What is the name of the imaginative friend in Inside Out?

Bing Bong is the imaginative friend in Inside Out. He is Riley Andersen’s childhood imaginary companion, encountered by Joy and Sadness while they travel through Riley’s long-term memory.

Bing Bong looks like a pink elephant but also has features associated with several creatures, including a cat’s tail and a dolphin-like sound. He says he can cry candy and rides a colorful wagon powered by song. His character represents the vivid, playful inventions of early childhood that may fade as a person grows older.

Bing Bong helps Joy and Sadness navigate Riley’s mind, including the Train of Thought and the Memory Dump. In the film’s emotional turning point, he sacrifices himself so Joy can escape the Memory Dump. As Bing Bong disappears, Riley’s childhood imaginary world is symbolically left behind. Richard Kind voices the character.