Favorite Fictional Females Countdown #8: Dory

Ok, so she's not human... or even humanoid. But she is female, and certainly one of the funniest, most memorable, and most lovable Pixar characters yet created. In my book, that more than earns her a spot on this countdown.

Everyone, please put your fins together for the one, the only... Dory!

Name: Dory
Featured in: Finding Nemo
Voiced by: Ellen DeGeneres
Special Skills: She is very friendly, even toward sharks. She is incredibly loyal and will follow her friend across the entire ocean. Oh, and she can speak whale!
Why She Rocks: So many reasons... If Marlin is the heart of the Finding Nemo story, then Dory is the soul, keeping everyone swimming along with a smile and a song. Nothing can bring down this eternal optimist, not even "Mr. Grumpy Gills" himself. So she has a little trouble remembering things... she more than makes up for it with her friendliness, spirit, and loyalty. Let's face it... Marlin would not have made it to Nemo without Dory.

Extra points for Dory- she has the best quotes! Some examples:

• [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
• [playing with a baby jellyfish] I shall call him squishy, and he shall be mine, and he shall be my squishy!
• [dreaming] Uhhh... the sea monkeys have my money... yes, I'm a natural blue...
• [angler fish's light approaches] Yes, I see... a light. Hey, conscience, am I dead?
• I can read? That's right, I can READ!
• [translating "whale"] Okay, he either said, "move to the back of the throat," or he "wants a root beer float".
• [reading a door] Hey, look. "Esc-a-pay". I wonder what that means? That's funny, it's spelled just like the word "escape."
• [to the angler fish after Marlin and Dory trap him] No no no eating here tonight, you're on a diet!
• [in response to Marlin saying he's stuck with a fish who can't even remember her name] Boy, I bet that's frustrating.
• I suffer from short term memory loss. It runs in my family... At least I think it does... Where are they?

And Dory's most touching quote - pretty much sums up the theme of the film:

• [after hearing about Marlin's promise to Nemo] Huh. Well that's a funny thing to promise. [Marlin: What?] Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would *ever* happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo.