Fear, Disgust, and Anger (Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black)

Character Analysis

The other three emotions that round out Riley's emotional HQ are a triumvirate of comic relief. Just like Sadness, they get a larger role in Riley's life at the very end of the film, as Joy learns to share control of Riley's increasingly complex emotions.

Their main function for most of the film, however, is to react, in big, broad comedic strokes, to what's going on around them. Check out how they prepare for Riley's first day at a new school, for example:

JOY: Okay. First day of school. Very, very exciting! I was up late last night, figuring out a new plan. Here it is! Fear, I need a list of all the possible negative outcomes on the first day at a new school.

FEAR: Way ahead of you there. Does anybody know how to spell "meteor"?

JOY: Disgust. Make sure Riley stands out today. But also blends in.

DISGUST: When I'm through, Riley will look so good the other kids will look at their own outfits and barf.

JOY: Joy? (talking to herself) "Yes, Joy." You'll be in charge of the console […]. Train of Thought! Right on schedule. Anger, unload the daydreams. I ordered extra in case things get slow in class.

ANGER: It might come in handy if this new school is full of boring, useless classes. Which it probably will be.

Fear, Disgust, and Anger each have a job to do, and it's clear that they want to be the best at said job. Anger, for example, is always looking for a reason to blow his top. Take his response to Meg's seemingly innocuous mention of the new girl on Riley's old hockey team, for example:

MEG: We can pass the puck to each other without even looking. It's like mind reading!

ANGER: You like to read minds, Meg? I got something for you to read, right here!

For anyone else, this would be an overreaction. For Anger, it's a perfectly reasonable reaction—because it's his job to be angry. And given that Riley's a pre-teen, he has no shortage of opportunities to emotionally Hulk out. He's the one who comes up with a quick, "Mom and Dad got us into this mess" justification for Riley stealing her Mom's credit card, for example.

Fear and Disgust are equally good at their jobs. When Riley's having a terribad stress dream about her first day of school, for example, Fear's so well-versed in the tropes of nightmares that the otherwise unsettling dream is downright boring to him:

RILEY'S DREAM CLASSMATE: Look! Her teeth are falling out!

A mind worker sprinkles teeth in front of the camera.

ANOTHER DREAM CLASSMATE: That's disgusting.

A DIFFERENT DREAM CLASSMATE: Gross!

FEAR: Teeth falling out. Yeah, I'm used to that one. Let me guess, we have no pants on.

ONE MORE DREAM CLASSMATE: Hey, look! She came to school with no pants on!

FEAR: Called it!

Disgust, meanwhile, is perpetually ready to deliver a dramatic eye roll or sarcastic retort. It's her job to safeguard Riley's social dignity and keep Fear and Anger in line. Fittingly, when she delivers one of the film's most resonant sentiments, she does so while mocking Fear's plan to quit:

DISGUST: Emotions can't quit, genius!

She's right. Fear can't quit Riley, and neither can any of Riley's other emotions. She needs them, and they need each other, to understand the world around her and the barrage of new experiences headed her way as she embarks on the tumultuous years ahead. Riley's about to be a full-fledged teenager. Anger, Disgust, and Fear ain't seen nothin' yet.