Top 20 Disney Villains!!!!

How do you measure the strength of a hero or heroine?  Easy, you size up the villain.  If a villains is especially cruel and evil, the hero must be especially good to defeat them.  And no company knows how to create better villains that Disney.  In fact, most of the time, the villain is the one who steals the spotlight from the heroes and the princesses.  Here is a list of MY Top 20 Disney Villains.

I judge Disney Villains based on Five Categories:

1. Vocal Performance- A Disney Villains needs to have an especially good vocal artist to size up against the good heroes.  If a vocal performance is hammy, overused, or dry, the character is most likely not going to match the qualities needed for a good villain.

2. Entertainment Value- What makes a performance like Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine or Ian McKellan as Magneto so entertaining?  It's because they seem to be having fun with their role.  A villain needs to be comic, frightening, or spontaneous, or I'll get really bored really fast.

3. How far they got- A villain should also be based on how much they got done, and how far along in their plan they get before they get foiled.  Then again, if the character's turmoil in his failures is funny (like with Prince John or Captain Hook), they won't be hit too harshly with this bug.  I also judge them on how they're defeated and what their fate is.

4. Plan A?- What exactly was their plan?  Was it to make a fur coat out of puppies, murder your brother and take the throne, or simply act evil for the pure fun of it?  Or was it something really stupid and easily thwartable?

5. Sidekicks or Solo?- Does the villain have any sidekicks?  BIG POINTS for a memorable sidekick (Like Kronk of Iago), and even more points for those who have to act on their own or choose to act on their own.  

Honorable Mentions

Clayton

Pete

Mother Gothel

Madame Medusa

Governor Ratcliffe

Horned King

Evil Queen 




20. Percival C. McLeach (George C. Scott) (The Rescuers Down Under)

                                                                                                   

This poacher spends the entire movie on a bloodthirsty manhunt for the last Golden Eagle in Australia.  Not only that, he kidnaps young Cody when the boy refuses to tell him where the eagle is, throws the boy's backpack into the lake filled with crocodiles to lead the rangers off his trail, tricks the boy into leading him to the eagles nest and even sends his giant lizard sidekick Joanna to devour the rest of the bird's eggs.

Throw in a healthy dose of George C. Scott with a sadistic sense of humor, and mix it together with the rest of the outbacks fear of this hunter, and you have a recipe for an especially sinister villain.  If it weren't for that pesky Rescue Aid Society, McLeach would have made off with a HUGE payday.  My question is, what happens to the animals locked away in his compound after he plummets to his death off a waterfall.  Adios amigo.

#19. Prince John (Peter Ustinov) (Robin Hood)

 I still don't know how this egocentric "Mama's Boy" became King of anything.  Every time I watch this movie, it still baffles me that these two morons and the Sheriff of Nottingham were able to fool King Richard into leaving on the Crusades.  Nevertheless, Prince John is one of the examples of foppish Disney Villains done right.  With every scheme he concocts and every plan he hatches, we already know he's going to fail, but it's so comedic in how Robin Hood and Little John are able to defeat are so entertaining that it doesn't matter.  And the punishment Richard inflicts on John are just what a villain like him deserves.

#18. The Mad Madame Mim (Martha Wentworth) (The Sword in the Stone)

Though much more of a side character than a villain, this psychotic sorceress could give The Queen of Hearts a run for her money in the realms of insanity.  With little to no course of action or planning with her actions, Mim spends most of her time showing off her powers to Arthur and Merlin while also displaying a rare sense of insanity that only the best criminal minds are capable of showing.  As for her defeat, let's just say Mim isn't the only wizard who can fight dirty in a wizard's duel.

Though a delight every second she's on screen, Mim suffers from being another Wonderland-esque character who only makes her one and only cameo.

 #17: Stromboli (Charles Judels) (Pinocchio)

I thought about making a number for all of the villains and rogues Pinocchio encounters on his long and difficult journey to boyhood, but I decided that the only villain that poses a serious threat to Pinocchio's well-being is Stromboli the Italian puppeteer.  Stromboli literally announces his intentions of cruel evil to the boy, who is far too naive to understand any of it.  That is, until Stromboli decides to inform his "little wooden gold mine" that once he's lost his luster, he'd chop him into firewood (pretty standard pimp protocol).  The most interesting thing about Stromboli's storyline, as well as the rest of the Pinocchio villains, is what happened to them when they realized Pinocchio escaped?  How pissed must Stromboli have been when he realized Pinocchio had escaped?

#16: Prince Hans (Santino Fontana) (Frozen)

The cold and merciless Prince of the Southern Isles has turned an entire generation of people who love the Disney Villain archetype into people who hate villains.  Hans starts out as the "love" of the naive and love-starved Princess Anna of Arendelle, who represents the one true love Anna had craved.  Hans had many opportunities to reveal his evil, including when Anna left him in charge when she left after Elsa.  Or, when a captured Elsa told him she couldn't change summer.  But he chose just the most horrible and unexpected moment, with Anna dying in his arms, that this villain revealed his true disposition.  He had motivation: as the thirteenth youngest in line, he had to marry into the throne somewhere, and though he initially wanted Elsa, it was Anna's starvation for attention and love that ultimately convinced this power hungry Prince to manipulate the Princess to fall in love with him and "stage and accident" for Elsa.  While I consider him a more ruthless version of another villain who will appear on this list, Hans still makes this list for the amount of hatred he has spawned from fans all around the world.  Kudos, you scumbag!

#15: The Queen of Hearts (Verna Felton) (Alice in Wonderland (1951))

I'm sure I'd have my head chopped off for putting this murderous raving lunatic this low on the list, but much like Stromboli or Madame Mim, Alice poses no serious threat to the Queen of Hearts, and she doesn't appear until the last act.  In many respects, though, the less of her is the better.  She leaves such an impact on audiences in the 10 minutes of screen time she has that if she had had more, it would have ruined her character. Verna Felton's surprisingly spot-on performance after portraying the ditzy Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, is an especially rich reward.  A stubborn, merciless, fatally short-tempered woman, who somehow has a ton of power and whines and cries like a mad child, the Queen of all of Wonderland has a lot of anger, power, and selfishness, but ironically, no heart.


#14: Dr Facilier (Keith David) (The Princess and the Frog)

After creating the last legitimate villain Disney had had with their film Hercules, John Musker and Ron Clements come out with the first sensational villain performance from a Disney Film in a very long time.  A sendoff to Jafar and many other villains done by Disney, Dr Facilier is a shadow man, who uses his voodoo connections to con people out of money.  His biggest jackpot comes at the expense of Prince Naveen, whom the evil sorcerer transforms into a frog whilst trying to get all of the money and fortune out of Naveen's "betrothed" beauty Charlotte's father.  A suave businessman who is quick to deceive his adversaries, Facilier has become a cult icon as a villain among Disney fans, and even gets sucked into Hell in one of the coolest death scenes from a Disney Villain ever.

#13: Lady Tremaine (Eleanor Audley) (Cinderella)

No, she didn't have the evil magic like Maleficent or Jafar have.  What Lady Tremaine makes up for in her lack of weapons or magic powers is her psychological hold on poor Cinderella's mind.  She has complete and utter control over her stepdaughters life and wastes no time in scolding her, punishing her, lying to her, or ruining the girl's life if she has the chance to.  The cold and ruthless efficiency with which she runs the chateau has her daughters and obese cat Lucifer run amok and mess up any hopes and dreams Cinderella and her animal friends had.  Her one shining moment of cruelty is simply pointing out that Cinderella's ballgown is made of old unwanted clothing of her daughters, and smiles on as they rip apart her dress.  Evil, despicable, and yet she loves every minute of it.  Bitch.

 #12: Captain Hook (Hans Conreid) (Peter Pan)

The foppish and vengeance driven pirate from Neverland, Captain Hook's drive for the murder of Peter Pan is only met by his extreme cowardice when facing off against the crocodile.  Every plan Hook seems to concoct attracts the attention of not only his lifelong enemy, but also the reptile that licks his chops for the rest of him.  Hook's not the most intimidating villain, but his comic and delightfully wicked performance as the salty sea dog makes for a far more interesting pirate captain than the eariler versions and has been duplicated various times by actors, such as Dustin Hoffman and Jason Issacs.  Plus, this is some of the best Villain related slapstick Disney has ever done.

#11: Yzma (Eartha Kitt) (The Emperor's New Groove)

Living proof that dinosaurs once roamed the earth, this psychotic ex-councilor of Emperor Kuzco is best known for her secret lab, her wrong lever, her buffoon of a henchman, and her endless supply of magic potions that can kill, maim and transform into many animals, ranging from Whale to Kitten.  Despite being such an odd casting decision, Eartha Kitt does a very good job at making us love her and pity just how many idiots she has to work with.  The most slapsticky of all of the villains, every gag and joke is a delight, from the Yzma pinata to the evil kitten in the climax.  I'm happy she had her own story in the film's direct to video sequel, but her role in the TV show was a bit overly-reused.  Nevertheless, this sneaky and conniving old hag makes for one incredibly ugly and troubling world down in South America.
                                                                                                           

#10: Shere Khan (George Sanders) (The Jungle Book)

In one of his final casting choices made in his lifetime, boy did Walt Disney pick a gem for the portrayal of this deadly and murderous feline.  George Sanders really hits this performance out of the ballpark, portraying the infamous tiger as a supreme and all powerful entity within the jungles of India, who poses a severely dangerous threat to Mowgli and his friends.  There is so much buildup for this character that even when someone mentions the name "Shere Khan", you can't help but be intimidated.  And the buildup gives us an even more rewarding payoff, as Khan shows no need or desire to flaunt and showoff his power, because he has no need to. All of the jungle fears him, and he fears nothing.  Well, almost nothing...



#9: Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) (One Hundred and One Dalmatians)

Who else on this list plans mass murder of something so cute and innocent?  No one.  This psychotic fur-minded individual with an over-excess in fur coats plots to turn 99 dalmatian puppies into fur coats.  Talk about animal cruelty.  Combine this mad drive for fur with a duo of bumbling henchmen and a classy Rolls Royce to fit, this in human beast aughta be locked up and never released.  This performance was further immortalized by her role in the live action film, when she was played by Glenn Close, who also manages to convey that sick thrill for murdering puppies for their fur.  Don't worry, Cruella doesn't even come close to her goal, ending with a crash and a burn on the side of the streets in the English Countryside.


8. Gaston (Richard White) (Beauty and the Beast)

Here's where the list got REALLY HARD to make.  Every villain from here forward has the potential to be number one, but there can be only one number one.  And no matter how many times this ego-maniacal scumbag says it, Gaston is not number one.  Yet I don't think I've loved to hate any villain more than I love to hate Gaston.  This guy even starts out appearing like the guy who would be the hero of an older fairy tale, like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.  But his self-centered attitude, his dismal proposal skills, and his plan to blackmail Belle into marrying him by locking her father in an insane asylum, only cement Gaston as one of the finest villains ever crafted.  The parallel paths he and the Beast go down in the movie which leads to their violent fight atop the castle in the climax also make Gaston a worthy candidate as Best Disney Douchebag!  Which other character's villain song is just about professing how great they are?

 #7: Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price) (The Great Mouse Detective)

The great Vincent Price gives us the performance he loved the most in his career as the great crime boss stationed in the sewers of London.  A villain who loves ever second he commits some sort of evil crime or evil deed, Ratigan's wit and wonderful criminal mind is only matched by that of his adversary Basil of Baker Street.  Even though his primary evil plot doesn't make complete sense, the delight and sheer joy he gets out of feeding the Queen to his pet cat Felicia and showing off his perfectly designed death trap for Basil and Dawson make up for it.  It isn't until we watch his plans unravel that we are able to witness just how much of a monster this fiendish rodent is.  Nevertheless, Ratigan is in fact the World's Greatest Criminal Mind.  Just don't call him a rat.

#6: Ursula (Pat Carroll) (The Little Mermaid)

This sassy and sinister witch of the oceans is almost a female version of Ratigan.  But, where Ratigan needs to rely on his mind alone, Ursula has her devious mind, her scintillating singing voice, and her magic powers to trick the innocent Ariel into doing whatever she wants, simply by promising the young girl the opportunity to be human to be with her true love.  Her scheme to reconquer the oceans from King Triton is almost foolproof, although it takes a great deal of skulduggery and underhanded tactics to get her way, as the mute mermaid almost kisses her Prince on multiple occasions.  Ursula is a wicked and ruthless cheater, who will stop at nothing to acquire the power she craves, even threatening to turn Triton's beloved daughter into a polyp and transforming into a gigantic monster.  Luckily, this witch is put in her place for good.

 #5: Hades (James Woods) (Hercules)

Who would have guessed that the evil Lord of the Underworld acted just like a sleazy Hollywood agent?  This performance is so out of left field for Disney, and yet, is not only refreshing, but one of the finest performances ever.  Motivated by his anger towards his brother for giving him a full time job caring for the dead, Hades schemes to have Zeus's son Hercules murdered before he could stop him from taking over Mount Olympus in the future.  Not only is Hades the only truly enjoyable part of an otherwise disappointing movie, but many people who watch this film still pray that Hades is still going to win over the heroes.  He even keeps his word in deals he makes with the good guys.  Guess which hero doesn't keep their end of the bargain with the Lord of the Dead?

#4: Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) (Sleeping Beauty)

This "mistress of all evil" has perhaps the best case to be ranked number one.  After all, almost every person on the internet has her ranked as perhaps the greatest villain in all of cinematic history.  And yet, the most evil Disney Woman in the world suffers from having the most bogus way a villain of her caliber has ever gone out!  At least Jafar gets a sequel for revenge.  Nevertheless, Maleficent is the epitome of a Disney Villain.  In her second villain performance, Eleanor Audley blows away her performance as Lady Tremaine.  Although Maleficent has little to no other competent characters to bounce her ideas off of, she may not need them.  With the exception of her raven Diablo, she has no need to interact with anyone except those she intends to torment.  The fact that she goes after an infant in her plot for revenge further intensifies her cruelty as a villain.  This is one crazy witch you better invite to every birthday party you have, or else she may curse your baby to die.


#3: Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) (Aladdin)

Although very similar in design and attitude, the royal vizier of Agrabah has a bit more going for him than Maleficent.  First, he has a wide variety of characters to bounce off of, from his feathered partner in crime Iago (Gilbert Gottfried), to the bumbling and childish Sultan he is forced to serve, and even the big blue Genie.  Second, although his plan isn't the most original, Jafar is able to be so entertaining as the fiend of the story that you don't even care.  Though not as feared as Maleficent, Jafar shows off his wide variety of tricks he keeps up his sleeves, from his hypnotic snake staff, his alchemy, his disguises, and eventually his magical prowess.  But it's Jonathan Freeman's  brilliant ability to range from a deadpan delivery to a psychotic James Bond villain, and his ability to act off of Gilbert and Robin Williams' psychotic natures that make Jafar a huge favorite of mine.  Motivated by power, he is one of the few villains that gets everything he wants with one sole flaw, eternal imprisonment in a magic lamp when he wishes to become the most powerful genie in the world.  And to be stuck in a lamp for eternity with Iago?  Gotta feel pity for him.

#2: Scar (Jeremy Irons) (The Lion King)

This conniving kitty is almost the perfect villain.  Motivated by his strong urge to be king, Scar is willing to do anything to acquire the power he believes he was entitled to, even have his hyena lackeys kill his nephew Simba.  But after his brother interferes, Scar decides to take matters into his own hands and murder King Mufasa, pin the blame onto Simba, and exile the cub to the outskirts of the kingdom.  But perhaps Scar's biggest crime is the defamation and destruction he and the hyenas cause the Pridelands to suffer through.  With no food and no water, the thickheaded lion refuses to allow anyone to leave Pride Rock.  It isn't until Simba returns as an adult that this sneaky murderer is uprooted and the rightful monarchy restored.  Nevertheless, Jeremy Irons gives us one of the most chilling performances Disney has ever had, allowing Scar's every word to ooze with disgusting evil.  He is also the only character on this list to successfully murder a main character.  But with a few choice words about the hyenas when begging his enraged nephew mercy, Scar seals his own fate and the fate of his kingdom.


#1: Judge Claude Frollo (Tony Jay) (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Naturally, if Disney was going to pull off one of the darkest adult books ever written as a children's film, they needed a chilling villain performance.  And by God did they get one.  Not only is Tony Jay the most well rounded of all of the villains, he is also the only villain that believes what he is doing is a service he is doing for God and for the Catholic Church.  He is also the only Disney Villain that has a prejudice and actually attempts to act on it, going on a murderous hunt for all of the gypsies in Paris.  Frollo goes as far as to say that their deeds are inhuman and bring about the devil.

But Frollo's character enters the realm of a true paradigm, when he becomes filled with lust for the gypsy woman Esmeralda.  Torn between his duty to the city, his desire to wipe the gypsies out, and his lust for Esmeralda, Frollo begins to fear that he is being thoroughly tempted by Satan and fears the retribution he would receive, but can also not fight off his desire to have Esmeralda to his own.  Further darkening his character is his absolutely bitter approach to parenting Quasimodo, going as far as telling the poor Hunchback that he is a deformed abomination.  Frollo is the single darkest character Disney has ever managed, and easily the greatest Disney Villain ever.

Who is your favorite Disney Villain?  Feel free to leave a comment below telling me your favorite villain.