If you’re an AV director or producer building a new animated universe, studying the best animated characters can give you a strong creative foundation to build on.
At Voice123, the largest, most trusted network for hiring animation voice actors, we’ve collaborated with directors to find the right voices for famous animated characters across films, games, and streaming.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best animated characters of all time, famous animated characters like Disney, and how to make animated characters for blockbuster hits.
What are animated characters?
Animated characters are visual representations of people, animals, or personified objects in animations, anime, or cartoons, and they’re either hand-drawn or brought to life with CGI. From a classic cartoon character to a 3D animated movie character, storytelling and voice overs transform animation drawings into them from art into famous animated characters that audiences remember.
The best animated characters of all time
Top 5 female animated characters
1. Elsa
The Frozen protagonist has an internal conflict that drives every gesture, creating one of the best female animated characters whose emotions are visible through her animation and vocal performance. Her powerful expressiveness and Idina Menzel’s voice acting demonstrate that vulnerability and strength can coexist within the same character arc.
2. Mulan
Mulan’s grounded emotional journey contrasts beautifully against the stylized world around her, giving her a sense of realism. Her determination and Ming-Na Wen’s vocal delivery make her one of the most influential female animated characters ever created.
3. Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon balances clumsy charm with heroic confidence, making her both relatable and aspirational. Her dual identity provides animators with strong visual contrasts, and Terri Hawkes’ English voice over dub brings the character to life for global audiences.
4. Velma
Velma from Scooby Doo stands out through subtle acting choices, dry humor, and distinctive phrasing that elevate her understated personality. Her consistent mannerisms and Mindy Cohn’s instantly recognizable voice showcase how quiet characters can be scene-stealing icons.
Marge’s personality shines through Julie Kavner’s warm yet firm vocal tone. Her expressive, recognizable voice demonstrates how softness can anchor a family-centered animated universe.
Top 5 male animated characters
Homer is a chaotic mix of childish optimism and hilariously flawed decision-making, and his comedic style makes him instantly memorable. His exaggerated expressions and Dan Castellaneta’s iconic vocal delivery show how humor and humanity can create an animated character that still resonates decades later.
2. Woody
Woody from Toy Story has an emotional arc that’s a masterclass in character development, evolving from an insecure leader to a loyal friend. His expressive facial performance and Tom Hanks’ nuanced voice acting show how depth, vulnerability, and charm can coexist in a single animated character.
3. Shrek
Shrek is one of the most famous animated characters due to his relatable personality. He’s grumpy and sarcastic but also caring. His emotional honesty, paired with Mike Myers’ incredible voice acting, proves that authentic storytelling can thrive inside a fantastical world.
Miles from the Spider-Verse films blends youth, cultural expression, and dynamic animation style into one of the best male animated characters. His expressive movement language reflects his identity, while Shameik Moore’s voice acting makes him a relatable superhero.
5. Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is undoubtedly one of the most famous animated characters. He’s the ultimate trickster whose sly charm and confident posture define comedic swagger. His iconic catchphrases and Mel Blanc’s timeless voice acting define his appeal as one of the best male animated characters.
Top 5 Disney animated characters
1. Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is one of the most famous Disney animated characters. From Mickey’s first appearance in the 1928 Steamboat Willie, it has become a cultural icon, proving that even the simplest designs can communicate big personality. Bret Iwan’s cheerful tone and Mickey’s timeless design bring this animated Disney character to life.
2. Ariel
Ariel’s curiosity and emotional intensity make her a standout Disney character. Her wide-eyed expressions and fluid motion design enhance her storytelling, while Jodi Benson’s musical vocal performance adds emotional dimension to every scene.
3. Simba
Simba’s coming-of-age arc is one of animation’s strongest narrative journeys, blending innocence, loss, and triumph. His physical evolution and shifting vocal tone from Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick helped create one of the most iconic animated Disney characters.
4. Moana
Moana embodies sincerity and determination, with a design that emphasizes perseverance. Auliʻi Cravalho’s vocal delivery enhances her relatability, lending her character an emotional weight.
5. Genie
Aladdin’s Genie thrives on improvised energy, explosive movement, and expressive exaggeration that rivals live-action performers. Robin Williams’ driven performance demonstrates how a comedic character is essential to storytelling.
How to draw animated characters
Use the right shape design
Understanding how to draw animated characters begins with purposeful shape language. Circular shapes communicate friendliness and approachability, while squares suggest strength and stability, and triangles imply unpredictability or danger.
Build a character emotion matrix
An emotion matrix outlines how a character expresses joy, anger, confusion, or fear. This keeps emotional expressions consistent across episodes and prevents “character drift” during multi-artist production for an animated movie character.
Design signature poses
Animated Disney characters have a set of signature poses, like a neutral stance, a victory pose, and a skeptical look, which helps storyboarders and animators visually communicate personality quickly. These poses act as shortcuts that maintain clarity.
Add intentional imperfections
Small imperfections, such as asymmetrical hair or unique eye shapes, make characters feel more relatable. Imperfections give a character texture, grounding them in a visual reality that audiences connect with.
Now that you know the basics of how to animate with drawings, here’s how to make animated characters from concept to screen.
How to make animated characters
Build the narrative style
Creating animated movie characters begins with developing a narrative style built around their wants, fears, and internal conflicts. When a character learns a lesson or experiences emotional growth, it lays the foundation for dynamic storytelling.
Establish behavioral rules
Behavioral rules also strengthen character consistency. By defining how they speak, how quickly they move, how they gesture, or how they react under pressure, you create a performance guide for designers to follow when creating an animated cartoon character.
Cast professional voice actors
The right voice actor influences how animators approach facial expressions, movement pacing, and character attitude. You can find specialized animation voice talent with improv skills, creature voices, and multi-character versatility directly on Voice123.
Test for synchronization
Synchronization tests help validate whether your cartoon characters work visually and emotionally. Short snippets, such as laughs, breaths, reactions, or emotional bursts, reveal whether the animation and vocal delivery feel cohesive.
Match the character to the environment
Hyper-realistic male animated characters may appear out of place in a soft, watercolor background style, and a cartoonishly exaggerated character may seem out of place in a cinematic CGI world. Harmony between worldbuilding and character design reinforces believability.
Final Thoughts
The greatest animated characters like Bugs Bunny and Moana prove that unforgettable design comes from expressive clarity, emotional depth, and powerful voice acting. If you’re learning how to make animated characters, the right blend of design, story, and voice will define your project’s success.
Hire professional animation voice actors on Voice123 because great characters start with the right voice.
FAQs
An animated character is a stylized drawing or 3D model or a person, animal, or object that’s brought to life through motion, performance, and voice acting.
Mickey Mouse remains the most globally recognized animated character of all time.
Traditional 2D or flat animation that’s often used for cartoon characters, 3D CGI, which is used for video games and blockbuster films, stop-motion animation for short films, and motion graphics for advertising or social media.
The best cartoons are series like Looney Tunes, SpongeBob, The Simpsons, Batman, Scooby Doo, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, South Park, Adventure Time, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Futurama.
