Mothered by despair, fathered by dread, and raised in the bowels of hell, 2019 was an incubus of existential terror. But also, it was kind of adorable?
From the cutest of kids to the goodest of dogs, the past twelve months were chock full of cuties who made us go “Awww,” “D’awww,” and occasionally “Squeeee!” But nowhere did things get cuter than in the world of entertainment.
There were obvious stars (rhymes with Yaby Boda) and surprise scene stealers, like Ruthie from BoJack Horseman. But who rose to the top of this adorable heap? We sorted it out. Here are the 10 cutest things in 2019 entertainment, ranked.
Note: Some 2019 treasures — including Ellen from The Farewell, Everest from Abonimable, Polterpup from Luigi’s Mansion 3, and the newcomers of Pokémon Sword and Shield — didn't make the cut for this list. But please, please understand, that doesn't mean we love them any less. This was a tough race, and everyone's a winner on the inside.
10. Forky from Toy Story 4
From the top of his tines to the tips of his toes, Forky was easily the cutest thing to come out of (then go back into) a trashcan this year. The poster child for crises of confidence, this Toy Story 4 ringer made our list for his undeniably good looks — Those googly eyes! Those pipe cleaner arms!! — as well as his perfect personality. In a year plagued with uncertainty, we related to Forky’s search for meaning and fear of the future. And his show on Disney+? Angelic.
9. Hilary from Fleabag
The return of Hilary is just one of many, many reasons we loved Fleabag Season 2. Whether she was cradled in the arms of one Hot Priest or gazing into the eyes of our lord and savior Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this guinea pig knows how to steal a scene and run a café. In the words of the late Boo, “This is an excellent one.”
8. Goose from Captain Marvel
Goose is almost as cute as he is impressive. Fuzzy and affectionate like your typical house cat, but with the ability to shoot tentacles from his mouth and swallow The Tesseract, this alien is as much an Avenger as Carol Danvers. And his relationship with Agent Fury? Amazing! Stupendous! Send it straight to series!! Can't wait to see this little guy return in Captain Marvel 2.
7. Dumbo from Dumbo (2019)
Disney’s Dumbo (2019) isn’t a great movie, but its take on the iconic big-eared baby made every minute in the theater worth it. With his love of feathers and appreciation for big band arrangements, Dumbo stole our hearts with every scene. There’s an argument to be made that Dumbo is in fact too cute for the movie’s own good — really, we made it — but there’s just no denying how precious he is. May he have his health, happiness, and an absolute shit ton of peanuts.
6. Link from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
In The Legend of Zelda’s 36-year history, protagonist Link has taken many forms — but 2019 Link is easily the cutest. Remodeled for Nintendo’s Link’s Awakening remake, this precious angel makes everything from gem collecting to monster slaying unfathomably charming. (Look at his little sword! Look at his little walk!!) We delighted in revisiting a game we loved, but could barely contain ourselves when it came to taking over this tiny dude.
5. Baby Ruthie from BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman isn’t known for bringing viewers joy, at least not in the traditional sense. But when Untitled Princess Carolyn Project came onto the scene? We knew things would be different. A welcome addition to the BoJack cast, Baby Ruthie was both a visual treat and a thematic touchstone for Season 6, Part 1. This itty-bitty porcupine helped bring attention to the challenges of motherhood in the modern workplace, and somehow even made screaming seem adorable — well, up to a point.
4. Bruni from Frozen II
After six long years, Frozen returned to theaters with a sequel answering questions we (and our wallets) didn’t know we had; in tow was [insert fanfare] Bruni. A fire spirit that behaves more like a miniature Labrador, Bruni embodied everything that made Frozen a hit in the first place. He was mysterious, but charming, majestic, yet approachable — and of course, the perfect companion for Elsa, one of the hardest working ice queens in show business. Let us protect him at all costs.
3. Baby Simba from The Lion King (2019)
Everything in The Lion King (2019) was stunning, but only Baby Simba was truly cute. From his big blinking eyes to that darling sneeze, Simba kicked things off right as the silent star of Lindiwe Mkhize and Lebo M.’s rendition of “Circle of Life.” Triumphantly presented in the arms of Rafiki, this little lion cub almost made Disney classic remakes seem like a good idea. Almost.
2. Detective Pikachu from Pokémon Detective Pikachu
A frontrunner in the cutest of 2019 race until The Mandalorian came out, Ryan Reynolds’ take on Pokémon’s most iconic character was mesmeric. Whether he was pounding cups of coffee or strapped into a carseat, Detective Pikachu was a perfect blend of infantile innocence and middle-aged weariness. We wanted to protect him almost as much as we wanted his advice. Here’s lookin’ at you Detective Pikachu 2, may you be as adorable as you are inevitable.
1. Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian
It’s no surprise that Baby Yoda tops this list. Sure, The Child has the benefit of some recency bias considering The Mandalorian debuted just last month — but also, he’s perfect and how dare you question him?! Week after week, this tea-drinking, frog-eating Star Wars star has warmed our hearts and given us an irrational attachment to Disney+. We love you, Baby Yoda. This is the way.
