Who Are All the Discontinued Barbie Dolls in ‘Barbie’? See Spoilers From the Hit Movie!

Barbie has turned the entire world pink through its epic marketing campaign and overall unique storyline! Director Greta Gerwig ensured that her film would include countless references to the iconic doll’s history, including its discontinued toys and the creator behind Barbie. Dolls such as Midge, Growing Up Skipper, Sugar Daddy Ken and more were seen in the Margot Robbie-lead movie, causing major nostalgia among consumers who owned the dolls that Mattel took off the shelves. But for the younger generations, many are dying to know more about the mysterious toys that were removed from stores, and thankfully, Barbie gives each of the discontinued Barbies a shout-out during the end credits. 

Keep scrolling for a full list of all the discontinued Barbies that made cameos in the Barbie movie. Warning: spoilers below!

Who Is the Sugar Daddy Ken Barbie Doll?

To eliminate any confusion, Mattel likely didn’t intend to introduce any child to the term “sugar daddy” with the release of their Ken doll, Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken. The collector’s item was targeted for adult consumers and had a small dog named Sugar, meaning that the Ken doll was Sugar’s dad.

Sugar Daddy Ken only has a quick appearance in Barbie, so viewers need to keep their eyes peeled whenever Barbie revisits Weird Barbie’s (portrayed by Kate McKinnon) home. 

Shortly after his 2009 release, a spokesperson for Mattel explained the doll in further detail. 

“At the end of the day, this collection is targeted toward adults,” a spokesperson said at the time. “While the name of the doll does refer back to the dog, I think people are going to interpret it as they want to interpret it.”

Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken was discontinued because of the controversy it stirred up among consumers from its name. 

Who Is the Allan Barbie Doll?

Allan was created to be Ken’s best friend and was portrayed by Michael Cera in Barbie. Allan hit the shelves in 1964 and was dressed up in a multi-colored shirt, blue shorts and matching sandals. His main selling point was that he could fit into all of Ken’s clothes. In 1991, the male doll was married to Midge as part of the “Happy Family” play set when Midge was reintroduced to the public.

Allan hasn’t been a part of Barbie’s toy universe for six decades. He was discontinued due to low popularity among consumers.

Who Is the Pregnant Midge Barbie Doll?

Midge is seen in several scenes throughout Barbie, standing in front of her home and showing off her baby bump. 

The initial version of Margaret “Midge” Hadley Sherwood featured long red hair and a purple floral dress. She was introduced to the public in 1963 as Barbie’s best friend and Allan’s girlfriend. Midge was taken off the shelves in 1967. Twenty years later, however, Mattel reintroduced Midge in 1987 and another time in the 1990s as part of the doll set called “Happy Family,” with Midge getting married to Allan in 1991. The set, titled Barbie Happy Family Pregnant Midge & Baby, even included a way for kids to attach a small magnetic baby to Midge’s growing stomach.

Many consumers didn’t appreciate the idea of a pregnant Barbie doll, leading many stores to remove the doll from their shelves. In 2022, a Mattel spokesperson explained to CBS News that they discontinued Midge because “customers had a concern about having a pregnant doll.”

Who Is the Growing Up Skipper Barbie Doll?

Growing Up Skipper was seen as part of Weird Barbie’s community of outcasts from Barbie Land. Skipper was released in 1975 as Barbie’s little sister with the intention of her growing up when her figured matured. When little girls would turn Skipper’s arm, her boobs would enlarge and she’d grow taller. 

The doll was eventually discontinued in 1977 because Barbie fans were uncomfortable with the idea of a toy transforming from an adolescent to a curvier teenager. 

Who Is Video Girl Barbie?

As the camera panned to another one of Weird Barbie’s nearby pals, fans got a glimpse at Video Girl Barbie, who was released by Mattel in 2010.  The original toy was a real working video camera that was able to record up to 30 minutes of film and even upload to a computer. As shown with the live-action character, Video Girl Barbie has a huge hole in her upper body that featured the camera lens but was disguised as a fashionable pendant.

Video Girl Barbie was discontinued for one unique reason — the FBI saw the doll’s hidden camera as a potential threat to children, citing that it could have been used for child pornography. Though no such incidents were ever reported, Mattel pulled Video Barbie from shelves in 2012.

Who Is Teen Talk Barbie?

The name of Teen Talk Barbie truly says it all — a doll with phrases that were intended to relate to teenagers in the 1990s. The toy, which was released in 1992, stirred up a lot of controversy among women, especially with one of her sayings: “Math class is tough!” Many believed the doll was implying that young girls couldn’t do math. Another one of her phrases was, “Let’s plan our dream wedding.”  

Teen Talk Barbie was not permanently discontinued from the Barbie universe. However, Mattel removed the toy’s voice box’s phrases in 1992 and offered all customers a refund at the time. 

Who Is Earring Magic Ken?

Ken was given a new look in 1993 when Mattel distributed Earring Magic Ken. The doll — which briefly appeared alongside Weird Barbie in her home — featured a purple mesh shirt with a matching leather vest, black pants and a silver chain around his neck that read “Barbie.” As his name clarified, this Ken featured one diamond earring in one ear.

Earring Magic Ken was pulled from shelves just six months after its 1993 release due some consumers complaining over the doll’s sexual orientation. However, Mattel spokesperson Donna Gibbs assured The Wall Street Journal that the toy company was “pleased that [gay men] are finding something to enjoy in our products as well.” 

Nevertheless, in a separate interview with the San Francisco Examiner, Donna noted, “The Ken doll was not intentionally designed for any audience other than our primary one, girls ages 3 to 10.”

Who Is the Creator of Barbie?

Whether they were familiar with Barbie’s history or not, fans who watched the 2023 film recognized one lady in two different scenes: Ruth Handler, who was portrayed by actress Rhea Perlman.  

In the first scene, Barbie is seen sprinting out of Mattel’s dull, gray cubicle-separated office run by men. She then runs into a separate room where she meets a woman sitting down drinking tea in a kitchen. After the lady helps Barbie escape through another door, the woman reveals that her name is Ruth.

At the end of the film, Ruth returns to inform Barbie that she created her as a tribute to her daughter, Barbara Handler, who lives a quiet life away from the public eye. 

Ruth was born in Colorado in 1916 and moved to Los Angeles in 1938 after marrying her husband, then-high school sweetheart, Elliot Handler. By 1959, Ruth invented the Barbie doll and she an Elliot were cofounders of Mattel. The spouses were later forced to leave the toy giant in 1975 after the Securities and Exchange Commission discovered that Ruth and Elliot had falsified financial documents. 

Apart from the Handler’s daughter, they also had a son named Kenneth Handler, who inspired Ruth’s idea for the Ken doll. He now works as a screenwriter and filmmaker. 

Ruth died at 85 years old in April 2002 following complications from her colon cancer surgery.  

Is There an End Credit Scene of ‘Barbie’?

Fans are buzzing all over the internet wondering whether Barbie has an end credit scene. As the end credits roll, moviegoers got a glimpse at all of the actual discontinued Barbie dolls that were portrayed by actors and actresses in the film. After all, Mattel had to advertise their entire commercial history for fans!

Barbie does not have an end credit scene.