Ken: "I would have remembered. Love your leg warmers!"
Barbie: "Nice ascot!"
―Ken and Barbie on their first encounter(Listen)[src]
Ken (full name: Kenneth Sean Carson) is a character in the Toy Story franchise. He is based on the popular Mattel toy from the Barbie toy line. He first appears in Toy Story 3, and later appears in Hawaiian Vacation. He falls in love with Barbie.
He is also known for wearing various outfits in his Dream House. Some of his outfits include a disco outfit and his bedroom outfit.
Ken is not treated very well by other members of Lotso's gang: they view him as a girl's toy and call him a "softy." He ultimately decides to be with the girl he has fallen in love with.
Ken is the first of Lotso's gang members to reform, and after Lotso's defeat, Ken and Barbie restore Sunnyside to its original heavenly atmosphere.
Ken: "Barbie, come with me and live in my dream house. I know it's crazy. I know we just met. Aww, heck, you don't know me from G.I Joe, but when I look at you, it seems like we were..."
Ken is first introduced when his boss, Lotso, tells him that Andy's toys have arrived. Shortly afterwards, Ken catches sight of Molly's old Barbie doll and (having never encountered a Barbie before) falls in love with her. Little do Barbie and Andy's toys know that Ken is a member of Lotso's gang. Ken then shows his Dream House to the toys and expresses his desire to share it with someone else, making Barbie more lovestruck.
Later that evening, when Buzz exits the Caterpillar Room to go ask Lotso to transfer them to the Butterfly Room where the older kids are located, he spots Ken spending some more time with Barbie, declaring love for each other, before he is taken away by Chunk and Twitch so they can go gambling in their hideout. Following them into the Vending Machine, Buzz spies on Ken and the other Sunnyside toys at the top of the machine, but is thrown onto the gambling table by Big Baby. Ken then orders his cohorts to capture him and take him to the library. Buzz demands Ken to let him see Lotso, but Ken refuses, telling Buzz that he has no right to see Lotso. After Buzz is restrained to a Time-Out Chair by Lotso's henchmen, Ken whistles for Bookworm to give Lotso the Buzz Lightyear instruction manual so that Lotso and his henchmen can reset Buzz
With Buzz being reset to his demo mode and brainwashed to become one of Lotso's helpers, Ken and the rest of Lotso's gang have Buzz capture Andy's toys and lock them up in their cells in the Caterpillar Room. Barbie (who is supposed to wait at Ken's Dream House) goes to the Caterpillar Room to find Ken, but catches sight of him doing wicked deeds to Buzz and her friends, causing her to become angry with him and subsequently break up with him (she snatches her scarf away), and Ken has her locked up as well.
Ken showing off in his various outfits.
The next night, Ken and Buzz take roll call to make sure that all the toys are there. Seeing that Mr. Potato Head is not in his cell and trying to run away without being seen, the two go off with Big Baby to bring him back, but Mr. Potato Head attempts to stand up to Ken and kicks him in the shin, prompting Ken to have Big Baby imprison Mr. Potato Head back in the sandbox. When Ken returns to the Caterpillar Room, Barbie calls out to him and begs him to let her be with him in his Dream House in the Butterfly Room. As Barbie begins sobbing, Ken gives in to Barbie's plea and makes her promise to do what he says.
At Ken's Dream House, Barbie is awestruck at Ken's vast collection of clothes, but Ken, thinking that Barbie is still mad at him for what he has done to her friends, tries to talk Barbie out of it by bitterly saying how no one appreciates those clothes, only for Barbie to sweet-talk him into modeling a few outfits for her. This brightens up Ken, who hasn't heard Barbie talk to him like that before, and he shows off his various outfits to Barbie, to which she applauds. As Ken finally shows off his martial arts moves in his Kung Fu Fighting outfit, he sees that Barbie is gone. Suddenly, she tackles Ken from behind his clothes rack, taking him by surprise. Barbie demands Ken to tell her what Lotso has done to Buzz and how to get Buzz back to normal. Seeing that it is a ploy by Barbie, Ken defiantly refuses, but decides to let her try.
Later, Ken is in nothing but his underwear and tied up to a paddle by Barbie, who interrogates him by mocking his outfits as she tears them in half one by one. At first, Ken tries to keep his cool as much as he can, but when she brings out his Nehru jacket, he begs her not to rip it. As Barbie starts to rip the jacket apart, Ken, not wanting to see it being sabotaged, mentions about the instruction manual. Falling over in the paddle, Ken confesses to Barbie that Lotso has switched Buzz to demo mode as he starts bawling, ashamed. When Barbie demands Ken to tell her where the manual is, Ken directs her to Bookworm.
Ken stands up for Barbie and Andy's toys
Much later, as Lotso and his henchmen corner Andy's toys at a dumpster outside the daycare grounds, Lotso orders Stretch to push Barbie and Andy's toys into the dumpster, but then Ken appears, having come for Barbie, and tries to stop Lotso from disposing her. Lotso senses Ken's love for Barbie and mocks him, thrusting his face into Ken's as he states that there are a hundred million Barbie dolls everywhere, but Ken turns to Barbie, smiling, and simply says not like the Barbie who he has met, having realized Barbie is smarter and more complex than he has initially seemed through her understanding of civics, and wins back her affections.
Angered by Ken's act of defection, Lotso grabs Ken and throws him across the dumpster to make him join her, disowning him as a gang member. Woody catches Ken and pulls him up to the chute with help from the other toys. Barbie then runs over and hugs Ken, making him astonished to realize he has won her back, then Ken speaks up in support of Barbie's view of authority and addresses Lotso's gang, telling them what Lotso has done to the toys in the daycare and how Sunnyside can be a better place. After Big Baby throws Lotso into the dumpster and slams its lid shut, Ken helps Barbie and the other toys escape the daycare, but the toys end up being loaded into a garbage truck. When Barbie wants to save her friends, Ken holds her back from risking her life, not wanting to lose her again.
Ken and Barbie, new leaders of Sunnyside
Ken and Barbie later reconcile and mend their relationship, become boyfriend and girlfriend once again. Together, the two revolutionize Sunnyside, turning the daycare into a true toy paradise for all toys, and become its new leaders. Under the couple's leadership, the daycare toys now rotate their time between the Butterfly Room and the Caterpillar Room, hold beach parties at the sandbox, and have discos in the Butterfly Room.
The next day, the toys, now residing at Bonnie's house as her new toys, receive a message from the daycare informing them that Sunnyside has become sunny once again. They read the message and assume that Barbie has written it (as remarked by Buzz about the fancy handwriting), only to find Ken's signature at the end, much to their dread.
Ken is shocked to find that he and Barbie have ended up in Bonnie's room instead of Hawaii.
Ken is now one of the protagonists in his and Barbie's own short film. As Bonnie's toys get ready for a week of relaxation, Ken and Barbie unexpectedly reveal themselves as they unzip Bonnie's backpack and step out into the room. Thinking they have landed in Hawaii, they unload their supplies.
As Ken takes a picture of Barbie in "Hawaii," Woody calls to the pair, and Ken is elated to see Woody and the other toys and reveals that the two have stowed away in Bonnie's backpack. Thinking that Bonnie's toys are also in Hawaii, Ken asks them how they have arrived, only for Woody to reveal that Ken and Barbie are in Bonnie's bedroom, making Ken dismayed that vacation plans for him and Barbie have been disrupted. After realizing he has missed their "flight" to Hawaii, Ken sinks back into Bonnie's backpack in depression.
Later, Barbie calls for Ken to come out, and when Ken opens the backpack, he is greeted by Jessie's enthusiastic "ALOHA!" then finds himself standing in "paradise" with Barbie. Woody and his friends recreate "Hawaii" for the couple, such as deep-sea diving, guided nature walk, and an entertaining dinner. After their various adventures in "Hawaii," Ken and Barbie share their first kiss in the snow at sunrise, as Woody and his friends watch through a window, but then the two fall into a snow, prompting the toys to come to their rescue by digging them out and releasing them from a block of ice.
Ken and Barbie unzip themselves out of Bonnie's backpack
Ken and Barbie meet Woody and Bonnie's toys.
Ken and Barbie react to seeing a shark on TV screen
Ken and Barbie on their guided nature walk
Ken and Barbie during their entertainment-filled dinner
Ken and Barbie share their first kiss
Toy Description[]
From Official Website:
“
Grab your binoculars and join Ken for a safari! A swinging bachelor who's always on the lookout for fun, Ken sports the perfect outfit for his eco-adventure: light blue shorts and a leopard-print shirt with short sleeves sure to keep him cool in the hot sun. And after his exciting expedition, Ken will be ready to hit the dance floor in style. His accessories include matching scarf, sensible loafers, and a fashion-forward gold belt. Dozens of additional Ken outfits sold separately.
”
Videos[]
Groovin' with Ken!
Interview with Ken
Toy Story 3 Meet "Ken"
Ken In Toy Story 3 Promo
1988 Animal Lovin Barbie Commercial
Ken in the original "Animal Lovin' Barbie" Commercial.
Ken's Dating Tips[]
Ken's Dating Tip 1
Tip #24: "Know Yourself, Be Yourself"
Ken's Dating Tip 2
Tip #31: "Play Hard to Get"
Ken's Dating Tip 3
Tip #48: "Communication is Key"
Trivia[]
The original "Animal Lovin' Ken" doll from 1988.
According to Mattel toy line history, Ken's full name is Kenneth Sean Carson. He also has a younger brother named Tommy.
His hairstyles have changed over the years. The first ever doll manufactured had short blonde hair.
In the movie, Ken wears 21 different outfits.
Ken is based on a real toy from the Barbie toyline back in 1988 called Animal Lovin' Ken.
When Buzz gets caught spying on Lotso's gang, Ken says, "Take him to the liberry!" (a mispronunciation of library), which was an intentional ad-lib by Michael Keaton. Lee Unkrich found it so funny that he kept it in.
Ken gets offended whenever people call him a girl's toy (also happens in his promo and his interview), similar to Francis from A Bug's Life when he is mistaken for a girl.
Ken: "And this, well, this is where I live. It's Ken’s Dream House. It has a disco, it’s got a dune buggy, and a whole room just for trying on clothes."
Barbie: "You have everything!"
Ken: "Everything... except someone to share it with."
―Ken shows his Dream House to Barbie and Andy's toys(Listen)[src]
Barbie: "Will I see you again?"
Ken: "Oh, I’ll see you tonight. In my dreams."
―Barbie and Ken, seemingly at the end of their first date[src]
Ken: "Okay, now you start."
Barbie: "I..."
Ken: "love..."
Barbie: "you! Oh!"
Ken: "See? That time I said "love"! Okay, now me first."
Barbie: "Ooh! Okay okay okay..."
Ken: "I..."
Barbie: "love..."
Ken: "you! You see what I mean? It changes every time!"
Ken: "Ba... Barbie! I told you to wait in the Dream House."
(Ken leads Barbie out, but Barbie looks over her shoulder to see her friends being locked up) Barbie: "What’re you doing to my friends?"
(Barbie breaks free from Ken) Ken: "Barbie, wait!"
Barbie: "Don't touch me! We're through!"
Ken: "Barbie, I didn't..."
(Barbie snatches her scarf from Ken) Barbie: "And give me my scarf back!"
―Barbie breaks up with Ken for his actions against Andy's toys[src]
Ken: "Little late for a stroll, eh, Potato Head?"
Mr. Potato Head: "That’s Mr. Potato Head to you, Smoothie!"
Ken: "Well, well, you’re turning out to be quite the trouble-maker, aren’t you? What’d you think you were gonna do? Waltz right outta here?"
Mr. Potato Head: "Yeah, and I would’ve got away with it, too, if it weren’t for you meddling toys! You ascot-wearing pink-noser! You’re not a toy! You’re an accessory! You’re a purse with legs!"
(Mr. Potato Head kicks Ken) Ken: "Ow! Take him back to the box!"
(Big Baby picks up Mr. Potato Head and carries him out of the room) Mr. Potato Head: "No! Not The Box! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! I like ascots! Really! No! No! No!"
―Ken, Buzz, and Big Baby corner Mr. Potato Head[src]
(Barbie, from her cell, calls out for Ken, sobbing) Barbie: "Ken? Ken?"
(Ken walks over to Barbie's cell) Ken: "What do you want?"
Barbie: "I can’t take it here, Ken. I want to go to the Butterfly Room. With you!"
Ken: "Yeah, well, you should’ve thought of that yesterday."
Barbie: "I was wrong! I want to be with you, Ken! I do! In your Dream House! Please, take me away from this! Take me away!"
(Barbie breaks down, sobbing; Ken is torn) Ken: "Darn it, Barbie! Okay, but, things are complicated around here. You gotta do what I say."
Barbie: "I will, Ken! I promise!"
―Barbie begs Ken to take her to his Dream House[src]
(Ken has taken Barbie to his closet in his Dream House) Ken: "And this is where the magic happens."
(Ken turns on the lights; Barbie is astounded by his vast collection of clothes) Barbie: "Look at all your clothes! I can’t believe you never brought me up here! Tennis whites! Mission to Mars!"
Ken: "I know, I know! Check this out: “Kung-Fu Fighting”, “Campus Hero” with matching sports pennant, huh?"
Barbie: "Flower Power! Oh, Ken..."
(Ken's mood drops) Ken: "No one appreciates clothes here, Barbie. No one."
Barbie: "Ken? Would you model a few outfits for me? Just a few?"
―Ken and Barbie looking over Ken's collection of clothes in his Dream House[src]
Ken: "Ready?"
Barbie: "Ready."
(Ken comes out in his Kung-Fu fighting outfit and shows off his martial arts skill, but Barbie is nowhere to be seen) Ken: "Uh, Barbie?"
(Suddenly, Barbie tackles Ken from above and turns his head toward her) Barbie: "No more games, Ken! What did Lotso do to Buzz, and how do we switch him back?"
Ken: "You can't make me talk! You can't!" (Barbie glares at him) "But I like to see you try!"
(Ken is tied to a paddle-ball as Barbie goes over his collection of clothes) Barbie: "Let's see. Hawaiian surf trunks."
(Barbie rips it apart) Ken: "Oh, Barbie! Those were vintage! It's okay. All right, go ahead, rip them. I don't care; they're dime a dozen."
(Barbie pulls out a glittering tuxedo) Barbie: "Ooh, glitter tux."
(Barbie rips it apart) Ken: "Ow! Who cares? Who cares? Sequins are tacky! Who cares?"
(Barbie finds a Nehru jacket) Barbie: "Ooh, a Nehru jacket."
(Ken gasps) Ken: "Barbie, not the Nehru!"
Barbie: "This is from what? 1967?"
Ken: "The groovy formal collection, yes!"
Barbie: "What a shame."
―Barbie rips a few of Ken's clothes to get answers
(Ken is horrified to see Barbie starting to sabotage his Nehru jacket) Ken: "Oh, no! No! No! No! There's an instruction manual!" (He falls over in the paddle) "Lotso switched Buzz to demo mode!"
(Barbie puts down the Nehru and walks over to Ken) Barbie: "Where's that manual?"
Lotso: "She's a Barbie doll, Ken. There's a hundred million just like her!"
(Ken turns to Barbie, smiling) Ken: "Not to me, there's not."
(Barbie sighs affectionately) Lotso: "Fine! Then why don't you join her!"
(Lotso throws Ken across the dumpster; Woody catches Ken and pulls him up; Barbie runs over to hug Ken) Barbie: "Oh, Ken!"
Ken: "Everyone, listen! Sunnyside could be cool and groovy if we treated each other fair! It's Lotso! He's made us all into a pyramid, and he put himself on top!"
Woody: "So I guess you could say Sunnyside is sunny once again! Hope to hear from you soon! We're all super excited about your new home! Hugs and kisses to everyone! Aw!"
Buzz: "That Barbie has nice handwriting."
Jessie: "Uh, Buzz, Barbie didn't write this."
―Woody reads message from Sunnyside, which Buzz comments on a fancy handwriting, but Jessie points Ken's signature at the end[src]
From Hawaiian Vacation[]
Ken: "Here's your bag, Barbie. You can put my luggage right here."
