Top 10 Cutest DreamWorks Characters

So, yeah, Hammy’s pretty cute if you think squirrels are, but it’s definitely a little difficult to choose just one character in this movie for our entry, given that the main cast is full of small, cuddly animals. (Porcupines are cuddly, right?) Between RJ the raccoon, Verne the turtle, Stella the skunk, the opossums, and the porcupine triplets, “Over the Hedge” is chock-full of furry (and shelled) creatures with big eyes and larger-than-life spirits scuttling about. Admittedly, the voices of Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, and William Shatner give these characters an older feel, but animals are always cute–no matter their age–right?

Whoever made the decision not to give the Sandman a voice knew what they were doing. It just makes him infinitely more endearing! Like Jack Frost, Sandman is one of the more forgettable mythological protagonists of our childhood. “Rise of the Guardians” must know this too, because they definitely give Sandy his time to shine–literally, hence all the golden sand. Of course, Sandy isn’t the only darling star of the film. The Tooth Fairy’s fluttering excitement easily makes her one of the sweetest characters and the Easter Bunny shrinking down to real bunny size is incredibly precious! Also, can we talk about how adorable Santa’s elves are?!

Stop-motion animation is an art form worthy of all the praise. It’s tedious, it’s an insanely long process, and it takes an incredible level of dedication from all animators involved. With that said, it also produces some of the creepiest visuals known to children’s media. Which is why it’s a little surprising to see how cute Gromit turned out! We’re not sure if it’s his nose or ears, or maybe the fact that he doesn’t have a mouth, but he’s the one clay character who doesn’t give us the heebie-jeebies! Anyone else get Snoopy vibes from Gromit?

“Trolls” may not be the DreamWorks franchise with the most depth, but it definitely has to cutest character designs–which is an interesting reversal from what the word ‘troll’ usually connotes, now that we think about it. Either way, the most endearing of them all has to be Smidge, who’s also the smallest of them all. She may be tiny, but she is by no means invisible. Her hair is just as unique as her voice, and we love her for it. Not to be dramatic, but we’d literally die for Smidge.

Shifu proves that a character need not be young or mute to be adorable… so long as they’re a small, red panda in a robe! Don’t be fooled by his cuddly exterior, Shifu will knock you out six ways from Sunday! Unfortunately, the second an animal has bigger ears than their head, it’s too late–we’ve already become enamored with them! Po’s character design may not be as dainty as Shifu’s, but he seems just as soft and huggable, and is really just a big teddy panda bear, even with all his rad martial arts skills!

Small animated characters with big eyes are a surefire way to have us swooning. Add in Mort’s little tooth, round ears, and child-like voice, and we’re going to need a plushie, stat! Mouse lemurs are already super cute IRL, but Mort is on a whole other level. He’s definitely a little strange, but, you know what? We’re willing to overlook it when its all packaged in a body as adorable as his! It’s difficult to rival him on the loveable scale but, we gotta admit, the penguins are pretty endearing too. Especially the babies! We’re making heart eyes right now!

Alright, you know the deal. Puss in Boots has us all wrapped around his little paw. Us, and most of the characters in the “Shrek” universe, so this is a relatively unanimous vote, here. Despite his proficient combat skills and flair for the dramatics, Puss is, at his core, still a wittle kitty cat! And he seems to remind us of this every time we forget by being the cat embodiment of the pleading face emoji. He stole all our hearts in “Shrek 2”–so much so, that he got his own spin-off… which got a sequel! Look out for this furry feline in “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” coming out later this year.

Rivaling Chunky the death cat in adorableness is Belt. As his name suggests, he helps keep Guy’s pants up, but he’s also a great lookout and a valued companion. And, he knows exactly when to provide the “Dun, dun, daaa!” for a scene, so the music score doesn’t have to. He’s cheerful and helpful! Belt is a three-toed sloth with a high-pitched voice, large blue-green eyes, and the silliest personality. Overall, he’s just the sweetest little guy! So, what’s cuter than Belt, you ask? How about baby Belt?! The eyes get even bigger and his smile even more precious!

“Bilby” is without a doubt DreamWorks’ most adorable short to date. The first character we’re introduced to is the bilby, the protagonist of this short film, who’s already cuteness overload incarnate! His floppy ears, wide eyes, and twitching nose make for the sweetest face of innocence you’ve ever seen! That is, of course, until the abandoned baby albatross comes on screen. The bilby reveals that he’s exactly like us, because he becomes the adoptive parent to this little ball of fluff, much to our relief. As it turns out, real life baby albatrosses are ridiculously awh-inducing, so we totally get the inspiration for this film!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Theodore Templeton, “The Boss Baby” franchise (2017-)
It’s the Tiny Suit, Isn’t It?

Roddy, “Flushed Away” (2006)
He’s Just So Squeakin’ Cute!

Shrimp, “Shark Tale” (2004)
Shrimply Adorable!

Turbo, “Turbo” (2013)
Who Knew Snails Could Be Endearing? Ryan Reynolds Helps, We Suppose

Everest Humming, “Abominable” (2019)
Abominable – More Like Abomina-dorable!

The best part of the “How To Train Your Dragon” franchise has to be the characterization of the dragons. Okay, yes–we love the world-building, and the lore, and the stunning animation, but the dragons are the viking equivalent of house pets, and it’s the best thing ever. Toothless, when he’s not otherwise threatening enemies, is basically just a giant puppy. Or, maybe more like a kitten with his love of fish. Either way, he’s just this large, playful, loveable pal. His pupils dilate when he’s happy–which is most of the time he’s with Hiccup–but you can always tell by his toothless smile and roaring laughter. For one of the most dangerous dragons out there, Toothless is nothing short of delightful. Or, should we say de-flight-ful!