The Despicable Me movie franchise is one of the most beloved by fans!
Kicking off in 2010, the franchise introduced viewers to Gru and his Minions, leading to a massive franchise and even expanding into Minions-led movies.
So far, there have been seven theatrical movies, spinoff TV shows, digital shorts and more, with the franchise grossing over $5 billion at the box office!
In the first Despicable Me film, surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow minions, we meet Gru, who is planning the biggest heist in the history of the world – to steal the moon!
Since then, we’ve seen his journey in life grow to include marriage and fatherhood. The Minions sequel, The Rise of Gru, took fans back in time to a young Gru and how he became who he is.
The franchise has also parade balloons, video games, many short films and more. Plus, there’s now a Minion Land at Universal Studios Orlando, complete with it’s own Minion ride!
The latest installment, Minions & Monsters, is currently at No 1 on the movies chart on Peacock. With the growing interest in the movie and the franchise, we’re taking a look at all of the films and ranking them based on how audiences feel about each one!
Keep reading inside to see where the Despicable Me and Minions movies rank…
7. Minions (2015)
Audience Score: 49%
Critics Score: 55%
Synopsis: Evolving from single-celled yellow organisms at the dawn of time, Minions live to serve, but find themselves working for a continual series of unsuccessful masters, from T. Rex to Napoleon. Without a master to grovel for, the Minions fall into a deep depression. But one minion, Kevin, has a plan; accompanied by his pals Stuart and Bob, Kevin sets forth to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. Their search leads them to Scarlet Overkill, the world’s first-ever super-villainess.
6. Despicable Me 3 (2017)
Audience Score: 53%
Critics Score: 58%
Synopsis: After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when Gru learns he has a long-lost twin brother, this former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.
5. Minions & Monsters (2026)
Audience Score: 75%
Critics Score: 89%
Synopsis: This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.
4. Despicable Me (2010)
Audience Score: 83%
Critics Score: 80%
Synopsis: In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden deep beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow minions, we discover Gru planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) in Universals new 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me.
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3. Despicable Me 2 (2013)
Audience Score: 85%
Critics Score: 75%
Synopsis: Now that Gru has forsaken a life of crime to raise Margo, Agnes and Edith, he’s trying to figure out how to provide for his new family. The Anti-Villain League – an organization dedicated to fighting evil – sends Gru on a mission to capture the perpetrator of a spectacular heist, for who would be better than the world’s greatest ex-villain to capture the individual who seeks to usurp his power.
And the top two most liked Despicable Me/Minions movies are…
2. Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Audience Score: 86%
Critics Score: 56%
Synopsis: The biggest global animated franchise in history now begins a new chapter as Gru and Lucy and their girls — Margo, Edith and Agnes — welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.
RELATED: ‘Despicable Me’ Director Talks Possible Live-Action Movies, Reveals if We’ll Ever See ‘Real’ Minions
1. Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
Audience Score: 89%
Critics Score: 70%
Synopsis: Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It’s not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—this unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons, and strive to execute their first missions.
When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader—legendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles— Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them, and he suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.
All percentage ratings are from Rotten Tomatoes, as of November 1, 2026.
Read more at Just Jared
