FINDING NEMO - POP Disney N° 1815 - Darla

Finding Nemo — Disney POP! No. 1815 Darla

Welcome one of the most feared characters from the dentist’s surgery aquarium with this POP! Disney No. 1815 figurine featuring Darla, the dentist’s young niece from the Disney and Pixar film Finding Nemo. Designed by Funko, it captures her instantly recognisable look, complete with her ginger pigtails, braces and pink handbag.

Darla is depicted with a full head of orange hair divided into two large plaits, each held in place by a purple hair tie. Her freckles, rosy cheeks and large black eyes reflect the characteristic style of POP! figures, whilst her prominent metal braces span her smile.

The figure is wearing a purple jumper featuring the words ‘Rock n Roll Girl’. A yellow and black checked skirt, high white socks and black shoes complete her outfit. This combination of colours and patterns faithfully recreates the character’s exuberant look from the film.

Darla is also holding a large pink bag in her left hand. This accessory reinforces the impression that she has just arrived at her uncle’s practice to collect a new fish. Her relatively calm demeanour deliberately contrasts with the panic her presence causes amongst the aquarium’s inhabitants.

Made from PVC, the figurine comes in an illustrated window box bearing the Disney-Pixar Finding Nemo logo and the number 1815. The packaging allows the figurine to be displayed whilst protecting it, and features Darla’s portrait as well as the aquatic colours of the franchise across its various panels.

Technical specifications

• Manufacturer: Funko

• Main licence: Disney / Pixar

• Film: Finding Nemo

• Character: Darla

• Collection: POP! Disney

• Collection number: 1815

• Product type: Collectable figurine

• Approximate height: 9.7 cm

• Material: PVC / vinyl

• Packaging: Illustrated window box

• Packaging dimensions: 11.5 × 9 × 16 cm

• BEM’S range: Figurine

• BEM’S category: Bobble Head POP

• Officially licensed product: Yes

• Funko reference: 86567

• EAN: 0889698865678

Character background and lore

Darla Sherman is the niece of Philip Sherman, the dentist who owns the aquarium where Nemo is placed after being caught. She is due to receive the young clownfish as a present during her visit to the surgery.

However, her reputation precedes her arrival. The fish in the aquarium remember that she handles her pets with far too much enthusiasm and that she shakes the bags containing the fish she is given as presents. Her presence therefore causes a real panic amongst Gill, Boule, Deb, Jacques and the other residents. Pixar, in fact, portrays Darla as a child unable to break the habit of shaking the bags containing her aquatic gifts.

When Nemo realises he is to be given away, the aquarium’s inhabitants step up their escape plan. In particular, the young fish pretends to be dead in order to convince the dentist to flush him down the toilet, which would allow him to reach the ocean via the drains.

Darla does not deliberately set out to harm the fish. Her behaviour stems instead from uncontrolled excitement and a failure to understand their fragility. It is precisely this contrast between her appearance as an ordinary child and the terror she instils in the aquarium that makes the character so memorable.

The film mainly follows Nemo, who is captured near the Great Barrier Reef and then placed in the aquarium at the dentist’s surgery, whilst his father, Marin, crosses the ocean to find him.

This Funko figure captures the key visual elements associated with Darla: her braces, her ginger pigtails, her purple jumper and her pink bag. It thus completes the POP! range dedicated to Finding Nemo alongside Marlin with Nemo, Dory, Bruce and Crush with Squiz.