Pixar Wiki
Register
Advertisement

"So, being a ladybug automatically makes me a girl! Is that it, flyboy? Huh?"
—Francis, arguing with the Fly Brothers

Francis is a character in A Bug's Life.

A Bug's Life[]

Francis is a cranky ladybug who acts as a clown in P.T. Flea's circus troupe. Francis is fed up of constantly being mistaken for a girl and even picks a fight with a couple of audience members during a performance when they attempted to woo him, unaware of his actual gender.

Francis' aggressive nature makes others cry, particularly maggots and, later, little ants when he becomes a den mother to the Blueberry troops. Apparently, he was a natural mother according to Dr. Flora. Francis seems to have a strong friendship with Slim and Heimlich. While transporting over long distances, Francis has to carry Slim, who, despite being a stick insect, doesn't have wings and cannot fly.

When a bird attacks the insects, Francis sees Dot falling and rushes to catch her, but they fall into a huge gap in a canyon, where a large rock crushes Francis' leg. Because of his efforts, Dot and the Blueberries make Francis their "den mother." This annoys Francis at first, but he eventually warms up to the Blueberries while his broken leg heals. When P.T. Flea arrives on the island, Francis serves as an indirect catalyst for Flik's banishment, as he spills the beans that the idea of a makeshift bird was invented by Flik.

Much later, when Hopper takes Flik hostage, the Circus Bugs give chase. Francis loses grip of Slim while flying through a tree and is unable to locate him in the branches.

At the end of the film, when the circus troupe is about to leave, Dot and the Blueberries are seen crying as they hug Francis. Francis also helps Manny carry Heimlich since Dim is carrying the circus wagon.

Personality[]

Francis is a drag queen in the circus. Unfortunately, the effect is so convincing that insects are always mistaking him for a real girl. He is very short-tempered and aggressive, and it doesn't help that he's constantly being mistaken for a girl just because he's a ladybug. He is great friends with Slim and Heimlich, who try to keep him calm. He also carries Slim when the circus troupe fly. He becomes a "den mother" to the Blueberry Scouts.

Trivia[]

  • Francis' voice actor, Denis Leary, would later voice Diego in the Ice Age franchise.
  • Due to his pattern, Francis appears to be the rare nine-spotted ladybug, the long-lost state insect of New York.
  • Toys of Francis and other characters from A Bug's Life can be seen in Toy Story 2 at Al's Toy Barn.
  • In an outtake, Francis is revealed to have a twig stuck in his nose when he turns around, causing Slim and everyone else to laugh hysterically.
  • He is the only male insect character who has been mistaken for a female due to his appearance, as he looks more feminine than masculine.
  • His cranky personality may be a reference to the children's book The Grouchy Ladybug by the late Eric Carle.

Gallery[]

Advertisement