The Minions are small, yellow, cylindrical creatures, who have one or two eyes.

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(left to right) Jerry, Kevin, Stuart, Dave, and Carl having an ice cream party from Despicable Me 2
They are impulsive creatures with little self-control, but with a wide-eyed wonder and odd innocence that endears them to viewers and makes them relatable. They can be pesky when they are doing weird interactions with other people, animals, or objects. Minions have standard English names (see below).

Unlike most other criminal masterminds and their usual doctrine of abusing their henchmen, Gru gets along famously with his minions. He genuinely seems to like them and shows appreciation for their hard work and support. He even seems to know each of them by name.