In Inside Out, Bing Bong is the imaginary friend who is forgotten. He is Riley Andersen’s childhood companion, a colorful hybrid with the features of a cat, elephant, and cotton-candy creature.
Bing Bong appears in Riley’s long-term memory after Joy and Sadness are separated from Headquarters. He remembers Riley’s early childhood vividly and helps them navigate Imagination Land, the Train of Thought, and other parts of her mind. His presence shows how childhood memories and imaginary companions can fade as a person grows older.
The film makes Bing Bong’s disappearance especially emotional. He and Joy try to escape the Memory Dump in his song-powered rocket wagon, but the wagon cannot rise with both of them aboard. Bing Bong jumps out so Joy can escape, and he gradually fades away as Riley forgets him. This is why he is sometimes confused with Jangles the Clown, another character from Riley’s mind, but Jangles represents a frightening memory rather than an imaginary friend. Richard Kind provided Bing Bong’s voice.