The Minions from the Despicable Me franchise seem immortal and ageless, but how old are they exactly and what is their history on earth?
The age of the Minions from the Despicable Me films is somewhat of a mystery throughout the franchise– so how old exactly are the Minions? Set in 1975 and focusing on an 11-year-old Gru (Steve Carell), Minions: The Rise of Gru, the latest film in the franchise, has raised this issue again as the Minions appear no younger than they did in the main series. However, it is in the first film of the spinoff series dedicated to the Minions themselves, Minions, that an answer to the question of the age of the Minions can be found.
After the first film of the franchise, Despicable Me, in 2010, the Minions’ popularity has been on the rise. Subsequently, the Minions became one of the most recognizable and well-liked products of the Despicable Me franchise and, more broadly, of its production company, Universal Pictures. Many different Minions are mentioned by name in the Despicable Me movies and media, but the three Minions that audiences are most familiar with are Kevin, Stuart, and Bob. They make up the lead trio of Minions who feature in all the films in the Despicable Me franchise and who star in the Despicable Me prequel series.
With the childlike behavior that characterizes them, it would be easy to assume that the Minions, all voiced by the same actors, are nothing but children. Minions, the first film of the spinoff series dedicated to them, provides an insight into who the Minions are and how old they are. The film shows that the Minions existed in the Cretaceous Period since they interact with a Tyrannosaurus rex in the film. Therefore, the Minions have been around for at least 60 million years. In fact, the Minions came into existence 3.8 billion years ago: they have been alive for approximately as long as life on planet Earth has been around.
What We Know About the Minions’ History on Earth
Some of the most defining characteristics of the Minions are their love of bananas and the almost incomprehensible language they speak. As the Minions timeline and history on Earth, Minions offers some explanation, as it starts narrating its story from the very beginning. The opening scene of the film reveals that the Minions evolved in the ocean from single-celled creatures to fully formed Minions as they appear today. Their sole purpose is, and has always been, to serve the most despicable master they can find. Without anyone to serve, the Minions become listless and miserable.
That is why the Minions are always in search of a master. Throughout Minions, they serve different leaders, accidentally killing all of their masters. At the beginning of the film, they find their first despicable master, a Tyrannosaurus rex, followed by a caveman and an Egyptian pharaoh. Most notably, the Minions also serve famous historical figures, such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Dracula, until they accidentally expose the latter to sunlight on his 357th birthday. On a mission to find their next master, the Minions discover Villain-Con in 1968 and, after a series of adventures in London, eventually find a young Gru. As it is evident from the other Despicable Me and Minions movies, the Minions decide that Gru is the despicable master they have been looking for.
Because the Minions have existed since the dawn of time, it is reasonable to assume that they will live on forever. The Minions also seem not to age and are shown to have a high degree of invulnerability, surviving otherwise deadly encounters and dangers. Since the Minions appear to be immortal, they will have a lot more despicable adventures and evil masters to follow in the future.
