Power Dynamics in Minions: The Rise of Gru through Hobbes’s Leviathan

Authors

  • Belinda Angela Suawah MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Hayden Reinhart Christensen Hidajat MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Tan Farren Keitaro MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Sharren Rose Gani MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
  • Noell Raja Pasaribu Habeahan MAKARIOS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Keywords:

Authority, Leviathan, Hobbesian, Leadership, Minions

Abstract

This study uses Hobbes’s Power Theory, The Social Contract Theory, from Leviathan (1651), as the main lens to analyze the movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru. Using a qualitative method of the research minions ac, the film's narrative, the research identifies three main Hobbesian parallels: 1) The Minions’ initial chaotic and ungoverned behavior perfectly represents the State of Nature, characterized by self-interest and disorder. 2) Gru's early actions, including his challenge to and theft from the Vicious 6, illustrate the inherent Hobbesian struggle for power and the conflict between individual ambition and existing authority. 3) Gru’s ultimate rise to leadership and the imposition of rules demonstrates the creation of the Leviathan (sovereign authority), which is necessary to curb chaos and unify the group with a shared purpose. The study concludes that the film supports Hobbes's central thesis: that strong authority and control are essential for transitioning from anarchy to a stable, purposeful society. It demonstrates that modern animation can serve as a literal case study for the Social Contract, where subjects trade total freedom for the protection of a "Sovereign." This research calls for further research by contrasting Hobbes’s "fear-based" authority with Machiavellian "virtue" to see how Gru maintains power.

References

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Harahap, G. V. S. T., Simbolon, G. M. H., Pasaribu Habeahan, J. A. M., Brasco, P. P. I., & Varen Raist. (2025). Unveiling power relations: A comparative analysis of individual and group influence in Wish (2023) movie. Boanerges: Makarios Education Journal, 3(1), 80–89. https://streamfly.tech/index.php/boanerges/article/view/42

Hobbes, T. (1996). Leviathan (R. Tuck, Ed.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1651)

Hobbes, T. (2008). Leviathan (J. C. A. Gaskin, Ed.). Oxford University Press. (Original work published 1651)

Holy Bible. (2011). New International Version. Biblica. (Original work published 1973).

Lao Tzu. (2006). Tao te ching (S. Mitchell, Trans.). Harper Perennial Modern Classics. (Original work published ca. 4th century B.C.E.)

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Meledandri, C., Healy, J., & Renaud, C. (Producers), & Balda, K. (Director). (2022). Minions: The rise of Gru [Film]. Illumination Entertainment; Universal Pictures.

Pandolfini, V., Petkova, B., & Verlage, T. (2022). Youth aspirations towards the future: Agency, strategy and life choices in different structural contexts. In S. Benasso, D. Bouillet, T. Neves, & M. Parreira do Amaral (Eds.), Landscapes of lifelong learning policies across Europe: Comparative case studies (pp. 63–88). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96454-2_4

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Published

2026-02-28

How to Cite

Suawah, B. A., Hidajat, H. R. C., Keitaro, T. F., Gani, S. R., & Habeahan, N. R. P. (2026). Power Dynamics in Minions: The Rise of Gru through Hobbes’s Leviathan. Boanerges: Makarios Education Journal, 3(2), 194–202. Retrieved from https://streamfly.tech/index.php/boanerges/article/view/51

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): BOANERGES

Section

Table of Contents

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