Edna Mode

Edna Mode
The Incredibles character
First appearanceThe Incredibles (2004)
Created byBrad Bird
Voiced byBrad Bird
In-universe information
Full nameEdna Marie "E" Mode
AliasE
SpeciesHuman
GenderFemale
OccupationFashion designer
Costume designer

Edna "E" Mode[1][2][3] is a fictional character in Pixar's animated superhero film The Incredibles (2004) and its sequel Incredibles 2 (2018). She is an eccentric fashion designer renowned for creating the costumes of several famous superheroes, having worked particularly closely with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl (Bob and Helen Parr), with whom she has remained friends. When the couple resumes their superhero careers after a fifteen-year hiatus, Edna is summoned out of retirement to help both characters – now parents – with their costumes, personal lives, and family matters.

Edna was created by writer and director Brad Bird to explain how The Incredibles' superheroes obtain their costumes, a topic he believes is rarely explored in superhero films convincingly. Bird also decided to voice the character himself after several actresses originally considered for the role failed to replicate Edna's unique accent. The director understood that, in addition to fashion expertise, the character would need to demonstrate proficiency in science, engineering and technology in order to create costumes capable of withstanding the trials of superheroic activities, and ultimately conceived her as a short, confident character of both German and Japanese descent based on these countries' reputations as small yet powerful nations. Inspired by Q from the James Bond franchise, Edna is widely believed to have been based primarily on costume designer Edith Head, although there continues to be constant speculation as to which celebrities inspired Edna, particularly Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Iris Apfel and actress Linda Hunt.

Despite having only supporting roles in both films, Edna has since established herself as The Incredibles' breakout character due to her popularity among fans. Film critics agree that Edna is a scene-stealer, particularly praising her humor and dialogue; Bird has also been lauded for his voice acting, earning an Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production for his performance as the character. Edna has been recognized as one of Pixar's greatest characters by several prominent media publications.

  1. ^ Cotta Vaz, Mark (2015). The Art of The Incredibles. United States: Chronicle Books. p. 62. ISBN 9781452147574. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :24 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :31 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).