Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Carl Fredricksen

Carl may start Up’s main narrative stuck in a rut the size of South America, but that just means he has more room to grow. And boy, does he. Over the course of his jungle journey, Carl picks up a surrogate son and dog, learns that an adventure is way better with friends, and, most importantly, dusts off his heart. Not literally; that would be gross. We mean figuratively: Carl realizes that his whole life has been a grand adventure, and, even though Ellie may be gone, love is all around him. All he has to do is open the door and welcome it in.