Who is your favorite Disney Villain? As Disney fans, we all understand that the Disney universe has produced some of the most beloved characters in the world. Disney has always had a knack for creating compelling characters, and that creative spirit isn’t limited to just the “good” or main characters. Many Disney Villains have detailed backstories that add layers of depth to a particular plot line and help create that sense of conflict that draws us further into the story.
A Disney Villain Franchise
Today, Disney Villains have their own franchise if you will. It’s a similar concept to that of the Disney Princesses. The Disney Villains franchise is made up of the most popular and recognizable characters that span the entire library of Disney films. This core group of villains a featured in much of the content and merchandise we see today. There is much more to the Disney Villain universe than we often realize…and that’s the point of this post. A look that includes the core group of villains but also the huge list of lesser known but still compelling Disney Villains.
In the 97 years that Disney has entertained us they’ve managed to create an extensive list of characters. That list contains over 125 villains that have appeared in short films, feature films, television, books, video games and the theme parks. It’s always fun to look over this list and remember some of these characters and the stories they’re from. Around Halloween time, it helps with costume ideas, especially if you’re looking for something more unique than popular. Whatever your reason, we’re glad you’re here ; so, sit back and have a fun trip down memory (of should I say nightmare) lane with the complete list of Disney Villains.
Core Villain Group
This group needs no introduction. They are infamous, cruel, and creepy. Here are the core group of villains in no particular order because to rank them would be what they want.
Maleficent – Sleeping Beauty
The Evil Queen – Snow White & Seven Dwarfs
Cruella De Vil – One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Ursula – The Little Mermaid
Captain Hook – Peter Pan
Jafar – Aladdin
Hades – Hercules
Scar – The Lion King
Dr. Facilier – The Princess & The Frog
Queen of Hearts – Alice in Wonderland
Gaston – Beauty & The Beast
Lady Tremaine – Cinderella
Okay, we get it. We know you like rankings, so here are the top 10 Disney Villains as ranked by Disney themselves.
Disney Top Ten Villains
More Disney Villains
The core group of villains do get a lot of attention, but they’re just a small fraction of the villain lineup. There are many other villains that for whatever reason are just lesser known. It doesn’t make them any less interesting though, they are every bit as cruel and creepy as the core group. Since they are a bit lesser known, a small description is listed by each villain on this list to help jog your memory a bit.
Human Villains
Corrupt Officials
Claude Frollo – The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Considered to be be one of the most complex villains on the list, he is the disgruntled caretaker of Quasimodo
Governor Ratcliffe – Pocahontas – Another power-hungry villain. Craves gold to further enrich himself. He is cruel, heartless, insulting and often viewed as racist.
Duke of Weselton – Frozen – He established a close relationship with the Kingdom of Arendelle just to exploit it. He calls Princess Elsa a monster and attempts to turn her own Kingdom against her.
Hans – Frozen – The youngest of 13 brothers he knows he has no chance a taking over the throne in his Kingdom. He sets his sights on Arendelle with an attempt to woo Princess Anna in a scheme to eventually take over as king. Loosely based off of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen.
Yzma – The Emperor’s New Groove – An evil sorceress that gets fired from her job and wants exact revenge on the Emperor she once advised
Queen Narissa – Enchanted – Described has having the best & worst traits from three other female villains; the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, and Maleficent. She is very vindictive, cunning, powerful, ruthless, and is very familiar with black magic.
Bad Bosses
Ringmaster – Dumbo – The cruel showman that is in charge of the circus. He treats his performers poorly and his animals even worse.
Bori Khan – Mulan (2020 live action) – A physically imposing and cunning Hun Chieftain whose aim is to take over the Imperial City.
Shan Yu – Mulan (animated version) – Shan Yun is the evil and ruthless leader of the Hun Army responsible for mass genocide across China.
Stromboli – Pinocchio– A short tempered puppeteer that takes advantage of others to make money
Mindless Mayhem
Jasper and Horace – One Hundred and One Dalmatians – Two brothers that are criminals for hire. They serve as Cruella De Vil’s henchmen.
Kronk– The Emperor’s New Groove – An unwitting henchman to Yzma, however he is friendly and good hearted.
Mr. Smee – Peter Pan – Captain Hook’s first mate, often clumsy which prevents him from being any help to Captain Hook.
Vengeful Victims
Yokai – Big Hero 6– A silent kabuki-masked supervillain that commands an army of microbots. He’s seeking vengeance for a personal tragedy.
Lawrence – The Princess and the Frog – Feeling neglected and disrespected by the Prince, he partners with Dr. Facilier to try and get revenge.
Edgar Balthazar – The Aristocats – He’s the butler to Madam Bonfamille, while not cruel he is greedy and scheming. He’s determined to get a hold of Madam Bonfamille’s fortune.
Bowler Hat Guy – Meet the Robinson’s – An adult that never let go of childhood anger that stemmed from missing the winning catch in a baseball game. He’s an orphan but this anger prevented him from ever being adopted.
Entitled Enemies
Anastasia Tremaine – Cinderella – Cinderella’s younger spoiled and selfish stepsister
Drizella Tremaine – Cinderella – Cinderella’s other spoiled and selfish stepsister
Dangerously Deranged
Sid Phillips – Toy Story – Maybe a bit disturbed skater punk kid who likes to terrorize his sister by taking her toys and performing grotesque modifications like switching heads.
Clayton – Tarzan (animated feature) – A guide with a hidden agenda to hunt gorillas to sell on the black market.
Percival C. McLeach – The Rescuers Down Under – An eccentric poacher who pursues rare animals in order to sell their hides.
Amos Slade – The Fox and the Hound – The grumpy old trigger happy hunter who blames many of his problems on Tod the fox.
Mother Gothel – Tangled – A selfish manipulator, she kept the the healing powers of a magic golden flower to herself for hundreds of years and then kidnapped and help Rapunzel captive when the flowers powers transferred to her hair.
The Coachman – Pinocchio – Sinister figure that lures “stupid little boys” to Pleasure Island where he turns them into donkeys and then sells them on the black market. One of the cruelest of all the Disney Villains.
Animal Villains
Feroucious Felines
Lucifer – Cinderella – Lady Tremaine’s black cat. He is cruel to Cinderella because she protects the mice he wants to eat.
Shere Khan – The Jungle Book – A very savvy Bengal tiger. He is the most feared of all the jungle’s predator.
Si and Am – Lady and the Tramp – Twin Siamese cats that are sneaky and like to cause mayhem and watch others get in trouble for it.
Prince John – Robin Hood – Younger brother to King Richard. He becomes sort of a dictator that steals from the poor to build his own wealth.
Mean Mice
Pete – Mickey Mouse’s arch nemesis – First appeared in 1925 which means he’s Disney’s oldest recurring character and first villain
Mortimer Mouse – Mickey Mouse’s rival and thought to be Minnie’s ex-fling. He’s arrogant & rude.
Ratigan – The Great Mouse Detective – The most successful criminal there is, yet he wants to control over all of Mousedom. Loosely based off of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
Kicking K-9s
Big Bad Wolf – The Three Little Pigs – One of only two villains that comes from short films instead of features. The other is Pete.
Beagle Boys – Enemy of Scrooge McDuck – These brothers are often found trying to figure out how to rob Scrooge McDuck on Ducktales.
Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed – The Lion King – The trio of hyenas that serve as Scar’s henchmen. While they partner with Scar, they really are just after access to the Pride Land.
Sheriff of Nottingham – Robin Hood – He is responsible for collecting taxes on behalf of Prince John and is unsympathetic even in the face of poverty. He actively is trying to catch Robin Hood.
Sinister Snakes
Kaa – The Jungle Book – A giant snake with a giant appetite – especially for Mowgli. Known for his hypnotic eyes which he uses to lure in his prey.
Sir Hiss – Robin Hood – He is Prince John’s snake advisor with the power to hypnotize.
Bad Birds
Diablo – Sleeping Beauty – Maleficent’s very loyal sidekick who is also a raven. He’s one of the first sidekicks that is very loyal and competent.
Iago – Aladdin – He is Jafar’s pet and henchman. Known for his sarcasm and loud mouth.
Slick Foxes
Honest John – Pinocchio – Full name is J. Worthington Foulfellow, he’s the sly fox that con’s people in a small village with his partner Gideon.
Gideon – Pinocchio– A silent loyal partner to Honest John.
Mad Mammals
Monstro – Pinocchio – A massive whale that eats anything that happens to wander into it’s territory. It’s been said he’s swallowed ships whole!
Pink Elephants – Dumbo – Originally the product of an alcohol infused dream sequence. Champagne accidentally gets into Dumbo’s water bucket and they appear in his nightmare. The 2019 remake has a lighter take minus the alcohol.
Bellwether – Zootopia – A sheep with a mission to supplant Mayor Lionheart and form a new order where prey animals dominate.
Slimey Sea Life
Flotsam and Jetsam – The Little Mermaid – Two moray eels that serve as Ursula’s spies and minions.
Tamatoa – Moana – A humongous crab that worships all shiny things. He often displays his treasures atop his golden shell.
Creepy Crawlers
Hopper – A Bug’s Life – Flick’s arch-nemesis, he is the leader of the grasshoppers. He thinks nothing of killing ants and uses violence and fear to maintain control of his gang.
Spirit, Creature, Robot, Alien, and Toy Villains
Chilling Creatures
Chernabog – Fantasia – Based on Slavic Mythology and inspired by Bella Lugosi. Many say this is Disney’s best representation of pure evil.
Horned King – The Black Cauldron – Aims to use his power to control an army of immortal warriors called the Cauldron Born. The Horned King is one of the most ruthless and merciless villains in the entire Disney Universe.
Fates – Hercules – Three fortune telling sisters who share one eye. They claim to be able to see the past, present and future.
Pain and Panic – Hercules – The two shape-shifting minions of Hades, though not exactly loyal to him.
Oogie Boogie – The Nightmare Before Christmas – A bug filled burlap bag that represents the boogie man. Has a penchant for gambling.
Randall Boggs – Monsters Inc. – Very envious of James Sullivan, he is scheming a way to take over the scaring industry and make Sullivan work for him.
Spooky Spirits
Hitchhiking Ghosts – Haunted Mansion Attraction – Usually not thought of as “villains” these three have been gaining more attention. Their names are Phineas, Ezra, and Gus. They all spent time at the New Salem Insane Asylum. Each of their backstories were initially created by Disney World cast members looking to add more depth to the attraction.
The Lonesome Ghosts – Lonesome Ghosts – Four green shaded phantoms from a 1937 film. Their actual names are Jasper, Grubb, Boo, and Moss.
The Headless Horseman – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (which is the second half of Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad) – The ghost of a Hessian Soldier who lost his head to a cannonball during the Revolutionary War. He appears on Halloween night looking for his head.
Angry Aliens
Captain Gantu – Lilo & Stich – A brutal captain in the Galactic Fereraration who endangers many in his attempt to capture Experiment 626 (Stich). He’s fired and ends up teaming up with Dr. Hamsterviel.
Dr. Hamsterviel – Stitch! The Movie – A cunning & ruthless scientist that created and ran illegal genetic experiments.
Emperor Zurg – Toy Story Franchise – Goes by Zurg or Evil Emperor Zurg. Sworn enemy of the Galactic Alliance and archenemy of Buzz Lightyear. Taking a page from the Star Wars Galactic Empire playbook, Zurg is said to be secretly building a superweapon on the edge of the galaxy capable of destroying entire planets.
Rude Robots
Martian Robot – Mars and Beyond – A robot sent to find women to bring back to Mars. He is sort of a drone controlled by Martian Mastermind.
Doris – Meet the Robinson’s – A “Helping Hat” designed to assist it’s wearer with small tasks. Doris rebels and takes control of her wearer. Teams up with Bowler Hat Guy against Robinson Industries.
Wicked Witches
Madam Mim – The Sword in the Stone – A witch with magical powers that are nearly equal to Merlin. Overconfidence in her abilities is her downfall.
Xian Lang – Mulan (2020 live action) – A shape-shifting powerful witch whose name means fairy wolf.
Terrible Toys
Stinky Pete – Toy Story 2 – A prospector toy that was never bought or played with. Because of this he is bitter, selfish, and angry.
Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear – Toy Story 3 – Rules over the toys at Sunnyside Daycare. Lulls unsuspecting toys into his control by initially being friendly and welcoming.
King Candy – Wreck-It Ralph – Real name is Turbo, he took over and ruled Sugar Rush. A vain individual who couldn’t share the spotlight.
Sour Bill – Wreck-It Ralph – The henchman of King Candy, does the dirty work even though he knows King Candy’s true identity.
There you have it, the list that will only keep growing as Disney continues to release more features. Note, this list is just Disney & Pixar villains, we didn’t touch the Star Wars or Marvel universes yet. We couldn’t just leave you with the list of villains though, we thought it would be cool to drop some more Disney Villain knowledge on you.
Trivia Time
Most of the villains on this list wear red, black, and purple. They stay away from “good” colors of white, blue, and gold. It’s a common theme that is backed in part by psychology and not just a coincidence. Often our brains will associate and categorize certain visual cues. The colors most often associated with our favorite villains generally fall into the categories our brains form for evil, distrust, mysterious etc.
Another interesting fact is the most of the villains have green, yellow, or black (no iris) eyes. This is also not just a coincidence and is used by animators to help establish a character as a villain. Associating green eyes with villains goes all the way back to the Middle Ages where green eyes were thought of as a sign of magic, evil, and/or witchcraft. In addition to the color of the villains eyes, most of the villains eyes are smaller than that of the hero.
Sid Phillips from the original Toy Story film is the youngest villain at just 11 years old. Even by Toy Story 3, he is still only 22 which makes him younger than Hans from Frozen who is 23 and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast who is thought to be in his mid-twenties. By contrast Hades from Hercules is the oldest villain since he is an immortal god.
Prince John from Robin Hood and Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas are the only villains based on actual people.
The only male villains that had an obsession with the female lead are Gaston, Jafar and Judge Claude Frollo. Additionally; Scar, Hades, and King Runeard are the only villains that are biologically related to the main character(s) of the movie. Scar is Simba’s uncle, Hades is Hercules’ uncle, and Runeard is Anna & Elsa’s grandfather.)
Villain Merchandise
Here at 23&Main we strive to give our fans a way to bring some of the magic into thier homes. Just because they are villains doesn’t mean people don’t want to show off thier favorites. In fact there are several ways to enjoy your favorite villain anytime of year.
One of our favorites is the Disney Villainous Strategy Game by Ravensburger. This is a TOTY 2019 Game of the Year Winner! There are a couple of expansions too so it’s even easier to play as your favorite villain. It takes a bit to figure out the game, however it is a very unique and fun family game.
Of course our friends over at shopDisney have a whole section of their online store dedicated to Villains. There is literally too much stuff to list, they have items from art, costumes, jewelry and toys just to name a few.
As you can see there is a lot of very interesting Disney Villain lore. I just scratched the surface for many of these characters. Hopefully you liked the list and maybe even re-discovered an old favorite or even discovered a new one. Let us know if you think we missed any or if you have any interesting facts to share.
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