Beyond the Goodbye:9 Greatest Pixar Endings of All Time

When a Pixar movie ends, it leaves you with a full heart. I like to call them the comfort food of cinema.

Pixar has mastered the art of creating stories using metaphors and allegories so much so that, whether you're 7 or 70, there’s no way you won’t enjoy a Pixar story. Chances are, you’ll end up finding yourself in one of the Pixar characters. I’m usually a mix of Joy and Anger. (Let me know yours.)

That’s probably a major reason why Pixar endings hit like a freight train.

Not that every Pixar ending leaves you feeling joyous, but even in melancholy or sadness, there’s something oddly satisfying and comforting about every one.

So, here’s our ranked list of the greatest Pixar movie endings.

9 Pixar Endings That Hit Home

#9. Nemo Goes to School, Finding Nemo (2003)

I guess every parent is like Marlin—at least my mom is.

For Marlin, losing Nemo was his worst nightmare come true. To rescue his son, this hapless father treads unthinkable waters, encounters danger, and does everything within and even beyond his capacity to bring him home. Ultimately, all his hardships pay off, as he successfully reunites with his son.

In the closing scene, Marlin cheerily wakes up Nemo. The storm is behind them, and Marlin knows that his fears for Nemo cannot be a hindrance to his path. So once again, he readies his son and sets him off for school, only this time he wishes him the best, urging him to have lots of adventures.

Nemo rushing back to Marlin for a quick goodbye hug and “Love you, Dad” is the cutest thing ever!

#8. Lightning Learns That Winning Is Not Everything, Cars (2006)

Cars follows Lightning McQueen’s transformation from a selfish individual into someone who learns the importance of relationships and sportsmanship through his relentless pursuit of victory throughout the film.

In the end, when Lightning chooses to give up on victory to save a fellow competitor, we realize how far he has come. The moment exudes so much positivity that it sticks with you.

#7. The Kiss of True Love, Wall-E (2008)

I love how Pixar doesn’t reduce Eve to a damsel in distress; rather, it turns her into a proactive character who ultimately saves Wall-E.

When Eve is finally united with Wall-E, he is broken. She manages to assemble him, but he wakes up in his default setting with no memory of his old self or his love for Eve. She shows him the Rubik’s cube and a light bulb, plays a video cassette for him, and despairs of his ability to remember anything. WALL-E walks away.

But Eve is not ready to give up. She follows after him and tries to remind him. Holding his hands, she plants a spark-charged kiss on him. It works like a charm, making it Wall-E’s Snow White moment!

#6. The Verdict, Ratatouille (2007)

Food does more than just fill our stomachs. It becomes our identity. Ratatouille is a celebration of food and our love for it. It is for the same reason that the climax hits a home run for so many of us.

Serving ratatouille to Ego is a deciding moment for Remy the rat and Linguini. Ego loves their food, so much so that in the end, when he loses his credibility as a food critic for praising food cooked by a rodent, it doesn’t bother him one bit. Instead, he funds their new Parisian restaurant.

The moment is so beautifully created by the juxtaposition of a flashback to Ego as a little child eating a warm, home-cooked meal, taking us back to our own happy memories of food.

Combined with that heartfelt review, which is read out by Ego’s voiceover, it’s an ending that truly deserves a place on this list.

As someone who’s been living away from home for years now and does wild things to source some home-cooked food, Ego’s reaction after having one bite of the legendary dish is no exaggeration if you ask me!

#5. Sully Reunites with Boo, Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Reunions are the most beautiful when they are the least expected. After Boo’s door was broken, there was no way for Sully to go back to her. But months later, Mike surprises him by repairing the door, paving the way for his reunion with Boo.

Pixar doesn’t show us the reunion but ends the story in the moment when Sully steps inside Boo’s room, and we hear her voice greeting him. After seeing the two form such a wholesome relationship over the movie, it’s only natural that we’d all have our slightly unique vision of their reunion.

Pixar lets us have that moment by avoiding the visual spoon-feeding!

#4. Russell Gets the Bottle Cap Badge, Up (2009)

Through their adventure together, young Russell and elderly Carl grow extremely close. Since the death of his soulmate, Ellie, Carl hadn’t made space for anyone in his heart or life until young Russell became his companion on his trip to South America.

Soon, they form a relationship that mirrors that of a grandfather and grandson—safe, cozy, and full of love. In the end, when Carl awards him with the “Ellie Badge” (which is actually just a bottle cap), he lets him know that he is an extremely important part of his life, until he breathes his last.

#3. “So Long, Partner,” Toy Story 3 (2010)

This moment marks the end of a legendary triptych of films and 15 years with these characters, closing an arc for an entire generation. Andy grew up, and so did we.

In this scene, Andy is all set to leave home for college before bequeathing his toys to Bonnie. Woody’s last words to Andy as he watches him leave definitely mark the end of an era.

#2. Mama Coco Remembers Her Late Father, Coco (2017)

In this delightful Pixar musical, Miguel travels to the afterlife to follow his passion for music. He meets the soul of his musical idol, Ernesto de La Cruz. However, soon he learns that the man is a cheat who killed Miguel's own great-great-grandfather, Héctor, and stole his songs to rise to fame.

Miguel manages to come back to life and is tasked by Héctor with reminding Coco of her father, or else his soul will fade away. But Miguel's great-grandmother and Héctor's daughter, Coco, is an older woman now, suffering from severe memory loss.

In the last scene, Miguel sings one of Héctor's songs for Coco to remind her of him—the one he used to sing for her when she was a little girl, before Ernesto murdered him.

The notes work like magic to trigger long-lost memories, and Granny Coco begins singing with Miguel, ultimately refreshing her memory of her father and preventing Hector’s soul from fading away.

#1. Sadness Saves Riley, Inside Out (2015)

This Pixar ending is the one that made me weep like a baby when I first watched it. Even during rewatches, my eyes always swell up with tears as I see Riley sobbing uncontrollably, sitting all alone inside the bus.

Throughout the movie, we see Joy desperately trying to help Riley cope with the move, but each time, one or another Emotion gets in the way. Joy makes it her agenda that whatever happens, she won’t let Sadness take over Riley. However, in the end, it is Sadness who saves Riley from making a huge mistake, allowing her to let it all out.

This Pixar ending is a lesson for us as much as it is for Joy.

Which Pixar ending is your favorite?