Pixar’s The Incredibles didn’t just show up in 2004 and politely join the animated canon. It kicked the door down,
fixed its mask in the mirror, and said: “Superhero stories can be stylish, smart, and about a family that argues over
dinner like the rest of us.” Nearly two decades later (and after a long-awaited sequel), people still rank these movies,
debate the villains, and defend their hottest takes like they’re testifying in the Supreme Court of Cape Etiquette.
This is a deep-dive into The Incredibles rankings and the opinions that come with thembecause when a
franchise is this beloved, “I liked it” is never the end of the sentence. We’re ranking the films, key characters,
villains, and action sequences, then wrapping it up with a big section of real-world viewer experiences (the kind you
hear after a rewatch when someone suddenly realizes they relate to Mr. Incredible’s back pain more than his strength).
How These Rankings Work (So Nobody Throws a Car Like Mr. Incredible)
Rankings can get messy fast. To keep things fair, every list here uses a few consistent factors:
- Story engine: How tight the plot is and how well the movie earns its big moments.
- Character work: Are the arcs meaningful, funny, and emotionally believable?
- Villain quality: Motivation, intimidation, and how well the villain tests the heroes.
- Action design: Clarity, creativity, and whether the set pieces still feel fresh.
- Rewatch factor: Does it get better when you’re older, or does it fade like yesterday’s popcorn?
- Craft: Animation, score, editing rhythm, voice performance, and overall style.
Also: these are opinions, not commandments carved into a mountain by Edna Mode. If you disagree, congratulations
you are participating correctly.
Ranking the Movies: The Franchise Power Rankings
#1: The Incredibles (2004) The Gold Standard
The original remains the top pick for most rankingsand for good reason. It’s a superhero story with
the pacing of a spy thriller and the emotional logic of a family drama. It’s bold enough to start with
a world that doesn’t want heroes, then ask a question that still hits: what happens when someone’s
identity is illegal, but their nature won’t shut up?
What makes it #1 isn’t just that it’s funny or exciting. It’s that it’s structured.
The first act sets up the “glory days,” the crackdown, and the suburban suppression. The second act
becomes a midlife crisis spy adventure (with consequences). The third act pays it all off with a
family team-up that feels earned, not pasted on.
- Best-in-franchise villain writing: Syndrome is personal, ideological, and petty in the most human way.
- Most iconic set pieces: The island infiltration, the jungle chase, the city finaleeach is clean and distinct.
- Most “adult” rewatch value: Work politics, lawsuits, burnout, marriage stressthis movie was sneaking kale into your mac and cheese.
#2: Incredibles 2 (2018) Bigger, Slicker, and Still Very Good
Incredibles 2 had the impossible job: follow a film many fans consider Pixar’s most “complete” genre exercise.
The sequel’s strengths are realespecially the way it flips the family dynamic, putting Elastigirl in the spotlight
while Bob learns that being a stay-at-home parent is basically a contact sport.
The animation leap is obvious, the action is terrific, and Jack-Jack’s chaos is an entire comedy department
working overtime. Still, the sequel is often ranked second because the original has a sharper villain arc and
a more surprising emotional punch.
- Best action choreography: The Elastigirl sequences are fluid, inventive, and beautifully staged.
- Best comedy run: Jack-Jack alone could power a spinoff, a meme economy, and several exhausted babysitters.
- Common critique: Some viewers find the central mystery less emotionally loaded than Syndrome’s story.
Ranking the Parr Family: Who’s the MVP?
The Parrs work because their powers match their personalitieslike a horoscope, but with more property damage.
Here’s a ranking based on overall franchise impact, emotional depth, and “how much would the plot collapse if we removed them.”
#1: Elastigirl (Helen Parr) The Franchise’s Steady Core
Helen is the emotional anchor: practical, protective, and quietly hilarious. Her elasticity is also the most
narratively useful power because it adapts to anythingaction, comedy, suspense, even “my husband is being a
dramatic wall of feelings again.” In the sequel, she proves she can carry the main mission without losing
the family-first DNA that defines the series.
#2: Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr) The Heart (and the Midlife Crisis) of the Original
Bob is the character most people understand more as they age. He’s not just “strong guy wants to be strong.”
He’s someone who built his identity on doing something meaningful and then got told to file it under
“nostalgia.” The fact that he’s lovable and deeply flawed is what makes the first movie land so hard.
#3: Violet The Most Relatable Power Set
Invisibility and force fields are basically “teen anxiety, but with physics.” Violet’s arcfear, self-protection,
learning to take up spacehits both younger viewers and adults who remember what it felt like to want to disappear
during gym class.
#4: Dash The Human Espresso Shot
Dash is pure momentum: funny, impatient, and emotionally honest. His speed creates some of the best action beats,
and his “I can’t be normal” frustration is one of the franchise’s most direct metaphors.
#5: Jack-Jack The Chaos King (and Secret Weapon)
Jack-Jack’s “everything power” is hilarious and visually inventive, but his biggest role is thematic:
he represents potential, unpredictability, and the idea that the family’s future won’t fit neatly into anyone’s
rulesgovernment, villain, or exhausted parent.
Ranking the Villains (and Antagonists): Who Actually Brings the Heat?
#1: Syndrome The Pettiest Genius in a Cape-Free World
Syndrome is the franchise’s strongest antagonist because he’s not just evilhe’s wounded, entitled, and obsessed.
His plan is a commentary on celebrity hero worship, tech-as-shortcut culture, and the desire to “be special” without
doing the inner work. Also: he’s frightening because he’s plausible. He’s the guy who got rejected once and built a
whole ideology out of it.
#2: Screenslaver (and the Sequel’s Corporate Machine) A Theme with Teeth
The sequel’s antagonist energy is split between the masked threat and the bigger system around them: media,
persuasion, and how easily people outsource thinking to glowing rectangles. That’s a strong theme for a modern sequel,
and it fits the franchise’s interest in public opinion shaping policy. Some fans still rank it below Syndrome because
it feels less personalmore societal than intimate.
#3: The Underminer Iconic Entrance, Limited Time
The Underminer is a fan-favorite because the vibe is immaculate: theatrical, pulpy, and instantly quotable
(in spirit, not in long direct quotes). But in terms of narrative weight, he’s more “spark plug” than “engine.”
Ranking the Best Action Sequences
Pixar action can sometimes feel like “safe spectacle.” Not here. The Incredibles treats action like character.
Here are the top sequences ranked by clarity, creativity, and lasting impact:
#1: The Jungle Chase (Dash vs. Reality)
This sequence is still one of the cleanest “speedster” action scenesanimated or live-actionbecause it’s not just
running fast. It’s a kid learning his limits, panicking, improvising, and discovering control.
#2: Elastigirl’s High-Speed Mission (Sequel Showcase)
The sequel’s best action belongs to Helen: elastic movement staged like a dance, with camera logic that never loses you.
It’s a master class in making a superpower feel both graceful and dangerous.
#3: The Family vs. the Island (Teamwork, Finally)
The island stretch is the franchise in its purest genre mode: secret bases, surveillance, betrayals, and escalating stakes.
The family doesn’t just “fight together”they learn how to function together under pressure.
#4: The City Finale (The Cost of Being Seen)
The finale works because it’s not just a big monster fight. It’s a public reintroduction of heroes in a world that
previously rejected themand the film makes that feel risky, not triumphant-by-default.
Top Opinions Fans Argue About (Respectfully… Mostly)
Opinion #1: “The Original Is the Best Pixar Superhero Movie… Because It’s Also the Best Spy Movie Pixar Ever Made.”
A big reason The Incredibles holds the top ranking is its genre mash-up. It doesn’t behave like a typical
superhero origin story. It behaves like a sleek Cold War-era adventure with domestic stakesand that flavor is rare.
Opinion #2: “Incredibles 2 Has Better Action, But the First Has Better Villain Motivation.”
This is the most common “balanced” take, and it’s hard to argue with. The sequel’s action is technically more advanced,
but Syndrome’s emotional connection to Bob makes the first film’s conflict feel more personal.
Opinion #3: “Edna Mode Is the Franchise’s Secret MVP.”
Edna isn’t just comic relief. She’s the story’s truth-teller: she names the problem (Bob wants glory, Helen wants safety),
then forces a decision. Also, the franchise owes half its meme power to a tiny fashion genius with zero patience.
Opinion #4: “This Franchise Is Really About Identity, Not Just Heroics.”
Under the suits and explosions, the core conflict is: what happens when the world tells you to shrink?
Every Parr has a version of that struggleespecially Violet and Bob. That’s why the movies age well: the metaphor expands
as the viewer’s life expands.
Why The Incredibles Still Ranks So High in Animation Culture
The franchise sits in a sweet spot: accessible for kids, layered for adults, and stylish enough to feel like a full
cinematic world. The retro-futuristic design isn’t just decoration; it reinforces the story’s tension between “glory days”
nostalgia and a modern reality that’s suspicious of heroes. Add a score that leans into spy-movie swagger, and you get a
film that feels like its own genre lane.
It also helps that both films were major box-office events, with the sequel setting animated opening-weekend records and
both films earning huge worldwide totals. Commercial success isn’t the same as quality, but it does explain why the
franchise remains a cultural reference pointand why a third film became inevitable.
Rewatch Checklist: What to Look for If You Want Smarter Opinions
- How often the movie shows consequences: property damage, lawsuits, public backlash, family tension.
- How powers match personality: Violet’s shielding, Dash’s impulsiveness, Helen’s adaptability, Bob’s blunt force.
- How “normal life” is framed: Is it safety, suppression, comfort, or a slow identity leak?
- How villains sell their worldview: personal resentment vs. social commentary.
- How comedy functions: jokes aren’t filler; they release pressure right before stakes spike.
Quick FAQ: The Incredibles Rankings and Opinions
Is The Incredibles considered one of Pixar’s best movies?
Yesacross critics and audiences, it frequently lands near the top of Pixar rankings. It’s praised for its writing,
action clarity, and the way it works as both family comedy and superhero thriller.
Why do many people rank The Incredibles above Incredibles 2?
The original is often considered tighter in structure, with a villain whose motivation is more emotionally connected to
the hero. The sequel is widely loved tooespecially for its action and family-role reversalbut the first film’s
“complete package” feeling is hard to beat.
Is there going to be an Incredibles 3?
Disney and Pixar have publicly confirmed that a third film is in development, with Brad Bird connected to the project.
Release timing has been discussed in entertainment reporting, but the safest expectation is: it’s coming, and it’s not
tomorrow. (Edna would say: patience is a look.)
Viewer Experiences: How The Incredibles Rankings Change as You Grow (Extra 500+ Words)
One of the funniest things about The Incredibles opinions discourse is how often people change their minds
on a rewatch. Not because the movie changedbecause you did. If you first saw the original as a kid, your brain
probably filed it under “cool suits, fast running, and that baby is basically a magical blender.” Then you rewatch as a
teen or adult and suddenly the “boring parts” become the sharpest: the office misery, the marriage strain, the feeling of
being told to be smaller than you are.
Many viewers describe a “Mr. Incredible shift.” Younger audiences often see Bob as the fun powerhouse who wants adventure.
Older viewers sometimes see him as a walking caution sign: the guy who’s so hungry for meaning that he starts lying to the
person who knows him best. That doesn’t make him badit makes him real. The experience of watching Bob rediscover purpose
can be inspiring if you’re in a season of life where everything feels routine. It can also be a little too relatable if
you’re currently one email away from yelling “I can’t live like this!” into the void.
On the flip side, lots of people say Elastigirl becomes their favorite as they age. When you’re younger, stretchy powers
might seem like the “less cool” option compared to super strength or speed. But with time, you notice Helen is the one
doing the invisible work: keeping the family afloat, reading the room, managing risk, and still showing up with humor.
In the sequel, that appreciation often becomes a full-on upgradesome fans rank Incredibles 2 higher specifically
because it lets Helen lead and shows Bob learning (painfully, comically) that parenting is a heroic skill set.
Then there’s the “Violet effect.” People who grew up shy, anxious, or socially overloaded often report that Violet’s
storyline hits harder on rewatch. Her invisibility isn’t just a cool trickit’s a metaphor that lands differently depending
on your stage of life. As a kid, it’s “wow, she can disappear.” As you get older, it becomes “oh… she disappears because
she’s scared,” and that realization can be surprisingly emotional for an animated superhero movie. Which is Pixar’s entire
brand, yes, but The Incredibles does it with a spy-movie smirk.
Rankings also shift depending on what you love about movies. Action fans often boost the sequel because its set pieces are
smoother and more technically daring. Story-and-villain fans usually keep the original at #1 because Syndrome’s motivation
feels like a complete character tragedy wrapped in a petty revenge plan. Comedy-first viewers might argue that Jack-Jack
alone makes the sequel the “most fun” entry. And design nerds? They’re usually loyal to both because the retro-futuristic
look, the color palette, and the mid-century vibes make the franchise feel like a world you can step into.
A big shared experience is the “family rewatch.” People love showing the original to someone who has never seen it,
because the reactions are almost predictable: laughter at the big jokes, shock at how intense some scenes get, and then
the quiet moment when the theme clicksthis isn’t about saving the world as much as it’s about saving a family from
becoming strangers to itself. That’s often when the rankings get personal. The best Incredibles movie becomes the one that
mirrors your life the most at the time you watched it. And honestly? That’s a pretty incredible reason to argue about a
cartoon in the first place.
Conclusion: The “Best” Incredibles Ranking Is the One You Can Defend
If you came here for a single definitive answer, here it is: the original is still the franchise’s #1
for most people, while Incredibles 2 is a strong second that wins specific categories (especially action
and modern craft). But the real fun is in the opinionsbecause this series is built to be rewatched, re-ranked, and
re-argued as your perspective changes.
So make your list. Swap your top two if you’re feeling brave. Promote Elastigirl to MVP status. Defend Violet’s arc like
it’s a national treasure. Just remember Edna’s timeless wisdom: if you’re going to have an opinion, have it with style.
