Despicable Me (2010) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Gru's decision to target the Moon comes after his ego is severely deflated when Vector steals the Great Pyramid of Giza right out from under him. Since the Pyramid theft has already diminished Gru's reputation as a top supervillain, he needs an even more ambitious heist to prove his greatness. The Moon represents the ultimate challenge and the only thing that could restore his status as the world's greatest villain.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, Gru's obsession with maintaining his villainous reputation is established through his reaction to the Pyramid theft.

• Gru
• moon heist
• pyramid theft
• Vector
• villain reputation

The film doesn't show the exact method Vector uses, but it establishes that he succeeds by being faster and more cunning than Gru. Vector is portrayed as an up-and-coming rival who operates with high-tech equipment and clever tactics. The theft establishes Vector as a legitimate threat and sets up the rivalry between the two villains.

• Vector
• pyramid theft
• supervillain
• heist method

Gru adopts Margo, Edith, and Agnes as a strategic ploy to get close to Vector. He notices that the girls are permitted entry to Vector's lair to sell cookies, so he pretends to be a dentist and goes through the adoption process. His original intention is to use the girls as pawns, sending them to distract Vector while he infiltrates the fortress to recover the shrink ray.

• Gru
• Margo
• Edith
• Agnes
• adoption
• Vector scheme

Despite planning to abandon the girls at the amusement park as part of his scheme, Gru unexpectedly forms a genuine emotional bond with them during their time together. The girls' innocent charm and warmth gradually break through his cold supervillain exterior, making it impossible for him to leave them. This moment marks the beginning of Gru's transformation from selfish villain to caring guardian.

• Gru
• Margo
• Edith
• Agnes
• bonding
• family
• adoption

Mr. Perkins rejects Gru's shrink ray demonstration despite Gru having successfully obtained the device. The exact reason isn't fully detailed in the summary, but Perkins' rejection seems designed to test Gru's resourcefulness and commitment. Perkins later reveals he has been manipulating events behind the scenes, suggesting his rejection was part of a larger scheme to control both Gru and Vector.

Foreshadowing: Perkins' later revelation that Vector is his son explains his initial interest in Gru's competition with Vector.

• Mr. Perkins
• shrink ray
• bank of evil
• Gru rejection

Mr. Perkins reveals to Vector that he is Vector's father. Upon learning that Gru has obtained the shrink ray, Perkins alerts Vector to thwart Gru's moon heist. This father-son dynamic explains Perkins' earlier interest in both villains and his motivation to protect his son's rival status while undermining Gru's success.

• Mr. Perkins
• Vector
• father
• betrayal
• moon heist

Nefario and the Minions discover that the shrink ray's effects are temporary and work based on an inverse relationship between size and duration, the larger the object, the quicker it returns to normal size. Since the Moon is the largest object imaginable, its shrinking effect was always going to be the shortest-lived, which becomes critical during the climax when the Moon begins reverting to full size while Gru and the girls are still at Vector's fortress.

Foreshadowing: Nefario's calculations about the optimal heist day hint at the complex physics involved in the shrink ray.

• shrink ray
• Moon
• Nefario
• temporary effect
• size reversal

Gru launches an all-out assault on Vector's fortress, evading all defenses with determination. When Vector attempts to escape in his aircraft with the Moon, Nefario and the Minions use their knowledge of the temporary shrinking effect to time the rescue perfectly. As the Moon begins returning to its full size, it launches into orbit with such force that it destroys Vector's aircraft, while Gru, Nefario, and the Minions rescue the girls in the chaos.

• Gru
• rescue
• Vector fortress
• Moon
• Minions
• Nefario

Vector's escape fails because he miscalculates the timing of the shrink ray's reversal. Thinking he can flee with the Moon as his leverage, Vector doesn't account for the fact that the Moon will rapidly return to its full size. When the Moon reverts to normal, its massive size and trajectory send it directly into orbit, destroying Vector's escape aircraft and leaving him defeated.

• Vector
• escape
• Moon
• aircraft
• defeat
• shrink ray reversal

Nefario calculates that the optimal day for the moon heist coincides with the girls' ballet recital, putting Gru in a difficult position between his villainous ambitions and his new family responsibilities. Despite the girls' excitement about the recital and Nefario's suggestion to remove the girls as distractions, Gru ultimately chooses to proceed with the heist alone, believing he can complete it in time. However, his calculation is off, he misses the recital and the girls are kidnapped during his absence.

• Gru
• ballet recital
• moon heist
• timing
• Nefario

Nefario calls Miss Hattie, the orphanage owner, because he believes the three girls are becoming a dangerous distraction that could compromise the moon heist. He acts out of concern for Gru's success rather than malice toward the girls. However, Gru ignores Nefario's advice and decides to proceed with the heist alone, leaving Nefario behind.

• Nefario
• Miss Hattie
• orphanage
• girls
• distraction

When Gru discovers that Vector has kidnapped the girls, he arrives at Vector's fortress and voluntarily surrenders the Moon in exchange for their safe return. This moment demonstrates Gru's transformation from a selfish villain to someone who values his new family more than his greatest achievement. However, Vector cruelly refuses to return the girls even after receiving the Moon, which triggers Gru's furious assault on the fortress.

• Gru
• Moon
• Vector
• girls
• surrender
• rescue