Violet Parr | |
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The Incredibles character | |
First appearance | The Incredibles (2004) |
Created by | Brad Bird |
Voiced by | Sarah Vowell |
In-universe information | |
Full name | Violet Parr |
Nickname | Vi[1] |
Species | Human |
Occupation | Middle school student Superhero |
Family | Bob Parr (father) Helen Parr (mother) Dash Parr (younger brother) Jack-Jack Parr (youngest brother) |
Abilities |
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Violet Parr is a fictional character in Pixar's animated superhero film The Incredibles (2004) and its sequel Incredibles 2 (2018). The oldest child of Bob and Helen Parr (Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl), Violet is born with the superhuman abilities to render herself invisible and generate force fields. Voiced by Sarah Vowell, Violet is a shy junior high school student who longs to fit in among her peers, a task she believes is hindered by her superpowers. Throughout the course of the films, Violet gradually matures and becomes more confident in herself as both a young woman and a superhero.
Violet's creator, screenwriter and director Brad Bird, decided to grant Violet the ability to turn invisible because he felt that this specific superpower mirrors some of the challenges that teenage girls experience while growing up, namely insecurity and defensiveness. Bird cast Vowell as Violet upon listening to her contribute a real-life story about her father to the radio program This American Life, with Violet ultimately becoming Vowell's first voice-acting role. Vowell identified with the character's shy, insecure nature, in addition to observing similarities between Violet's relationship with Bob and her relationship with her own father.
New computer technology was developed to animate Violet's hair, which animators identified as the most difficult component of The Incredibles since such a large quantity of hair had never been featured in a computer-animated film before. The character's hair serves as an important aspect of Violet's character development, which demonstrates her steady increase in self-confidence as she gradually ceases to hide her face behind it.
Reception towards Violet has been positive, with film critics commending her character development and relatability, as well as Vowell's vocal performance. Critics have also heavily compared Violet to the comic book superheroine the Invisible Woman, whose superpowers she shares. The character's likeness has since been used in several tie-in media and merchandise associated with the films, including toys, books and video game adaptations.