Envy

Envy is one of the new emotions introduced in Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (2024), appearing as part of Riley’s emotional growth during her teenage years. As Riley navigates the complexities of adolescence, Envy emerges alongside other sophisticated emotions like Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui to reflect the more nuanced feelings that come with growing up.

True to her name, Envy represents that familiar pang of wanting what others have – whether it’s a skill, possession, achievement, or quality that Riley observes in her peers. She embodies the uncomfortable but universal experience of comparison that becomes particularly acute during the teenage years, when social dynamics and peer relationships take on heightened importance.

Visually, Envy is designed as a smaller emotion compared to the core five, reflecting her more specific and targeted nature. Her appearance captures the essence of her emotion through carefully considered design choices that make her instantly recognisable as the embodiment of envious feelings.

As part of Inside Out 2’s exploration of emotional maturity, Envy serves to illustrate how our emotional landscape becomes more complex as we age. She works alongside Riley’s other emotions to navigate the challenges of adolescence, representing those moments when we can’t help but wish we had what someone else possesses.