Who's the Real Hero of 'Inside Out'?

Written by Shae Rufe

​After watching this movie several times, I've often wondered who our true protagonist is. Sure, we start with Joy, she has the most dialogue, so we assume it's her. But, as much as I love Joy, she seems to be very Antagonistic towards Sadness. We see their relationship from the start, and I have to be completely honest, Joy really is kind of mean to Sadness. For instance, she makes Sadness stand away from the others, won't let Sadness touch the panel, and when Sadness accidentally touched a core memory Joy yells at her. In fact, Joy goes out of her way to inhibit Sadness from doing her job.

In writing the protagonist feels a call to action, refuses it, experiences a hardship, accepts their duty, and finishes the thing. To sum that up shortly, lemme tell you just how many writing professors I made cry with that; all of them. Joy does go through this, but so does Sadness. She feels a call to do her duty, which is be an influential emotion within Riley's head. She refuses her duty once Joy scolds her. Sadness is the one to knock over the core memories, but she's the first to try and grab them. Shortly after everything happens, Sadness gives up. I can't really say that I blame her, with how Joy treats her.

Even after giving up, she helps. Sadness is the only one who read the mind manuals, which means she's the only one who knows how to get home. Despite knowing the right ways to go, and where not to, Joy shuts her down at every turn, listens to Bing Bong, over her, and forces Sadness to follow along. Joy even makes the ultimate betrayal and leaves in a mind tube, leaving Sadness in order to fulfill her own goals. Finally beaten down, Sadness leaves and refuses to come back. Even then Joy forces her to. It wasn't Joy who was able to fix things, in the end it was Sadness.

So, is Sadness the real protagonist of the film? Joy seems to be very Antagonistic, especially when it comes to everything else. Joy tries to be not just the leading emotion, but the majority of Riley's memories are joy, with bits of the others occasionally thrown in there. Yes, Joy does learn there needs to be a balance and that they all need each other. But Sadness is the one who learned it was okay to be herself. Which in my mind, makes Sadness the real protagonist of the film. 

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