Uniqua (The Backyardigans)

Uniqua is the protagonist of The Backyardigans. She is the only character to appear in every episode. In an interview, the show's creator Janice Burgess said that Uniqua was based on herself: "Uniqua is me. Or at least who I was as a kid. She's a ringleader. Out of the five, Uniqua is the main character, and we use her in every story."

The series uses the name "Uniqua" for both the character and her species. Uniqua is voiced by LaShawn Tináh Jefferies throughout the entire series. Her singing voice is provided by Jamia Simone Nash in seasons one through three and by Avion Baker in the fourth season.

Why She Is A Unique And Friendly Uniqua

 * 1) She’s a very different, realistic, and likable character, in fact, the most different of them all since she's not a real animal and instead a totally unique creature, hence her name and species.
 * 2) Her character design is cute and original.
 * 3) She promotes creativity and imagination, like when she was pretending to be a clever criminal and was playing the spy game with Agent Secret (Pablo).
 * 4) The kinds of people she pretends to be can be awesome at times, like when she was pretending to be the Lady in Pink, a super secret criminal, and when she was pretending to be a Knight of a kingdom.
 * 5) For one of the 5 main characters to focus on imagination in the show, she shows a lot of very creative and inventive moments in the episodes, such as the first episode "Knights are Brave and Strong", where she and her friends pretend they're in a medieval world.
 * 6) LaShawn Tináh Jefferies did an amazing job voicing her.
 * 7) Jamia Nash and Avion Baker did a great job with her singing voice.
 * 8) She has very realistic dances, as a troupe of real dancers learned each dance choreography and was filmed for the animators to watch, so that she and the other characters have amazing dances.
 * 9) She has funny jokes and running gags, such as her sense of humor, regardless of what role she plays while imagining scenarios with her friends.
 * 10) She really cares about her friends and is always there for them during their adventures.
 * 11) She is highly energetic, comes up with new ideas for adventures, and has a more tomboy-like personality.
 * 12) She is loyal and loves to help others, has a heart full of compassion, is very optimistic and determined to overcome obstacles during adventures. All of these show that at her very core, Uniqua knows what it means to be a true companion.
 * 13) She got some character development, as in later episodes, she is willing to put her ideas with her friends and see if it works out during their adventures.
 * 14) Unlike Dora Márquez and other Nick Jr. protagonists, the way she, and her friends, breaks the fourth wall is pretty cool and it is not annoying for older children or adults making her one of the few preschool education characters that is entertaining for all ages.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Sometimes, her singing voice is much too loud.
 * 2) Many people got confused about Uniqua's species. (some people thought she is an ant)
 * 3) * In addition, they also thought she wasn't wearing any clothes due to her overalls blending in with her skin.
 * 4) Her excessive/prolonged/repetitive singing can be annoying.
 * 5) The running gag that sometimes her stomach growls at the end of an adventure can get old pretty fast.