Stuart the Minion is a character from Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me franchise. Stuart is a one-eyed Minion characterized by his rebelliousness and playfulness, and like every Minion, his love for bananas. He is considered to be a slacker compared to the other Minions, preferring to relax and play the ukulele, rather than listening to orders. Stuart has made appearances in all Despicable Me and Minions films and short films, as one of three core Minions alongside Kevin and Bob.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Stuart the Minion made his debut as a giant helium balloon in the 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, injecting a little joyful mayhem into the holiday revelry as he mistakes a marcher dressed as a banana costume for an actual banana and attempt to grab a mid-Parade treat.
The Stuart balloon flew directly above a battalion of Frantic Bananas, not being able to resist the temptation of his favorite treat for long. The Stuart balloon, measuring 40-feet long, 28-feet wide and 37-feet tall, is the second Illumination character to appear in the famed procession, spiritually succeeding The Grinch balloon that appeared in the Parade between 2017 to 2019.
The animated man in a banana suit that Stuart holds in his right hand is 3D-printed, marking the first-ever Macy's Parade balloon to use details created by a 3D printer. In a panic, the man kicks his legs, making Stuart the fourth Parade balloon constructed by Macy's to be animated.
Despite a bent left arm during the balloon's debut flight, the Stuart balloon was a fan-favorite. Stuart returned to cause more minion mayhem in the 2023 Parade, where he would be infront of a new Illumination balloon, being of Uncle Dan, from the film Migration. Stuart will take his third flight in 2024.