Top Ten Disney Villains

Maleficent, Scar, Ursula, Jafar, The Queen, Judge Claude Frollo

Sep 27, 2008

The ten best (meaning most evil) antagonists from popular Walt Disney movies

A rare thing in a Disney film is a male character who is evil simply because of their own vanity. He has arguably one of the best character progressions for a Disney villain, starting off as just a narcissistic but still slightly likable character, developing in a controlling jerk and later showing himself to be a true villain who deserves the end he meets during the fight scene with the Beast. He may not be a calculating evil mastermind but he gets a great song appropriately titled Gaston.

A more modern film but this antagonist is nowhere near as evil as her Disney classic counterparts. Like many classic villains, she's the Queen and true to her form as Prince Edward's evil stepmother. Instead of vanity, which has being the driving force for so many others like her, this evil Queen is driven by power (and keeping it!). Her main reason for chasing the lovably dizzy heroine Giselle is to keep prince Edward from marrying her, thus keeping her powerful position as Queen of Andalasia. Though the end dragon-transformation scene shows her to be reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty's Maleficient, computer graphics ruined the fear factor for her.

The classic evil stepmother who, together with daughters Anastasia and Drizella, made life a misery for sweet-natured Cinderella. Little girls would be forgiven for thinking for a moment that this film wasn't going to end happily when she locks her stepdaughter in her room just as the Duke arrives with the glass slipper that could change Cindrella's life forever. While she is perhaps just trying to do what's best for her daughters, she is proved to be a cold and cunning woman.

If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will so the movie's song goes and if you're a puppy, you should be very scared indeed! As her name implies, it's evil from the onset with Cruella. Her ridiculous appearance and determination to turn some super-cute puppies into a fur coat make her one of the best when it comes to evil in Disney films.

Instead of being extremely power-crazed, it is his realism and righteousness that make Frollo such a convincing villain. While undoubtedly a very evil man, he is consumed by thoughts that he is doing the right thing. 'It's not my fault, I'm not to blame' he sings in Heaven's Light/Hellfire and it is this belief that makes him truly evil. Wicked Queens may not exist in real life but it's scary to think that characters like Frollo actually do.

As the one who started it all, many Disney villains would be nothing without this original evil Queen. Her vanity, envy and malice mixed with her magical abilities is a deadly combination for stepdaughter Snow White. For part of the film, we believe Snow White is actually dead. Evil never wins in the world of Disney but the evil Queen is certainly shown to be worthy of a top ranking.

What makes Jafar such a good villain is his lack or care for anyone else. He manipulates the Sultan guiltlessly for his own advantage and seems willing to do anything for power. Few others have almost killed the hero (several times) and got to kiss the heroine. The treacherous snake's ultimate downfall is his desire to be all powerful, resulting in him becoming trapped in a Genie lamp.

With her image more hideous octopus than enchanting sea witch , it's easy to be afraid of Ursula. But at the same time, her effort to overpower King Triton through his naive daughter seems to make her a character you love to hate (or hate to love). Together with her sidekicks, some rather unpleasant eels by the names of Flotsam and Jetsam , Ursula tricks Ariel into securing a deadly deal with her and then uses her powers as a sea witch to disguise herself as a beautiful young maiden using Ariel's voice to steal the prince from her. Prince Eric really means nothing to her though and her heartlessly cruel power obsession is displayed through how she is willing to destroy the lives of so many to get what she wants.

Jealousy and the want for power ooze from even the appearance of this evil lion. And ultimately, what is more evil than the betrayal of a trusted family member? As well as killing his own brother and almost killing his nephew just so he can the all powerful king, he's also granted his own musical number, Be Prepared. He may be evil but he sure makes you want to sing along!

The mistress of all evil? Considering her main reason for wanting to kill princess Aurora was because she wasn't invited to the party, that title seems very appropriate. Her attempts to prevent the inevitable happy ending include transforming into a fearful dragons far beyond Queen Narissa's capabilities. From her terrifying yet somehow enchanting appearance to her magical abilities, this is true 100% evil and easily Disney's finest villainy performance.

The copyright of the article Top Ten Disney Villains in Animated Films is owned by Amber Lindley. Permission to republish Top Ten Disney Villains in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.