The clown that lives in Riley’s subconscious is Jangles.
Jangles appears as a huge, frightening clown when Joy and Sadness enter Riley’s subconscious to rescue Bing Bong. Although Riley’s mind turns him into a towering nightmare figure, the character is based on a birthday-party clown associated with one of Riley’s childhood fears. His exaggerated size reflects how intimidating frightening memories can feel to a child.
Jangles is not one of Riley’s emotions or an imaginary friend. That distinction often causes confusion because Bing Bong, another colorful figure in Riley’s mind, is Riley’s imaginary companion. Forgetter Paula and Forgetter Bobby are memory workers, while Frank and Dave guard the subconscious. Jangles’ main scene involves a nightmare sequence in which Joy and Sadness use the Dream Productions area to distract him, allowing them to escape.