Known for projects like Coraline, Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings, LAIKA is one of the most groundbreaking animation studios today. Characters in LAIKA feature films are complex and far from perfect, and the struggles they face often end in unexpected twists. Villains are almost never what the seem in LAIKA films and neither are heroes.

Like any good story, the character is the heart of a LAIKA movie, and the company has given fans some of the most interesting, relatable characters over the years. While many animated films portray the hero in a purely positive light, LAIKA isn’t afraid to embrace a little bit of darkness, which is why their features are so much fun to watch.

Demonstrative of LAIKA’s famous “character who isn’t what you would expect,” Mr. Link, the “Bigfoot” of their latest film, Missing Link, is a wonderfully polite intellectual. An auto-didactic learner, he puts the standard Sasquatch myth to shame. His shyness is also charming for this particular character, although it makes sense for Bigfoot to be shy since he’s so elusive in the first place.

Many of LAIKA’s best characters are also brought to life by strong voice actors, and Zach Galifianakis does not disappoint in this role. He fully commands the audience’s attention as the refined Sasquatch of the movie.

Fish, Boxtrolls

The Boxtrolls is practically Oliver Twist… with trolls. And much more. It’s not LAIKA’s best work, but it’s filled with lots of imagination, tropes turned onto their heads and one of the most adorable surrogate fathers in history. Fish is an unsuspecting, shy troll who has no idea he’s going to become a parent to a human boy, but he lovingly cares for him in a way that’s unexpected from a monster, or totally expected from a LAIKA movie.

Fish is even captured himself, so his son has to save him. The curious inventor, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, isn’t a typical leader, but he’s kindly and caring, qualities we often see in LAIKA heroes.

Courtney, Paranorman

It’s not common for LAIKA to use a cliche trope in a movie, but many of the trope characters in Paranorman surprise us. Jock Mitch has a boyfriend in a beautiful reveal that was so casual yet fitting in a film about stereotypes, fear, and mob mentality. Bully Alvin ends up being an okay ally. Witch Agatha isn’t who she seems to be at all.

But it’s cheerleader Courtney, who is annoyed by her little ghost-seeing brother, who turns out to be his most fierce supporter. She pep talks him, holds his hand and scolds the entire town when her own parents can’t protect Norman and helps save the day. The characters’ bodies in the film are also fantastically different, destroying the perfect shapes and sizes cartoon characters often have.

Beetle, Kubo And The Two Strings

While Kubo is the hero of his own titular quest, and he’s a lovely character who ultimately gets his answers, it’s his parents’ story that is so awe-inspiring in the film. The whole movie is an example of redemption and family love, even when it seems as if all is lost, and Beetle, the funniest character of the movie, is at the heart of it.

Cursed to take the form of a beetle and lose his own memory, Beetle is heroic and loving, and when his true identity becomes clear, it is nothing short of goosebump-inducing. It’s one of the best love stories in animation, even if the film isn’t a love story itself.

The Other Mother, Coraline

One of the most terrifying villains of all time is from a LAIKA film. To be fair, The Other Mother, also known as the Beldam, was written by Neil Gaiman in the equally terrifying, if often different, young adult novel of the same name, but she really came to life in the most nightmarish way in the movie.

The Other Mother takes our deepest desires and turns them into a horrible reality, which kind of ruins the entire world. That’s the whole theme of Coraline as her fake world crumbles around the heroine, demonstrating that real life can never be perfect and the stuff of our dreams may not be what we really want in the end.

Neil, Paranorman

Irritable bowl syndrome, ownership of a kitty cat lunch box and sweating when you walk don’t sound like the characteristics of your usual hero, but Norman’s unlikely best friend, Neil, really isn’t an average hero. He’s a wholesome, adorable kid who is regularly bullied at school yet maintains a positive, even realistic, outlook. He embraces Norman’s weirdness when his own family can’t seem to do the same, and he stands by his side even when he’s scared.

Neil is representative of every kid. He deserves friendship and fun no matter his eccentricities, as do all children, and he’s portrayed in such a sweet way that he reminds us that everyone is worthy of love.

Winnie Portley-Rind, The Boxtrolls

Winnie Portley-Rind is not all that likable as a character, which is why she’s fantastic. She’s everything moviegoers see in a standard boy child, from her assertiveness to her rebelliousness. She’s not the “feisty girl,” but almost abrasive, even aggressive, demonstrating that these qualities aren’t only for male heroes.

LAIKA doesn’t make the same trite characters, but they go beyond that, creating highly imperfect people with whom audiences can relate. They don’t need saccharine-sweet girls who make an inspiring remark here or there when they’re happy to portray the humanness of each character with a multi-faceted approach.

Sariatu, Kubo And The Two Strings

Kubo’s mother Sariatu is one of the most beautiful characters ever written. Between her real identity and the one she adopts to assist him on his quest, she is incredibly brave, yet her memory issues hinder her ability to parent and care for Kubo, who has to become the parent.

As more of Sariatu’s story is revealed, particularly through her alter ego, and the audience realizes what sacrifices she has made, a seemingly simple animated feature becomes an incredible epic journey worthy of its 97% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s good storytelling with amazing characters, with Sariatu at the top of the list.

Coraline, Coraline

Coraline is one of the most beloved of LAIKA’s films, and while the Neil Gaiman-penned classic is a bit different from the animated feature, both portray one of the best heroines of all time. Coraline is a bit annoying. She makes mistakes, she gets into trouble and she ultimately could have prevented everything that happened to her family had she not been so bored and curious. That’s why she’s brilliant.

Coraline knows she has to rescue her real mom and dad even when the Other world seems too good to be true, as she soon discovers. She has to be brave, tricky and wise in order to solve the puzzle and stay alive, and it’s more refreshing than most animated features about girls.

Norman, Paranorman

The best LAIKA character ever written is the brooding loner Norman, whose unique paranormal abilities render him an outcast. He’s a typical goofy kid who is unable to connect with others because of his abilities, which is only one of the many symbolic themes of this film.

Norman’s sense of responsibility, ability to live with how poorly his own family misunderstands him and positive attitude toward the ghosts he encounters every day make him a wonderfully complex character. Even though he’s scared, and he owes the town who has judged him nothing, he sets things right with compassion in a way none of them could have done. He’s also BFFs with his dead grandma, which is heartwarming.