10 Best Onward Characters, Ranked
Looking for the best Onward characters? Pixar’s 2020 fantasy film has more memorable personalities than its ten-place ranking might suggest: an anxious teenage elf, his chaos-loving brother, a fearless mum, a retired manticore warrior and even two police officers who cannot agree on how to behave at a traffic stop.
The story begins in New Mushroomton, a modern city where elves, centaurs, sprites and other magical folk have traded spells for cars, phones and ordinary routines. On Ian Lightfoot’s sixteenth birthday, his late father’s gift gives him and older brother Barley a chance to spend one day with him. A spell goes wrong, and the brothers have until sunset to find another phoenix gem and finish what they started.
That quest gives each character a different relationship to magic, family and change. Ian hopes the day will let him meet the father he never knew. Barley remembers Wilden and tries to turn his knowledge of the past into a map for the future. Laurel reacts to danger by charging straight towards it, while Corey the Manticore has to rediscover the bold adventurer she tucked away beneath a restaurant uniform. Around them, New Mushroomton’s smaller characters provide friction, jokes and a glimpse of a fantasy world that has become wonderfully ordinary.
This countdown weighs more than screen time. We look at how clearly each character is drawn, how much they change the story, the relationships they reveal and the emotional or comic impact they leave behind. That means supporting players can earn a place, but the final spots belong to characters whose choices shape the quest or give the Lightfoots a meaningful push. The order is subjective, and the strongest characters are close enough that your own family ranking could look different.
The ranking also avoids treating every funny side character as equally important. A great animated character does not need a long speech or a heroic transformation. Sometimes a look, a repeated gag or a sharply defined role in the group is enough to make a scene land. Where Onward is most successful, those smaller comic beats still connect to its bigger ideas about grief, growing up and recognising who has been beside you all along.
For official background on the film’s cast and characters, see Pixar’s Onward character guide, which describes the Lightfoots and the magical world they inhabit.
The official Disney+ UK Onward page lists the film as a 2020 fantasy adventure, with Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer among its voice cast. Let’s get into it
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10. The Pixie Dusters
The Pixie Dusters are a motorcycle gang of sprites who cross paths with Ian and Barley during the brothers’ search for another phoenix gem. The film sets them up as a road obstacle: small riders with leather jackets, fast bikes and a fierce attachment to the open road. Their leader, Dewdrop, is the gang’s most visible personality, and she is far more comfortable confronting strangers than backing away from a challenge.
Their best contribution is the contrast between their size and their attitude. Onward makes a joke of the idea that sprites should be delicate and dainty. These riders have the swagger of a full-sized biker crew, and the brothers’ reactions help sell the gag. The Pixie Dusters also make New Mushroomton feel lived in: the old fantasy species have not disappeared, they have adapted to motorways, traffic and a modern subculture of their own.
They rank tenth because their role is brief and mostly comic. Dewdrop gives the group a face and a distinctive energy, but the gang does not receive the emotional development or story influence that would justify a higher place. Still, they are an efficient world-building flourish, and their leather-jacket look is one of the film’s most immediately memorable visual ideas. Viewers who enjoy eccentric side characters and animated biker comedy will appreciate their scenes.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
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9. Grecklin
Grecklin is the goblin who runs a pawn shop in New Mushroomton, and she becomes important when Laurel and Corey need a weapon for the danger following the boys’ quest. She is not part of the Lightfoot family and has no grand personal arc; her job in the story is to place the heroes in a shop full of objects that might be useful, strange or both. Her brief appearance adds another texture to a city that treats magical creatures as ordinary neighbours.
The pawn-shop setting gives Grecklin an appealingly practical place in the fantasy world. Magic has become rare, but old artefacts and curiosities still circulate through everyday commerce. Laurel and Corey do not have time to explore the shop at leisure, so the scene has to move quickly from browsing to action. Grecklin’s presence helps make the world feel wider than the quest itself, even when the camera is focused on a short exchange.
She lands at number nine because the film offers a striking design and useful scene, but very little room to discover what she wants or how she sees the changing world. That is a limitation of a small role rather than a failure of the character. Grecklin is a fun choice for a list that recognises memorable supporting players, and she reminds viewers that a fantasy adventure can gain personality from the shopkeeper who appears for only a moment. If you like animated films crowded with unusual background characters, her scene is an easy one to revisit.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
8. Officer Gore
Officer Gore is a faun police officer in New Mushroomton, working alongside centaur officer Colt Bronco and cyclops officer Specter. She becomes part of the law-enforcement pursuit that complicates Ian and Barley’s drive through the city. The boys are already navigating an unfinished spell and a deadline; Gore and her colleagues represent the ordinary authorities who see two teenagers behaving recklessly with a magical half-dad in the back of a van.
Gore’s comic energy comes from her expressive, opinionated manner and the contrast she creates with Specter’s stern professionalism. The officers are not villains. They are doing a job in an increasingly absurd situation, where the suspects are a pair of elf brothers, a van named Guinevere and a pair of legs whose identity is difficult to explain over the radio. That friction lets the film keep the pursuit light while still making the brothers’ choices feel like they have consequences.
She ranks eighth because her screen time is limited and her character is defined more by the duo dynamic than by a personal story. She is nevertheless a lively part of the ensemble, and her presence makes the city’s police feel like a recognisable workplace rather than a faceless plot device. Viewers who enjoy comic partners with clashing temperaments may prefer Gore’s relaxed, blunt style to Specter’s stricter approach. The character is a small part of the adventure, but the voice performance gives those moments a clear rhythm.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
7. Officer Specter
Officer Specter is a cyclops police officer and one of Colt’s colleagues in New Mushroomton. When Ian and Barley set off in Guinevere with their father’s lower half along for the ride, the police become a practical obstacle: they can stop the van, question the brothers and send the quest off course. Specter is the more serious half of the partnership with Gore, approaching the strange chase with a no-nonsense manner that gives the scene its straight-faced comic counterweight.
The character works because the film understands that a fantasy city still needs people who keep the streets moving. Specter is not dazzled by magic or impressed by the brothers’ explanations. She responds to what is happening in front of her, and that grounded reaction makes the ridiculous situation funnier. Her design also contributes to the film’s broader idea that mythical species have become part of normal civic life: a cyclops can be an officer, a centaur can lead a pursuit and a sprite can ride a motorbike.
Specter ranks above Gore because her more disciplined presence gives their scenes a sharper shape, but she remains a supporting comic character rather than a major emotional force. The film does not pause to explore her home life or ambitions, so the audience learns about her mainly through the way she works with her partner. That is enough for a memorable supporting performance, particularly for viewers who enjoy the way animated comedies turn familiar jobs into fantasy-world details.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
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6. Colt Bronco
Colt Bronco is a centaur police officer and Laurel Lightfoot’s boyfriend. He cares about Laurel and wants to connect with Ian and Barley, but the boys do not immediately welcome him into their family. When their quest begins, Colt is drawn into the chase as a police officer, putting him in the awkward position of trying to enforce the rules while worrying about the young people he is pursuing. The film uses that double role to make him both an authority figure and a potential step-parent.
Colt’s best quality is that his awkwardness does not cancel out his good intentions. He is physically imposing, rule-conscious and can leave a trail of destruction when his horse body barrels through a tight space, but Pixar describes him as having a softer side beneath the uniform. His relationship with Laurel gives the story a glimpse of her life beyond motherhood, while his strained rapport with the boys reflects a recognisable family transition: a new partner can care deeply without instantly earning trust.
He ranks sixth because he has a strong concept and an interesting place in the family structure, yet the film spends less time on his emotional perspective than it could. Colt is not simply a joke about a centaur cop; he is a decent man trying to enter a family whose grief began before he arrived. His scenes add warmth and comic collision, though Ian and Barley’s arcs naturally take priority. He is a good pick for viewers who enjoy supportive adults in animated family stories, especially those dealing with blended families.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
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5. Wilden Lightfoot
Wilden Lightfoot is the late father of Ian and Barley, whose gift sets the entire plot in motion. Before he died, he arranged for his sons to receive a wizard’s staff, a rare phoenix gem and instructions for a spell that could bring him back for one day. Ian manages to cast it, but the spell stops halfway: the boys get their dad’s lower body and have until sunset to find a replacement gem. Wilden is physically present in the quest but cannot speak, so the brothers must interpret his movements and work around the extraordinary communication problem.
That unusual premise lets Wilden shape the story without taking it over. He is a source of mystery, a reminder of the brothers’ loss and a silent companion whose presence means something different to each son. Barley remembers their father and has a specific regret about not saying goodbye. Ian has built an image of the father he never met, and every step beside those walking legs makes that absence feel more concrete. The film turns a magical joke into a clever way of showing two different forms of grief.
Wilden ranks fifth because the idea of the character is more fully developed than the person himself. The story gives the audience clues about his plans and about what his sons inherited from him, but he cannot express a complete personality during the journey. That restraint is part of the film’s emotional design: Wilden is the missing person around whom the brothers’ relationship changes. His position recognises the enormous narrative importance of the father while leaving the top four places to the characters with fuller choices and arcs. The official Pixar guide explains how the visitation spell was designed to give the boys only a partial glimpse of him.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
4. The Manticore (Corey)
The Manticore, whom her customers call Corey, is a part-lion, part-bat and part-scorpion former warrior who now runs a family-friendly restaurant in New Mushroomton. When Ian and Barley arrive hoping to use her old quest map, they bring her face to face with the life she has been trying to make manageable. A confrontation over the map spirals into a burst of anger and a fire, leaving the boys with only a menu clue and Corey with a sudden reminder of the adventurer she used to be.
Corey’s story is one of the film’s clearest portraits of a character who has outgrown the role she once occupied without losing the person underneath it. The tavern has become a restaurant, its dangerous quest atmosphere replaced by child-friendly meals and rules. That change is funny, but her frustration is recognisable: she has made a sensible life and still misses the version of herself who felt fearless. Once the danger becomes real, she throws herself into the search with Laurel and rediscovers her courage in practical, chaotic fashion.
Octavia Spencer’s performance gives Corey a great mix of bluster, panic and determination. Her design makes her look as if she belongs in a darker fantasy, while the restaurant setting pulls her into the film’s suburban comedy. She ranks fourth because her reawakening is satisfying and her partnership with Laurel adds momentum, but the brothers’ emotional journey is more central to the film’s final payoff. Corey is a standout for viewers who like tough, funny characters getting a second wind without becoming a different person.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
3. Laurel Lightfoot
Laurel Lightfoot is the widowed mother of Ian and Barley, and the person who keeps their household moving while carrying her own memories of Wilden. When she realises the boys have gone missing, she does not wait for someone else to solve the problem. She teams up with the Manticore and pursues them across New Mushroomton, following the trail of a dangerous quest with a sword in hand and a determination that surprises everyone who assumed the boys were the only heroes in the family.
Laurel is a strong character because her love for her sons is specific to who they are. Ian is cautious and easily overwhelmed, while Barley is loud, impulsive and devoted to the things he loves. Pixar’s character notes describe her as able to meet each son on his own terms: she can be boisterous with Barley and gentle with Ian. That flexibility means her mothering is not a generic “mum knows best” gag. She sees both of them clearly, even when they do not always see one another.
Her action scenes are funny, but Laurel is never reduced to a parent who only panics about the children. She takes risks, makes decisions and becomes an active partner in the rescue. Her developing friendship with Corey also gives the film an entertaining adult duo, with two women discovering that the old fearless versions of themselves are not gone. Laurel ranks third because she brings warmth, bravery and an essential parallel story, though Ian and Barley remain the emotional centre of the adventure. The available library image is a direct Laurel Lightfoot match.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK; check the official listing for current availability.
2. Ian Lightfoot
Ian Lightfoot is a newly sixteen-year-old elf who wants more confidence, more friends and, most of all, a chance to meet the father who died before he was born. On his birthday, Wilden’s visitation spell gives him that possibility. Ian begins casting it with the wizard’s staff, but Barley interrupts him before the spell is complete, leaving the brothers with a half-restored dad and a single day to find another phoenix gem. Ian has to lead a quest through a city he knows and a magical world he barely trusts himself to enter.
The film gives Ian a convincing growth arc because his anxiety affects ordinary moments as much as spells. He rehearses conversations, worries about how he looks and struggles to turn what he wants into action. Barley’s confidence frustrates him, but it also supplies a model for stepping forward. On the quest, Ian discovers that magic requires practice and attention; it does not simply arrive because a person is destined to be special. His progress feels earned through failures, compromises and small decisions to keep going.
Ian’s most important relationship is with Barley, not the idealised father he imagines. He begins the film believing that a day with Wilden would answer the questions he carries. As the journey unfolds, he starts to recognise how much his older brother has already taught him and how many moments of support he had taken for granted. Tom Holland’s voice performance keeps Ian’s nervousness warm rather than irritating, and his comic reactions help the fantasy remain grounded.
Ian takes second place because he is the protagonist and the clearest vehicle for the story’s themes of self-belief, grief and growing up. He narrowly loses to Barley because his arc depends on recognising what Barley has been giving him all along; the older brother’s memories and actions shape the whole emotional reveal. Ian is a great choice for viewers who relate to overthinking, first steps and the pressure of becoming an adult. The film is listed on Disney+ UK, with its availability subject to change.
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1. Barley Lightfoot
Barley Lightfoot is Ian’s nineteen-year-old older brother, a big, boisterous elf whose love of magic and fantasy history is easy for other people to dismiss. He spends much of his time playing Quests of Yore, protecting historical landmarks and driving a battered van called Guinevere. When the visitation spell goes wrong, Barley throws himself into the quest to find another phoenix gem. He knows the old lore, remembers their father and treats the journey as the chance to turn a game into a real adventure.
That description could make Barley sound like the film’s comic relief, but the story gradually reveals the care beneath his noise. He is not simply trying to drag Ian into his hobbies; he wants his younger brother to believe that they can do something brave together. Barley’s confidence is uneven, too. He knows the rules of a fantasy quest but carries a private regret about the last time he saw Wilden. That memory explains why the mission matters to him and why he is so determined to help Ian reach their father.
Barley’s relationship with Ian is the film’s strongest character dynamic. They can bicker, misread one another and say things they regret, yet their history is full of small acts of care. Barley has been a driver, protector, teacher and enthusiastic accomplice, even when Ian did not recognise those roles. Chris Pratt gives him an expansive comic energy, but also lets the character’s bravado soften when the past comes close. The performance allows a larger-than-life personality to carry a very human fear of having failed someone he loves.
He earns first place because he is the character who makes the film’s emotional point land without taking the spotlight away from Ian. Barley’s fantasy knowledge drives the plot, his humour keeps the road trip lively, and his grief gives the adventure its hidden depth. Compared with Laurel and Corey, he has the most complete connection between backstory, present choices and final emotional payoff. Compared with Ian, he is the person whose steady support has been present all along, which makes the brothers’ realisation feel earned rather than simply announced. Compared with Wilden, he is fully able to choose what happens next. Barley is the funniest character on this list, but also its most affecting. The available Onward image is the closest matching character art in the library.
Where to watch: Onward is listed on Disney+ UK. See the official Disney+ UK listing for the current catalogue entry.
Why Onward’s characters work as an ensemble
Onward has a classic road-trip structure, but the characters give its journey more than a sequence of magical obstacles. Every stop brings the brothers into contact with someone who has adapted to a world where old magic is no longer part of everyday life. Corey has turned a quest tavern into a restaurant, the Pixie Dusters have made motorcycles their own, and Colt has built a career inside a city where mythical creatures hold ordinary jobs. Those details make the world funny without reducing it to a parade of visual jokes.
The character contrasts also keep the story moving. Ian is careful where Barley is impulsive, Laurel is decisive where her sons are uncertain, and Corey’s tough reputation hides a woman whose confidence has gone quiet. Wilden’s silence asks the brothers to communicate without the conversation they imagined having. The film’s comedy often comes from mismatched expectations, but its emotional movement comes when the Lightfoots begin to understand what the other person needs.
That is why a ranking of Onward characters is also a ranking of different kinds of support. Some characters, like Specter and Gore, contribute a sharply defined comic dynamic. Others, such as Laurel and Corey, show adults finding courage in the middle of ordinary responsibilities. Ian and Barley sit at the centre because their relationship changes most visibly, but the supporting cast makes New Mushroomton feel like a community rather than a backdrop built only for the quest.
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Final Thoughts
The best Onward characters are the ones whose personalities make the film’s family story feel lived in. Barley wins because his noisy enthusiasm hides a genuine tenderness, and because his choices help Ian understand that the brother beside him has already been a guide. Ian’s growth gives the film its coming-of-age shape, while Laurel’s resolve and Corey’s rediscovered bravery make the adult characters active partners in the adventure.
The supporting cast deserves its place too. Wilden gives the quest its emotional question, Colt adds the awkwardness of a new family relationship, and Specter and Gore make New Mushroomton’s police force funny without turning them into villains. Grecklin and the Pixie Dusters have smaller roles, but they help the fantasy setting feel colourful and inhabited. That mix of central relationships and quick comic character work is part of why the film remains an appealing family rewatch.
If you want the most emotional character arc, choose Ian and Barley’s relationship. If you want the most forceful supporting presence, Laurel and Corey’s team-up is hard to beat. Barley takes the top spot because he combines humour, backstory, plot knowledge and emotional consequence more completely than anyone else. What is your ranking? Tell us which character we have placed too low, and whether Barley is your number one too.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best character in Onward?
Barley Lightfoot is our number one because he combines the film’s comedy, fantasy knowledge and emotional story more fully than anyone else. His knowledge of quests keeps the brothers moving, while his history with their father gives him a private source of grief. Most importantly, his relationship with Ian reveals that he has already been a guide and protector in his younger brother’s life. Ian is a close second, especially if you value a clear coming-of-age arc.
Why is Barley ranked above Ian?
Ian is the protagonist and has the most visible growth, but Barley is the character whose actions quietly support that growth from the beginning. He brings the brothers into the quest, supplies practical knowledge and tries to give Ian the courage he lacks. His confidence also hides regret about their father, which adds another layer to his comedy. Barley ranks first because plot function, sibling loyalty and emotional payoff come together in his character.
What is Ian Lightfoot’s main character arc?
Ian begins as an anxious sixteen-year-old who believes meeting his late father would answer something missing from his life. The quest makes him practise magic, take risks and speak up even when he feels unprepared. He also learns to look more closely at his relationship with Barley and recognise the support already present in his life. His arc is about building confidence through action, not suddenly becoming fearless or perfect.
What makes Laurel Lightfoot a strong character?
Laurel is a devoted single mother who understands that her sons need different kinds of support. She is willing to get involved when she discovers they are in danger, and the film lets her take action rather than limiting her to worried reactions. Her partnership with Corey gives her a lively storyline of her own. Laurel’s strength comes from combining practical care, humour and courage while still feeling like a parent with a full life.
Who is the Manticore in Onward?
The Manticore, also called Corey, is a part-lion, part-bat and part-scorpion former warrior who now runs a family restaurant. When Ian and Barley arrive asking for help with a quest, their visit brings her face to face with the adventurous past she has put aside. She joins Laurel to search for the boys and rediscovers some of her old nerve. Corey is both a comic character and a story about reconnecting with a version of yourself you thought you had outgrown.
Who is Wilden Lightfoot?
Wilden is the late father of Ian and Barley. Before he died, he arranged for the boys to receive a staff, a phoenix gem and instructions for a spell that could bring him back for one day. The spell only restores the lower half of his body, so he travels with his sons silently while they try to complete the magic. Wilden’s brief presence means different things to Ian, who never met him, and Barley, who remembers him.
Are Officer Specter and Officer Gore villains?
No. Specter and Gore are police officers who get caught up in the brothers’ reckless road trip. They are doing their jobs, even though the situation is so strange that it becomes comic. Specter is more serious and no-nonsense, while Gore is more opinionated and less tidy. Their contrasting personalities create a funny partner dynamic, but they are not malicious antagonists or enemies of the family.
Who leads the Pixie Dusters in Onward?
Dewdrop is the leader of the Pixie Dusters, a motorcycle gang of sprites. The group is known for its tough attitude and love of the open road, and the film plays with the contrast between their small size and biker confidence. They create a brief obstacle for the Lightfoot brothers during the quest. The gang does not receive a long storyline, but its design and attitude make it one of New Mushroomton’s most distinctive comic details.
Is Onward suitable for children?
Onward is an animated fantasy adventure with humour, magical action and themes of grief, family and growing up. It includes perilous situations and emotional material about a parent who died before one of the boys was born. Some younger or sensitive viewers may have questions about death or find parts of the quest tense. Parents know their children best, so it can help to watch together and talk about the story afterwards.
Where can I watch Onward in the UK?
Disney+ UK currently has an official listing for Onward. Streaming catalogues can change, so check the film’s page before planning a family movie night. The film is a 2020 Disney and Pixar release directed by Dan Scanlon and features voice performances from Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer. If you are comparing rental or purchase options, check current UK retailer listings separately.
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For official information on the film’s character designs and story world, read the Pixar character guide or D23’s overview of Onward’s magical cast.
Pixar’s Onward character guide · D23’s guide to the magical characters of Onward · Disney+ UK’s Onward listing
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