June 11, 2015, and was released in the United States on July 10.
An eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6.
Minions: The Rise of Gru debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022, and was released in the United States on July 1.
A group of Minions aims to make a monster movie of their own in Old Hollywood.
Minions & Monsters debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 21, 2026, and was released in the United States on July 1, after initially being set for release on June 30, 2027.
Short films
A total of 20 short films have been released in the franchise. Three short films based on Despicable Me were released in December 2010 on the film's DVD and Blu-ray. The Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray, released in December 2013, included another three short films. Three short films were released in 2015 on the Blu-ray and DVD of Minions, while one short film was released in the Blu-ray and DVD of Despicable Me 3.
A short film titled Mower Minions was released in 2016 with The Secret Life of Pets, being the first short film to be released theatrically. A second theatrical short film was released in 2018 with The Grinch, while another one was released in The Grinch's DVD and Blu-ray. A third theatrical short film was released in 2023 with Migration. Two new shorts were released in Despicable Me 4 on digital HD release.
Home Makeover (2010)
Released on the Despicable Me DVD and Blu-ray.
After the events of Despicable Me, the Minions help Margo, Edith, and Agnes renovate Gru's house so a social worker does not take the girls back to Miss Hattie's Home for Girls.
Orientation Day (2010)
Released on the Despicable Me DVD and Blu-ray.
Three Minions now have jobs as bomb transporters, but things go wrong when the trio has an argument with two other Minions who carry a bomb bigger than theirs.
Banana (2010)
Released on the Despicable Me DVD and Blu-ray.
Three Minions fight over a banana. In the process, they wreak havoc in the Minions' workplace.
Puppy (2013)
Released on the Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
A Minion watches neighbors walking their dogs on the street, which leads him to search for a puppy of his own. After several failed attempts, he comes across a UFO that takes the role of a puppy for him.
Panic in the Mailroom (2013)
Released on the Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
Two Minions work sending parcels through the lab. When a package containing expired PX-41 (the serum that El Macho used to transform the Minions and himself in Despicable Me 2), gets jammed in the pneumatic delivery system, it transforms one of them into an evil Minion.
Training Wheels (2013)
Released on the Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
Agnes is unsatisfied with her toy bike after falling off it while attempting to catch up to an ice cream truck with Margo, Edith, and their friends. Three Minions then volunteer to modify the bike and help Agnes improve her skills.
Cro Minion (2015)
Released on the Minions DVD and Blu-ray.
Two caveman Minions look after a cave baby while their boss goes to find a bull to eat for lunch. But it is harder than the Minions think.
Competition (2015)
Released on the Minions DVD and Blu-ray.
Two Minions challenge themselves to numerous attacks, ending up on the lab's conveyor belt in the process.
Binky Nelson Unpacified (2015)
Released on the Minions DVD and Blu-ray.
The Nelsons' youngest son Binky, having lost his pacifier after a successful robbery at a museum, sets out on a mission to retrieve it. Notably, it is the first mini-movie to not star the Minions or feature them in any capacity.
Mower Minions (2016)
Released theatrically with The Secret Life of Pets (2016).
A group of Minions try to earn some money by mowing a lawn at a local old people's home, but their work results turn out to be chaotic.
The Secret Life of Kyle (2017)
Released on the Despicable Me 3 DVD and Blu-ray.
After the events of Despicable Me 3, we follow Kyle and his secret life when Gru and his family are gone.
Yellow is the New Black (2018)
Released theatrically with The Grinch (2018).
Before they all make their big escape from prison in Despicable Me 3, a couple of lucky Minions get a taste of freedom as they break free with the help of one of their fellow human inmates.
Santa's Little Helpers (2019)
Released on The Grinch DVD and Blu-ray.
Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, having been accidentally dropped off at the North Pole, make the most of the situation by trying to become elves.
Minion Scouts (2019)
Released on The Secret Life of Pets 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
When Margo, Agnes and Edith return from a scout camp, a group of Minions are entranced by the girls' merit badges and become scouts in an attempt to earn badges for themselves.
Minions & Monsters (2021)
Aired on NBC on June 11, 2021 and included in the Minions: The Rise of Gru DVD and Blu-ray.
A rookie Minion joins other Minions in a tabletop role-playing game.
Post Modern Minion (2022)
Released on the Minions: The Rise of Gru DVD and Blu-ray.
When a Minion crashes into an art gallery, an art critic praises his creation and he becomes an overnight celebrity.
Mooned (2023)
Released theatrically with Migration (2023).
Taking place right after the ending of the first film, Vector Perkins, still stuck on the Moon, attempts to escape and return to Earth.
Midnight Mission (2024)
Released on the Migration 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD and Blu-ray.
A trio of Minions will try anything to help Agnes overcome her fear of the dark, even if it involves going into outer space.
Game Over and Over (2024)
Released on the Despicable Me 4 digital platforms.
When Stuart accidentally destroys his controller in anger, he finds another controller in Gru's lab to replay his game. But instead he controls Kevin, so Stuart decides to play him as his game and try to beat his high score.
Benny's Birthday (2024)
Released on the Despicable Me 4 digital platforms.
It's Benny's birthday, and the Minions take him to his cake. Benny has a time loop of being injured and hurt on his birthday, from getting blown by TNT to being hit by a bat.
Other media
Television specials
The first TV special, Minions Holiday Special, is a half-hour compilation of Minions mini-movies, containing Santa's Little Helpers, Training Wheels, Puppy, and Minion Scouts. Additionally, the special includes holiday-themed interstitials featuring characters from Illumination's The Secret Life of Pets and Sing franchises. The special aired on NBC on November 27, 2020.
Miranda Cosgrove, who voices Margo in the films, provides narration between the short segments.
Digital series
Saturday Morning Minions is a comedy slapstick cartoon. It debuted in the United States on Illumination's social media on June 9, 2021, released weekly on Saturdays, and consists of 40 episodes. The series features a 2D animation style. Who's Who was released on TikTok and subsequently on YouTube.
Outside media
Video games
The video game, titled Despicable Me: The Game, was released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii. A Nintendo DS version was released under the name Despicable Me: The Game – Minion Mayhem. Namco also released on July 6, 2010, a version for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch platform entitled Despicable Me: Minion Mania, developed by Anino Games. The game was removed from the App Store on January 1, 2013.
The action video game, initially titled Despicable Me: Minion Rush, retitled in 2018 to simply Minion Rush, was released on June 13, 2013. The game, developed by Gameloft Barcelona and editing by the French group Gameloft, was adapted for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, and Windows Phone devices. Played as one of the Minions, it allows customization of the character, who must perform various tasks, including defeating Vector and a new villain created for the game, to earn the title of Minion of the Year. The game was downloaded more than 100 million times in the first three months after its release. The game won a British Academy Children's Award in the category BAFTA's Kids' Vote and a Kids' Choice Award for Favorite App. By June 2021, the game hit 1 billion downloads worldwide across iOS, Android, and other devices.
The free-to-play mobile game developed by Electronic Arts (otherwise known as EA), titled Minions Paradise, was released in the summer of 2015. Playing as Phil, players will help Minions design and build their own utopia set in a tropical environment. The game was removed from the App Store on May 22, 2017.
Theme park attractions
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a simulator ride that opened on July 2, 2012, at Universal Studios Florida and on April 12, 2014, at Universal Studios Hollywood, starring Steve Carell as Gru, Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, Dana Gaier as Edith, Elsie Fisher as Agnes, and Pierre Coffin as the Minions. The same attraction (featuring Japanese and Mandarin voice casts) opened on April 21, 2017, at Universal Studios Japan and September 20, 2021, at Universal Studios Beijing. Another version of the attraction, built as part of Minion Land, opened on February 14, 2025, at Universal Studios Singapore.
In addition to the Minion Mayhem attraction, Universal Studios Florida features an entire Minion Land with a moving-walkway shooter attraction titled Villain-Con: Minion Blast. The attraction is also featured at Universal Studios Japan.
In 2026, Universal Kids Resort features a themed land based on the Despicable Me franchise, known as Minions vs Minions: Bello Bay Club. The area contains a river rapids ride.
Characters
Main characters
Felonious Gru Sr. (voiced by Steve Carell): The protagonist in the Despicable Me series who speaks with an Eastern European accent. He is the son of Marlena and Robert, the twin brother of Dru, the adoptive father of Margo, Edith, and Agnes; the husband of Lucy, and the boss of the Minions. At the beginning of the first film, Gru is an ambitious supervillain who constantly seeks approval from his mother, until the adoption of his daughters convinces him that their happiness is important. In the second film, Gru leaves his villainous past behind to care for his daughters, but then soon joins forces – unwillingly – with secret agent Lucy Wilde, whom he later marries. In the third film, after he and Lucy are fired from their jobs at the Anti-Villain League, Gru learns that he has a twin brother, Dru. Along with Lucy and the girls, Gru meets Dru at his mansion in Freedonia, and they form a brotherly relationship throughout the film. In the fourth film, he raises a new child, Felonious Gru Jr. Felonious Gru was originally conceived as a Dracula-like character, but directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin later opted for a villain who would echo "the world of James Bond, thinking of characters like Goldfinger and the Bond-ian world of technology". Gru also bears some similarities with British comic-book character Grimly Feendish, and with the pre-Crisis version of Lex Luthor.
The Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin in all films and the theme park attraction, Chris Renaud in the first two films except spin-offs and attractions, James Arnold Taylor in the 2010 video game, and Jemaine Clement as Jerry the Minion in the first film): Gru's small, yellow, comical henchmen who have one or two eyes. The Minions speak a language that Coffin created by mixing gibberish with words from many languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Indonesian. Although seemingly nonsensical, the English-sounding words are dubbed for every country, in order to make them recognizable. It is shown in Minions that they have existed since the beginning of life on Earth, and desire above all else to serve the most terrible of villains. In the short film "Banana", the Minions are revealed to have an uncontrollable craving for fruits, especially bananas. Mentioned by name in the films and other media are Bob, Stuart, Kevin, Otto, Mel, Dave, Jerry, Tim, Gus, James, Henry, Ed, Dick, Ken, Mike, Carl, Lance, Tony, Tom, Phil, Mark, Brian, Chris, Jorge, Norbert, Ralph, Ron, and Benny.
The Girls: Three sisters, whom Gru adopts to further his scheme in the first film and gradually comes to love.
Antagonists
Victor "Vector" Perkins (voiced by Jason Segel, Jason Harris in the video game): The villain in the first film, Gru's rival, and the son of Mr. Perkins, the President of the Bank of Evil. He was responsible for the theft of the Great Pyramid of Giza and competes against Gru to get ahold of a shrink ray and eventually of the Moon. However, after he takes the girls hostage to get the Moon, his plan backfires and he gets stuck on the Moon. In the short Mooned, Vector attempts to escape the Moon only to end up on Mars. In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison, revealing that he managed to return to Earth.
Mr. Perkins (voiced by Will Arnett): Vector's father and enormous and equally strong President of the Bank of Evil, responsible for giving out loans to villains in their schemes (formerly including Gru). In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison along with his son.
Miss Hattie (voiced by Kristen Wiig): The charismatic but cruel owner of the orphanage from which Gru adopts his daughters. She sends Margo, Edith, and Agnes out to sell cookies and makes them sleep in cardboard boxes if they fail to meet their quota.
Eduardo "El Macho" Pérez (voiced by Benjamin Bratt): A Mexican-accented supervillain in the second film. El Macho was believed to have died after strapping 250 pounds of dynamite on himself and riding a shark into an active volcano. However, it turns out that he faked his death, and he became the owner of a Mexican restaurant. He has a son named Antonio, with whom Margo is infatuated at first until Antonio abandons her. He planned to abduct most of Gru's Minions and turn them into indestructible, evil Minions with a chemical compound he stole called PX-41 and send the mutated Minions to major cities to take over the world. In the fourth film, he is shown imprisoned with the other villains in the AVL prison.
Pollito: Is El Macho's pet chicken. Eduardo kept Pollito ever since he was a chick, as shown in the picture the restaurant owner keeps in the Salsa & Salsa kitchen, When Lucy and Gru break into the Salsa & Salsa restaurant, Gru accidentally trips a wire which causes Pollito to come out. But Lucy and Gru don't think that the chicken is much of a threat. As Gru starts insulting Pollito stating that the chicken is not so much of a guard dog, the chicken attacks and pecks Gru's face. Lucy stops Pollito by shooting him with epoxy.
Reception
Box office performance
The Despicable Me franchise has grossed a total of more than $6 billion, making it the highest-grossing animated film franchise, and the 14th highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Accolades
Despicable Me 2 was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Alongside the second film, Despicable Me and Minions were also nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film. The first three Despicable Me films each received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature. Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.