Every Villain That Returns In Despicable Me 4's Prison Scene

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for Despicable Me 4.


Summary

  • Despicable Me 4 features iconic villains in a prison concert, including Vector, Mr. Perkins, El Macho, Balthazar Bratt, Scarlet & Herb Overkill, and The Vicious 6.
  • Despicable Me 4 is full of Easter eggs and callbacks to previous films.
  • The concert scene in Despicable Me 4 hints at potential future storylines for the imprisoned villains and their relationships with each other.


The prison scene at the end of Despicable Me 4 features cameos by many of the franchise’s iconic villains. Consisting of six films, the Despicable Me movies have produced many iconic rival villains for Gru (Steve Carell) and his minions to battle since the first film in 2010. Though Gru has now turned to a life of heroics, he often encounters villains from his past, including Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) in Despicable Me 4. Their history goes back to a years-old dispute over villain hype song preference.

Though they have their differences in the film, at the end of Despicable Me 4, Gru visits Maxime at the Anti-Villain League (AVL) prison to finally settle their argument. Together, they perform “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” originally by Tears for Fears. As Gru and Maxime sing, the prisoners in the jail, including some recognizable faces, dance along merrily. Among other intriguing prisoners, whose stories might be explored in the continuing Despicable Me franchise, are many of the series’ most notable villains.


Despicable Me Villains

What Film They First Appeared In

Vector

Despicable Me

Mr. Perkins

Despicable Me

El Macho

Despicable Me 2

Balthazar Bratt

Despicable Me 3

Scarlet & Herb Overkill

Minions

The Vicious 6: Belle Bottom, Nun-Chuck, Stronghold, Svengeance, Jean Clawed

Minions: The Rise of Gru


6 Vector


Voiced by Jason Segel, Vector was Gru’s first nemesis in Despicable Me. The two competed for the title of the 21st century’s greatest supervillain. In the film, Gru proves he is the better villain, though he soon turns to a life of crime-fighting. While Vector’s plans are occasionally well executed, he struggles to live up to his father’s expectations and is often criticized by him during the film. However, both Vector and his father are shown to be incarcerated in the AVL prison in Despicable Me 4.

Despicable Me 4 is not Vector’s first dancing feature in the film’s ending. In the credits of Despicable Me, Vector is shown dancing on the moon, where he is stuck at the end of the movie. Vector reuses some of his dance moves at the prison concert and introduces some new techniques. Even his outfit is recycled, as he can continue wearing his iconic orange jumpsuit inside prison.


5 Mr. Perkins

Mr. Perkins was the director of the Bank of Evil and was revealed to be Vector’s father in Despicable Me. As Vector’s father, Mr. Perkins was the film’s secondary antagonist, secretly supporting his son’s evil schemes. Though not as a significant character, Mr. Perkins returns in some of the other franchise films as well. In Minions: The Rise of Gru, he appears as a minor but influential force, working at the Bank of Evil in the 1970s.

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In Despicable Me 4, Mr. Perkins is seen dancing in the background of the concert next to a previously unseen villain: a brain and eyeballs floating in a tank. Mr. Perkins wears an orange suit similar to his typical work attire in the other films, making him recognizable as a former Bank of Evil employee. Though he doesn’t have a speaking part in the movie, Mr. Perkins is voiced by Will Arnett.

4 El Macho

El Macho, also known as Eduardo Perez, is the primary villain of Despicable Me 2. He owns Salsa & Salsa, a Mexican restaurant in the mall where Gru and Lucy work. Gru recognizes Perez as his very muscular alter-ego, El Macho. In Despicable Me 2, El Macho works with Dr. Nefario to kidnap and mutate Gru’s minions using the PX-41 formula. Benjamin Bratt voices El Macho, though he doesn’t speak in Despicable Me 4.


Vector and El Macho also appear as boss characters in the Minion Rush mobile game.

In Despicable Me 4,El Macho is recognizable in his signature red mask and golden chain, with ample chest hair showing. He is the only featured villain in the prison to don any color other than the standard orange and white. The shot lingers on him and the other villains in his row as they dance spiritedly to Gru and Maxine’s song.

3 Balthazar Bratt


Voiced by Trey Parker, the former child star Balthazar Bratt was the main villain of Despicable Me 3. In the film, he tries to take over and destroy Hollywood. In his AVL villain profile, Bratt is described as “narcissistic yet extremely insecure,” which manifests in his quest to return to fame. In Despicable Me 3, Bratt is a brilliant and capable adversary of Gru, showing little mercy for Gru’s family or the city of Los Angeles.

Mel with laser eye as a Mega Minion in Despicable Me 4 and transformation pods

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Outside of prison, Bratt typically wears a purple 1980s-style jumpsuit with shoulder pads. In his Despicable Me 4 appearance, Bratt wears an orange suit reminiscent of his regular clothes and maintains his retro hair and style. This consistency in his appearance likely means Bratt still holds the same values and goals as in his original film, though his character only appears in a cameo. Bratt, El Macho, and Vector all share a row at Gru and Maxime’s prison concert.


2 Scarlet and Herb Overkill

Scarlet Overkill, assisted by her husband Herb, is the main villain of the Minions film. In the movie, as the minions look for the most evil master to serve, Scarlet proves herself worthy of their service as she attempts to steal St. Edward’s Crown from the Queen of England. Herb is a loyal and loving companion to Scarlet, supporting her ambitions. Despite her criminal origins in the 1960s, Scarlet and Herb did not seem to age in between Despicable Me movies. In their feature film, Scarlet is voiced by Sandra Bullock, while Jon Hamm plays Herb.

In the
Minions
film, the minions also serve a T-Rex, a pharaoh, Count Dracula, Blackbeard, and Napoleon Bonaparte before serving Scarlet. These other “
villains
” are not featured in the prison scene.


Despite her various death threats and attempts on their lives, the minions dance alongside Scarlet in the final scene of Despicable Me 4. Scarlet and Herb also party together, spinning and twirling to the song. Scarlet and Bell Bottom high-five, showing a potentially budding friendship/partnership from their time in prison. In the scene, Scarlet wears an orange version of her usual dress instead of a jumpsuit.

1 The Vicious 6


The Vicious 6 is a team of iconic villains in Minions: The Rise of Gru. Led by the 1970s disco diva Belle Bottom, the Vicious 6 includes the weapon-wielding Nun-Chuck, muscular Stronghold, Swedish roller skater Svengeance, and French strongman Jean Clawed. Originally, the group’s sixth member was Wild Knuckles, until he was lost in Minions: The Rise Of Gru, and Belle Bottom took over. The backgrounds and personalities of the group’s secondary members go relatively unexplored in their film and Despicable Me 4.

At the end of the Minions: The Rise Of Gru, the five remaining members of the Vicious 6 were turned into rats. However, between the films, they were returned to their human forms and imprisoned by the AVL. One of the main goals of the Vicious 6 was to destroy the AVL, making their imprisonment ironic. In Despicable Me 4, the group members open their cell doors in sync with Gru and Maxime’s song and join the crowd of other villains, dancing along to the music.