The Monsters, Inc. universe might not be as big as Toy Story, but it has a unique way of talking about its characters’ fates. There are two other key properties outside of the main film. Monsters University is the prequel movie, which explains how Mike and Sulley meet while Monsters at Work is a Pixar-approved, but not produced sequel series, focused on new character Tylor Tuskmon who works at Monsters Incorporated.
In this post, we wanted to break down the fates of some (not all) of the characters who appear in the films and how they fit into the wider story of Monsters at Work.
Explaining The Monsters, Inc Character Fates
Randall Boggs
Outside of Henry J. Waternoose III, Randall Boggs annoyed Mike and Sulley due to the longtime rivalry.
We learn in Monsters University that Randall was once Mike’s roommate and is desperate to be part of the cool crowd. He joins Roar Omega Roar after Sulley is dropped due to low grades. He later participates in a cruel prank on Ozma Kappa. The shoe drops when Sulley outperforms during the final event of the Scare Games, which sees Boggs humiliated. He then vows never loose to him again.
Years later, Randall is still envious of Sulley due to being outperformed as a Scarer and always coming in second. By the end of the original movie, his role in Waternoose’s child kidnapping scheme is exposed and Mike and Sulley exile him to the human world where carnies beat him up.
The first season of Monsters at Work doesn’t touch on Randall at all, and it wasn’t thought that the second season would either. However, we learn at the end of the season that Johnny Worthington, who had been the president of ROR during Randall’s time at MU had rescued him from the human world.
It gets better. Worthington was upset that Monsters, Inc.’s discovery of laugh power would put his family company, Fear Co, out of business, so he recruited Randall to sabotage Monsters Inc.
Randall is then arrested, but escapes custody.
Roz
Next, we have Roz, the slug lady who was obsessed with Mike’s paperwork and slammed her window shield down on his fingers. Yeah, her. At the end of Monsters, Inc., revealed the character’s fate by revealing she’d been undercover for the CDA, hoping to witness Waternoose doing something sketchy.
We learn during the first episode of Monsters at Work that she was still part of the CDA (and later MERC) and that the board of directors had agreed to put Mike and Sulley in charge while giving Roze, Roz’s sister, her old job.
Mike admits in a later episode, that he had no idea that Roz worked for MERC only for her to respond, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
Fungus
Next, we have Fungus. He was Randall’s scare assistant who was forced to participate in the child kidnapping plot with Boggs and Waternoose. At the end of the original film, we discover he has joined Mike and Sulley as a jokester.
Monsters at Work goes further into this where it’s revealed that Fungus is Mike’s laugh assistant. He pops up several times when Monsters, Inc. is forced to push its jokesters due to issues with keeping the laugh power flowing.
Henry J. Waternoose III
Henry J. Waternoose III seemed like a great boss who cared about his company. However, it turned out he was a horrid individual who only cared about exploiting children for their screams. While he was exposed by Mike and Sulley and arrested, Monsters at Work gives more context.
Val Little, one of the new lead characters of Monsters at Work, discovered from Adorable the Snowman, that the reason he was banished was due to him finding plans for the scream extractor. Waternoose didn’t want anyone to know about the machine so he had Adorable kicked out of the company.
We learn from Sulley, after Waternoose’s son, Roger, is exposed that he [Sulley] hired the younger Waternoose knowing full well that he wasn’t like his father.
During the finale of Monsters at Work Season 2, MIFT uses the parts of the scream extractor to their advantage.
The Fates Of Characters From Monsters University
Derek Knight
The first character we’re talking about Monsters University fates is Professor Derek Knight. He was the teacher who was teaching scaring. Professor Knight’s first name is never spoken in the film.
The last time we see him is when Sulley confesses to Dean Hardscrabble that he cheated during the Scare Games. However, we don’t see him after this as he doesn’t go to the door lab after Mike goes to the human world in a bid to prove to everyone that he’s Scarer material.
We learn in the first episode of Monsters at Work that Knight is still working as the Scaring 101 teacher, even almost two decades later. He pops up a second time during the premiere episode of Season 2 during the Homecoming event when he welcomes Johnny and Tylor back.
Johnny Worthington III
Johnny Worthington III was a thorn in Mike’s side from the day he arrived at Monsters University. Coming from a rich and entitled background, Worthington took in Sulley due to his status as scaring royalty, but discarded him when his grades slipped in favour of Randall.
Worthington looked down upon Ozma Kappa and saw them as nobodies who would never amount to anything, let alone scarers. He was shocked when the Ozmas had win after win in the Scare Games. Johnny even went as far as turning all the other fraternities and sororities against them.
However, fast-forward to about 20 years (if Sulley is correct) and Johnny is now married with a teenage daughter and a young son. He is the CEO of his family company, Fear Co, a rival to Monsters, Inc. When Sulley and Mike end up on top with laugh power, Worthington becomes desperate to keep his company on top. He rescues the exiled Randall Boggs from the human world and they scheme to steal laugh power from Monsters Inc and pass it off as belonging to Fear Co.
Johnny also poaches Tylor with the promise of allowing him to fulfil his dream of being a scarer. Randall frames Tylor for a series of crimes committed against various members of the Monsters, Inc. team. For example, Mike’s lucky baseball mitt goes missing. The vandalism on Laugh Floor F was committed by Randall with the spray cans being bought at Tylor’s family’s hardware store.
Roz and MERC end up arresting Johnny (and Randall) and he uses the same excuse Waternoose did when he was apprehended; his privilege. Fun fact: Johnny ends up becoming Waternoose’s cellmate.
Claire Wheeler
Despite her name not being referenced or credited in Monsters University, Claire Wheeler was present during the Scare Games events. The last time she was seen was when Oomza Kappa beat Roar Omega Roar in the final event.
In the 20 years since college, Claire is now married to Johnny Worthington. She is now known as Claire Worthington and is the mother of his two children, Lorelei and JJ.
Claire works at Fear Co alongside her husband and is the parent who takes the kids to their after-school activities. She is also seen during the softball game between Fear Co and Monsters, Inc. Claire says she respects Cutter when she’s [Claire] called out for peeing when she sneezes.
Chet Alexander
The last Monsters Inc character fate we’re going to cover is Chet Alexander. He was one of Johnny’s minions at Monsters University and continued to be in adult life. However, at some point, he got sick of being ignored and started working alongside Roz at MERC. He went undercover to learn what Johnny was up to with his fake scream amplifier.
