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Z-4195
- Voiced By: Woody Allen
Z is a neurotic, meek and pessimistic worker ant who wanted to be someone else.
- Attention Whore: When he tries to get attention from Bala. Also in a later scene, after he becomes a (false) war hero and enjoys the audience cheering for him.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: The little guy to Weaver, his large and muscular best friend.
- Character Development: In the end of the film, he realizes the colony is able to survive because while individually insignificant, the ants are mighty when they all work together.
- Deadpan Snarker: Deconstructed with Z, who only snarks when he is nervous.Z: How can I possibly be nervous being a piece of construction equipment?
- Disney Death: After the climax of the movie, Z appears to have drowned. Bala manages to revive him with CPR.
- The Eeyore: Before meeting Bala, he was depressed and pessimistic with his life.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: He and Weaver have known each other a long time. They're brothers — one was born a second before the other. (Of course, they're one of a million siblings.)
- I Just Want to Be Special: Z runs away from the colony because he hates being an insignificant part of some huge thing. Subverted in that he realizes he can be both — since he chose to be.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's rather selfish for most of the film, but he will eventually go through Character Development and do the right thing for the colony.
- Love at First Sight: Falls for Bala instantly.
- Motor Mouth: He has a tendency to go into neurotic rants. Understandable considering who voices him.
- Nervous Wreck: Naturally portrayed by Woody Allen as the constantly anxious, insecure and nebbish whiner.
- Non-Action Snarker: During the battle with the termites he does absolutely nothing besides complaining. He only survives through pure luck.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The meek, scrawny Sensitive Guy to his best friend Weaver, a big and manly soldier.
- Spanner in the Works: As far as General Mandible is concerned.
- Speech Impediment: Z stutters and has a lisp.
- Took a Level in Badass: During the Sneaker scene. According to Word of God, Z had been a Neutral Male too much of the film and had to become more heroic.
General Mandible
- Voiced By: Gene Hackman
General Mandible is the general of the Colony. He wants to rebuild the Colony to his own liking by killing every other ant and termite.
- Arranged Marriage: Between him and Princess Bala, not that she's happy about it.
- Big Bad: He's the main villain of the film whose political machinations involve assassinating the queen, murdering the worker class, and constructing a new colony with his loyal soldiers as the only caste.
- Corrupt Politician: No kidding! He wants to take over the colony and destroy its "weak elements".
- Disney Villain Death: He falls to his death on an upturned root, killing him on impact. Subverted, as unlike most Disney villain deaths, they do show the aftermath (although it's from a fair distance).
- Evil Counterpart: To the Queen Ant.
- Faux Affably Evil: He always presents himself as polite and well-spoken. However, it becomes clear later on that he is not a nice guy in the slightest.
- Final Solution: By drowning all the worker ants into a flood.
- General Ripper: He deliberately sends thousands of soldiers loyal to the queen to their deaths in a suicidal attack on the termites, so that he can then wipe out the rest of the colony unopposed, and start his own colony that consists of nothing but his loyal soldiers.
- Hate Sink: He is a despicable bastard in every way and has no redeeming qualities.
- Hypocrite: For all his preaching about one ant's life being insignificant and that the colony is what matters, he's later revealed to have an inflated sense of self-importance to the point he believes he's the only one that matters.
- I Am the Noun: "I AM the Colony!"
- In Their Own Image: His plan as a whole. He planned on making a new, more militant colony made from his and Bala's offspring once she becomes queen, but only after sending all the soldiers loyal to the current queen on a suicide mission to raid the neighboring termite nest and then drowning all the workers and the queen herself by having the Mega Tunnel flooded.
- It's All About Me: His "I am the colony" line reveals his plans are ultimately self-serving.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: It seems at first glance that despite his plan, he has a soft spot for Princess Bala. However, it's later obvious that he only wants to use her in his goal to start a new colony as his queen and doesn't care at all that she hates him nor that he's depriving her of her mother.
- Knight of Cerebus: Compared to most DreamWorks Animation villains, there isn't much to lighten the mood about him.
- Knight Templar: He wishes to purge the colony of "weaker elements" (i.e. the Queen and all of the workers) and set up a new colony with his loyal soldiers and Bala as his Queen. Subverted when it turns out his motivations are far more selfish.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: General Mandible.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: Due to Mandible's dark pursuits of eliminating whoever he considers weak and unworthy to be a part of his new world.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: He is a military leader who sends his army into a wasteful war against a far greater power, tries to remove one monarch from power so he can keep his successor a figurehead and wanting to exterminate those he considers inferior. He is pretty much an ant version of Ion Antonescu
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Claims what he does is for the good of the colony, but Z quickly points out he aims to drown the colony. When Cutter calls him out, he exclaims that HE is the colony.
- Pragmatic Villainy: He seemed somewhat reluctant to have to send all the soldier ants loyal to the queen, but only because there are some fine officers among them rather than because of their well being.
- Self-Disposing Villain: His attempt to attack Cutter (which he appears to make with no forethought whatsoever) ends up sending him plummeting to his Disney Villain Death.
- The Social Darwinist: He justifies his plans for mass murder by saying he's getting rid of the colony's "weaker elements".
- Sociopathic Soldier: He's a high-ranking general of the soldier class within the colony, as well as a genocidal madman willing to exterminate anyone who doesn't fit his image of the perfect ant.
- Villainous Breakdown:Cutter: This is for the good of the colony. (extends hand to Z)General Mandible: You useless, ungrateful maggot! I am the colony!
- Villain with Good Publicity: General Mandible is excellent at Rousing Speeches that inflate his reputation at the cost of his foes.
- Would Hit a Girl: He threatens to harm Azteca if Weaver doesn't reveal any useful information on Z's whereabouts. That, and she's a worker ant.
- Would Hurt a Child: Mandible also planned to drown the larvae. Given none of his soldiers took any larvae with them, it seems that he didn't even bother to check which of them are soldier material. This was foreshadowed a bit when he cuddles a larva during his conversation with the queen, and then just hand it to a surprised Cutter. He may have planned to start fresh with Bala.
Princess Bala
- Voiced By: Sharon Stone
Bala is the princess of the Colony who suddenly meets Z, the worker ant.
- Arranged Marriage: With General Mandible. She's not happy about it.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She doesn't like Z at first, but eventually warms up to him.
- Rebellious Princess: She is bored with being a member of the royalty and uses a bar to escape her suffocating life.
- Rich Bitch: Initially. She becomes less snooty and bitchy over the course of the film.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl (being a princess) to Azteca's Tomboy (a female worker).
- Tsundere: The Harsh type towards Z, initially.
- Uptown Girl: A princess who is paired with a lowly worker ant.
Weaver
- Voiced By: Sylvester Stallone
Weaver is a soldier ant who is good friends with Z since early childhood.
- Beta Couple: With Azteca. He asks her out and they get together.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: Weaver is the large and muscular best friend of the scrawny Z.
- Category Traitor: He might be considered to be one to General Mandible and other like-minded soldiers for his dislike of the way they treat workers, as well as falling in love with one.
- Heroic Build: He has burly arms and broad shoulders, befitting his status as soldier.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Z. Well, they're actually brothers, since Weaver was born 2 seconds after Z.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: He's a heroic soldier ant with a prominent chin.
- Love at First Sight: With Azteca (and vice-versa?).
- My God, What Have I Done?: Weaver is utterly crushed and blames himself when he thinks that Z got killed during a suicide attack on the neighboring termite colony because Weaver allowed Z to switch places with him for a day.
- Odd Friendship: With Z who is a worker while Weaver is a soldier.
- Pair the Spares: The only reason why he's paired with Z's co-worker Azteca.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The Manly soldier to Z's scrawny and neurotic Sensitive Guy.
Azteca
- Voiced By: Jennifer Lopez
Azteca is a worker ant who is Z's partner for construction.
- Beta Couple: With Weaver. After Weaver took Z's place as a worker, he asks her out and they get together.
- Leg Focus: When she and Weaver first meet, Weaver’s eyes trail down to her legs. She redirects his attention back up to her eyes.
- Pair the Spares: The only reason why she's paired with Z's friend Weaver.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy worker "obsessed with digging" to Bala's Girly princess.
- Women Prefer Strong Men: She is quickly impressed by Weaver's muscles.
Colonel Cutter
- Voiced By: Christopher Walken
Colonel Cutter serves as the second in command of General Mandible. However, he doesn't really trust Mandible.
- Affably Evil: Despite working for the Big Bad, Cutter himself is cordial enough and even respects the workers for their place in the colony, which is where he and Mandible don't see eye to eye.
- The Dragon: For Mandible.
- The Dreaded: Subverted. Cutter is initially presented as this by Mandible, with the latter suggesting that Cutter is even more ruthless than he is. He turns out to be affable and decent, growing more and more disapproving of Mandible's extremism until his Heel–Face Turn.
- Everyone Has Standards: Towards the end of the film, Cutter begins to doubt General Mandible's plans of mass genocide as he's come to respect the workers for their role in maintaining the colony. He eventually gets fed up with Mandible and pulls a Heel–Face Turn to help save the colony.
- Heel–Face Turn: At the end, he finally turns against Mandible and decides to help Z.
- Meaningful Name: His name is derived from leafcutter ants.
- Minion with an F in Evil: Despite being The Dragon, he's actually a pretty decent guy who comes to respect the workers for their role in the colony.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Colonel Cutter.
- Punch-Clock Villain: The only villainous thing about him is that he's in league with Mandible, but is otherwise affable to those he interacts with. He eventually turns on Mandible as he begins having doubts about his plan.
- Talk to the Fist: He punches an Insectopia resident that tries to greet him.
- Token Flyer: Colonel Cutter is the only ant shown in the movie with wings.
Barbatus
- Voiced By: Danny Glover
Barbatus was a soldier ant who met Z as the worker converted to battle termites. However, Barbadus was killed by the slaughter.
- Big Damn Heroes: Saves Z by single-handily killing a termite.
- Losing Your Head: At the end of the battle ends up as just a head. Thanks to the oddities of ant anatomy, his head survives long enough to speak some last words to Z before dying.
- Nice Guy: From what we have seen of his interactions with Z, he's a friendly, affable guy.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He's only around for the termite battle, but his last words really inspired Z to live against General Mandible's philosophy. He was later brought up by Z to Bala, making her realize the mistake of putting Mandible in charge of everything.
- War Is Glorious: Has this type of view when going into battle against the termites. But soon realize that War Is Hell.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He's killed in the battle with the termites, along with all the other soldiers.
Queen Ant
- Voiced By: Anne Bancroft
Princess Bala's mother and the ruler of the ants.
- Adipose Rex: Although her head and torso have similar proportions to worker ants, her abdomen is massive. Justified, as she's an Insect Queen.
- Horrible Judge of Character: She thinks Mandible will be a good husband to her daughter. Though ironically, the Queen herself doesn't really think highly of Mandible any more than her daughter does; and it shows when Bala's been "kidnapped" by Z and she scolds Mandible for his failure to retrieve her.
- Insect Queen: She is both royalty and the literal mother of the colony.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Which is probably the reason why Mandible wants her killed too.
Foreman
- Voiced By: Grant Shaud
- Bad Boss: Punishes Azteca by removing her rations just because she stood up for Weaver. It seems it's not the first time he punishes her whenever she talks back.
- Dirty Coward: When the Foreman ends up triggering the flood, runs for his life just like the others. When all seems lost, he is quick to state that the situation is hopeless.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be somewhat demanding and harsh at times, but he is just as horrified when the flooding occurs.
- Just Following Orders
- No Name Given: His given name is never revealed and he is only credited as Foreman.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Due to being the foreman, it makes him feel superior among the workers.
Chip and Muffy
- Voiced By: Dan Aykroyd (Chip) and Jane Curtin (Muffy)
Two wasps who meet Z and Bala.
- Condescending Compassion: Muffy takes incredible pity on the "poor, dirty, smelly" Z and Bala when they ask a simple question of how to get to the food wrapped in plastic at a picnic. She couldn't be more condescending if she tried.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Muffy, when a fly swatter suddenly hits the floor when she was kissing Chip, killing her.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Chip goes to living in a bottle (literally) after Muffy dies. He spends the rest of the film quite drunk.
- Edible Theme Naming: They seem to be named after chocolate chips and muffins respectively.
- Gentle Giant: They are giant from an ant's point of view. Muffy more so than Chip, who mildly admonishes her for her charity towards "lowly" crawling insects like ants when they first met Z and Bala.
- Happily Married: Despite having different points of view they genuine love each other. That makes the fact that Muffy dies almost immediately even more sadder.
- The Lost Lenore: Muffy becomes this for Chip after a fly swatter squashes her.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Muffy is this in a Rich Bitch way; while Chip doesn't want to so much as stick out a leg to help Z and Bala, Muffy takes it upon herself to help them, albeit out of a sense of pure Condescending Compassion.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: From mild bantering to "Cuddly Widdles" and "my big, strong pheromone factory". It made Z and Bala lose their appetite.
- Stealth Pun: They are wasps that have the snobbish, condescending mannerisms of stereotypical White Anglo-Saxon Protestant people.
