// rating Little characters in animation //
After a recent ask regarding distinguishing characters with dwarfism in the world of animation, I thought I'd take the time to list some that I feel are clearly little people (whether explicitly stated or not, as it rarely is) and provide my thoughts on their representation!
Edna Mode, The Incredibles (2004 and 2018) ^
10/10
she absolutely slays the scene in my opinion - she's smart, creative, passionate about her work, and confident in her position.
she plays a vital roll in the functionality of the main characters' quests, being the designer of their super suits
Gilbert Huph, The Incredibles (2004) ^
1/10
Really the only point this character gets is that they have the proportions of specifically Achondroplasia dwarfism pretty much spot on.
To put it plainly, this man is an asshole. An A+ example of the small and angry archetype, he is one-dimensionaly furious and very 'of the man'.
To put salt on the wound, Huph gets seriously injured as he's picked up and thrown through several walls by Mr. Incredible. Though he's a sort of villain in this case, it was painful as a little person (with less dramatic but not unsimilar trauma) to watch.
Mr. Piccolo, Porco Rosso (1992) ^
4/10
Having Piccolo on this list could be debated since he's also rather rat like, but based on his proportions he stuck me right away as an LP
Though at times a bit conniving, Piccolo is a rather likable character in my opinion. He's a successful business man, clever, and a feminist in a quite sexist era.
Kurokawa, The Wind Rises (2013) ^
0/10
Another A+ example of the small and angry archetype, Kurokawa is angry and unlikable
The Seven Dwarfs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) ^
0/10
While being some of the longest standing and most famous dwarf characters, they are one of the poorest cases for representation
They are one dimensional, gnome like, goofy characters who could have easily had greater backstories and important rolls, had they not been incredibly true to their time.
Kiko, Baymax! (2022) ^
10/10
Competing for my favourite with Edna, Kiko may be the best animated character with dwarfism I've seen to date.
Her story is humanizing and shines light on the disability, and she is well rounded and overall great representation
As I said in a previous post about the series, there could be an argument made that she dips into the small and angry archetype, but I would pose an exception as she is obviously dealing with trauma.
*
There are likely characters that I've missed in this list, so if anyone has others they'd like my thoughts on, send them my way! These are simply the main ones that come to mind :)
-Elliot (they/them)
