Warning! The following page contains spoilers for Barbie: The Movie[]
Ken is one of the main characters and former antagonist in Barbie: The Movie. He is played by Ryan Gosling. Having an unrequited crush on Stereotypical Barbie, he joined her on her quest to the real world. After spending some time in the real world, Ken learned about the system of patriarchy, going back to Barbie Land to export it there. His plans failed, and he learned to accept himself without having to define himself by his relationship to Barbie.
He was made in 1961, because people wanted Mattel to create a boyfriend for Barbie. However in the film, she rejects him and excludes him from her parties because it's "girls night" all the time. So when Ken becomes the leader and takes over Barbie's world for a while, he tells her it's "boys night" instead so she can get a taste of her own medicine.
He learned that in the real world, men seem to rule everything. So, he got inspired and traveled back to Barbie Land to teach the other Kens about what he saw. The other Barbies became brainwashed, and agreed to their new lives (which failed in the end).