Entertainment

Remember These Crazy 'Finding Nemo' Characters?

by Jenn Ficarra

I remember the first time I saw Finding Nemo. I was 12, eating bagel bites, and watching, with awe, this animated movie about fish. I hate fish and yet, I was loving every second of this movie. I remember trying to think about why I was so enamored with the film, why this one, over so many other Pixar movies, stood out to me. Then I recall, I realized — it was because all the Finding Nemo characters are so, so weird (in the best way, of course)> Every character in Finding Nemo brings something different to the table, as they're unique and have their own voices, personality quirks, and identities. In short - they're awesome characters, and I'm excited to see so many of them return for Finding Dory.

It's easy for movies to fall flat with lackluster characters, but luckily for Finding Nemo, that wasn't the case — and even better, the plot was just as compelling as the characters who inhabited the movie's world. The many creatures that made Finding Nemo so memorable are some of the strangest, silliest, funniest ones to appear in any animated movie, and so in preparation for the sequel to Finding Nemo , Finding Dory, I've decided it would behoove myself to go back and rank the characters of Finding Nemo from sweet — if a bit bland — to adorably, memorably kooky.

1. Nemo

Nemo is spunky, precocious, curious, and just like any other kid. Out of everyone in the movie, this little fin is probably the most "normal."

2. Marlin

OK, so he's kind of neurotic and super over-protective, but that just makes him a pretty regular parent.

3. Mr. Ray

Mr. Ray seems like your average school teacher who likes his job and his students, then returns home alone to make the next recipe from his paleo cookbook and catch up on Game of Thrones. Just a regular dude under the sea.

4. The Seagulls

They seem like regular, real-life seagulls. Nothing weird about that.

5. Bloat

Bloat is fairly on-brand for being a pufferfish. He puffs when his emotions are heightened, not unlike me after a bottle of wine and an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

6. Crush

Besides having a funny surfer dude voice, Crush is pretty much what I'd imagine a sea turtle of his caliber to be like. Crush is just a chill dad, with an equally chill son.

7. Squirt

Like father, like son. A friendly kid turtle with a thirst for adventure.

8—10. Sheldon, Pearl, Tad

Nemo's friends from school aren't given much personality, but they seem like your average elementary school students.

11. Peach

Aside from her belief that she can "read humans," Peach is just a totally normal, cage-dwelling starfish.

12. Bubbles

Bubbles is a bit, well, fishy. He's obsessed with, what else, bubbles, and he makes sure everyone knows it. A bit odd.

13. Gill

A fish with a death wish, Gill is like some weird aquatic version of Liam Neeson's character in Taken. There's something about him that both impresses me and creeps me out at the same time.

14. Jacques

Jacques is a shrimp who does the "cleaning" of the tank — willingly. That's kind of weird to me.

15. Dory

Dory's a pretty odd fish. She has short-term memory loss, yes, but is just a quirky character overall. She's definitely one of the stranger fish in this ocean.

16—17. Chum & Anchor

Chum is a shark that doesn't eat fish, but he does it to be part of the group. Same goes for Anchor. Stop denying who you are, guys!

18. Bruce

Bruce is a shark that started a group whose mantra is "fish are friends, not food." That might be fine for humans, but for a shark? No, Bruce. Fish are food for your species. Get over it.

19. Gurgle

Gurgle is... bizarre. He's pessimistic and a germaphobe and kind of an overall buzzkill.

20. Deb / Flo

Deb thinks she has a sister named Flo. Flo is just her reflection. Well, then.

21. Nigel

Nigel is a pelican that willingly goes to the dentist, where he likes to diagnose patients. Um, what?!

22. Dr. Philip Sherman

He's related to Darla. Enough said.

23. Darla

To put it simply: Darla is the worst.

And there you have it, 23 of Finding Nemo's characters, ranked. Now, here's hoping we see some of these familiar faces in Finding Dory and that the new characters the movie introduces are even more memorable.

Images: Pixar; Giphy (23)